Behind the Designer: Sergio Rodrigues
To speak of Brazilian modernism is to speak of Sergio Rodrigues – a designer who didn’t just interpret modernist ideals through a local lens, but expanded them with warmth, humor, and an unmistakably Brazilian soul. A pioneer of 20th-century design in South America, Rodrigues gave voice to a new aesthetic rooted in native woods, sculptural form, and informal comfort. His furniture, much like the man himself, was open, inviting, and built to last.
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1927, Sergio Rodrigues studied architecture before turning fully to furniture design – not as a decorative art, but as an extension of space and culture. In the 1950s, he co-founded OCA, a design studio and gallery that played a crucial role in shaping Brazil’s modernist movement. While European modernists were focused on purity and reduction, Rodrigues brought material richness and emotional warmth to the equation – proving that modernism could be expressive, local, and full of life.
Rodrigues worked primarily in solid Brazilian hardwoods – especially jacaranda and peroba – pairing them with leather, rattan, and caning in combinations that felt both robust and sensual. His furniture often had a relaxed, lounge-forward posture, reflecting the informality of Brazilian social life and the architectural openness of mid-century Brazilian homes. He wasn’t trying to replicate Bauhaus ideals – he was rewriting them for the tropics.
His most iconic work is undoubtedly the Mole Armchair (1957) – a low-slung, oversized lounge chair with a muscular wooden frame, tied leather support straps, and deeply cushioned upholstery that practically demands you sink into it. “Mole” means “soft” in Portuguese, and the chair redefined comfort in modern furniture. When it won first prize at the 1961 international design competition in Italy, it introduced Rodrigues – and Brazil – to the global stage.
But Rodrigues was far more than a one-icon designer. His Oscar chairs, Tonico series, and Sheriff lounge chairs are all considered touchstones of Brazilian modernism. They share the same DNA: bold lines, open structures, and an unapologetic embrace of tactile materials. His use of wood was architectural – beams, wedges, and pegs treated not as hidden supports, but as expressive elements. Form followed function, but joy followed both.
Rodrigues was also deeply engaged in mass production and public design. He believed that great furniture should be accessible, not elite. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, he designed chairs for government buildings, embassies, and civic institutions across Brazil – functional pieces, but always with that unmistakable Rodrigues personality. His designs never lost their sense of place.
Today, Sergio Rodrigues is recognized not only as the father of Brazilian modernism, but as a master craftsman whose work transcends borders. His furniture is now collected by leading museums, architects, and design purists worldwide – not because it fits into a style, but because it stands apart. It invites comfort. It wears beautifully. It lives.
At Design Preowned, Rodrigues’s work holds a particular significance. His approach – celebrating material honesty, designing for longevity, and embracing cultural identity – mirrors everything we believe furniture should be. His pieces were made to be touched, repaired, and passed down. They reward use, not just admiration.
We’ve restored several original Rodrigues pieces – often working with aged leather, sun-drenched jacaranda, and loosened support straps. The process is always respectful, guided by his original construction methods and intuitive design logic. Restoration becomes a dialogue – not just between craftspeople, but between cultures and generations.
Rodrigues once said, “My furniture is Brazilian not only because I was born in Rio, but because it has the spirit, the humor, and the casual way of being of the Brazilian people.” That spirit is what makes his work feel so alive — and so important to preserve.
For Edward Gubi and the Design Preowned team, Sergio Rodrigues represents a global modernism that wasn’t rooted in sameness, but in authenticity. His work reminds us that the future of furniture isn’t about minimalism or maximalism – it’s about meaning. Craft. Place. Purpose.
In a world increasingly focused on digital speed and artificial materials, Sergio Rodrigues offers something more grounded – a reminder that furniture, at its best, is a part of life. Not just a backdrop to it.
At Design Preowned, we’re proud to bring his pieces back to life – honoring not just the form, but the philosophy behind them. Because in every Mole chair, every curve of wood, every stretched leather strap, there’s something worth keeping. Something worth restoring. Something timeless.