MILAN – Paolo Boffi, honorary chairman of high-end Italian furniture and kitchens company Boffi|DePadova, has died, the company said Sunday. He was 85.

Boffi, regarded for his passion, humility and wit, was the son of Piero, a craftsman at a metal mechanics factory in the industrial heartland of Monza Brianza. In 1934, Piero set out to create the modern kitchen. Paolo was born in the northern Italian town of Cesano Maderno. Together with his brothers Piero Ugo and Dino, he ushered in an era of contemporary design and a major chapter of expansion.

“With Signor Paolo—as everyone in the company called him—also leaves his vibrant personality and ever-curious mind, never still, always seeking new inspiration and challenges,” the company said in a statement Sunday.

In 1989 Boffi appointed Roberto Gavazzi its managing director, one year before Piero Lissoni was appointed art director.

“It was his insight, at the end of the 1980s, to plan the gradual transition of Boffi to entrepreneur Roberto Gavazzi and to recognize the potential of a very young Piero Lissoni, who still serves as art director today. Together, they developed a visionary business model that became a benchmark in the history of Italian design,” the company added in the statement.

Ten years ago, Boffi, a kitchens business at the time, bought De Padova, a legendary Italian furniture brand that has worked with famed designers like Achille Castiglioni, Patricia Urquiola, Nendo, Renzo Piano and Dieter Rams. The fusion of the two firms resulted in a new concept of Italian living.

In February Boffi|DePadova cut the ribbon on a new New York City showroom, where luxury kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, lighting and high-end partitions stand under one roof.

Lissoni expressed his sadness over Boffi’s passing in an Instagram story, referring to him as a “second dad.”

The Boffi company initially arrived in the U.S. in 2000 and was among the first Italian brands to open in SoHo’s design district. Formerly located at 31 1⁄2 Greene St., Boffi SoHo expanded its footprint in 2019 to 56 Greene St. in a space that was designated for De Padova. The new space also includes ADL Design, which it acquired in 2021 and which specializes in dividers for the home or office space.

Its new showroom in NoMad is a three-level, 19,694-square-foot space on 99 Madison Ave. and is one of the largest showrooms in the district.