Rocco Ritchie’s Artist Studio Includes This Rare ‘Spaghetti’ Chair — Proving That He Doesn't Just Have His Parents' Creative Talent, but Their Eye for Iconic Design, too
Not just another nepo baby. This iconic furniture piece is an 'underground hero'
Rocco Ritchie's studio tour may have made headlines for the sassy comment left by the artist's superstar mum, Madonna, but my attention was focused on another 80s icon entirely. Despite only appearing on Rocco's Instagram post for no more than two seconds, that flash-in-the-pan feature was more than enough for me to identify the design icon that is Giandomenico Belotti's Spaghetti Chair.
The simplistic design of this iconic chair — certainly one of the standout furniture pieces of the 20th century — has gone on to shape modern Italian design, and its impact on furniture design remains as clear today. However, despite the chair's illustrious reputation, it remains somewhat of an underground hero — not one you're bound to see on every other Instagram home tour.
This is exactly why I was quite so excited to see it featured in Rocco's studio. And paired with the effortlessly distressed walls, YSL ash-trays, and several of the artist's beautiful original works, the piece looks right at home. But, with parents like Madonna and Guy Ritchie, it should come as no surprise that Rocco has no problem spotting a design icon when he sees one.
What Is the Spaghetti Chair?
A key silhouette in late 20th-century design, the Spaghetti Chair is a worthy addition to this cooler-than-cool artist's studio, and I'll explain to you exactly why.
Blink, and you might miss it — the chair pops up in the quick Instagram tour, grouped in with what Rocco describes as 'some nice old furniture'; an apt title if ever there was one. The full steel model featured in this tour takes the form of a relaxed, low-slung armchair, with the characteristic 'spaghetti' strings wrapping across the seat and back. Arguably one of the coolest pieces of chrome decor I've seen in a while.
And while to the 2026 eye, this chair may strike you as relatively unsurprising, with plenty of similar designs found across the high street right now, back in 1979, this was far from the case.
Before designing one of the most iconic furniture pieces in the history of design, Giandomenico Belotti studied architecture at the University of Venice, laying a strong foundation upon which to explore the relationship between structural validity and beauty. This idea is at the core of what came to be his most famed design. After his studies, Giandomenico began his career working in research, restoration, city planning, and industrial design.
After years of working in and around the area of Bergamo, in 1979, Giandomenico began the collaboration that would go on to shape his legacy. Alias, a Bergamo-based company founded by Enrico Baleri and Marilisa Decimo, was developed with the goal of pushing the boundaries of design. And, as one of the brand's first projects, Giandomenico's Spaghetti Chair set the tone for the future of the company, cementing its position as a hub for young creatives and innovative design.
The original design was striking in its simplicity. The accent chair's silhouette is minimalistic, with a sharp-edged, exposed stainless steel skeleton cloaked solely by the sweeping lines of the PVC tube strips, wrapping across the metal bones to form the chair's supportive layer. It's this combination of relative simplicity, with traditional Italian craftsmanship, and innovative, modern design, that quickly made the Spaghetti Chair a sensation. So much so that it is part of the permanent collection at the MoMA in New York, as well as several other iconic galleries and museums, like the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and the Triennale di Milano.
Giandomenico went on to design several further iterations of the concept for Alias, including the spaghetti stool, the more petite Gemini model, and the armchair featured in Rocco's studio.
Get The Look
If you take a real-deal or nothing approach, we've got you covered. 1st Dibs has plenty of different Spaghetti Chairs to choose from, including the chromed steel armchair featured in Rocco's studio. It may not be cheap, but it's a piece you'll keep forever.
But, if you're looking for a more affordable alternative, this stackable dining chair from Sklum certainly does the trick. The cord strip seat is a clear reference to the original spaghetti chair design, but at only £46.95, this one is hard to beat.
Not an exact copy, but certainly a similar look, the Hay X-line Chair has the same iconic minimalism as the much-loved Spaghetti Chair. Swapping out the PVC strips for the trendy perforated steel, this design maintains the same weightless, solid-yet-transparent effect.
Every artist needs to find inspiration from somewhere, and Rocco clearly has a soft spot for the greats. We spied a copy of this recent collection of the great Baroque artists' work in his studio. And judging by the striking compositions and intense chiaroscuro of Rocco's paintings, he's clearly already learned a thing or two.
Make like Rocco with a Geodesis candle to scent your space — founded by Norbert Hiblot and his wife in 1996, Geodesis was inspired by the original concept of olfactory travel. Each fragrance is associated with a region of the planet, evoking the scent of a flower, fruit, plant, or tree from the region.
Two framed photos of Basquiat at work hang proudly in Rocco's studio. But if you want to appreciate the artist's work, why not treat yourself to a framed print of one of his works? If you needed some more convincing, this ones currently on sale.
If you're keen to get your hands on a piece of design history and find some iconic furniture for yourself, you'll find our tips on how to find good secondhand furniture online very helpful. Plus, for a bit of extra reading, now's a good time to acquaint yourself with these pieces of classic furniture designed by women.
