What Nilufar Gallery does

Nilufar is a privately held Italian design gallery founded in 1979 in Milan by Nina Yashar, operating two physical venues: the flagship Nilufar Via della Spiga and the 1,500-square-meter Nilufar Depot, inaugurated in 2015 in a reconverted industrial building designed in collaboration with architect Massimiliano Locatelli. The gallery curates and sells vintage and contemporary design pieces across furniture, tables, seating, lighting, outdoor, accessories, artwork, and rugs and textiles, and operates Nilufar Edition, an in-house collection of over 100 customizable pieces spanning seating, lighting, and carpets created in collaboration with international designers under Yashar's creative direction.

The company serves a hybrid customer base of individual design collectors and design enthusiasts (B2C) alongside architects, interior designers, and curatorial professionals who use the Design Advisory Service for project-based acquisitions (B2B). Enterprise clients have included luxury fashion brands such as Jimmy Choo and Giuseppe Zanotti, hospitality projects including Nicelli Airport and Palazzo Luce in Lecce, and large design destinations such as the 100,000-square-foot Nilaya Anthology by Asian Paints in Mumbai. Distribution is gallery- and appointment-based, supplemented by international exhibitions and pop-ups in Paris, Mexico City, and Mumbai, plus an online inquiry and shipping operation.

Nilufar generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of collectible and limited-edition pieces, Nilufar Edition products, and professional services via the Design Advisory Service. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed publicly, with orders excluding VAT, customs duties, shipping, and crating. The company is privately held with ownership concentrated with the founder, has 11-50 employees, and reports no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. Strategic activity in 2024-2026 has focused on international market entry (Mexico City via Studio 84 in 2024; Mumbai via Asian Paints in 2025; Paris via Métaphores in 2025) and signature exhibitions such as the planned Nilufar Grand Hotel for Milan Design Week 2026.

Name

Nilufar Gallery

Legal name

Nilufar

Website

https://nilufar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nilufar is a Milan-based design gallery founded in 1979 by Nina Yashar, curating and selling vintage and contemporary collectible design across two venues, the Via della Spiga flagship and the 1,500-square-meter Depot, serving collectors, designers, architects, and luxury hospitality and retail clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collectible Design Retail

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700), Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Vintage design gallery
• Contemporary furniture sales
• Collectible design pieces
• Interior design advisory
• Custom furniture collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Collectible Design Sales: One-time transaction sales of vintage and contemporary furniture, lighting, accessories, artwork, and rugs. Pieces range from unique vintage masterpieces to limited editions and contemporary works by established and emerging designers.
2. Nilufar Edition (In-house Collection): Exclusive in-house collection featuring over 100 customizable pieces across key furniture categories including seating, lighting, and carpets. Created through collaboration with international designers under creative direction of Nina Yashar, offering great flexibility in customization for residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces.
3. Design Advisory Service: Professional services for design, architecture, and curatorial professionals providing exclusive access to collectible pieces, bespoke furnishings, and expert guidance for projects. Includes project promotion showcasing collaborations in editorial sections.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Nilufar Gallery is a Milan-based design gallery founded in 1979 that curates and sells vintage and contemporary furniture, lighting, rugs, and art objects. The gallery operates two physical venues in Milan — the flagship on Via della Spiga and Nilufar Depot — and offers an in-house Nilufar Edition collection of customizable pieces alongside a Design Advisory Service for residential, hospitality, and retail projects.

Product overview

Nilufar Gallery is a legendary design gallery established in 1979 in Milan by Nina Yashar, operating two distinct venues: Nilufar Via della Spiga (founded 1979) and Nilufar Depot (inaugurated 2015). The company offers a curated collection of vintage and contemporary design pieces spanning furniture, tables, seating, lighting, outdoor, accessories, artwork, and rugs & textiles. Its core exclusive offering is Nilufar Edition, an in-house collection with creative direction from Nina Yashar featuring over one hundred customizable pieces across seating, lighting, and carpets. The gallery also provides professional Design Advisory Services for architects, designers, and curators, along with appointment booking, worldwide shipping, and a Projects Showcase highlighting client collaborations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nilufar Edition: Exclusive in-house collection launched by Nilufar under the creative direction of Nina Yashar. Features over one hundred pieces across key furniture categories including seatings, lighting, and carpets, with great flexibility in customization.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MétaphorescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025Nilufar partnered with historic French textile maison Métaphores for the immersive installation 'In the Mood for Touch' at Métaphores showroom in Paris (October 2025 - January 2026). The collaboration merged Nilufar Edition pieces with Métaphores' fabrics, showcasing expressive materiality through velvets, jacquards, and silks across three distinct rooms.
• Nilaya Anthology by Asian PaintscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Milestone collaboration showcasing Nilufar's curated selection (vintage, contemporary, and Nilufar Edition pieces) at Nilaya Anthology's 100,000-square-foot design destination in Mumbai. The project (March-August 2025) was deeply rooted in Nina Yashar's admiration for India's heritage and local craftsmanship.
• Studio 84coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 February 2024Studio 84 became the premier source for Nilufar designs in the Mexican capital, hosting the gallery's first Mexico City showcase during Art Week 2024 at the residence of architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. Partnership inaugurated with exhibition featuring Andrea Mancuso, Filippo Carandini, Sophie Dries, and David/Nicolas.
• cc-tapisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2024Italian rug maker featured alongside Nilufar furnishings during Mexico City Art Week 2024 exhibition at Pedro Ramírez Vázquez residence.
• RubelliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Venetian textile house whose Punteggiato fabric (designed by Gio Ponti in 1934) was used for upholstering Andrea Mancuso's Punteggiato collection seating at Nilufar Grand Hotel exhibition.
• BarbiniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenetian glass masters collaborated with architect Rooshad Shroff on mirror pieces debuting at Nilufar Grand Hotel Penthouse Suite.
• Del Savio 1910minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Andrea Mancuso on Sgraffito table in Nero Marquina marble for Nilufar Grand Hotel second floor gallery.
• Lelievre ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric French textile house whose fabrics enriched the second floor jewel-like rooms at Nilufar Grand Hotel exhibition.
• Carwan GalleryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeirut-based gallery has presented Studio Manda's (Georges Mohasseb) work at Nomad Venice and Monaco exhibitions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Galleria Rossana Orlandi: Milan-based gallery founded in 2002 and renowned for discovering and showcasing collectible and experimental design — directly comparable to Nilufar in vintage/contemporary collectible design curation, Milan base, and exhibition-driven model.
• Carwan Gallery: Beirut-based contemporary design gallery focused on collectible limited editions from Middle Eastern and international designers — comparable to Nilufar in representing designers in limited editions and exhibiting at design fairs such as Nomad, and also listed as a Nilufar distribution partner.
• R & Company: New York design gallery and producer representing established and emerging designers across furniture and lighting — directly comparable to Nilufar in producing/manufacturing its own designer collaborations (akin to Nilufar Edition) alongside curated vintage offerings.
• Friedman Benda: New York gallery specializing in contemporary and collectible design with strong designer relationships and major exhibition programming — comparable to Nilufar in its designer representation model, gallery exhibitions, and high-end collector base.
• Todd Merrill Studio: New York contemporary design gallery representing established and emerging designers across furniture and lighting — directly comparable to Nilufar in designer representation, limited editions, and project commissions for collectors and interiors.
• Galerie Patrick Seguin: Paris gallery specializing in 20th-century French design and contemporary collectible editions — comparable to Nilufar in vintage mastery combined with contemporary editions and an international collector focus.
• Galerie Kreo: Paris gallery specializing in limited-edition and collectible design with a strong curator reputation — comparable to Nilufar in exclusive designer editions, gallery exhibitions, and serving design collectors and institutions globally.
• Triode: Paris design gallery showcasing contemporary and collectible furniture, lighting, and objects from international designers — directly comparable to Nilufar in curation of contemporary collectible design for designers and collectors.

Broad incumbents

• Wright: Chicago-based auction house specializing in 20th/21st-century design — broader incumbent in the same collectible design market that competes for the same vintage and contemporary design pieces Nilufar sells.
• Phillips: Global auction house with a dedicated 20th-century & contemporary design department — competes in the same secondary collectible design market as Nilufar's vintage offerings and serves an overlapping HNW collector base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nilufargallery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nilufar-gallery
• Instagraminstagram.com/nilufargallery
• Pinterestpinterest.com/nilufargallery

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nilufar Gallery