The Liberty style in interior design and furniture had three distinct tendencies. The first was very floral and sculptural, following the model of England and France. The major designers in this style were Vittorio Valebrega and Agostino Lauro, and particularly the furniture manufacturer Valabrega, which produced works in series. A second tendency was more discrete, and was similar to designs of the British
Arts and Crafts movement, with linear forms, simplicity, and artisanal quality. The major designers in this school were
Ernesto Basile and
Giacomo Cometti. The third tendency was for forms that were much more original and exotic, often derived from the styles of North Africa and the Middle East. These works were The most influential designer in this style was
Carlo Bugatti, a member of a large family of artists and father of
Ettore Bugatti, the automobile designer. His works first reached international attention at the 1902 Turin Exposition. His furniture was thoroughly original, having little or no reference to other European versions of Art Nouveau. He used an extremely wide range of materials in his furniture, including ivory and rare woods. He was particularly fond of the keyhole form. His cobra chair, was inspired by the chairs of African chieftains, and was made of tropical woods, painted parchment and hammered copper. Bugatti's theory was that any object, no matter what its function, could be transformed into a work of art. An unusual example of the theory that anything could be made into a work of art is the statue of dancing elephant by
Rembrandt Bugatti, the son of Carlo Bugatti, in 1908. In 1928, in a version made of silver, it was turned into a radiator cap for the Bugatti Royale automobile. Another notable designer of Liberty style furniture was
Eugenio Quarti, who had won a prize at the
Paris Universal Exposition of 1900. He apprenticed in Paris and worked for a time in the studio of
Carlo Bugatti, but soon departed from Bugatti's exoticism and worked in a more classical style. He used traditional fine woods, such as
mahogany and
walnut, combined with inlays of ivory, and brass, glass, and other modern elements. File:Carlo bugatti, stipo, 1895 ca.jpg|Cupboard by
Carlo Bugatti (1895) File:Carlo bugatti, cobra chair, milano 1902.jpg|Cobra Chair by
Carlo Bugatti (1902) (Musée D'Orsay) File:Carlo bugatti, sedia circolare, 1902.JPG|Circular chair by
Carlo Bugatti (1902) (Furniture Museum of Milan) File:Carlo bugatti per a.a. hébrard film, tavolino e servito da the e caffè, 1907 ca. 01.jpg|Coffee serving table (1907) (Cleveland Museum of Art) File:Goodwood2007-055a Bugatti Hood Ornament Type 41 Royale.jpg|Dancing elephant radiator cap by
Rembrandt Bugatti (1908-1928) File:Eugenio quarti, tavolo a quadrifoglio, 1900 ca.jpg|Table by
Eugenio Quarti (1900) File:Tea table, 1914-15, Eugenio Quarti, walnut, mahogany, brass, celluloid and glass, Wolfsonian-FIU Museum II.JPG|Museum or tea table by
Eugenio Quarti (Wolfsonian-FIU Museum) ==Architecture==