Alanda Bed

In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.

For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.

Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage.

The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.

At 1stDibs, find a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more. 

We find relaxation and solace in our bedrooms, which are often the most cherished rooms of a home. Your antique, new or vintage bed and bed frame are integral to this oasis of personal comfort.

Beds and bed frames have long been an important part of the sanctuary that is the bedroom. For the upper class in countries such as England, the massive, costly beds of the 16th and 17th centuries were decorative and of the poster variety. Some were characterized by large painted wooden headboards, often made of oak, that featured ornate carvings and richly colored curtains affixed to each of the two or four posts — think of today’s sumptuous upholstered headboards as a distant cousin to these luxurious furnishings. The heavy fabric curtains were drawn across a fringed canopy to close out the sunlight that might’ve warmed your grandiose and opulent bedchambers. This feature could also offer privacy as desired, because, as we all know, a bedroom is for more than just sleeping. 

Coiled springs didn’t make their way into mattresses until the 1800s, which likely made for a far more comfortable night’s sleep for many. Bed frames of cast iron and brass were introduced during the mid- to late-19th century. Later, the 20th century brought with it marvelous innovations for slumberland, among them daybeds from the likes of George Nelson and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich as well as convertible sofa beds.

Today, you will find a range of beds geared toward your individual personality and preferred style of decor. When shopping for a bed and bed frame, keep in mind that you’ve got options. Sizes range from twin to California king. At 76 inches wide and 80 inches long, a king-size bed is roughly 16 inches wider than a queen-size mattress, and your bed frame will likely add two to five inches to each side. (The California king bed is 84 inches long.)

From dramatic bedroom designs to uncomplicated, minimalist approaches, the bedroom has evolved into the haven that it should be: a peaceful place of respite, where we begin and end every day. Take the time to create your very own oasis — you deserve it. Rest easy with an expansive collection of antique, new and vintage beds and bed frames available on 1stDibs.