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B&B Italia

Italian

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. 

Average Sold Price
$8,064
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia 'Tobio' Dining Table
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, 'Tobio' dining table, leather, travertine, Italy, design 1974 Gorgeous dining table designed by the iconic duo Afra and Tobia Scarpa. This tabl...
Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia

Materials

Travertine

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia Dessau Chairs, circa 1974, Set of 6
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in London, GB
Originally designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia in 1973, the Dessau chair was a tribute to Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus design movement and is named after the cit...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia

Materials

Steel

Antonio Citterio, Charles Sofa, B & B Italia, Creme, Two Parts Sofa
By B&B Italia, Antonio Citterio
Located in Berlin, BE
Super comfortable sofa by the famous Designer Antonio Citterio. The two-part sofa was manufactured by Charles for B & B Italia and designed 1997. The sofa has L-shaped aluminium le...
Category

1990s Italian Modern B&B Italia

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Afra & Tobia Scarpa Set of Four 'Dialogo' Dining Chairs in Cognac Leather
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra and Tobia Scarpa for B&B, set of four ‘Dialogo’ dining chairs, walnut, cognac leather, metal, Italy, 1974   The ‘Dialogo’ dining chair was designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in...
Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia

Materials

Metal

Patricia Urquiola "Tufty-Time" Sectional Sofa for B&B Italia, 2005, Italy
By Patricia Urquiola, B&B Italia
Located in The Hague, NL
Beautifully designed and crafted "Tufty-Time" chase lounge sofa designed by Patricia Urquiola and manufactured for B&B Italia, 2005 circa Italy. This sectional sofa comes with 4 m...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern B&B Italia

Materials

Bouclé

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia 'Tobio' Dining Table with Dialogo Chairs
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, 'Tobio' dining table, leather, travertine, Italy, design 1974 Gorgeous dining table designed by the iconic duo Afra and Tobia Scarpa. This tabl...
Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia

Materials

Travertine

Basilian i Set by Afra and Tobia Scarpa Rattan Brass Bookcase, Chairs, Sofa
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in Borgo A Buggiano, Toscana
AFRA E Tobia Scarpa Basilian I set . Measures : - Six chairs w/ producer label cm 86x50x46 - Sofa cm 65,5x210x76 - Bookcase cm 170x140x33 Bamboo, Rattan, Brass details ...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia

Materials

Brass

B&B Italia Mart Lounge Chair Antonio Citterio
By Antonio Citterio, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in San Diego, CA
Mart lounge chair designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. Mart features a leather silhouette shape which is used to convey the idea of relaxation with its adjustable seat positi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern B&B Italia

Materials

Chrome

  • B&B Italia Mart Lounge Chair Antonio Citterio
  • B&B Italia Mart Lounge Chair Antonio Citterio
  • B&B Italia Mart Lounge Chair Antonio Citterio
  • B&B Italia Mart Lounge Chair Antonio Citterio
H 18 in. W 30.75 in. D 43.75 in.
Browse all Furniture from B&B Italia
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B&B Italia Sellers

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B&B Italia furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Furniture B&B Italia are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are often made of fabric and designed with extraordinary care. In our collection of B&B Italia furniture, there are many options to choose from, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. In stock are 183 vintage editions of these items, while there is also a modern edition to choose from. Many original furniture by B&B Italia were created in Europe during the 20th century in the Mid-Century Modern style. Many customers also consider furniture by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini and Ico Parisi if you are looking for additional options. The prices for B&B Italia furniture can vary depending on size, time period and other attributes. Price for these items starts at $347 and tops out at $52,031, while pieces like these can sell for $4,625.
Questions About B&B Italia
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    B&B Italia makes their furniture at a company-owned factory in Novedrate, Como, Italy. The brand's headquarters are also in the city. To ensure quality, skilled artisans produce each piece by hand. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of B&B Italia furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    No, B. Altman is not still in business. The last remaining B. Altman store closed in 1990 after the company went bankrupt. Benjamin Altman founded the retail department store chain in New York, New York, in 1865. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of B. Altman apparel.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The maker’s mark R&B is from the company Roberts & Belk. Originally known as Furniss, Poles and Turner in 1809, the company went through many different names until it landed on Roberts & Belk in 1864. Known for their silver flatware and cutlery, the brand became quite desirable. Shop a collection of authentic Roberts and Belk silver from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    How to clean a Bulgari B Zero ring depends on the material. You can clean the metal with a soft-bristled toothbrush, warm water and dish soap, and then rinse with lukewarm water. Use a cleaning product formulated for leather to clean leather rings. Wipe gemstones with a soft cloth. Bulgari recommends that you visit a Bulgari boutique once every year for professional cleaning. On 1stDibs, find a range of Bulgari B Zero rings.

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