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 |
| $9,869 |
| Styles |
| Materials |
| Related Creators |
$34,342 / set
H 65 in W 90 in D 90 in
Mario Bellini Camaleonda Modular Sofa in Chocolate Leather, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Brescia, Brescia
An outstanding original “Camaleonda” modular seating set designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in 1970. One of the most recognizable icons of twentieth-century Italian design, th...
Metal
$22,700
H 25.2 in W 36.23 in D 93.71 in L 25.2 in
Rare Mario Bellini for Cassina 'Le Mura' King Bed in Vibrant Green Corduroy
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Cassina, 'Le Mura' king bed, corduroy "Phlox" by Raf Simons x Kvadrat, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1972 The 'Le Mura' line by Mario Bellini was introduced in 1972 ...
Steel, Chrome
$12,596 / set
H 27.56 in W 37.8 in D 37.8 in
Set of 2 Camaleonda armchairs and pouf by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in taranto, IT
Set of 3 modular elements from the famous "Camaleonda" collection by Mario Bellini, for B&B Italia, Created in 1970 by the ingenious mind of Mario Bellini and originally produced by...
Fabric
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Boucle Sofa by B&B Italia Set of 5
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Rio Vista, CA
A rare monumental five-piece "Camaleonda" boucle modular sectional sofa, designed by Mario Bellini and made by B&B Italia in Novedrate, Como, Italy. The sofa is comprised of thre...
Steel
$13,741
H 25.2 in W 161.82 in D 57.09 in
Patricia Urquiola ‘Tufty-Time’ Three-Element Sofa for B&B Italia, 2005
By B&B Italia, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Hellouw, NL
Few contemporary sofas have managed to combine architectural presence and relaxed seating as convincingly as Patricia Urquiola’s Tufty-Time. Designed for B&B Italia in 2005, the seri...
Fabric
$4,250
H 32.68 in W 63.78 in D 33.47 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa ‘Lauriana’ Sofa for B&B Italia, Italy, 1978
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, B&B Italia
Located in Dronten, NL
Elegant ‘Lauriana’ sofa designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia in 1978, representing the designers’ sophisticated approach to Italian postmodern furniture. This striking exam...
Steel
$10,800
H 28.15 in W 71.07 in D 32.49 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia Rare 'Polygonon' Dining Table
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, dining table 'Polygonon', glass, electro-coated stainless steel, Italy, 1984 Behold this astonishing table with an aesthetically pleasing layout ...
Steel
$7,672
H 28.35 in W 48.04 in D 35.04 in
Mario Bellini “Le Bambole” Armchair for B&B Italia, 1971 (First Edition)
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Argelato, BO
Mario Bellini, Armchair model "Le Bambole" first edition for B&B Italia, 1971. The armchair, an authentic icon of Italian design, is the work of Mario Bellini, one of the most i...
Leather, Foam
| Sold Date | Sold Price | Category | Material | Creation Year | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| $9,869 |
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months |
| $693-$35,024 |
| Sold price range of items in the past 12 months |
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.
The Antwerp-based designer lends his unique touch to homes, boutiques and offices in Belgium, the United States and Germany, as well as furniture for B&B Italia and Molteni.
