B&B Italia Furniture
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.
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Copper
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Fiberglass
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
20th Century Italian Post-Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric, Fiberglass
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Brass, Steel
1980s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Steel
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Velvet
Early 2000s Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Aluminum
1970s Italian Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Bouclé
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Chrome
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Foam, Fabric
1970s Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Plastic
1980s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Walnut
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Velvet
1970s Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
2010s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Resin
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Bouclé
1960s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Plastic, Fabric
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Plastic
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Plastic
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Upholstery
Early 2000s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric
Early 2000s Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Fabric, Oak
1990s Italian Post-Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric, Foam
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Crystal
1990s British Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Cotton
2010s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric
1970s Italian Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Suede, Fabric
2010s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Fabric
2010s Italian B&B Italia Furniture
Velvet
1990s Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Metal
1970s Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Bouclé
Early 2000s Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather, Foam
Late 20th Century Italian Modern B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Leather
B&b Italia furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to B&B Italia
- Where is B&B Italia made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022B&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.
- What does R&B mean on silver?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The 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.
- Is B. Altman still in business?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022No, 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, 2022How 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.