B&B Italia Furniture
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.
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Creator: B&B Italia
Dealer: 900eantico
Pair of armchairs model Coronado by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Pair of armchairs model Coronado from the 1970s by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and produced by B&B Italia.
The pair represents an icon of Italian design from that period.
Upholstery is dar...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Materials
Leather
Pair of armchairs model Amanta by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1973
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Set of 2 armchairs model 'Amanta' by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s.
The frame is made of plastic material with foam padding and original period velvet upholstery.
Trademark o...
Category
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage B&B Italia Furniture
Materials
Velvet, Plastic
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B&b Italia furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
B&B Italia furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of fabric and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of B&B Italia furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 329 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 4 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by B&B Italia were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Mario Bellini, Osvaldo Borsani, and Gianfranco Frattini. Prices for B&B Italia furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $550 and can go as high as $52,300, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,530.
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Questions About B&B Italia Furniture
- 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertMay 5, 2023The Camaleonda sofa was made in 1970. Mario Bellini designed this modular seat, which can double as a sculpture in any interior. The Milanese architect and designer came up with the concept in 1970 for B&B Italia (then known as C&B Italia). The piece became a hit after its star turn in the 1972 exhibition, “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. B&B brought the design back in 2020 with a few modern upgrades (namely, all recycled materials and interchangeable seat covers). Shop a range of Camaleonda sofas on 1stDibs.
- 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.
- When was Hamilton 992B made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The Hamilton 992B Railroad Watch was first produced in November, 1940, nine years after design and research began. The 992B featured brand-new technologies and was made with gold, steel and gilt parts and the newly designed Elinvar Extra hairspring. The last Hamilton 992B was sold in 1969. Shop Hamilton 992B Railroad Watches from top sellers worldwide 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.
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- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 7, 2024The difference between Steelcase Grade A and Grade B is condition. A previously owned chair that has been inspected by Steelcase and found to be in like-new condition receives the Grade A designation. On the other hand, a piece that has minor issues, such as scuffs on the frame, receives a Grade B classification. Shop a collection of Steelcase chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022What was most innovative about Marcel Breuer's Model B3 chair was its frame. Also known as the Wassily lounge chair, the piece featured a lightweight, sturdy tubular steel frame inspired by the artist's Adler bicycle. His use of the metal started a radical shift in furniture design. You’ll find a variety of Marcel Breuer Model B3 chairs 1stDibs.