He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Post modern Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321 Black Gloss
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321. Pre owned Coupe Floor Lamp in black adjustable, an original Joe Colombo design (circa 1967) for Oluce model 3321. Oluce's 1960s Coupe floor lamps pairs a...
Metal
Joe Colombo for Pozzi Set of Eight '300' Dining Chairs in Red Upholstery
By Joe Colombo, Pozzi & Verga
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Pozzi, set of eight dining chairs, model ‘300’, fabric, stained beech, Italy, 1966 In 1966, Joe Colombo designed the dining chair known as the ‘300’ model for Pozzi....
Fabric, Beech
1970s Triedro Floor Lamp, designed by Joe Colombo for Stilnovo, Italy
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Milano, IT
The Triedro floor lamp, designed by Joe Colombo in 1970, evokes the precision and functionality of professional studio lighting. The lamp offered here is a 1970s piece, completely or...
Metal, Steel
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chair in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Comfort, lounge chair ‘Elda’, fiberglass, leather, Italy, design 1963 The ‘Elda’ chair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo. This lo...
Leather, Fiberglass
KD24 Lamp by Joe Colombo
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
The KD24 lamp was designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell in 1968. Its flexible design allows for a vast number of configurations between the light and rotatable lampshade. This piece ...
Metal
Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort - 1960's Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Lisboa, PT
Iconic Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort - Collectible Design Masterpiece The Elda Chair, designed by visionary Italian designer Joe Colombo for Comfort in the 1960s, is an unpa...
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Floor Lamp 'Colombo 626' by Oluce, Lacquered Steel, Italy
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Floor lamp 'Colombo 626' designed by Joe Colombo in 1970. Floor lamp with dimmer giving direct and indirect light, lacquered steel base, chromium-plated stem, height adjustable refle...
Aluminum, Steel
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley with 2 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Iconic Modular Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo, Italy, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A true design classic of the Italian 1970s, the Boby trolley by Joe Colombo remains one of the most celebrated examples of functional modernism. Designed in 1970, this modular storag...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Multichair' in Orange 'Sprinkles Kvadrat' for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Multichair' in orange 'Sprinkles Kvadrat' for B-Line Multichair is a convertible system consisting of two individual elements that can easily turn into a conversation/r...
Fabric
Joe Colombo Vademecum Table Lamp Kartell, 1969s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Skokie, IL
Joe Colombo Vademecum table lamp Kartell Italy, 1969 Additional information: Materials:plastic, chrome-plated steel Dimensions: 7" W × 3" D × 10" H Condition: Very good. Tested and...
Steel
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 4 Drawers in Honey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in Honey for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo for Kartell Armchair Mod. 4801 Numbered No. 29, Italy 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Naples, IT
Fantastic and large white curved beech wood armchair, Mod. 4801 Designer Joe Colombo and produced by Kartell in Italy , an icon of Italian Modernism. A limited number of wooden 4801 ...
Leather, Wood
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 3 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 4 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Vintage Universale Chair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, 1972
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Universale "4867" Chair, Italy dated on bottom: 1972 "polycarbonate - in very good vintage condition" "some discoloration and yellowing, some scratches and small dings" Des...
Plastic
5-in-1 Drinking Glass Set by Joe Colombo, Mouth-Blown Crystal, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
5-in-1 Drinking Glass set by Joe Colombo, 1970 Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo pursued a career in painting and sculpture before he transiti...
Crystal
Desk lamp "Shu" or "Elmo" by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This very rare table or desk lamp was designed by Joe Colombo in 1971 and manufactured by Forma & Funzione in Italy. This lamp is known as “Shu”, “Elmo” or “Yo Yo”, due to the po...
Metal
Universal chair by Joe Colombo for Kartell , 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Athens, Attiki
Joe Colombo’s ‘Universale’ chair, Kartell late 1960s. Solid, stackable, and colorful, this red Universale chair reflects a late-1960s enth...
Plastic
$421Sale Price|20% Off
Cremewhite Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1970s
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
Designed in 1969, Joe Colombo’s iconic "Boby 3" portable storage system was produced by Italian manufacturer Bieffeplast and makes savy use of space with its swivel design. It is mad...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Mini Coupé Table Lamp by Oluce, Mid-Century Modern
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table Lamp model Mini Coupe designed by Joe Colombo. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminium. Manufact...
Metal
Italian Desk Lamp
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in New York, NY
Adjustable Italian desk lamp. Swivel and tilt cylindrical hood shade allows for positioning and direction of light. Cream enamel and bright chrome original finish, working and wired...
Chrome, Metal
10x Joe Colombo 'model 300' Dining Chairs for POZZI, Italy - 1965
By Pozzi, Joe Colombo
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
The Joe Colombo Model 300 Chair is a striking example of mid-century modern design, blending innovative functionality with timeless aesthetics. Designed by the iconic Italian industr...
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Metal Pendant Lamp in White for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Glendale, CA
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Metal Pendant Lamp in White for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Mid-century e...
Metal
$226Sale Price / item|57% Off
Fresnel Wall Sconce Blu Joe Colombo for Luce 1960s Original Italian Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Fresnel wall sconce blu Joe Colombo for Luce 1960s original Italian design.
Metal
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Sferico' Glass Tableware by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Glass tableware designed by Joe Colombo in 1968. Joe Colombo believed in democratic and functional design. In his lifetime he designed a wide ran...
Glass
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chairs in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Comfort, lounge chairs ‘Elda’, fiberglass, leather, Italy, design 1963 The ‘Elda’ chair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo. This l...
Leather, Fiberglass
$517Sale Price / item|51% Off
Wall Light Fresnel Joe Colombo for Oluce Midcentury White Exsterior Lighting
By Joe Colombo
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Fresnel Joe Colombo for oluce midcentury Italia design white Exsterior lighting.
Metal
Black plastic & metal 70s Boby serving container by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Low version of the Boby container designed by Joe Colombo in the 1960s. This is a black plastic container unit with 3 wheels and versatile storage compartments. Ideal for use as a be...
Metal
Joe Colombo Swivel "Elda" Italian Lounge Chair
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
Lounge chair designed by Joe Colombo (1930-1971) in 1963 model "Elda"for Comfort. Made of fiberglass structure reupholstered with creme bouclé fabric which make it very unique. It ha...
Bouclé, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 6 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Inside and Outside Wall and Ceiling Lamp 'Fresnel' White by Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Fresnel' designed by Joe Colombo in 1966. Inside and outside wall ceiling lamp giving direct and diffused light. Lacquered aluminium support and Fresnel lens diffuser. Ma...
Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 6 Drawers in Red for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Red Coupé Floor Lamp for Oluce Italy Adjustable Iconic 1967
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Lisboa, PT
An iconic piece of 20th-century Italian lighting design, the Coupé floor lamp was created in 1967 by visionary designer Joe Colombo for Oluce. Characterized by its elegant geometry a...
Metal, Chrome
Early Edition Pair of Joe Colombo Tube Chair for Flexform, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Brussels, BE
Early Edition Pair of Joe Colombo Tube Chairs for Flexform The Tube Chair, designed in 1969 by Joe Colombo for Flexform, is an iconic example of radical Italian design. Composed of ...
Fabric, Plastic, Wood
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 6 Drawers in Verdigris for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo work trolley Boby 1970s
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in bari, IT
An elegant and at the same time practical and useful work trolley, model Boby, this one designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast. Designed for ...
Plastic
$11,140Sale Price / set|20% Off
Joe Colombo 'Model 300' Dining Chairs in Oak and Leather for Pozzi, Italy 1965
By Pozzi, Joe Colombo
Located in Hellouw, NL
A very pleasant set of six 'model 300' chairs designed by Joe Colombo in 1965 for the Italian manufacturer Pozzi. Colombo was convinced that functionality should come first, and the ...
Leather, Oak
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size M with 5 Drawers in Cumin for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in White
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Glendale, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in White. Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentury...
Steel
Space Age White Plastic Vintage Storage Trolley Container Joe Colombo 1970 Italy
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage storage trolley container boy from plastic in white color by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast 1970s Italy. Iconic white vintage ...
Plastic
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' Wall Lamps in Chrome for Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' wall lamps in chrome for Oluce. Executed in chrome-plated metal and glass, this is one of the most refined Minimalist Italian designs of the midcentury...
Aluminum, Chrome
Mid-Century Colombo 626 Floor Lamp by Joe Colombo for Oluce 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Hamburg, DE
A design classic from oluce according to a design by joe colombo from the 1970s. Here is an early version in black. the name of the luminaire makes direct reference to her unique de...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size L with 5 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley with 2 Drawers in White for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Complete Set of Thirty-Six Joe Colombo 'Sferico' Glass Tableware by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Glass tableware designed by Joe Colombo in 1968. Joe Colombo believed in democratic and functional design. In his lifetime he designed a wide range of different drinking glasses....
Glass
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Kvadrat Fabric by Karakter
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholst...
Fabric, Wood
$12,447Sale Price|5% Off
Vintage iconic Joe Colombo Elda armchair, Italian Space Age 1960s, Black Leather
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, IT
Iconic Armchair , Vintage Italian Armchair , Joe Colombo , Elda It’s 1963, Space Age is at its dawn, and Italian architect Joe Colombo designs a piece that will define the aestheti...
Leather, Fiberglass
Space Age Vintage Black Plastic Up to Three Dining Chair Joe Colombo 1967 Italy
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage three plastic dining chairs or chairs by Joe Colombo 1965 - 67 and executed for Kartell 1970s Italy. Stamped underneath, Kartell Binasco ( Milano ) 860 & 861 made in Italy Des. Prof Joe Colombo 1970 The chairs are in good condition with signs of age and use like scratches at the glossy surface. The iconic dining chairs...
Plastic
Red Boby Trolley, Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
he red Boby trolley, conceived by renowned designer Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast, represents an icon of Italian design in the 1970s. This versatile and functional storage ...
Plastic
Tube Chair Modular Armchair in Blue by Joe Colombo for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modular and flexible, essential and customizable: the Tube Chair – an iconic presence in the permanent collections of the Triennale in Milan, and the MoMA and Metropolitan Museum of ...
Leather, Fabric, Foam
Italian midcentury pair of Spider wall lamps by Joe Colombo for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Rare pair of iconic Spider wall lamps designed by Joe Colombo for Oluce in 1965. Original metal structure and lacquered lampshade, the two lamps are composed of a single lighting bo...
Metal
Joe Colombo for O-Luce "Spider" Arc Lamp, Italy 1967
By O-Luce, Joe Colombo
Located in Naples, IT
Table lamp Mod. '293 Spider' designed by Joe Colombo for OLuce in the 1970s. The lamp consists of an arched metal stem fixed with an adjustable clamp, with a rectangular white enamel...
Metal, Aluminum
Vintage Joe Colombo Elda Chair, Comfort Fratelli Longhi, Black Leather
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Original Elda Chair, designed by Joe Colombo and manufactured by Comfort Fratelli Longhi. The Elda Chair’s futuristic design reflects Colombo’s interest in space exploration and mode...
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo 'Boby' Trolley Size S with 2 Drawers in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Boby' trolley for B-Line. Designed in 1970, current production. Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale” in Milan, Smau Prize in 1971. ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo for Comfort Lounge Chair 'Elda' in Black Leather and Fiberglass
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Comfort, lounge chair ‘Elda’, fiberglass, leather, Italy, 1963 The ‘Elda’ chair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo. This lounge ch...
Leather, Fiberglass
$7,112 / item
Coupe Floor Lamp '3320/R' by Joe Colombo for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Coupe floor lamp (3320/R) designed by Joe Colombo for Oluce. The Coupe series of lamps is considered as a variation of the spider lamps. The simplisti...
Metal, Chrome
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter, Solid Oak, Mid-Century Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter Designed by the forward-thinking Italian designer Joe Colombo, Chair 300 is a beautiful example of his functional design sensibility. Upholstered...
Wood