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.
$975Sale Price|24% Off
1970s Stilnovo Joe Colombo ' Campana ' Pendant Early Edition , Italy
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Original early edition of Stilnovo Campana ( Bell ) pendant designed by Joe Colombo in the 70s , Italy . Solid well made construction made of aluminium . Enameled finish . Conta...
Aluminum
$216Sale 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
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
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
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' Outdoor Wall Lamps in Black for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' outdoor wall lamps in black for Oluce. Executed in lacquered aluminum and glass, this is one of the most refined Minimalist Italian designs of the midc...
Aluminum
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
Rare Early Joe Colombo Spider Ceiling or Wall Lamp by O-Luce, 1967
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Dronten, NL
Early Spider ceiling or wall lamp by Joe Colombo. The 'Spider' lamp series was designed by Joe Colombo in 1965 for Oluce, Italy, A series of floor and table lamps with enameled sheet...
Steel, Chrome
Joe Colombo Wall Lamp 'The Globe' Blown Glass Satin Gold by Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'The Globe' designed by Joe Colombo in 1964. Wall lamp giving direct and diffused light in transparent blown glass. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Globe is a lamp which...
Bronze
KD24 Lamp by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
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
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 Ceiling Lamp 'Colombo' 885 Black Chromium-Plated by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Suspension lamp 'Colombo' designed by Joe Colombo in 1970. Ceiling lamp giving direct and indirect light, chromium-plated stem, lacquered ceiling fixing. Adjustable reflector in lac...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' Special Edition Table Lamp in Red for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' special edition table lamp in red for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcen...
Metal, Chrome
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 'Topo' Table Lamp in Green and Black with Base for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' table lamp in green and black with base for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Mi...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Italian Space Age Spider Arc Wall Lamp Joe Colombo Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Hamburg, DE
A design classic by oluce based on a design by joe colombo from the 1960s. This is an earlier version with the original bayonet socket and in the rare color brown. another colombo d...
Metal
$1,100Sale Price|20% Off
Spider Table Lamp Joe Colombo 1960s White Metal Original Old
By Joe Colombo
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Spider Table Lamp Joe Colombo 1960s White Metal Original Old.
Metal
Joe Colombo Inside and Outside Wall and Ceiling Lamp 'Fresnel' Black 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
1970s Joe Colombo Floor Lamp, Made in Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milan, IT
1970s Joe Colombo floor lamp. Made in Italy.
Metal
Rare Topo Variant Table Lamp by Joe Colombo for Stilnovo, Italy 1960s
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Milan, IT
Rare Topo Table Lamp Variant by Joe Colombo for Stilnovo, Italy 1960s
Metal, Chrome
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
KD29 Table Lamp by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1967
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in bruxelles, BE
Creamy white plastic lamp designed by Joe Colombo. Wear due to time and age. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE
Plastic
KD29 Table Lamp by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, 1967
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District
Designed in 1967 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, the KD29 table lamp is a quintessential icon of Italian Space Age design. The lamp features a glowing hemispherical acrylic shade suspend...
Acrylic, Wood
Joe Colombo Pair of Mini Flash Table Lamps for O-Luce, Italy 1970s
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Milan, IT
Pair of Joe Colombo mini flash table lamp for O-Luce, Italy 1970s. Both lamps carry the original Oluce label.
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Metal Pendant Lamp in White for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Stilnovo Joe Colombo Desk or Task Lamp
By Joe Colombo
Located in Hamden, CT
Iconic Joe Colombo for Stilnovo desk/task lamp. Includes both clamp and table base. 60 watts E-26 Edison medium base incandescent bulb recommended or higher if. Comes with both clam...
Aluminum, Enamel, Steel
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' Table Lamp in Chrome for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' table lamp in chrome for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentury era, pro...
Metal, Chrome
Floor Lamp o-luce "3320 R Coupe" Model Design Joe Colombo, 1967
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in taranto, IT
Rare original floor lamp from the 70s, oluce production, coupè 3320R model, designed by Joe Colombo White color, aluminum diffuser, metal base and curved steel structure It mea...
Metal, Aluminum, Steel
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Floor Lamp in Chrome and White for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' floor lamp in chrome and white for Stilnovo. Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Mid-centu...
Metal, Chrome
Italian metal LED floor lamps 626 di Joe Colombo for Oluce, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian metal LED floor lamp 626 di Joe Colombo for Oluce, 1970s Pair of floor lamps model 636 with adjustable diffusers in white curved metal with black details. The diffuser featur...
Metal
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 Rare Model 1138 Sconce for Oluce, Italy 1963
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Milan, IT
Extremely Rare Single Model "1138" sconce wall lamp by Joe Colombo for Oluce. Nickel-plated brass and pressed glass. Adjustable shutter for directional lighting. All original Referen...
Brass, Nickel
Red Spider Table Lamp by Joe Colombo for O-Luce Italy
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
The Spider table lamp was designed in the 1960s by Joe Colombo for O-Luce Italy. Its minimalistic design is iconic for Colombo. The lamp is height adjustable and the shade can be mo...
Metal, Aluminum, Chrome
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Table Lamp in Chrome and Black with Base for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' table lamp in chrome and black with base for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the M...
Aluminum, Chrome
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' Table Lamp in Green and Chrome for Stilnovo
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Minitopo' table lamp in green and chrome for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentur...
Metal, Chrome
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' Outdoor Wall Lamps in White for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' outdoor wall lamps in white for Oluce. Executed in lacquered aluminum and glass, this is one of the most refined Minimalist Italian designs of the midcentury and an icon for Colombo. Originally designed in 1966, this authorized re-edition is still made by Oluce in Italy using many of the original manufacturing techniques with scrupulous attention to detail, materials and craftsmanship. 'Fresnel' is a lamp that was created to be one of those perfect objects, incapable of being improved any further; it has not only withstood the test of time, but been designed by it. This iconic wall lamp makes essentiality and practicality synonyms of elegance. Different versions of the Fresnel have been designed over time: wall / ceiling lamps for both indoor and outdoor use as well as a floor lamp, only for outdoor use. Also available with an integrated LED, please inquire for additional details. Price is per pair. Four lamps in Los Angeles...
Aluminum
Set of Two Joe Colombo Mini Coupe Table Lamps by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Set of Two Table Lamps model Mini Coupe designed by Joe Colombo. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered alumini...
Metal
Joe Colombo Wall Lamp 'Coupé' Black, Oluce, Mid-Century Modern, Italy
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Adjustable rotating metal wall lamp giving direct and reflected light. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Coupé series, design...
Metal, Aluminum
$1,696 / item
Joe Colombo Wall Lamp 'Coupé' White by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Adjustable rotating metal wall lamp giving direct and reflected light. Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. The Coupé series, designed b...
Metal, Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Green
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Green. Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentury...
Steel
Joe Colombo 'Coupé' Wall Lamp by Oluce, Black Aluminum, Italy
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Wall lamp with chromium-plated stem, wall fixings lacquered and height adjustable reflector in lacquered alluminium. Manufactured b...
Metal, Aluminum
Pair of 'Flash' Wall or Ceiling Lights by Joe Colombo for Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Flash' Wall or Ceiling Lights by Joe Colombo for Oluce. Designed and manufactured in Italy, in 1960. Chalice-shaped aluminum is cut in half length-wise to form the shade. The shade ...
Aluminum, Steel
Joe Colombo Coupé Table Lamp by Oluce, Black Metal & Aluminum, Italy
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminium. Manufactu...
Metal, Aluminum
Oluce Spider 3319 Floor Lamp design Joe Colombo - Mustard Yellow - 220–240V
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Spider 3319 floor lamp, designed by Joe Colombo in 1965 for Oluce, is one of the most iconic examples of Italian industrial design from the 1960s, combining technical innovation ...
Metal, Aluminum
$464Sale Price / item|25% 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
Joe Colombo Coupé Table Lamp by Oluce, White Lacquered Metal, Italy
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp 'Coupé' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered aluminium. Manufactu...
Metal, Aluminum
Joe Colombo Domo Brass Table Lamp by Karakter, Mid-Century Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based on the same cor...
Brass
$5,158 / item
Joe Colombo Floor Lamp 'Coupé 3320' White by Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Floor lamp 'Coupé 3320' designed by Joe Colombo in 1967. Floor lamp giving direct light, metal lacquered base and structure, revolving and height adjustable chromium-plated arc, lac...
Metal, Aluminum
$7,112 / item
Coupe Floor Lamp '3320/R' by Joe Colombo for Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
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
Set of Two Joe Colombo Mini Coupe Table Lamps by Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Set of Two Table Lamps model Mini Coupe designed by Joe Colombo. Table lamp giving direct light, lacquered metal base, chromium-plated stem, adjustable reflector in lacquered alumini...
Metal
Pair of Joe Colombo 'Fresnel' Wall Lamps in Chrome for Oluce
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Set of Two Outside Wall and Ceiling Lamp 'Fresnel' Black by Oluce In Stock Now
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
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. Man...
Aluminum
Joe Colombo Domo Steel Floor Lamp by Karakter, Mid-Century Modern
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Floor lamp designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based on the same cor...
Steel
Joe Colombo 'Mini Spider' Table Lamp by Oluce, Black Metal, Mid-Century
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp 'Mini Spider' designed by Joe Colombo. Design Joe Colombo, 2025 Lacquered metal base, chromed vertical stem and illuminating body that reproduces the ancient ‘hammer head...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in White
By Joe Colombo, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, 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
Joe Colombo Domo Brass Table Lamp by Karakter, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. The Domo lamp was originally designed by Italian designer Joe Colombo in 1965. Back then he designed three lamps based on the same core s...
Brass
$4,950Sale Price|23% Off
Vintage Original Joe Colombo Coupe Arco Floor Lamp for Oluce in Chocolate
By Joe Colombo
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a period example in the deep reddish chocolate enamel color. Overall fine condition. The shade has some dents that should be repairable The metal is quite soft and should be ...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Table Lamp in White and Black with Base for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' table lamp in white and black with base for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Mi...
Aluminum
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Metal Wall Lamp in White for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Triedro' Metal Wall 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 era,...
Metal, Chrome
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Black
By Stilnovo, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo 'Topo' Articulating Floor Lamp for Stilnovo in Black. Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcentury...
Steel
Joe Colombo Model #291 'Spider' Table Lamp in Yellow for Oluce
By Oluce, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Colombo model #291 'Spider' table lamp in mustard yellow for Oluce. Executed in yellow lacquered metal and chrome, this is one of the most refined Minimalist Italian designs of the mid-century and an icon for Colombo. A highly adjustable table light...
Metal, Chrome, Aluminum