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.
$3,873 / item
Joe Colombo 'Multichair' in Black for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Multichair' designed in 1970 in black for B-Line Multichair is a convertible system consisting of two individual elements that can easily turn into a conversation/relax...
Fabric
Pair of Joe Colombo Chairs No. 4801, Black Plywood Wood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A pair of "interlocking" lounge chairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, manufactured in Mid-Century, circa 1963. Joe Colombo's iconic 4801 armchair was designed in 1963/1964. A mod...
Plywood, Wood, Bentwood
$5,496 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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 funct...
Wood
Elda Armchair Joe Colombo for Conforti white leather, 1975, set di 2
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The Elda Armchair, designed by Joe Colombo for Comfort Italia in 1963, is an icon of modern design. Featuring an avant-garde and futuristic design, this armchair offers extraordinary...
Leather, Fiberglass
Vintage Swiveling Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort, Italy ca. 1960s
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Geneva, CH
Superb edition of the swiveling iconic Elda chair by Joe Colombo and produced by Comfort in Italy ca. 1965. In its full white version in very good condition, unrestored. White leathe...
Leather, Fiberglass
$6,871 / set
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter, Wood, Denmark
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. Uphol...
Wood
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter, Wood, Mid-Century Modern Design, Denmark
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. Uphol...
Wood
Joe Colombo Midcentury Walnut Model 300 Dining Chair for Pozzi, 1966, Set of 4
By Pozzi, Joe Colombo
Located in Vicenza, IT
Set of four dining chairs model “300,” designed by Joe Colombo for the Italian manufacturer Pozzi 1966. Walnut, padding covered in brown velvet. Measures: Height 78 cm, width 48.5 ...
Velvet, Walnut
Early edition Model 4801 chair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL
An iconic example of early Italian radical design, the Model 4801 chair was designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell in the mid-1960s. This early plywood edition represents Colombo’s expl...
Plywood
$5,492 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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 funct...
Wood
$5,492 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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
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
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
Set of Two Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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...
Leather, Wood
$3,480Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Joe Colombo Chair in Crystal by Joe Colombo
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A true symbol of Sixties design, famous also for being the only piece by Kartell made entirely of wood. Contemporary technology has made it possible to create the same product usin...
Plastic
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Upholste...
Leather, Wood
$2,953 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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 funct...
Wood
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
Set of Four Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphols...
Leather, Wood
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for 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
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
Set of Four Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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...
Leather, Wood
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphol...
Leather, Wood
Set of Two 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
Set of Two Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphol...
Leather, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
$3,480Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Joe Colombo Chair in Black by Joe Colombo
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A true symbol of Sixties design, famous also for being the only piece by Kartell made entirely of wood. Contemporary technology has made it possible to create the same product using ...
Plastic
Elda Armchair, Joe Colombo for Conforti, white leather, 1975
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The Elda Armchair, designed by Joe Colombo for Comfort Italia in 1963, is an icon of modern design. Featuring an avant-garde and futuristic design, this armchair offers extraordinary...
Leather, Fiberglass
Lot of Four Chairs Series "300" Design Joe Colombo for Pozzi, 1965
By Pozzi, Joe Colombo
Located in taranto, IT
Lot of four "series 300" chairs, design Joe Colombo for Pozzi, 1965 Made of walnut wood, with original period fabric upholstery in shades of g...
Fabric, Wood, Walnut
Model 4801 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s, set of 2
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
Set of 2 white wooden armchairs designed by Joe Colombo, Model 4801. Numbered 16. Seat height 34cm. Wear due to time and age.
Wood
Space Age Pop Art Vintage Red Orange Plastic Dining Chairs Joe Colombo Italy Six
By Joe Colombo
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age red and orange six plastic pop art vintage chairs or dining chairs model Universale designed by Joe Colombo 1965 - 1967 and executed by Kart...
Plastic
Golden Limited Edition Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Longhi Italy no. 8/20
By Joe Colombo, Longhi
Located in Nagykovácsi, Central Hungary
LONGHI celebrated the Elda chair's 60th anniversary by creating a limited edition golden chair based on Joe Colombo’s original ELDA design. The chair was on...
Metal
Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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...
Leather, Wood
$3,875 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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 funct...
Wood
$5,492 / item
Joe Colombo Chair 300 for Karakter
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 funct...
Wood
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
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
Set of Four 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
Set of Four Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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...
Leather, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Six Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphol...
Leather, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Two Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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...
Leather, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Four Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphol...
Leather, Wood
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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Four 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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Two Joe Colombo 'Chair 300' Wood and Sørensen Leather 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. Uphol...
Leather, Wood
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. Uphol...
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo Chair 300 by Karakter, Wood, Mid-Century Modern Design, Denmark
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. Uphol...
Wood
Joe Colombo Plywood 4801 Lounge Chair No 42, Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Echt, NL
Early 4801 Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo in very good condition Number 42 This chair is formed from 3 pieces of plywood which lock together without a...
Plywood
$11,650
Elda Armchairs
By Joe Colombo
Located in Paris, FR
While visiting a shipyard, Joe Colombo was inspired by the hulls of ships to design a chair. He created a self-supporting fiberglass structure that was as robust as anything. This 3...
Leather