Joe Colombo Armchairs
Italian, 1930-1971
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.
to
5
32
3
28
5
2
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
28
12
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
19
28
7
22
4
22
3
19
19
16
13
12
33
31
2
35
32
33
268
411
266
237
232
Creator: Joe Colombo
Joe Colombo Chair No. 4801, Black Plywood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s, One of Two
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
One of two "interlocking" lounge chairs designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, manufactured in midcentury.
Joe Colombo's iconic 4801 armchair was designed in 1963-1964. A modern chair with striking visual appeal by the master of Italian Space Age design. A limited number of wood 4801 chairs...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Plywood
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...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Pair of Joe Colombo Chairs No. 4801, Black Plywood Wood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
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...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Plywood, Wood, Bentwood
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...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo Chair No. 4801, Black Plywood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s, One of Two
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
One of two "interlocking" lounge chairs designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, manufactured in midcentury.
Joe Colombo's iconic 4801 armchair was designed in 1963-1964. A modern chair with striking visual appeal by the master of Italian Space Age design. A limited number of wood 4801 chairs...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Plywood
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chairs in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
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...
Category
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
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...
Category
1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Bouclé, Fiberglass
Elda Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
Located in bruxelles, BE
Swivel armchair in red leather and white shell designed by Joe Colombo, model Elda. Seat height 40cm. Wear due to time and age.
FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Pair of Joe Colombo Chairs No. 4801, Black Plywood Wood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
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...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Plywood, Wood, Bentwood
Customizable Tacchini Additional System Armchair by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
Modules with unusual shapes give life to original seating configurations where aggregation and variability take center stage. Additional System is a project by Joe Colombo from 1967,...
Category
2010s Italian Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chair in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
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...
Category
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo Italian Wicker and Bright Orange Upholstery Lounge Armchair
By Joe Colombo
Located in Queens, NY
Italian mid-century lounge / armchair with a small woven wicker form with large cylindrical bright orange cushions, resting on a wicker pedestal base. (Joe...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wicker, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage Iconic Joe Colombo Elda Armchair, Italian Space Age, White Leather
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, IT
It’s 1963, Space Age is at its dawn, and Italian architect Joe Colombo designs a piece that will define the aesthetics of the era: we’re of course talking of the Elda chair, named af...
Category
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Elda Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo for Comfort, Italy 1960s
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
Swivel armchair in beige canvas and black shell by Joe Colombo. Elda model. Seat height 40 cm. Wear due to time and age of armchair.
FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Fiberglass, Canvas
Cognac leather and white Elda chair by Joe Colombo for Longhi Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Sas van Gent, NL
What more can be said about this iconic design by Joe Colombo that hasn’t been said before? A design far ahead of its time, on the verge of space age and modernism.
Colombo was able...
Category
2010s Italian Space Age Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Vintage iconic Joe Colombo Elda armchair, Italian Space Age 1960s, Black Leather
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
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...
Category
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Model 4801 Armchair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
White wooden armchair with black leather cushion. Made in limited numbers: Numbered 8. Seat height 40cm. Wear due to age and time.
For shipping, request us for receive the best price.
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Leather
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.
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Joe Colombo Swivel "Elda" Leather Lounge Chair
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
Located in Vienna, AT
Lounge chair designed by Joe Colombo (1930-1971) in 1963 model "Elda"for Comfort. Made of fiberglass structure upholstered with black and white leather which make it very unique. It ...
Category
1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Bouclé, Fiberglass
Model 4801 Armchair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
Orange wooden armchair by Joe Colombo. The armchair is numbered. Dimensions: Seat height 34cm Wear due to time and age of the armchair.
FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST ...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Joe Colombo for Comfort Lounge Chair 'Elda' in Black Leather and Fiberglass
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
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...
Category
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Tacchini Additional System Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo in STOCK
By Joe Colombo, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
Tamus col. 04
Cat. T
Modules with unusual shapes give life to original seating configurations where aggregation and variability take center stage. Additional System is a project by ...
Category
2010s Italian Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Fabric
Joe Colombo 'Supercomfort' Armchair for B-Line
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tilburg, NL
Joe Colombo 'Supercomfort' Armchair for B-Line. Designed in 1964. New, current production.
The Supercomfort armchair designed by Joe Colombo is the result of a meticulous ergonomi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Oak
Golden Limited Edition Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Longhi Italy no. 8/20
By Longhi, Joe Colombo
Located in Budapest, HU
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...
Category
2010s Italian Space Age Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Wooden Armchair Model 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Wooden Armchair Model 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Joe Colombo ROLL chiars for Sormani Italy 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Padova, IT
A pair of very rare an Space Age icons chairs designed by Joe Colombo Roll and produced in Italy by Sormani from 1962 to 1964. Burnished iron frame an...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Space Age Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Iron
Joe Colombo Plywood 4801 Lounge Chair No 42, Kartell, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
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...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Plywood
20th Century Joe Colombo Pair of Black Multichair Settees for B-Line '70s
By Joe Colombo, B-Line
Located in Turin, Turin
Multichair is a transformable system composed of two separate elements that easily transform it into a chair, conversation chair or relaxation chair.
This is a product made with gre...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century "Glove" Amchair by Joe Colombo for Poltronova, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century "Glove" Amchair by Joe Colombo for Poltronova, 1970s
Category
1970s Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather
Vintage Iconic Joe Colombo Elda Armchair, Italian Space Age, White Leather
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, IT
It’s 1963, Space Age is at its dawn, and Italian architect Joe Colombo designs a piece that will define the aesthetics of the era: we’re of course talking of the Elda chair, named af...
Category
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Pair of Stella 1001 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Confort Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Brussels, BE
Pair of Stella 1001 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Confort Italy, 1960s
The Sella 1001 chair, designed by Joe Colombo in 1963, is a compact and versatile piece
It is a part of Colombo...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Wood
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 121. Seat height 34cm. Wear due to time and age.
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Wood
NEW Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Longhi, Italy in white & taupe
By Longhi, Joe Colombo
Located in Alsdorf, NW
In 1964, Joe Colombo designed the Elda fibreglass armchair for Comfort - it has been produced unchanged in Italy ever since.
We have currently Elda chairs in stock. They are immediately available. They come with original certificate and box.
Elda was the first armchair to have a self-supporting plastic frame. That's why the design classic can be found in many important design collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York or the Louvre in Paris. Elda is rotatable thanks to an integrated ball bearing, seven sausage-like leather upholstered cushions ensure maximum seating comfort. The fibreglass shell is optionally available in white or black, the typical sausage-like leather upholstery as standard in seven different leather colours.
Joe Colombo was one of the most innovative designers of the 1960s. His designs were based on the theory that conventional furniture would soon be over - a thought that Le Corbusier also had. He consistently implemented his visions in many furniture and lighting designs or in 1969 during the Visiona exhibition of Bayer AG...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo 20th Century Pair of Armchairs from the Series “Additional System”
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of armchairs
From the series “Additional System”
Manufactured by Sormani
Italy, 1968
From the archives of Side Gallery Barcelona
Aluminium,...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
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...
Category
1970s Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather
"Supercomfort" Armchair by Joe Colombo, 1964
By Joe Colombo
Located in Berlin, DE
The ‘Supercomfort’ armchair was designed by the Italian architect and industrial designer Joe Colombo for Comfort in 1964.
The frame is moulded from two cut-out and joint-free plywoo...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Faux Leather, Plywood
NEW Elda Chair by Joe Colombo for Longhi, Italy
By Joe Colombo, Longhi
Located in Alsdorf, NW
In 1964, Joe Colombo designed the Elda fibreglass armchair for Comfort - it has been produced unchanged in Italy ever since.
We have currently Elda chairs in stock. They are immediately available. They come with original certificate and box.
Elda was the first armchair to have a self-supporting plastic frame. That's why the design classic can be found in many important design collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York or the Louvre in Paris. Elda is rotatable thanks to an integrated ball bearing, seven sausage-like leather upholstered cushions ensure maximum seating comfort. The fibreglass shell is optionally available in white or black, the typical sausage-like leather upholstery as standard in seven different leather colours.
Joe Colombo was one of the most innovative designers of the 1960s. His designs were based on the theory that conventional furniture would soon be over - a thought that Le Corbusier also had. He consistently implemented his visions in many furniture and lighting designs or in 1969 during the Visiona exhibition of Bayer AG...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Fiberglass
Joe Colombo 20th Century Pair of Armchairs from the Series “Additional System”
By Joe Colombo
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of armchairs
From the series “Additional System”
Manufactured by Sormani
Italy, 1968
From the archives of Side Gallery Barcelona
Aluminium,...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Joe Colombo Armchairs
Materials
Aluminum
Joe Colombo armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Joe Colombo armchairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of leather and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Joe Colombo armchairs, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 32 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 8 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original armchairs by Joe Colombo 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 armchairs by Franco Albini, Ico Parisi, and Saporiti Italia. Prices for Joe Colombo armchairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,161 and can go as high as $22,506, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $10,958.
Creators Similar to Joe Colombo
Questions About Joe Colombo Armchairs
- What is Joe Colombo famous for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025Joe Colombo is famous for his career as a designer. He died young, at 41 in 1971, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. Through the 1960s, 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, his creations have the power to surprise. Shop a selection of Joe Colombo furniture on 1stDibs.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Joe Colombo Furniture
Joe Colombo Chairs
Joe Colombo Dining Room Chairs
Joe Colombo Lounge Chairs
Joe Colombo Stools
Joe Colombo Club Chairs
Joe Colombo Side Chairs
Joe Colombo Sectional Sofas
Joe Colombo Swivel Chairs
Joe Colombo Lighting
Joe Colombo Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Joe Colombo Tables
Joe Colombo Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass