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.
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
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
Boby Art Trolley Cart by Joe Colombo for B-Line, Plastic, Italy, 1970
By B-Line, Joe Colombo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
'Boby' Art / Trolley Cart by Joe Colombo for B-Line, Designed in 1970, Italy "great color / six drawers" "Part of the permanent collection of MoMA in New York and the “Triennale”...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Black Boby Trolley Cart on Wheels for Bieffeplast, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Miami, FL
Black Boby Trolley storage system on four wheels with three swinging drawers designed by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy 1960s.
Plastic
Mid Century Modern Joe Colombo Iconic Boby Trolley Cart 1970 Bieffeplast Italy
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid Century Iconic Joe Colombo Boby Trolley cart designed by in black color designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast Italy circa 1970. This “Boby” trolley or portable stor...
Plastic
$528Sale Price|31% Off
1960s Lusch Erzeugnis Tulip Table by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in San Gabriel, CA
1960s cream tulip end or coffee table designed by Joe Colombo for Lusch Erzeugnis. Made in Germany. The table, given the name 'tulip' with reference to the table’s base shape, featur...
Plastic
$560Sale Price|30% Off
Bobby Cart by Joe Colombo, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Roma, IT
Bobby Cart is an original decorative object realized by Gio Colombo during the 1970s. 81 X 36 cm. Designed by Joe Colombo for B-line, this cart has ...
Plastic
Trolley "Boby," Joe Colombo, Italy 1970
By Joe Colombo
Located in Torino, IT
Trolley "Boby," Joe Colombo, Italy 1970
Plastic
$414Sale Price|20% Off
Cremewhite Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
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
Vintage Joe Colombo Poker Game Table by Zanotta, 1968 Italy
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Zagreb, HR
Iconic vintage poker table designed by renowned designer Joe Colombo for Italian manufacturer Zanotta in 1968. The vibrant poker table features chromed steel ashtrays which pull out ...
Chrome
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
1970s Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast Boby B33 Rolling Storage Cart Office Organizer
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Original Boby B33 Trolley Office Organizer, designed by Joe Colombo in 1969. This iteration was produced by Bieffeplast in Italy during the 1970s. The body of the cart con...
Steel
$8,407 / item
Zanotta Poker Game Table by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in New York, NY
Card table. Double top in 14 mm thick, white layered plastic laminate. Corner mounted swing-away ashtrays. Removable, leather trimmed green baize. Removable, Ø 100 mm, 18/8 stainless...
Steel
Boby white trolley, Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo
Located in Milano, Lombardia
he 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 cart...
Plastic
Pupil Desk by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District
Designed in the early 1970s by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, the “Pupil” drafting desk embodies the designer’s radical vision of functional, modular furniture. Built on a tubular stee...
Metal, Chrome
Italian modern black plastic storage trolley Boby Joe Colombo Bieffeplast, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black plastic storage trolley Boby Joe Colombo Bieffeplast, 1970s Storage cart mod. Boby in black plastic. The trolley has a rectangular base, has many compartments, w...
Metal
$600Sale Price|40% Off
Bobby Cart by Gio Colombo, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Roma, IT
Bobby cart is an original decorative object realized by Gio Colombo during the 1970s. Designed by Joe Colombo for B-line, this cart has structure and drawe...
Plastic
Robo space age bar cart by Joe Colombo for Elco , 1960s.
By Joe Colombo, Elco
Located in Athens, Attiki
Robo space age bar cart by Joe Colombo for Elco , 1960s. This rare find has an internal layer than can be adjusted to create different storage compa...
Plastic
Space Age Trolley "Baby" by Joe Colombo Black Modular Storage Cart
By Joe Colombo
Located in Freehold, NJ
This mid century Space Age storage caddy “Boby” by Joe Colombo features plastic construction, glossy black finish, modular design with trays and storage compartments, and black casto...
Plastic
Travertine Coffee Table with Monumental Travertine Legs
By Joe Colombo
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
This luxurious coffee table features a beautiful travertine tabletop and matching monumental travertine legs that are sure to make a statement. Perfect for a living room or formal re...
Travertine
Italian Mid-Century Bamboo and Rattan Serving Bar Cart or Trolley, 1970
By Franco Albini
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Mid-Century Bamboo and Rattan Serving Bar Cart or Trolley, 1970 Gorgeous bar cart or trolley made of curved bamboo and rattan during the Italian mid-century in the 1960s. Th...
Bamboo, Rattan
$1,788
H 30.52 in W 26.58 in D 16.54 in
Space Age Vintage Bar Cart Serving Trolley Green Chromed Metal 1970s Germany
Located in Vienna, AT
Space Age vintage bar cart or serving trolley from green formica plates and chromed metal frame 1970s. Throughout its foldable parts on eac...
Metal
$2,447Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 29.53 in D 20.28 in
Italian Smoked Glass & Metal Serving Trolley by Enzo Mari for Alessi, circa 1980
By Enzo Mari, Alessi
Located in Labrit, Landes
Elegant modern trolley designed by Enzo Mari for Alessi in 1989. Handlebar above a cylindrical shaft side support, on three wheels, stamped Alessi. Very hard to find, especially in t...
Faux Leather, Rattan
Bremshey Bar Cart Trolley 1960s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Bremshey Folding Bar Cart Troliey Germany 1960s
Chrome
Bobby Cart by Joe Colombo, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Roma, IT
Bobby Cart is an original decorative object realized by Gio Colombo during the 1970s. 81 X 36 cm. Designed by Joe Colombo for B-line, this cart has ...
Plastic
$4,500
H 28.5 in W 28.13 in D 18.13 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Drinks Trolley or Bar Cart with Removable Trays
Located in Austin, TX
A fine Mid-Century Modern drinks cart or tea and coffee serving table from Italy, featuring a large removable rectangular tray top of glass with a moulded edge wooden surround, over ...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Italian Brass Bar Cart, 1970s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Midcentury brass bar cart, circa 1970s. It is versatile in size and can be used as a bar or serving cart or as an additional storage space in an office. It has four bottle holders at...
Brass
Howard Trolley
Located in Paris, FR
Trolley Howard bar carts, with steel structure in gold finish and with 2 bevelled clear glass tops. Trolley on rotating casters.
Steel
$1,153
H 29.53 in W 27.56 in D 18.51 in
Italian Midcentury Serving Bar Cart or Trolley with Teak Trays, 1970s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Classic serving cart, bar or trolley from the Italian mid-century, 1970s of great quality. The base of the trolley is made of black metal with two beautiful teak wood veneer shelves....
Metal
Mid-Century Trolley Cart
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage tea cart with ample storage, set on two large spoke wheels. Brass trimming throughout with walnut wood grain. Each side has extra bottle storage, plus top and bottom shelving...
Brass
Mid-Century Brass Bar Cart Trolley By MB Italy
By Ico Parisi, MB Italy
Located in Torquay, GB
Vintage 1960s bar cart trolley by MB Italy, attributed to Ico Parisi. Consist of a rosewood veneered top and base with a midsection compartment for wine glass and bottles. Glides on ...
Aluminum, Brass
Midcentury Brown Plastic Round Italian Bar Cart with Two Shelves, 1970s
By Giotto Stoppino
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful midcentury round brown plastic bar trolley. This very rare piece was produced in Italy during the 1970s. The item is in excellent vintage condition and has two round pla...
Chrome
Sold
H 28.75 in W 16.93 in D 16.15 in
1970s Italian Black ABS Plastic Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
The Joe Colombo Boby Trolley is one of the most recognizable icons of Italian design from the 1970s. Designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast, it reflects the revolutionar...
Plastic
1980s Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Praha, CZ
- good original condition with minor signs of use - small piece was cracked and glued again on the back side - see photos
Plastic
Vintage trolley by Joe Colombo, 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage 'boby portable storage system' trolley designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Bieffeplast. Part of the permanent collection of the MoMA in NYC 1970s - Italy Very good con...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Coffee Table
By Joe Colombo
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Handsome Joe Colombo Coffee Table, Italy 1970's Oval shaped original lacquered plywood with smoked glass top and rosewood foot and interior sh...
Glass, Wood
Sold
H 21.66 in W 16.93 in D 16.93 in
2x Joe Colombo Rollcontainer Bobby Beistelltisch schwarz 1970 Italien
By Joe Colombo
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten 2 Original Beistelltische/ Rollcontainer von Joe Colombo zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt aus den 1970er Jahren aus Italien und erlangte weltweite Beliebtheit durch seine...
Plastic
Sold
H 37.01 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Iconic storage container “Bobby” by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast, Italy 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Bieffeplast
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Italy / 1970 / trolley Boby / Joe Colombo / Bieffeplast / plastic / Mid-century / vintage A sleek white decorative storage unit on wheels for effortless mobility by Joe Colombo and ...
Plastic
Iconic ROBO Bar Cart Storage Trolley by Joe Colombo, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Elco
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
The Joe Colombo Robo Trolley represents a significant milestone in 1960s Space Age design. This cylindrical piece, measuring 40 cm in height and 38.5 cm in diameter, is crafted with ...
Plastic
Joe Colombo cart
By Joe Colombo
Located in PARIS, FR
Red Boby cart by Italian designer Joe Colombo, 1970s. Made of molded ABS resin, this cart is modular and consists of 3 removable drawers mounted on wheels. It is signed in the materi...
Plastic
Sold
H 15.75 in W 15.16 in D 15.16 in
Joe Colombo ROBO Serving Trolley Bar Cart by Elco Venice, Space Age Icon 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Elco
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Step into the realm of futuristic design with the Joe Colombo Robo Trolley, an emblematic piece from the Space Age era. Created by the renowned designer Joe Colombo, this trolley bar...
Plastic
Sold
H 20.87 in W 16.15 in D 16.93 in
Desserte Joe Colombo "Boby Trolley" Blanc pour Bieffeplast Italie 1968 Space Age
By Bieffeplast, Joe Colombo
Located in London, England
Fabriqué par Bieffplast Italy, ce rangement Boby imaginés par Joé Colombo est une solution pratique pour touts les pièces de la maison. Sur roulettes, et grâce à sa polyvalence il a...
Plastic
Game Table by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Joe Colombo (Milan 1930 - 1971) "Poker" card table Laminate, stainless steel, Game table designed in 1968 by the famous designer Joe Colombo, produced by Zanotta, with double layered...
Metal, Chrome
Sold
H 26.78 in W 26.78 in D 26.78 in
Italian modern square red plastic table Bistrò by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern square red plastic table Bistrò by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, 1970s Table mod. Bistrò square in shape. The top is made of red plastic a...
Metal