Milan-born architect and designer Mario Bellini just may be the closest thing to a modern-day Renaissance man: His creative output spans genres, from electronics to furniture to architecture to cars, comprising iconic designs in each. Vintage Mario Bellini sofas, dining chairs and other seating pieces are widely coveted, and the designer has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro awards. More than 20 of his works are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Born in 1935, Bellini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan before founding his own firm in his native city in the early 1960s. He soon branched out beyond architecture, however, first for the tech manufacturer Olivetti, where he served as chief industrial design consultant from 1963 to 1991. During that time, Bellini oversaw the design of some of Olivetti’s most popular typewriters.
His penchant for electronic design didn’t stop there: Bellini also designed cameras for Fuji, televisions for Brionvega and a slew of audio devices for Yamaha, then served as design consultant for Renault and devised the interior of the 1980 Lancia Trevi for Fiat. Meanwhile, his architecture work spans continents, including such modern gems as the Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre, the National Gallery of Victoria extension in Melbourne, the Dubai Creek Complex and the Milan Convention Centre in his hometown.
And then there’s the furniture: Over the last 70 years, Bellini has designed office furniture for Vitra; lamps for Artemide, Erco and FLOS; porcelain for Rosenthal and long-admired sofas and other seating for Kartell, Natuzzi, B&B Italia, Cassina and more.
His oft-imitated 1977 Cab chair for Cassina, comprising 16 individual pieces of saddle leather that create a “skin” over a minimal metal frame, remains one of the manufacturer’s best sellers today. His pudgy-legged, round tables for Cassina foreshadow Faye Toogood’s widely loved Roly Poly line. His postmodern Summa armchairs for Kartell, as well as his elegant Chiara floor lamp, still lure collectors on vintage furniture websites.
Bellini’s most famous contribution to furniture design, though, may be his 1970 Camaleonda sofa for B&B Italia (then C&B Italia). An entrant to the 1972 MoMA show “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” the seat takes its name from the Italian words for chameleon and wave. Its bulbous, modular form makes it infinitely flexible. The sofa was a runaway hit at the show and, once discontinued, remained so popular among vintage dealers that B&B Italia reissued it in 2020 with all recycled materials and interchangeable seat covers. “Of all the objects I have designed, Camaleonda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom,” Bellini said.
Browse an expansive collection of vintage Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
21st Century by Arch. Mario Bellini "TRACCIA" Marble Table Consolle
By Mario Bellini
Located in massa, IT
Marble consolle designed by Arch. Mario Bellini. Size: Cm 100 x 40 x H 86 Materials: Fior di Pesco / Bardiglio Imperiale / Grigio Rosato / Nero Marquina / Bianco Up.
Marble
$10,121 / item
H 34.26 in W 51.19 in D 15.75 in
21st Century Ipanema Console Table, Ombre Effect with Brass Details, by Duistt
Located in Leça da Palmeira, PT
Ipanema Console Table, Ombre Effect with Brass Details, Handcrafted by Duistt The rounded geometric shapes of the Ipanema series refer to the imagination of the well-known sidewalk ...
Brass
Industrial Wabi Sabi Console Table, France, 21st Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
This one-of-a-kind atelier table pairs the quiet strength of reclaimed oak with the stark precision of blackened steel. Its top is crafted from reclaimed solid oak, richly textured a...
Steel
Hand-Carved Oak Console Table, France, Early 21st Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
This console table exemplifies early 21st-century studio craftsmanship, executed in solid oak and characterized by a meticulously hand-carved surface. The rhythmic chisel work introd...
Oak
$36,900 / item
H 35.83 in W 62.21 in D 18.51 in
21st Century Portland Console in Wood and Top in White Statuario Marble
By Jumbo Collection
Located in Cantù, Lombardia
Portland is a delicate and refined line of furnishings, characterized by decorations that recall the world of Wedgwood ceramics. The ornaments with a classic charm are further enhanc...
Beech, Wenge
$4,149Sale Price|20% Off
H 32.29 in W 78.75 in D 13.78 in
21st Century Shinto Console Table, Green Quartz, Made in Italy by Hebanon
Located in Nocera Superiore, Campania
Immerse yourself in the magic of Shinto, a capsule collection that evokes the profound symbols of Japanese Shinto culture: the embracing circle, the nourishing rice, the illuminating...
Marble, Quartz
$2,563
H 39.38 in W 31.5 in D 9.85 in
21st Century Contemporary Wood Console Table Handmade in Italy by Ilaria Bianchi
By Ilaria Bianchi
Located in Milan, IT
The elegant 21st-century Rennie console table by Ilaria Bianchi is handcrafted in solid Walnut and Ash wood with polished brass joinery. Furniture is pleasantly carved into a beautiful wood decoration. The surface and the leg are made of Walnut wood, and the bent elements are in Ash wood. The console is conceved to be joint to the wall while sizes are customizable. The item is of excellent proportion, and one can easily place it in different parts of the house. Rennie table was inspired by the Art deco style and warmth of traditional Italian houses...
Brass
$11,671 / item
H 28.75 in W 17.72 in D 63 in
21st Century Filippo Feroldi Brass Console Table Glass Top Various Colors
By Filippo Feroldi
Located in Brembate di Sopra (BG), IT
21st century Filippo Feroldi brass console table back-colored glass top various colors Designed by Filippo Feroldi for Purho and Colleoni Arte, Holo Console is characterized by a pa...
Brass
$25,600 / set
H 38 in W 59 in D 18.5 in
Belgian Bluestone Console Tables, Minimalist Design, 21st Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A pair of wall mounted Belgian bluestone console tables with clean lines is designed in a simple minimalist manner with elegantly scrolled le...
Marble
$11,670 / item
H 28.75 in W 79.53 in D 20.48 in
21st Century Grisaille Oak and Brass Etruscan Sofa Table
By Benedikt Bolza Design
Located in Lisciano Niccone, Perugia
A grisaille oak and brass sofa table. B.B. - Inspired by Etruscan designs, it can be used either behind a sofa or as a great object table against the wall. Its construction allows...
Steel
$18,860
H 41.34 in W 84.26 in D 23.63 in
"Aida" 21st Century Minimalist Console by Ivan Paradisi, Italy
By Ivan Paradisi
Located in Turin, IT
AIDA functional and solid console is designed with simple shapes of different conceptual forms composed together in a minimal design. The virtual pivot points are highlighted by the ...
Ash, Wenge
$4,243 / item
H 39.38 in W 41.34 in D 15.75 in
21st Century Matteo Cibic Console Table Matt FadedLacqueredMDF Scapin Collezioni
By Matteo Cibic
Located in Tezze sul Brenta, IT
Ipsilon Console, design by Matteo Cibic, product by Scapin Collezioni Limited Edition. Matteo Cibic has designed a console with a liquid shape. Light and thin, Ipsilon stands elegan...
Wood
$18,500
H 33 in W 86.5 in D 31.75 in
21st Century Large Console Table attributed to Vincenzo de Cotiis
Located in New York, NY
Impressive console table by Vincenzo de Cotiis, crafted from metal plates with a distinctive blued finish. The clean, geometric design is accentuated by rectangular, straight legs an...
Metal