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.
Mid-Century Modern Chrome Coffee Table Glass Fumè Top by G. Frattini for Cassina
By Mario Bellini
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Iconic design 1960s chrome coffee table with fumè glass, Gianfranco Frattini designer, Cassina manufacturer. Measures cm: H 34, W 75, D 75.
Steel
Set of 4 B&B Italia Nesting/Stackable Tables, “Quattro Gatti", 1960s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Wolfurt, AT
This set of four white plastic "Quattro Gatti" sofas was designed by Mario Bellini in the 1960s for B & B Italia/C & B Italia and manufactured in Italy. ...
Fiberglass
$573
H 19.69 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
Side Table Made In Teak By Severin Hansen For Haslev Furniture From 1960s
By Severin Hansen, Haslev Mobelsnedkeri
Located in Lejre, DK
Side table in teak of Danish design designed by Severin Hansen manufactured by Haslev Furniture in the 1960s. The table is in great vintage condition.
Teak
Unavailable|$2,550 / set
H 26.19 in W 20.48 in D 16.93 in
Bevan Funnell Mahogany Side Tables Georgian Revival England, 1960s
By Bevan Funnell Ltd.
Located in Den Haag, NL
Good quality Bevan Funnell .Georgian revival side tables. Having pierced cross legs. Beautiful set with slightly raised edges. Beautiful handmade side tables. Very nice warm color. M...
Mahogany
Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table by Gae Aulenti, Glass Top, Italy
By Fontana Arte, Gae Aulenti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century Modern coffee table ( tavolo con route ) from Gae Aulenti, the original for Fontana Arte, with glass top and swivel wheels in good condition. The Italian indust...
Glass, Rubber
Danish Teak Coffee Table by Hans J. Wegner, Mid-Century Modern
By Andreas Tuck, Hans J. Wegner
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern Danish coffee, sofa table made of hand crafted Teakwood, designed by Hans J. Wegner and produced by Andreas Tuck in good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1960 Denmark, Scandinavia. Hans Jorgensen Wegner...
Teak
$408
H 20.87 in Dm 25.6 in
Circular Italian Mid-Century Glass Top Coffee Table Attr. to Carlo di Carli
By Carlo di Carli
Located in Vienna, AT
This charming circular mid-century coffee or side table was designed and manufactured in Italy in the 1950s. It's style is very close to coffee tables designed by Carlo di Carli. It ...
Glass, Wood
$1,296Sale Price|41% Off
H 13 in W 29.53 in D 29.93 in
Early Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table Bastiano by Tobia & Afra Scarpa for Gavina
By Gavina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This low coffee table was designed by the architectural duo Tobia and Afra Scarpa in 1962 and manufactured by the Italian manufacture Gavina. It is an early production table from the Bastiano series. It is made of teak wood and finished in a dark shade of brown. The top is placed loosely on a wooden frame. It is a real example of functional, yet stylish, modern Italian design. Afra and Tobia Scarpa are an award-winning duo of postmodern Italian architects. Their works can be found in museums in the United States and Europe, including collections at MoMA and the Louvre. They have cooperated with companies such as B&B Italia, San Lorenzo Silver...
Teak
$2,087
H 14.18 in W 46.07 in D 30.32 in
Mid-Century Modern Italian Chrome Coffee Table with Smoked Glass Top, 1970s
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian sofa or coffee table with smoked glass top and chrome legs
Chrome
Mid-Century Modern Organic Beech Glass Vintage Coffee Table, 1970s
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid century modern vintage organic coffee table from brown stained beechwood base and a greenish glass top. The sculptural base is in very good vintage condition with little signs of...
Beech
$2,249
H 15.75 in W 31.5 in D 19.69 in
Mid-Century Modern Brass Chrome Coffee Table by Willy Rizzo Signed 1970s Italy
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Vienna, AT
This signed Willy Rizzo vintage coffee table was made of brass and chromed metal and appears as an elegant beauty. Willy Rizzo (1928-2...
Metal, Brass
Mid-Century Modern Brass Glass Coffee Table by Roger Sprunger, 1960s
Located in Vienna, AT
The coffee table by Roger Sprunger for Dunbar Furniture, USA, shows a brass-plated base with brass patina and also a smoked glass t...
Metal
$695Sale Price / item|63% Off
H 26.19 in W 20.48 in D 16.93 in
Bevan Funnell Mahogany Side Tables Georgian revival England, 1960s
By Bevan Funnell Ltd.
Located in Den Haag, NL
Good quality Bevan Funnell Reprodux Georgian revival side tables. Having pierced cross legs. Beautiful set with slightly raised edges. Beautiful handmade side tables. Very nice warm...
Mahogany
$8,116 / set
H 17.33 in Dm 24.02 in
Gianfranco Frattini Set of Four 780/783 Stacking Low Tables by Cassina 1960s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Very rare set of four low tables round-shaped, model 780/783 with a black lacquered wooden frame with a reversible top in black and white plastic laminate, designed by Gianfranco Frattini and manufactured by Cassina in 1960s. The tables present different heights so it can be possible to be stackable to form one cylindrical block. Frattini was born in Padova in 1926, he graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano in 1953, where he opened his first professional studio after working in Gio Ponti’s studio, his master and mentor. He worked in the field of architecture and design, with a particular interest in interior design, and attended many exhibitions and events. In 1956 he was between the founders of ADI (Association for Industrial Design) for which he created several pieces. His creations range from furnishing to lamps, marked by an essential and rigorous style. Wood was undoubtedly his preferred material, he knew its features and crafted it passionately. Among his best sellers, the 780/783 set of stacking tables for Cassina, the Sesann armchair for Tacchini, the Albero bookcase...
Plastic, Laminate, Beech
Mario Bellini Sofatable, Model "Amanta" for C&B Italia 1960
By Mario Bellini, C&B Italia
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Sofa table, model "Amanta", made of fibreglass, designed by Mario Bellini for C & B (thus an example from the early series) and comes from Italy, 1966. Overall, it is in good vintage...
Fiberglass
Sold
H 13.78 in W 33.08 in D 33.08 in
Mario Bellini for C & B Amanta Model Italian White Coffe Table, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, C&B Italia
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian square plastic coffe table or sofa table designed by Mario Bellini and produced by C&B Italia with logo engraved under the top, 1970s Please note that the table is origin...
Plastic
Sold
H 14.18 in W 35.44 in D 11.82 in
Gli Scacchi Modular Tables by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1968
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in MIlano, IT
Gli Scacchi modular tables by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1968 Amazing set of 3 modular tables by Mario Bellini called Gli Scacchi, designed for B&B Italia in 1968, each with its ...
Plastic
Early 'Amanta' Sofa Table by Mario Bellini
By C&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Dronten, NL
White rectangular coffee table of the "Amanta" series by Mario Bellini for for C&B Italia, Italy, 1966. This table was produced in the 1...
Fiberglass
Amanta Side Table by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1960s
By Mario Bellini, C&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
This beautiful side table or coffee table was designed by the famous architect and designer Mario Bellini for B & B / C & B Italia. On the bottom, the engraving of the manufacturer c...
Plastic
Sold
H 14.18 in W 35.24 in D 12.01 in
Set of Seven "Gli Scacchi" Seats or Low Tables by Mario Bellini for C&B, 1971
By C&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Set of seven "Gli Scacchi" seats or low tables designed by Mario Bellini for C&B in 1971. These extraordinary and playful design pieces made of polyurethane can be combined as prefer...
Sold
H 21.46 in W 35.44 in D 11.82 in
Red Variant 'Gli Scacchi' Tables, Mario Bellini, B&B Italia, 1971
By Mario Bellini
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Extremely rare and complete set of three sculptural form 'Gli Scaachi' table elements designed by Italian architect, Mario Bellini, in 1971. Red 'Gli Scacchi' elements are ex...
Foam, Plastic