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Kartell Armchairs

Italian

The Italian design giant Kartell transformed plastic from the stuff of humble household goods into a staple of luxury design in the 1960s. Founded in Milan by Italian chemical engineer Giulio Castelli (1920–2006) and his wife Anna Ferrieri (1918–2006), Kartell began as an industrial design firm, producing useful items like ski racks for automobiles and laboratory equipment designed to replace breakable glass with sturdy plastic. Even as companies like Olivetti and Vespa were making Italian design popular in the 1950s, typewriters and scooters were relatively costly, and Castelli and Ferrieri wanted to provide Italian consumers with affordable, stylish goods.

They launched a housewares division of Kartell in 1953, making lighting fixtures and kitchen tools and accessories from colorful molded plastic. Consumers in the postwar era were initially skeptical of plastic goods, but their affordability and infinite range of styles and hues eventually won devotees. Tupperware parties in the United States made plastic storage containers ubiquitous in postwar homes, and Kartell’s ingenious designs for juicers, dustpans, and dish racks conquered Europe. Kartell designer Gino Colombini was responsible for many of these early products, and his design for the KS 1146 Bucket won the Compasso d’Oro prize in 1955.

Buoyed by its success in the home goods market, Kartell introduced its Habitat division in 1963. Designers Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper created the K1340 (later called the K 4999) children’s chair that year, and families enjoyed their bright colors and light weight, which made them easy for kids to pick up and move. In 1965, Joe Colombo (1924–78) created one of Kartell’s few pieces of non-plastic furniture, the 4801 chair, which sits low to the ground and comprised of just three curved pieces of plywood. (In 2012, Kartell reissued the chair in plastic.) Colombo followed up on the success of the 4801 with the iconic 4867 Universal Chair in 1967, which, like Verner Panton’s S chair, is made from a single piece of plastic. The colorful, stackable injection-molded chair was an instant classic. That same year, Kartell introduced Colombo’s KD27 table lamp. Ferrierei’s cylindrical 4966 Componibili storage module debuted in 1969.

Kartell achieved international recognition for its innovative work in 1972, when a landmark exhibition curated by Emilio Ambasz called “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” opened at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. That show introduced American audiences to the work of designers such as Gaetano Pesce; Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis Group; and the firms Archizoom and Superstudio (both firms were among Italy's Radical design groups) — all of whom were using wit, humor and unorthodox materials to create a bracingly original interior aesthetic.

Castelli and Ferrieri sold Kartell to Claudio Luti, their son-in-law, in 1988, and since then, Luti has expanded the company’s roster of designers.

Kartell produced Ron Arad’s Bookworm wall shelf in 1994, and Philippe Starck’s La Marie chair in 1998. More recently, Kartell has collaborated with the Japanese collective Nendo, Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola and glass designer Tokujin Yoshioka, among many others. Kartell classics can be found in museums around the world, including MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. In 1999, Claudio Luti established the Museo Kartell to tell the company’s story, through key objects from its innovative and colorful history.

Find vintage Kartell tables, seating, table lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Kartell
Model 4801 Armchair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Lasne, BE
White wooden armchair with black leather cushion. Made in limited numbers: Numbered 8. Seat height 40cm. Wear due to age and time
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood, Leather

Model 4801 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s, set of 2
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Lasne, 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 Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Model 4801 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s, set of 2
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Lasne, 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 Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Patricia Urquiola for Kartell Grey Fabric Foliage Armchair
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in London, GB
Originally designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell in 2012, the Foliage armchair is inspired by nature, striking the perfect balance between the nat...
Category

2010s Italian Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Crystal by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Model 4801 Armchair by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Lasne, BE
Orange wooden armchair by Joe Colombo. The armchair is numbered. Dimensions: Seat height 34cm Wear due to time and age of the armchair.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Italian modern black wood armchair mod. 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black wood armchair mod. 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1970s Armchair mod. 4801 with structure made up of several interlocking parts, in black wood. It has a semi-o...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Kartell Lunam Armchair by Patricia Urquiola
By Kartell, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Lunam is an enchanting living space furniture collection inspired by the dreamy atmosphere of a lunar landscape. An essential, painted metal structure ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Kartell Hiray Armchair by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba
By Ludovica + Roberto Palomba 1, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Hiray takes metal, one of the most important materials for the greening of the Kartell catalogue, and uses the welded wire process to shape it. The result is an essential and functional product that is nevertheless rich in emotion. Metal wires form well-defined yet lightweight structural parts of the collection’s chair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Kartell Foliage Armchair by Patricia Urquiola
By Kartell, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

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 Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plywood

Kartell K-Wait Armchair by Rodolfo Dordoni
By Kartell, Rodolfo Dordoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The comfort of an embrace: the K-wait upholstered collection by Rodolfo Dordoni plays with the contrast between the formal simplicity of rigorous volumes and soft, rounded lines. The division between habitat and contract solutions is increasingly blurred in this collection too. The keyword is versatility. Two sofas are complemented by an armchair that can be transformed into a round pouffe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Italian Modern Red Wood Armchair Mod. 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern red wood Armchair mod. 4801 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1970s. Armchair mod. 4801 with structure made up of different interlocking parts, in red-bordeaux painted wood. The semi-oval seat and the oval backrest are padded and covered in black faux leather. These are fixed directly to the structure. Produced by Kartell in 1970s and designed by Joe Colombo in the early part of 1960s. Good conditions. The wooden structure has some signs of use. Measurements in cm 72 x 74 x 59 41 H seat. Considered as a highly sought-after rare gem at modern art auctions in the early and mid-20th century, it is part of the collections of the largest museums in the world: the MOMA in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Center Pompidou in Paris. Originally, the 4801 armchair...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in Clear by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell K-wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Chrome
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimensional. Using patented technology, the wood is worked with a mold designed to bring the curvature of the panel to the very edges, creating a seat with sinuous roundness, K/Wood is a royal style...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Kartell Foliage Armchair in Cardinal Red by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Ochre by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in.; Width 40.15 in.; Depth 29.5 in.; Unit weight 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Foliage Armchair in Dove Grey by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Green by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in.; width 40.15 in.; depth 29.5 in.; unit weight 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Zinc White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in, width 40.15 in, depth 29.5 in.; Unit weight: 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy Dove by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.  
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Clap Chair by Patricia Urquiola in Black Blue
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clap is a small chair designed especially for the contract sector, suitable for the most diverse furnishing requirements. The seat structure is available in different colours, whi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Kartell Madame Chair in Milan Print by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy Sage Green by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.    
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: height 30.75 in., width 40.15 in., depth 29.5 in.; unit weight 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Foliage Armchair in Teal by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Velvet

Kartell Clap Chair by Patricia Urquiola in Peony Pattern
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clap is a small chair designed especially for the contract sector, suitable for the most diverse furnishing requirements. The seat structure is available in different colours, whi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Kartell Madame Chair in Rome Print by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refined contract projects.    
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Kartell Madame Chair in Paris Print by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Kartell Madame Chair in Shanghai Print by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Joe Colombo Chair No. 4801, Black Plywood, Kartell, Italy, 1960s, One of Two
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
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 Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plywood

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Powder by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in., width 40.15 in., depth 29.5 in.; unit weight 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy Rusty Orange by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bubble Club Armchair in Light Grey by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club armchair in light grey. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in.; Width 40.15 in.; Depth 29.5 in.; Unit weight 17 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in Smoke by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Dr. Glob Chairs by Philippe Starck for Kartell
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A pair of Dr Glob chairs for Kartell by Philippe Starck. Vintage 1980s. In good condition but age and use related scuffs and marks. These are two different com...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Grey by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Jellies coat hangers draw their inspiration from the tableware collection of the same name designed by Patricia Urquiola for Kartell in 2014. Dimensions: Height 2.38 in.; diam...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.  
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Madame Chair in New York Print by Philippe Starck and La Double J
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refined contract projects.  
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Fabric

Kartell K-wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black with Leather Seat
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimens...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood, Leather

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Mat Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.  
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Q-Wood Arm Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Q/Wood is the armchair from the Smart Wood collection, with enveloping lines that create soft armrests and offer maximum seating comfort. Using patented technology, the wood is worke...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Kartell K-Wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black with Leather Seat
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimensional. Using patented technology, the wood is worked with a mold designed to bring the curvature of the panel to the very edges, creating a seat with sinuous roundness, K/Wood is a royal style...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Kartell K-Wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimensional. Using patented technology, the wood is worked with a mold designed to bring the curvature of the panel to the very edges, creating a seat with sinuous roundness, K/Wood is a royal style...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Mat White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.    
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Original Vintage Joe Colombo "4801" Armchair, Made in Italy by Kartell
By Kartell
Located in Washington, DC
An original vintage Joe Colombo 4801 armchair, made in Italy by Kartell, made entirely of white lacquered wood.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Pair of Italian 'Memphis Design' Lounge / Garden Chairs by Castelli Ferrieri
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in New York, NY
Comfortable, chic pair of Italian Mid-Century Modern lounge /club chairs / armchairs by Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell featuring both innovative design and a mix of recycled poly mate...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Joe Colombo Chairs No. 4801, Black Plywood, Kartell, Italy, circa 1963
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A pair of "interlocking" lounge chairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, manufactured in Mid-Century. 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 Kartell Armchairs

Materials

Plywood

Kartell armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Kartell armchairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Kartell armchairs, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 9 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 60 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original armchairs by Kartell were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider armchairs by Jasper Morrison, Cappellini, and Gervasoni. Prices for Kartell armchairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $575 and can go as high as $11,900, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,080.
Questions About Kartell Armchairs
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
    The history of Kartell starts with an Italian chemical engineer named Giulio Castelli and his wife, Anna Ferrieri. The couple founded Kartell in Milan as an industrial design firm, producing utilitarian items like ski racks for automobiles and laboratory equipment designed to replace breakable glass with sturdy plastic. Even as companies like Olivetti and Vespa were making Italian design popular in the 1950s, typewriters and scooters were relatively costly, and Castelli and Ferrieri wanted to provide Italian consumers with affordable, stylish goods. They launched a housewares division of Kartell in 1953, making lighting fixtures and kitchen tools and accessories from colorful molded plastic. Buoyed by its success in the home goods market, Kartell introduced its Habitat division in 1963. Kartell achieved international recognition for its innovative work in 1972, when a landmark exhibition curated by Emilio Ambasz called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape" opened at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Castelli and Ferrieri sold Kartell to Claudio Luti, their son-in-law, in 1988, and since then, Luti has expanded the company's roster of designers. On 1stDibs, explore a large selection of Kartell furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Kartell is known largely for producing contemporary furniture out of plastic. The Italian company, founded in 1949, helped elevate the material, proving that it was suitable for designer furniture. You can find a collection of Kartell furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024
    How you clean Kartell plastic depends on the piece. Often, the best way to clean plastic furniture is with lukewarm water and mild dish soap. However, recommended cleaning methods vary. For the best results, refer to the manufacturer's care instructions that accompany your furniture. Shop a collection of Kartell furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Kartell Louis Ghost chairs are made of lucite. Designed by Phillipe Starck for Kartell in 2002, this clear chair is crafted from a single piece of plastic, making it a beautifully elegant piece. On 1stDibs, find a range of authentic Kartell Ghost chairs from top sellers.

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