Bambole Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),B&B Italia (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 108.67 in (276 cm)Depth: 37.41 in (95 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1972
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Rotterdam, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1117233206872
Mario Bellini
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. He has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards, and 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 Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
B&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.
Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage.
The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.
At 1stDibs, find a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Rotterdam , Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Modular Sofa ‘Velasquez’ by Mimo Padova, Italy, 1970sBy Mimo PadovaLocated in Rotterdam, NLModular sofa 'Velasquez' by Mimo Padova, Italy 1970s. Very comfortable sofa consisting out of four bulky shaped modular elements molded together by chromed metal clamps. The sofa is ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Sistema 61 Modular Sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, Italy, 1970sBy Giancarlo PirettiLocated in Rotterdam, NLModular 'Sistema 61' sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s. Innovative system consisting of four seating elements, 5 back - armrests and two c...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- De Sede ‘Cosmos’ sectional sofa, 1970sBy De SedeLocated in Rotterdam, NLDe Sede DS-28 Cosmos sectional sofa, 1970s. Voluminous organic design consisting of 7 modular elements. The elements are upholstered in a thick and strong mud green-brown leather whi...Category
Vintage 1970s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Howard Keith ‘Diplomat’ Sofa, UK 1970sBy Howard KeithLocated in Rotterdam, NLLarge 'Diplomat' sofa by Howard Keith for HK Furniture, United Kingdom, 1970s. Interesting sleek design composed of several interlocking block shapes on cylindrical-shaped chrome leg...Category
Vintage 1970s British Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Cornaro sofa by Carlo Scarpa for Simon Gavina, Italy 1973By Carlo Scarpa, Simon Gavina EditionsLocated in Rotterdam, NLCornaro sofa by Carlo Scarpa for Simon Gavina, Italy 1973. Stunning solid round dark stained Mahogany wooden frame and thick upholstered cushions. The cushions are reupholstered in a...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLinen, Mahogany
- ‘Facet’ Sofa by Folke Jansson, Sweden, 1957By Folke JanssonLocated in Rotterdam, NLRare 'Facet' sofa by Folke Jansson for S.M. Wincrantz Möbelindustri AB, Skövde Sweden 1957. Very rare model of which only eight copies where produced as a jubileum model. This one of...Category
20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Wood
- Mario Bellini, Le Bambole, Sofa, B&B Italia, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Milano, LombardiaIntroducing the Le Bambole sofa by renowned designer Mario Bellini, upholstered in luxurious bouclé fabric, an exquisite addition to elevate any interior space. With its sleek lines ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé
- 1970s Mario Bellini 5-Piece Bambole Sofa Set for B&B ItaliaBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Grand Cayman, KYDiscover the timeless Organic Modern elegance of the original 1970s Le Bambole Italian sofa set with beige woven wool upholstery in superb condition. A Mid-Century Modern Italian masterpiece by the renowned Italian designer Mario Bellini and manufactured by B&B Italia. It was an instant success on launch in 1971. Today, it commands an extreme desirability as it's timeless playful aesthetic fits so well with both period and contemporary interiors. This vintage collection combines luxurious comfort, captivating aesthetics, and a rich history. Crafted with utmost precision, the set consists of three armchairs, one corner armchair, and one ottoman...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Organic Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Upholstery
- 1970s Mario Bellini 3-Piece Bambole Sofa Set for B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Grand Cayman, KYDiscover the timeless Organic Modern elegance of the original 1970s Le Bambole Italian sofa set with beige woven wool upholstery in superb condition. A Mid-Century Modern Italian ma...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Organic Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Upholstery
- 1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Two-Seat Sofa, B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Raleigh, NC1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofa, B&B Italia An icon newly restored. Features Pollack Textiles "Modern Dance" Upholstery(black on light khaki). 66" long, 36" deep, 29" high, 1...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
- Bambole Sofas by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1980sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Renens, CHIconic set of two seater sofas by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, originating from the 1980s. We have selected Musco, a dark blue mohair from De Ploeg, the Netherlands: Mohair has ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Le Bambole Settee / 2-Seat Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Berlin, DE'Le Bambole' 2-seat sofa, designed in 1970s by Mario Bellini and manufactured by B&B Italia in Italy. Newly upholstered in brown leather.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsLeather
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Who Is Mario Bellini, and Why Is His 1970s Camaleonda Sofa Everywhere Right Now?
Get the lowdown on the ultrachic modular sofas that are currently taking up real estate in your Instagram saved folder.
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.