Bambole Sofa / Lounge Chair by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1980s
About the Item
- Creator:B&B Italia (Maker),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 70.87 in (180 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Renens, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5599232660802
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: La Sarraz, Switzerland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- 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
- Cab 413 Chair by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1990sBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Renens, CHCab 413 arm chair in black leather by Mario Bellini for Cassina: The Cab chair is built up as a tubular frame over which thick saddle leather is fitted; the leather skin is kept in ...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Cab 414 Armchairs by Mario Bellini for CassinaBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Renens, CHTwo Cab 414 armchairs in cognac leather by Mario Bellini for Cassina. These very comfortable lounge chairs are built up with a tubular steel frame o...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Italian Design Classics, Cab Chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Set of 6By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Renens, CHSet of two Cab 413 armchairs and four Cab 412 side chairs in red leather by Mario Bellini for Cassina. These very comfortable lounge chairs are built up with a tubular steel fra...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of 4 CAB burgundy leather chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, ItalyBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Renens, CHSet of 4 CAB chairs by Mario Bellini by Cassina, Italy The CAB 412 is made up of a tubular metal structure covered with a thick saddle-stitched leather cover. The leather follows t...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- UP1 Lounge Chairs by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, 2000sBy Gaetano Pesce, B&B ItaliaLocated in Renens, CHUP1 Lounge Chairs, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia (now B&B Italia): These lounge chairs are known for their distinctive, sculptural round form, and due to their structure being completely built up from polyurethane foam, they are incredibly comfortable. Like the Big Mama Chair...Category
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Foam
- Bambole Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Rotterdam, NL‘Le Bambole’ modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy 1972. Early edition, which varies from the newer production; the original shape is mor...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- 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
- Mario Bellini Bambole 2 Seat Sofa B&B Italia, Italy, 1973By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantHighly cosy so called 'Bambole' 2-seater sofa designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by B&B Italia, Italy 1973. This sofa was designed in 1973 and turned quickly to one of B&B It...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Mario Bellini Le Bambole Two Seat Sofa, B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Raleigh, NC1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofa, Newly Upholstered in Mohair, B&B Italia An icon newly restored. Lush dusty green mohair over original form. 66" long, 36" deep, 29" high, 18...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
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.