Blue Mario Bellini Camaleonda Sofa (one module)

About the Item

Listed price is per module. One unit remaining from the original set of three modules. Reupholstered in Sky Blue cotton velvet by Rose Uniacke. Vintage item. Please refer to the Item Condition section for specific details. The iconic Camaleonda units can be arranged in any position, with adaptable backs, and a singular armrest. These are attached via cordage which hooks to the metal 'o' hooks used as decorative features throughout. These make the design incredibly adaptable and customisable. The Rose Uniacke's fabric creates a beautifully plush look and feel. It is also durable enough for frequent use, and will even stand up to commercial use. The excessive use of this fabric mirrors the original design of this sofa, which folds organically around the corners of the design, and tightly tucks under the form.

Creator:
Mario Bellini (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 27.96 in (71 cm)Width: 113.39 in (288 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Cord,Metal,Velvet
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Vintage condition. It shows signs of wear and use. Please contact the seller for more details. Reupholstered in Sky Blue cotton velvet by Rose Uniacke.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: Fabric marked due to recent rentals. One unit left.1stDibs: LU6402235658462

Shop All Mario Bellini

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. 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.