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.
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.
$24,950 / set
H 29 in W 66 in D 36 in
1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Two-Seat Sofas, a Pair From B&B Italia
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Raleigh, NC
Pair of 1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofas, B&B Italia An icon newly restored. This pair feature Pollack Textiles "Modern Dance" Upholstery(black on light khaki). 66" long, 36" ...
Upholstery
Bambole Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1980s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Renens, CH
Iconic two seater sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, originating from the 1980s. (Two available, price per item) We have selected Musco, a dark blue mohair from De Ploeg, the Ne...
Metal
$25,071 / set
H 25.6 in W 146.46 in D 36.62 in
"Camaleonda" Sofa modular by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in bruxelles, BE
Modular Sofa in green fabric. There are 4 large pieces and an ottoman. Seat height: 35 cm. Dimensions of one piece: H: 65 cm W: 93 cm D: 93 cm Stamped B&B Italia. Wear due to tim...
Fabric
$19,500 / set
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 35.44 in
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Modular Sofa for B&B Italia, Laguna Velvet, 1970
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, Laguna velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, set of four. "Camaleonda" is an icon, redis...
Velvet, Plastic
$18,803 / set
H 27.96 in W 33.08 in D 34.26 in
"Le Bambole" Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in bruxelles, BE
4-piece modular fabric sofa by Mario Bellini, “Le Bambole” model. Branded under the seat. Seat height: 41 cm. Wear due to age and time. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST ...
Fabric
$17,663 / set
H 30.71 in W 66.93 in D 37.8 in
Mario Bellini two sofas Model "Le Bambole" for B&B Italia, Italy, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Pair of fabric sofas, from the Le Bambole series, designed by Mario Bellini in 1972, Italian production, bearing the B&B brand. The 1970s marked a period of significant cultural and...
Fabric, Bouclé
$16,524
H 29.93 in W 90.56 in D 39.38 in
Le Bambole 3-Seater Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in amstelveen, NL
An exceptional and highly collectible “Le Bambole” sofa designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, one of the most celebrated icons of 20th-century Italian design. This authentic ...
Cotton
$30,740 / set
H 26.38 in W 147.64 in D 37.8 in
Mario Bellini Modular "Camaleonda" Sofa in Four Segments for B&B, Italy 1971
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Utrecht, NL
The “Camaleonda” (Italian word play combining the words for ‘chameleon’ and ‘wave’) sofa is Mario Bellini’s contemporary classic. The playful, modular design offers endless options for the user, which also inspired the model’s name. Camaleonda has passed through five decades of design history as a true icon. The elements that made this sofa a contemporary classic are the individual modules, their original cutting patterns and the polyurethane padding that forms the characteristic capitonné (a style of upholstery in which the material is drawn in at intervals) design. The four separate segments of this “Camaleonda” were manufactured with the innovative system of cables, hooks, and rings created by Bellini in 1970, which defines the characteristic look and modularity. The fundamental characteristic of Camaleonda is specifically this unlimited modularity, a geometric pattern that allows each element to become an enormous pixel through which to define your home environment. The four modules’ versatility and the attached tie-rods and rings make it possible to create custom forms. Furthermore, the modules can be unhooked and recombined at will, allowing the sofa to adapt to an evolving taste and needs. A concept which is dear to Mario Bellini: “Of all the objects I have designed, Camaleonda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom. There are infinite numbers of possible configurations.” The modules of this sofa defined the aesthetics of an entire era of interior design, and are constantly featured in most international design. Considering the inherently modern and innovative design, this shall comes as no surprise. Condition: In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The four modules are upholstered in a brown velour fabric. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information. Dimensions: Large segments: 147.63 in W x 37.79 in D x 26.37 in H; Seat height 15.35 in; Arm height 19.68 in 375 cm W x 96 cm D x 67 cm H; Seat height 39 cm; Arm height 50 cm Literature: Domus n. 523, giugno 1973, pubblicità; G. Gramigna, Repertorio del design italiano 1950 - 1980, Milano 1985, p. 341. About the designer: Mario Bellini (born February 1, 1935, Milan) is an internationally renowned Italian architect and designer. He received the Golden Compass Award eight times and the Medaglia d’Oro, that was conferred on him by the President of the Italian Republic. The MoMA in New York already dedicated a personal retrospective exhibition to him in 1987. At the time the museum already included 25 of his works in its permanent collection, including a remarkable set of Olivetti machines as well as the furniture for B&B and Cassina. He graduated from the Milan Polytechnic - Faculty of Architecture in 1959 and began working as an architect himself in the early 1960s. Like many other Italian architects, his activities range from architecture and urban planning to product and furniture design. His career as a product and furniture designer began in 1963, and from 1963 to 1991 he was chief design consultant for Olivetti. For many years he designed furnishing products and systems for B&B Italia and Cassina, TV sets for Brionvega, and hi-fi systems, headphones and electric organs...
Fabric, Wood
$21,310 / set
H 29.53 in W 106.3 in D 35.04 in
Le Bambole modular sofa in cotton by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy 1972
By Mario Bellini
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Le Bambole 3 seater modular sofa designed by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia,70s Polyurethane padding, reupholstered in cotton fabric, excellent condition. The Bambole series won the C...
Fabric
1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Two-Seat Sofa, B&B Italia
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Raleigh, NC
1970s 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...
Upholstery
Mario Bellini for B&B Italia 'Le Bambole' Loveseat. Italy , 1972
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This comfortable Flowers fabric settee is bulky and playful, shaped as if it is merely a large cushion and the accompanying feeling is the same. It is designed by Mario Bellini and w...
Fabric, Foam
Pair of 2 "Le Bambole" Armchair Designed by Mario Bellini for C&B, 1972
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the chai...
Fabric, Foam
Mario Bellini Le Bambole Lounge Chair, B&B Italia, 1970s
By Mario Bellini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the ...
Fabric, Textile, Foam
"Le Bambole" Armchair Designed by Mario Bellini for B&B, 1972
By Mario Bellini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the ...
Metal
Italian Modular Sofa By Claudio Vagnoni, Five-Seat Configuration, 1970s
By Claudio Vagnoni
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This sculptural modular sofa by Claudio Vagnoni, from Italy dates to the 1970s and reflects the decade’s expressive approach to comfort and form. Composed of five individual sections...
Fabric
“Bolla” Sofa – Attributed to Gianni Ruffi, Italy, 1970s
By Gianni Ruffi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Bolla sofa is a powerful example of radical Italian design from the 1970s, distinguished by its enveloping, bubble-like form and deeply channeled upholstery. The name Bolla—Itali...
Fabric
Get the lowdown on the ultrachic modular sofas that are currently taking up real estate in your Instagram saved folder.
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.
