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.
Olivetti Divisumma 18, designed by Mario Bellini, 1973
By Olivetti, Mario Bellini
Located in Firenze, IT
The Divisumma 18 is a portable electronic calculator made by Olivetti in 1973 through which the company entered the portable electronics market. Thanks to the design of Mario Bellin...
Plastic, Rubber
Mario Bellini Olivetti
By Olivetti, Mario Bellini
Located in Lugo, IT
Divisumma 28 calculating machine by Mario Bellini for Olivetti. The machine turns on but doesn't work. The dot is defective, as shown in the photo. Overall, the condition is apprecia...
Plastic
$580
H 3 in W 13 in D 14 in
Olivetti Lettera 36 Portable Typewriter Designed by Ettore Sottsass. circa 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Olivetti Lettera 36 Portable Typewriter with the Original Case. circa early 1970s Created by famed Italian designer/architect Ettore Sottsass...
Metal
$16,925
H 29.53 in W 94.49 in D 66.93 in
Bed Le Bambole in velvet & linen upholstery by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy 1972
By Mario Bellini
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Bed of Le Bambole series designed by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia 1970, reupholster in cotton velvet and linen. Carefully restored in antique pink velvet and linen to ensure b...
Cotton, Linen, Velvet
$22,700
H 28.35 in W 28.35 in D 66.93 in
Bamboletto by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in Grey Frosted Leather 1970s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
The "Le Bambole-Bamboletto" daybed a rare edition design by the Italian architect and designer, Mario Bellini. This iconic piece was manufactured by B&B Italia in 1970s. The Bambole series is considered a seminal work of Bellini's, and represents the culmination of his research into stuffed furniture. The daybed features a minimalist design, reduced to an archetypical idea of a cushion. The precise geometry of the stitches and covers define the piece, which was originally stuffed with a material that was the forerunner of memory foam. The metal frame was later removed, improving comfort and allowing the stuffing to support the daybed on its own. C&B Italia was founded in 1973 renamed B&B 1976 and quickly became one of the leading international design companies. Under the leadership of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, the company cultivated a reputation for supporting up-and-coming talents, such as Mario Bellini and Gaetano Pesce, who went on to become some of the most renowned designers of the 20th century. The Le Bambole daybed...
Leather
$9,590
H 20.87 in W 57.88 in D 20.48 in
Stereophonic TOTEM rr130 Radio by Mario Bellini for Brionvega, 1970s
By Brionvega, Mario Bellini
Located in bruxelles, BE
White Brionvega stereo radio, Totem model. The radio and record player work perfectly and have been completely overhauled by an engineer. There's a bluethoot connection for connectin...
Wood
$22,700
H 28.35 in W 28.35 in D 66.93 in
Bamboletto by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in Cognac Leather 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
The "Le Bambole-Bamboletto" daybed a rare edition design by the Italian architect and designer, Mario Bellini. This iconic piece was manufactured by B&B Italia in 1970s. The Bambole series is considered a seminal work of Bellini's, and represents the culmination of his research into stuffed furniture. The daybed features a minimalist design, reduced to an archetypical idea of a cushion. The precise geometry of the stitches and covers define the piece, which was originally stuffed with a material that was the forerunner of memory foam. The metal frame was later removed, improving comfort and allowing the stuffing to support the daybed on its own. C&B Italia was founded in 1973 renamed B&B 1976 and quickly became one of the leading international design companies. Under the leadership of Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, the company cultivated a reputation for supporting up-and-coming talents, such as Mario Bellini and Gaetano Pesce, who went on to become some of the most renowned designers of the 20th century. The Le Bambole daybed...
Leather
Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator
Located in New York, NY
Mario Buatta: Anatomy of a Decorator Author Emily Evans Eerdmans, Foreword by Patricia Altschul The first authoritative assessment of Mario Buatta by a protégée of the decorator. Ne...
Paper
Mario Bellini Book
Located in New York, NY
The first comprehensive monograph on Mario Bellini, one of Italy’s most versatile and influential designers. The book is richly illustrated with over 500 images, including sketch...
Paper
$3,159
H 29.53 in W 90.56 in D 68.9 in
Italian modern brown fabric bed Le Bambole by Mario Bellini for B&B, 1980s
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern brown fabric bed Le Bambole by Mario Bellini for B&B, 1980s Bamboletto double bed or daybed, from the Le Bambole series, fully upholstered and covered in brown fabric....
Fabric
Kate Mario Sorrenti
Located in New York, NY
‘An important piece of fashion history.’ – Vogue Intimate and elegant photographs taken just before Kate Moss’s rise to fame, in a stylish new edition This gorgeously produced book...
Paper
$733
H 11.03 in W 11.82 in D 3.15 in
Olivetti Ico Portable Typewriter, Metal & Enamel, Italy, 1930s Design
Located in Roma, IT
Portable Typewriter, Italy, c. 1930s. Elegant portable typewriter by, model Ico, presented in its original fitted black carrying case. Finished in glossy black enamel with chrome-pla...
Metal, Enamel
$650
H 8.5 in W 5.75 in D 1.5 in
Return to Earth, Signed & Inscribed by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, First Edition, 1973
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Aldrin, Edwin, Warga, Wayne, Return to Earth. New York: Random House, 1973. First Edition. Signed and inscribed by Buzz Aldrin on front endpage. In original cloth boards and unclippe...
Paper
$20,310
H 29.53 in W 70.87 in D 59.06 in
Italian Modern Le Bambole Striped Daybed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1976
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Vicenza, IT
This Le Bambole day bed was designed by Mario Bellini in 1972 and manufactured by B&B Italia in 1976. It features a tubular steel structure, polyuretha...
Cotton, Foam
Anatomy as Art by Mario Bucci
By Mario Bucci
Located in valatie, NY
Anatomia Come Arte (Anatomy as Art) by Mario Bucci. Florence: The Fiorino Art Edition, 1969. Second edition hardcover with dust jacket, Italian text. 291 pp. A handsome art book illu...
Paper
$270
H 1.97 in W 3.15 in D 11.82 in
Brabham BT52 Formula One Model Car (Olivetti Livery) - Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
A detailed scale model of the iconic Brabham BT52 Formula One racing car, finished in the striking black and white Olivetti livery associated with the early 1980s turbo era. The mode...
Metal
$1,354
H 59.85 in W 16.54 in D 16.54 in
Coat Stand and Umbrella Stand by E. Sottsass for Olivetti Synthesis, Italy 1970s
By Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Roma, IT
Coat stand and umbrella stand is an original design object realized by Ettore Sottsass in the 1970s. Bordeaux plastic coat stand and umbrella stand designed for Olivetti Synthesis...
Plastic