vINTAGE CAMALEONDA SOFA, DESIGN Mario bellini FOR B&B ITALIA 1970S

Explore DesignItalia's assortment of genuine Camaleonda vintage pieces that have been recently upholstered with luxurious materials. Take pleasure in browsing through our latest Bellini Camaleonda collections, which have been restored and newly upholstered in either Italian bouclé or Italian velvet. One of the latest arrivals this authentic vintage Camaleonda set design by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia is versatile and features ottomans and three large sections for a total of 5 pieces. This Camaleonda Bellini set has been reupholstered with off-white luxury boucle fabric and features three large sections with backs and no arms and two smaller sections with no backs and one arm which can be used as seating elements or ottomans. The modularity and transformation possibilities of the Camaleonda make it the perfect sofa for many different spaces, large or smaller. No wonder this iconic sofa sits in the home of prominent Interior designers and celebrities inspired many people to follow their home style and to pay more attention to their living spaces in lieu of a pandemic that forced people to spend more time at home. Although B&B Italian reissued the Camaleonda, having a vintage piece is a totally different experience. It is like re-living once again the frenzy around the 1972 Moma exhibition “Italy: the new domestic landscape” when the sofa debuted for the first time in the American Market. B&B Italia produced the sofa only for 5 years so the vintage sofas were and still are a very sought-after product to own after about 50 years from its debut.

Newly reupholstered authentic 1970s Camaleonda Sofa designed by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia (then B&B Italia) available in four modular element reupholstered with 100% Italian cotton velvet in deep blue. Architect Mario Bellini intended to create a very modular elements so he designed a series of seating elements in different sizes with back and armrests held by hooks and rings, to be arranged independently in different layouts. It’s name after all, means chameleon, whose ability is to transform and adapt to any environment. The tufty look and low profile makes it an ideal lounge sofa with an architectural function even in our modern world and retain its functionality and beauty after 50 years of successes. These four Mario Bellini Camaleonda elements were completely re-upholstered with velvet and restored in the seating. These sofas are authentic from the period 1970s, and not a re-edition of B&B Italia nor a reproduction. Check our blog post to find out more about the restoration phases of this Camaleonda blue set.

The next set was a five element Camaleonda modular sofa newly upholstered in white boucle’, a mix of large and smaller seating elements which can be used in several layouts. The smaller sofa elements can be used as compact side chairs or combined into a large seat. The white Italian boucle’ add elegance and luxury to this Mario Bellini sofa set. Check our sofa page to see what Camaleonda sofa is available to be purchased. Subject to availability.

The Camaleonda Sofa is a piece of exceptional design. It was designed in the 1970 by architect Mario Bellini for B&B Italia (a well known Italian furniture manufacturer), and it went out of production in 1979. Mario Bellini, the designer behind the Camaleonda sofa won 8 Compasso D’Oro awards and has about 25 of his designed product in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art of New York City. He collaborated with the biggest Italian furniture companies, and was editor of Domus, a prominent design magazine, from 1985 to 1991. He then dedicated his activity to Architecture creating projects like the Islamic Art Center at the Louvre, the Tokyo Design Center in Japan, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and many other domestic and International projects. Some of his most successful furniture designs were in collaboration with Cassina and B&B Italia; the ‘Cab’ chair is still a very successful product as well as ‘Le Bambole' seating collection created in the 1980s and naturally, the ‘Camaleonda’ sofa. 

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