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Kartell Furniture

Italian

The Italian design giant Kartell transformed plastic from the stuff of humble household goods into a staple of luxury design in the 1960s. Founded in Milan by Italian chemical engineer Giulio Castelli (1920–2006) and his wife Anna Ferrieri (1918–2006), Kartell began as an industrial design firm, producing useful items like ski racks for automobiles and laboratory equipment designed to replace breakable glass with sturdy plastic. Even as companies like Olivetti and Vespa were making Italian design popular in the 1950s, typewriters and scooters were relatively costly, and Castelli and Ferrieri wanted to provide Italian consumers with affordable, stylish goods.

They launched a housewares division of Kartell in 1953, making lighting fixtures and kitchen tools and accessories from colorful molded plastic. Consumers in the postwar era were initially skeptical of plastic goods, but their affordability and infinite range of styles and hues eventually won devotees. Tupperware parties in the United States made plastic storage containers ubiquitous in postwar homes, and Kartell’s ingenious designs for juicers, dustpans, and dish racks conquered Europe. Kartell designer Gino Colombini was responsible for many of these early products, and his design for the KS 1146 Bucket won the Compasso d’Oro prize in 1955.

Buoyed by its success in the home goods market, Kartell introduced its Habitat division in 1963. Designers Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper created the K1340 (later called the K 4999) children’s chair that year, and families enjoyed their bright colors and light weight, which made them easy for kids to pick up and move. In 1965, Joe Colombo (1924–78) created one of Kartell’s few pieces of non-plastic furniture, the 4801 chair, which sits low to the ground and comprised of just three curved pieces of plywood. (In 2012, Kartell reissued the chair in plastic.) Colombo followed up on the success of the 4801 with the iconic 4867 Universal Chair in 1967, which, like Verner Panton’s S chair, is made from a single piece of plastic. The colorful, stackable injection-molded chair was an instant classic. That same year, Kartell introduced Colombo’s KD27 table lamp. Ferrierei’s cylindrical 4966 Componibili storage module debuted in 1969.

Kartell achieved international recognition for its innovative work in 1972, when a landmark exhibition curated by Emilio Ambasz called “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” opened at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. That show introduced American audiences to the work of designers such as Gaetano Pesce; Ettore Sottsass, founder of the Memphis Group; and the firms Archizoom and Superstudio (both firms were among Italy's Radical design groups) — all of whom were using wit, humor and unorthodox materials to create a bracingly original interior aesthetic.

Castelli and Ferrieri sold Kartell to Claudio Luti, their son-in-law, in 1988, and since then, Luti has expanded the company’s roster of designers.

Kartell produced Ron Arad’s Bookworm wall shelf in 1994, and Philippe Starck’s La Marie chair in 1998. More recently, Kartell has collaborated with the Japanese collective Nendo, Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola and glass designer Tokujin Yoshioka, among many others. Kartell classics can be found in museums around the world, including MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. In 1999, Claudio Luti established the Museo Kartell to tell the company’s story, through key objects from its innovative and colorful history.

Find vintage Kartell tables, seating, table lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Kartell
Carlo Bartoli Chair Model 4875 for Kartell, Italy, 1970s
By Kartell, Carlo Bertoli & Piero Menichetti
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early pair of Italian Modernist Polypropylene chairs designed by Carlo Bartoli for Kartell Italia in the 1970s model 4875, unusual color, art furniture, Nic...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Cara Chair Rusty Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an original product with an industria...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Mid-Century Modern Set of Three Chrome Plastic Coat Hangers Olaf Bohr, 1960s
By Kartell, Olaf von Bohr
Located in Catania, CT
Original vintage condition with trace of age and use for this set of three coat hangers made from chrome plastic designed by Olaf Bohr for Kartell. Small losses of chrome. Italy 1960s.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell T-Table by Patricia Urquiola in Crystal
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A line of tables in three heights. The surface of the T-table top alternates fullness and space to create an elegant and precious effect which is reminiscent of embroidery. It com...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Mid Century Wastepaper Basket Kartell Quadrato 4672, Italy, 1970s
By Kartell
Located in Praha, CZ
- marked.
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Simon Russell for Kartell 8 Drawer Stacking File Cabinet, 1970s
By Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Simon Russell for Kartell 8 drawer stacking file cabinet, 1970s. Incredible, eight drawer, stacking file cabinet, by Simon Russell for Kartell, circa 197...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Acrylic

Kartell Shibuya Orange by Christophe Pillet
By Christophe Pillet, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Shibuya vases have a pierced lid that can transform them into table accessories and not just decorative objects. Available in orange violet smoke Smoke yellow blue Smoky dark ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Matelasse' Vase in Amber by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The distinctive feature and special allure of these original vases lie in their particular conformation, suggestive of a wafed fabric with irregular sinuosities caused by the differe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Foliage Armchair by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Fabric

Vintage Contemporary Spool Stool by Antonio Citterio for Kartell - a Pair
By Kartell
Located in west palm beach, FL
Fantastic pair of vintage Contemporary bar stools. Adjustable seat height from 22 to 30. Beautiful floors white with chrome hardware. Marked on the bottom. Acquired from a Palm Beach...
Category

Late 20th Century North American Kartell Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Componibile Shelf by Giulio Polvara for Kartell, 1975
By Giulio Polvara, Kartell
Located in Barcelona, ES
Componibile shelf model 4760-4765 designed in 1975 by Giulio Polvara for Kartell. Include three storage cubes model 4770 designed by Centrokappa in 1975. Plastic elements that can be...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Magazine Rack in Transparent by Giotto Stoppino
By Giotto Stoppino, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a 4-pocket magazine rack with a central handle for easy lifting. The shape is essential and decidedly practical. It is a beautiful object which can be slotted into any settin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Componibili 2-Tier Drawer in White by Anna Castelli Ferrieri
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modular elements were designed to meet various needs and to fit into any room in your home: bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or living room. The design solution that animates the Modular s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Metal

Kartell Upper Step Ladder in Orange Red by Alberto Meda, Paolo Rizzatto
By Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stepladder has a strong personality and great functionality. It is also a successful marriage of form and function. Its pragmatism is made possible by the technology employed by...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Kartell Panier Coffee Table in Dark Grey by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
By Kartell, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Formal, technical and functional research is clearly visible in this container with its simple and expressive shape. With its transparent polycarbonate...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Geen, a Lamp in Black by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Geen-a is Kartell's first reading lamp, supplementing the brand’s lighting range with a product designed for this specific purpose. The simple lines conceal a real sense of attitude,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Steel

Kartell Stone Stool in Metallic Chrome by Marcel Wanders
By MARCEL WANDERS, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stone is a stool with a simple shape but with a very precious appearance. Made with an essential symmetrical linear shape which is reminiscent of an hourglass, its surface is simply ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Set of 4 Kartell Jellies Espresso Cup in Green by Patricia Urquiola
By Patricia Urquiola, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Jellies Family, which heralded a new way of perceiving tableware by using transparent products moulded with various relief patterns, has been expanded to include new elements suc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Cushions Largo in Velvet by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The cushions are presented in different variants. Available in two different sizes - 48x48cm and 48x35cm - they can be used in a variety of combinations. Available in Dove Grey, C...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Velvet

Kartell Componibili 3-Tier Drawer in Blue by Anna Castelli Ferrieri
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modular elements were designed to meet various needs and to fit into any room in your home: bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or living room. The design solution that animates the Modular s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bookworm in Aluminum
By Ron Arad, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bookworm, the flexible bookcase, is the result of the encounter between the creativity of an artist such as Ron Arad, combined with Kartell's technology, giving life to a revolutiona...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell A.I. Counter Stool in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell continues its ongoing commitment to sustainability with eco-friendly products which are part of the broader project expressed by the industrial manifesto Kartell loves the pl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Filippo Panseca for Kartell Table Lamp Model '4044' in Chrome and Neon
By Kartell
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Filippo Panseca for Kartell, table lamp, model '4044', chrome-plated brass, perspex, mirrored glass, neon, Italy, 1968. Futuristic spherical lamp designed by Italian designer Filipp...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Brass, Chrome

Kartell Tic & Tac Clock in Chrome by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Kartell, Eugeni Quitllet, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A transparent square "box" measuring 30x30 cm with Roman numerals engraved on the surface encompassing the flat clock face where a slim pair of colored hands stand out in a chromatic...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Tic & Tac Clock in Black by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Kartell, Eugeni Quitllet, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A transparent square "box" measuring 30x30 cm with Roman numerals engraved on the surface encompassing the flat clock face where a slim pair of colored hands stand out in a chromatic...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Mini Planet Table Lamp in Fume' by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Kartell, Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mini Planet, a small lamp that creates a great lighting effect. The precious, multi-faceted light cast by Tokujin Yoshioka’s Planet lamp is encapsulated in a brand-new Mini version,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Kartell Thierry Table by Piero Lissoni in Burgundy
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thierry is a family of highly characteristic occasional tables that make an inspired use of colour. Each table can have 3 or 4 different colours and can be assembled in various ways....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Fata Wall Sconce in Crystal by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
FATA The magic comes from the shade and from a new mould forming and engraving process that reflects light in infinitely different ways depending on how you view the lamp. As soon as...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Metallic Thread

Gino Colombini for Kartell, Italy 1970s Space Age Umbrella Stand
By Gino Colombini, Kartell
Located in Delft, NL
A Gino Colombini for Kartell, Italy 1970s Space Age umbrella Stand A beige plastic round Stand with a round loose silver metal ring...
Category

20th Century Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Metal

Kartell Take Lamp in Pink by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The classic icon of the bedside lamp is revisited by Kartell's technology to become an industrial product in a variety of colour shades. The shape of Take is the result of the joinin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bookworm in Cobalt
By Ron Arad, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bookworm, the flexible bookcase, is the result of the encounter between the creativity of an artist such as Ron Arad, combined with Kartell's technology, giving life to a revolutiona...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Trullo Fume' Green by Fabio Novembre
By Fabio Novembre, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trullo is a table container with conical lid, inspired by the architecture of the typical houses of Alberobello in Apulia. Fabio Novembre continues the creative path influenced by th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

"Centopiedi 4545-6" Daybed Design A. Locatelli P. Salmoiraghi for Kartell, 1972
By Antonio Locatelli and Pietro Salmoiraghi, Kartell
Located in taranto, IT
"CentopIedi 4545-6" bed design A. Locatelli P. Salmoiraghi - Studio Pro - for Kartell, 1972 Extremely rare Centipede bed designed by antonio locatelli and pietro salmoiraghi, stud...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Thierry Table by Piero Lissoni in Blue
By Piero Lissoni, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thierry is a family of highly characteristic occasional tables that make an inspired use of colour. Each table can have 3 or 4 different colours and can be assembled in various ways....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Componibili Bio in Green by Anna Castelli Ferrieri
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Componibili Bio in Green by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell. The Componibili Bio storage unit was first created by Italian designer and Kartell co-founder Anna Castelli Ferrieri i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Componibili Bio in Cream by Anna Castelli Ferrieri
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Componibili Bio in Cream by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell. The Componibili Bio storage unit was first created by Italian designer and Kartell co-founder Anna Castelli Ferrieri i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Magazine Rack in Silver by Giotto Stoppino
By Kartell, Giotto Stoppino
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a 4-pocket magazine rack with a central handle for easy lifting. The shape is essential and decidedly practical. It is a beautiful object which can be slotted into any settin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Earl of Wood Desk by Philippe Stark in Black Slatted Ash
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
EARL OF WOOD is a simple new desk with a curved wooden surface, offering the perfect solution to the Office and Habitat worlds on account of its myriad diffe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Wood

Kartell Trullo Yellow Blue by Fabio Novembre
By Fabio Novembre, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trullo is a table container with conical lid, inspired by the architecture of the typical houses of Alberobello in Apulia. Fabio Novembre continues the creative path influenced by th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Trullo Crystal Fume by Fabio Novembre
By Fabio Novembre, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trullo is a table container with conical lid, inspired by the architecture of the typical houses of Alberobello in Apulia. Fabio Novembre continues the creative path influenced by th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Sundial Modular Bookcase in Crystal and White by Nendo
By Kartell, Nendo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sundial is the bookcase whose dividing elements, placed in different directions, create a game of unexpected and original proportions.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Resin

Kartell Cara Mat Chair Black Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cara is the living room armchair which combines the rigour of classic lines and the comfort of the seat, characterised by the large, high cushion which offers maximum comfort. Cara ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Kartell Sparkle Round Table-Stool in Amber by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tokyjin Yoshioka's new Sparkle table collection are as striking as a brilliant ray of sunlight. The plastic's unique pleating (both inside and out) is reflected in the end result: tw...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Resin

Nickel Plated Brass & White Plastic 60s pendant lamp by Bandini Buti for Kartell
By Kartell, Luigi Bandini Buti
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Pendant lamp composed by 2 methacrylate emispherical shades joined together with nickel plated brass screws. Electrical system with 1 E27 lamp socket. Very good condition: very lig...
Category

1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Brass, Iron, Nickel

Italian Modern Plastic, Yellow Glass Floor Lamp, Annig Sarian for Kartell 1970s
By Annig Sarian, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern white plastic and yellow glass floor lamp by Annig Sarian for Kartell, 1970s. Floor lamp mod. KD59 or 4059 with elongated base of irregular conical shape with spheric...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Glass, Plastic

Kartell Thierry Table by Piero Lissoni in Grey
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thierry is a family of highly characteristic occasional tables that make an inspired use of colour. Each table can have 3 or 4 different colours and can be assembled in various ways....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Calice Stool in Black by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Calice vase is included in the "Kartell goes Sottsass - A Tribute to Memphis" collection, launched in homage to the movement founded by design guru Ettore...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Tip Top Bar Table in Black Glass Top and by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tip Top is a small side table, light and versatile, formed of a single base supporting the solid 48 cm diameter table top. The combination of the colored top and the transparent, hol...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Resin

Kartell Shibuya Smoky Petroleum by Christophe Pillet
By Christophe Pillet, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Shibuya vases have a pierced lid that can transform them into table accessories and not just decorative objects. Available in orange violet smoke Smoke yellow blue Smoky dark ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell All Saints Mirror in Aquamarine by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
By Ludovica + Roberto Palomba 1, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Round mirror with a transparent or colored PMMA frame, with a unique pleated effect. The possibility of applying transparency even to gold and chrome, makes this mirror an extremely ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Resin

Kartell Eur Stool in Earth Red by Fabio Novembre
By Fabio Novembre, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The EUR stool by Fabio Novembre is a cube printed with shapes and geometries inspired, to scale, by Italian rationalist architecture of the 1930s and 1940s. The stool can be multi-pu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Bubble Club Side Table in Black by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bubble club side table in green. Dimensions: Height 30.75 in, width 23.65 in, depth 29.5 in.; Unit weight: 5.5 kg. Made of: Polyethylene. Outdoor use.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Space Age Wall or Ceiling Lamp by Isao Hosoe for Kartell, 1970s, Italy
By Isao Hosoe, Kartell
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Space Age wall or ceiling lamp by Isao Hosoe for Kartell, 1970s, Italy Lampshade is in very good vintage condition. This lamp works with E27 light bulbs. Wired and suitable t...
Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Metal

Three New 1970's Bakelite Ashtrays by Kartell, Italy
By Kartell
Located in Weesp, NL
Three N.O.S. ( new old stock ) bakelite ashtrays produced by Kartell, Italy in the 1970's. Bakelite , “phenol formaldehyde” , was invented in 1906 by the belgian Leo Baekeland (18...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Bakelite

Kartell Tray Table by Piero Lissoni
By Piero Lissoni, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is an articulated system of table surfaces for the home or office. The construction concept of the design is based on small tables and shelf systems, with patterns and finishes ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Kartell Air du Temps Table Clock in White by Eugeni Quitllet
By Eugeni Quitllet, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Lightness is the watchword of the table clock "Air du Temps" inhabited by hollows and light. Its aerial shape and its clean and essential design allow t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Metal

Kartell Bookworm in Black
By Ron Arad, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bookworm, the flexible bookcase, is the result of the encounter between the creativity of an artist such as Ron Arad, combined with Kartell's technology, giving life to a revolutionary project produced on an industrial scale...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Kartell Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Nickel & White Methacrylate 4006 Pendant Lamp by Castiglioni bros for Kartell
By Kartell, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Rare pendant lamp design by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1959. White methacrylate double shades with nickel plated brass finishes. Original working wiring with 1 E27 lam...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Kartell Furniture

Materials

Brass, Nickel

Kartell furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Kartell furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Kartell furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 219 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 904 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Kartell were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Driade, Philippe Starck, and Gervasoni. Prices for Kartell furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $80 and can go as high as $18,400, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $671.
Questions About Kartell Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Kartell is known largely for producing contemporary furniture out of plastic. The Italian company, founded in 1949, helped elevate the material, proving that it was suitable for designer furniture. You can find a collection of Kartell furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
    The history of Kartell starts with an Italian chemical engineer named Giulio Castelli and his wife, Anna Ferrieri. The couple founded Kartell in Milan as an industrial design firm, producing utilitarian items like ski racks for automobiles and laboratory equipment designed to replace breakable glass with sturdy plastic. Even as companies like Olivetti and Vespa were making Italian design popular in the 1950s, typewriters and scooters were relatively costly, and Castelli and Ferrieri wanted to provide Italian consumers with affordable, stylish goods. They launched a housewares division of Kartell in 1953, making lighting fixtures and kitchen tools and accessories from colorful molded plastic. Buoyed by its success in the home goods market, Kartell introduced its Habitat division in 1963. Kartell achieved international recognition for its innovative work in 1972, when a landmark exhibition curated by Emilio Ambasz called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape" opened at New York's Museum of Modern Art. Castelli and Ferrieri sold Kartell to Claudio Luti, their son-in-law, in 1988, and since then, Luti has expanded the company's roster of designers. On 1stDibs, explore a large selection of Kartell furniture.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024
    How you clean Kartell plastic depends on the piece. Often, the best way to clean plastic furniture is with lukewarm water and mild dish soap. However, recommended cleaning methods vary. For the best results, refer to the manufacturer's care instructions that accompany your furniture. Shop a collection of Kartell furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Kartell Louis Ghost chairs are made of lucite. Designed by Phillipe Starck for Kartell in 2002, this clear chair is crafted from a single piece of plastic, making it a beautifully elegant piece. On 1stDibs, find a range of authentic Kartell Ghost chairs from top sellers.

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