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.
$528Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Generic C Chairs in Dove Grey by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Generic is an ambitious project of deeply ethical connotations, in which new objectives are defined for contemporary design to fulfil and creativity is seen in the light of a public ...
Plastic
$550Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Masters Counter Stool in Sage Green by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Plastic
Piero Lissoni For Kartell Piuma Armchair in Mustard sage
By Piero Lissoni, Kartell
Located in San Diego, CA
Piuma" is one of the most revolutionary and daring products in the evolution of technologies and materials used by Kartell. This is the first time that a material containing carbon f...
Plastic
Italian modern Yellow plastic chairs Louis Ghost by Starck Kartell, 2000-2010s
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Yellow-trasparent plastic chairs Louis Ghost by Philippe Starck for Kartell, 2000-2010s Set of 4 chairs mod. Louis Ghost entirely in transparent-yellow plastic. The ba...
Plastic
Joe Colombo Plywood 4801 Lounge Chair No 42, Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in Echt, NL
Early 4801 Lounge Chair by Joe Colombo in very good condition Number 42 This chair is formed from 3 pieces of plywood which lock together without a...
Plywood
Italian Space Age Orange Plastic Rocchetto Stools by Castiglioni Kartell, 1970s
By Kartell, Achille Castiglioni
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age orange plastic Rocchetto stools by Castiglioni for Kartell, 1970s Pair of Rocchetto stools in bright orange plastic. The structure ha...
Leather, Plastic
$1,531Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Cara Chair Pale Green by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
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 Industrial vibe that extends Kartell's range of soft furnishings...
Fabric, Plastic
$660Sale Price / set|20% Off
Kartell Cat Walk Mat Chair by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Inspired by the world of haute couture and fashion shows, Catwalk is intended for both domestic and contract furnishings and is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Available...
Plastic
$783Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Large Stools in Glossy Black by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The shape conjures up stools of the 1800s and the line of the legs is rounded and slightly upturned, an icon of the classic high stool. Charles Ghost is constructed from a single blo...
Crystal
Model 4801 Armchairs by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1960s, set of 2
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
Set of 2 white wooden armchairs designed by Joe Colombo, Model 4801. Numbered 16. Seat height 34cm. Wear due to time and age.
Wood
$1,615Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Cara Outdoor Chair by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito in Ivory Beige
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 or...
Fabric, Plastic
$540Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell A.I. Bar Stool in White 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...
Plastic
$726Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Smatrik Outdoor Stool in Black by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smatrik stool joins the family of seats created by Tokujin Yoshioka and is crafted using a mould which enables the recreation of a 3D net that overlaps and crosses over.Thanks to...
Steel
$1,698Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set 2Kartell Smatrik Rocking Chair in White with Chrome Legs by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Smatrik is available transparent in white with painted or chrome-plated steel legs, and in stainless steel with oak-stained wood finish. Dimensions: Height 30.33 in.; Width 24 in....
Plastic
$1,205Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Smatrik Chair in White with White Legs by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The constant interplay of design and technological innovation has led to the creation of Smatrik, the latest interpretation of a chair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka. It has an innova...
Plastic
$1,698Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set 2Kartell Smatrik Rocking Chair in Black with Chrome Legs by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Smatrik is available transparent in white with painted or chrome-plated steel legs, and in stainless steel with oak-stained wood finish. Dimensions: Height: 30.33 in.; Width: 24 i...
Plastic
$1,698Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2Kartell Smatrik Rocking Chair in Crystal Chrome Legs by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Smatrik is available transparent in white with painted or chrome-plated steel legs, and in stainless steel with oak-stained wood finish. Dimensions: Height 30.33 in.; Width 24 in....
Plastic
$2,996Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell K-wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black with Leather Seat
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimens...
Wood, Leather
$568Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Smatrik Stool in White by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Kartell, Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smatrik stool joins the family of seats created by Tokujin Yoshioka and is crafted using a mould which enables the recreation of a 3D net that overlaps and crosses over.Thanks to...
Steel
$1,835Sale Price|20% Off
Kartell K-wood Arm-Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Chrome
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Smart Wood collection is the outcome of Kartell's unremitting research into the possibility of giving three dimensional form to a material which so far has always been two dimensional. Using patented technology, the wood is worked with a mold designed to bring the curvature of the panel to the very edges, creating a seat with sinuous roundness, K/Wood is a royal style...
Wood
$1,003Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell One More Please Square Bar Stools in White by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not ...
Plastic
$1,003Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell One More Please Counter Stools in Matt Black by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not enough - and you need "One more" a...
Plastic
$1,003Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell One More Square Bar Stools in Black by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not enough, and you need "One more" an...
Crystal
$1,003Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell One More Square Bar Stools in White by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not enough, and you need "One more" an...
Crystal
$756Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Lizz Mat Chairs in Grey by Patricia Urquiola
By Kartell, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lightweight chair, with essential, strict lines, in synch with the Minimalist and refined style of its designer, Piero Lissoni. Lizz is now also av...
Plastic
$624Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Be Bop in White by Ludovica + Roberta Palomba
By Kartell, Ludovica + Roberto Palomba 1
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chair that combines several expressions in a single vocabulary, tracing the lines of the most traditional carved African stools and merging them with the American design of the gol...
Plastic
$624Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Be Bop in Black by Ludovica + Roberta Palomba
By Kartell, Ludovica + Roberto Palomba 1
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chair that combines several expressions in a single vocabulary, tracing the lines of the most traditional carved African stools and merging them with the American design of the gol...
Plastic
$624Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Be Bop in Grey by Ludovica + Roberta Palomba
By Kartell, Ludovica + Roberto Palomba 1
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chair that combines several expressions in a single vocabulary, tracing the lines of the most traditional carved African stools and merging them with the American design of the gol...
Plastic
$632Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell AI Chair in Grey Created by Artificial Intelligence
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
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...
Plastic
$632Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell AI Chair in White Created by Artificial Intelligence
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
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 planet. A.I. is the chair created for the first time ever using 100% recycled material, in which aesthetics and structural requirements remain unaltered, blending seamlessly with generative design. Available in white, black, green, orange, gray, bronze, titanium and gold.
Plastic
$519Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Re-Chair in Blanco by Antonio Citterio
By Kartell, Antonio Citterio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell is continuing its strategy of producing original products which combine sustainable materials with the latest production technol- ogy, offering new creative impulses based ar...
Plastic
$783Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Large Stools in Chrystal by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The shape conjures up stools of the 1800s and the line of the legs is rounded and slightly upturned, an icon of the classic high stool. Charles Ghost is constructed from a single blo...
Plastic
$550Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Grey by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Plastic
$550Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Masters Counter Stool in Grey by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Plastic
$712Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Venice Chairs in Glossy White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A tribute to the city of Venice in a chair for both the table and the living room, which combines classic lines with comfort. Venice is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Plastic
$1,205Sale Price / item|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Smatrik Chair in White with White Legs by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Tokujin Yoshioka, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The constant interplay of design and technological innovation has led to the creation of Smatrik, the latest interpretation of a chair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka. It has an innova...
Plastic
$589Sale Price / item|20% Off
Kartell Piuma Chair in White by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
2016 saw the completion of the “Piuma” project by Piero Lissoni. The chair is one of the most revolutionary and enterprising products in Kartell’s repertoire of technology and materi...
Plastic
$528Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Generic C Chairs in White by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Generic is an ambitious project of deeply ethical connotations, in which new objectives are defined for contemporary design to fulfil and creativity is seen in the light of a public ...
Plastic
$1,308Sale Price / item|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Smatrik Outdoor Chair in White by Tokujin Yoshioka
By Kartell, Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The constant interplay of design and technological innovation has led to the creation of Smatrik, the latest interpretation of a chair, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka. It has an innova...
Plastic
$528Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 Kartell Generic C Chairs in Grey by Philippe Starck
By Kartell, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Generic is an ambitious project of deeply ethical connotations, in which new objectives are defined for contemporary design to fulfil and creativity is seen in the light of a public ...
Plastic
Italian Modern Grey Fabric and Black Iron Foliage Sofa by Kartell, 2000s
By Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Grey fabric and black iron Foliage sofa by Kartell, 2000s Two seater Foliage sofa with tubular structure in black painted iron. The seat and back are padded with poly...
Iron
$1,400 / set
Pair of Italian Orange Chairs by Kartell
By Kartell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two orange Lucite chairs by Kartell with the original stamp.
Plastic