Skip to main content

Post Modern Outdoor

8
to
41
1,522
354
1,639
1,448
272
128
104
47
35
32
28
23
21
16
12
9
7
5
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
34
32
27
22
14
Sort By
Mid-Century Modern Post Modern Outdoor Patio Dining Table Fiberglass White
By Knoll
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Midcentury post Modern Design rectangular rounded corners white fiberglass dining table. white
Category

Vintage 1970s American Post-Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of Four Modernist Metal Garden Patio Dining Chairs in the style of Woodard
By Woodard Furniture Co., Salterini
Located in New York, NY
Nice clean set of Post Modern outdoor metal dining chairs, in the style of Woodard. The chairs
Category

Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Metal

Set of 4 Enameled Indoor / Outdoor Post-Modern Stacking Shell Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 4 enameled indoor / outdoor post-modern stacking shell chairs. Neat design. Very robust
Category

Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Post Modern Indoor Outdoor Frank Willet Santa Fe Pueblo Wall Sconces
By Frank Willet
Located in Port Jervis, NY
torch effect. UL listed. In excellent vintage condition. Can be parcel posted safely. Have the matching
Category

Vintage 1980s American Mission Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Clay

Italian Post-Modern Outside Coffee Table in White Tubular Metal, 2000s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post-modern Outside coffee table in white tubular metal, 2000s Coffee table of irregularly
Category

Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Metal

Italian post-modern squared coffee table or pedestal in burnished steel, 2000s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post-modern squared coffee table or pedestal in burnished steel, 2000s Burnished steel
Category

Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Steel

Italian post-modern squared coffee table or pedestal in Corten steel, 2000s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post-modern squared coffee table or pedestal in Corten steel, 2000s Corten steel coffee
Category

Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Steel

Sculptural Post Modern Omada Wicker Lounge Chair by Mark Gabbertas for Gloster
By Gloster
Located in New York, NY
structure. The wicker is treated which allows for either indoor or outdoor use. This example is in
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

1980 Post Modern Ashtray Illinois Land of President Lincoln Round Ceramic Dish
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1980 Post Modern Ashtray Illinois Round Ceramic with Colorful Architecture Design. Vintage
Category

Late 20th Century North American Post-Modern Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Ceramic

8 Mid Century Modern Toledo Aluminum Armchairs by Jorge Pensi Indoor Outdoor
By Jorge Pensi, Amat-3
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous simple yet elegant design by Jorge Pensi for Amat. Top quality cast aluminum elements which are fitted to each other. In excellent vintage condition with minimal wear. Scrat...
Category

Vintage 1980s Spanish Post-Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Studio Outdoor Armrest by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Outdoor Armrest by NORR11 Dimensions: D 50 x W 20 x H 16 cm. Materials: Quickdry foam
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Outdoor Armrest by NORR11
Studio Outdoor Armrest by NORR11
H 6.3 in W 7.88 in D 19.69 in
1990s Post-Modern Philippe Starck for Vitra Black Louis 20 Armchair, 3 Available
By Philippe Starck, Vitra
Located in Secaucus, NJ
suitable for outdoor use. This chair is in the permanent collection of MoMA and numerous international
Category

1990s European Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Storm Large Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Storm Large Outdoor Lounge by NORR11 Dimensions: D 150 x W 90 x H 60 cm. SH 25 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Other

Storm Large Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Storm Large Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 59.06 in
Storm Medium Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Storm Medium Outdoor Lounge by NORR11 Dimensions: D 120 x W 90 x H 60 cm. SH 25 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Other

Storm Medium Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Storm Medium Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 47.25 in
Storm Small Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Storm Small Outdoor Lounge by NORR11 Dimensions: D 92 x W 70 x H 50 cm. SH 25 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Other

Storm Small Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
Storm Small Outdoor Lounge by NORR11
H 19.69 in W 27.56 in D 36.23 in
Outdoor Palm Spring Mural by Olivia Cognet
By Olivia Cognet
Located in Geneve, CH
Outdoor Palm Spring Mural by Olivia Cognet Dimensions: D 5 x W 460 x H 170 cm Materials: Ceramic
Category

2010s French Post-Modern Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Outdoor Palm Spring Mural by Olivia Cognet
Outdoor Palm Spring Mural by Olivia Cognet
H 66.93 in W 181.11 in D 1.97 in
Quarry Outdoor Armchair by Andrea Giomi
Located in Geneve, CH
Quarry Outdoor Armchair by Andrea Giomi Dimensions: D 55 x W 70 x H 84 cm Materials: Recycled foam
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Other

Quarry Outdoor Armchair by Andrea Giomi
Quarry Outdoor Armchair by Andrea Giomi
H 33.08 in W 27.56 in D 21.66 in
Studio Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 80 x H 47 cm. SH 47 cm. Materials: Quickdry
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Ottomans and Poufs

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
Studio Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
H 18.51 in W 31.5 in D 37.8 in
Mexico Outdoor Chair by Marco Rountree
By Marco Rountree
Located in Geneve, CH
Mexico outdoor chair by MarCo Rountree Dimensions: D 51 x W 55 x H 91 cm Materials: carbon steel
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Steel

Mexico Outdoor Chair by Marco Rountree
Mexico Outdoor Chair by Marco Rountree
H 35.83 in W 21.66 in D 20.08 in
Nerthus Outdoor Sofa by Atra Design
By ATRA
Located in Geneve, CH
Nerthus outdoor sofa by Atra Design. Dimensions: D 434 x W 108.5 x H 71.1 cm. Materials: fabric
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Teak

Nerthus Outdoor Sofa by Atra Design
Nerthus Outdoor Sofa by Atra Design
H 28 in W 42.56 in D 170.87 in
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11 Dimensions: D 70 x W 83,5 x H 70 cm. SH 41 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in D 32.88 in
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11 Dimensions: D 70 x W 83,5 x H 70 cm. SH 41 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
Hippo Lounge Outdoor Chair by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 27.56 in D 32.88 in
Two Pairs of Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Outdoor Wall Sconces, C1965
Located in Port Jervis, NY
enough. Priced and sold individually. Can be parcel posted.
Category

Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum

Garden Wall - Triptych Bamboo - Steel - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 225×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Garden Wall - Triptych Dandelion - Steel -Modern Outdoor Ornament - 225×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Studio Curve Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Curve Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 125 x H 70 cm. SH 47 cm
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Curve Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Studio Curve Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 49.22 in D 37.8 in
Studio Corner Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Corner Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 110 x H 70 cm. SH 47 cm
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Corner Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Studio Corner Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 43.31 in D 37.8 in
Studio Small Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Small Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 60 x H 70 cm. SH 47 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Small Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Studio Small Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 23.63 in D 37.8 in
Barrel Shape Outdoor Table by Philippe Colette
Located in Geneve, CH
Barrel shape outdoor table by Philippe Colette Dimensions: L 240 x W 110 x H 75 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Organic Material, Plaster

Barrel Shape Outdoor Table by Philippe Colette
Barrel Shape Outdoor Table by Philippe Colette
H 29.93 in W 43.31 in D 118.12 in
Studio Large Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Large Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 120 x H 70 cm. SH 47 cm
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Large Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Studio Large Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 47.25 in D 37.8 in
Studio Medium Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Medium Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11 Dimensions: D 96 x W 80 x H 70 cm. SH 47 cm
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Sofas

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Medium Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
Studio Medium Modular Outdoor Sofa by NORR11
H 27.56 in W 31.5 in D 37.8 in
Studio Classic Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
Located in Geneve, CH
Studio Classic Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11 Dimensions: D 90 x W 80 x H 47 cm. SH 47 cm. Materials
Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Ottomans and Poufs

Materials

Upholstery, Foam, Plywood

Studio Classic Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
Studio Classic Outdoor Ottoman by NORR11
H 18.51 in W 31.5 in D 35.44 in
Steel Garden Wall - "Bird" - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 54×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Garden Wall - "Diptych Bamboo" - Steel - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 150 x 195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Garden Wall -"Diptych Dandelion"- Steel -Modern Outdoor Ornament- 150 x 195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Diptych Tree" - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 150 x 195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
pins of 18 mm diameter. These are 1 meter long and are included. Hammer the round posts into the ground
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Handmade Outdoor Dining Table 160 by Philippe Colette
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade Outdoor dining table 160 by Philippe Colette Dimensions: Ø 160 / 6 pers. Customized
Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Organic Material, Plaster

Handmade Outdoor Dining Table 200 by Philippe Colette
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade outdoor dining table 200 by Philippe Colette Dimensions: Ø200 / 10 pers. Customized
Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Organic Material, Plaster

Memphis Roma Green Fiberglass Indoor/Outdoor Chair
By Marco Zanini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Roma fiberglass chair by Marco Zanini for MEMPHIS (1986). This exotic chair (throne) is a radical MEMPHIS experiment with an unorthodox material created by Marco Zanini, one o...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Fiberglass

Single Scoop Indoor + Outdoor Swing in Berry
By Gabriela Noelle
Located in Miami, FL
your favorite neighborhood playground. Perfect for indoor and outdoor use, the single scoop swing can
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Children's Furniture

Materials

Lucite, Acrylic, Rope, Terrazzo

Blu Lago Plain Kylíndo Outdoor Armchair by Dalmoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Blu Lago Plain Kylíndo Outdoor Armchair by Dalmoto Dimensions: D 92 x W 67 x H 69 cm. SH: 40 cm
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Verde Oasi Plain Kylíndo Outdoor Armchair by Dalmoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Verde Oasi Plain Kylíndo Outdoor Armchair by Dalmoto Dimensions: D 92 x W 67 x H 69 cm. SH: 40 cm
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Steel Garden Wall - "Birds II" - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Diptych Birds" - modern outdoor ornament - 150×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Birds I" - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Handmade Round Outdoor Dining Table 120 by Philippe Colette
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade round outdoor dining table 120 by Philippe Colette Dimensions: Ø 120 foot diameter: 40
Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Organic Material, Plaster

Set of Six Braided Rope and Metal Outdoor Chairs
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Set of six design outdoor chairs with lacquered metal structure and rope weave. Robustness and
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Post-Modern Patio and Garden Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Set of Six Braided Rope and Metal Outdoor Chairs
Set of Six Braided Rope and Metal Outdoor Chairs
H 27.56 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
Louis Poulsen Toldbod Outdoor Bollard
By Louis Poulsen
Located in New York, NY
blasted glass. Luminaire head: Die cast aluminum. Post: Extruded aluminum. Base plate: Aluminum. Class
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Floor Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Outdoor Hexagon Coffee Tables
By Zelonky Studios
Located in Lakeville, CT
groupings of 4 or 6. Modern, post industrial a conversation piece as well as practical.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Ta...

Materials

Metal

Outdoor Hexagon Coffee Tables
Outdoor Hexagon Coffee Tables
H 18 in W 12 in D 12 in
Tekna Country Post Light In Copper With ‘Steplight’ In Dark Bronze Post Light
Located in New York, NY
Post light in copper with ‘Steplight’ in dark bronze. With removable back panel for anchoring and
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern More Lighting

Materials

Bronze, Copper

Set of 8 Galva Steel Outdoor Chairs by Atelier Thomas Serruys
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 8 Galva steel outdoor chairs by Atelier Thomas Serruys Dimensions: H 74.5 cm, W 43cm, D
Category

2010s Belgian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of Six Braided Rope and Metal Outdoor Armchairs
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Set of six design outdoor armchairs with aluminum structure and rope weave. Robustness and
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Minimalist Outdoor Chair in Stainless Steel "Yuu" by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
modern piece is a winner of SIT furniture design awards 2021 at outdoor seatings category. This product
Category

2010s Brazilian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Triptych Tree" - Modern Outdoor Ornament - 225 x 195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Minimalist Outdoor Chair in Stainless Steel "Haruka" by Samuel Lamas
By Samuel Lamas
Located in Brasilia, DF
This award-winning timeless outdoor seating in stainless steel is designed with in architectonic
Category

2010s Brazilian Post-Modern Armchairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Plant Climbing Wall" - modern outdoor ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
round steel pins of 18 mm diameter. These are 1 meter long and are included. Hammer the round posts into
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Stainless Steel III" - modern outdoor ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Stainless Steel II" - modern outdoor ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Steel Garden Wall - "Stainless Steel I" - modern outdoor ornament - 75×195 cm
By Stefan Traloc
Located in Winterswijk, NL
the round posts into the ground at the correct distance of 50 cm, Push the wall over it and you're
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Postmodern Outdoor Chairs designed by Oscar Tusquets Blanca for Aleph-Driade
By Oscar Tusquets Blanca
Located in Roma, IT
-Driade, an historic Italian company in the world of design. Conceived as an outdoor chair, it was
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

  • 1
  • ...
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Post Modern Outdoor", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Post Modern Outdoor For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the post modern outdoor you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each post modern outdoor for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, natural fiber and rope. There are 11 variations of the antique or vintage post modern outdoor you’re looking for, while we also have 11 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without a post modern outdoor — find older editions for sale from the 20th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. When you’re browsing for the right post modern outdoor, those designed in Mid-Century Modern styles are of considerable interest. Many designers have produced at least one well-made post modern outdoor over the years, but those crafted by Filipe Ramos, Samuel Lamas and Bartoli Design are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Post Modern Outdoor?

Prices for a post modern outdoor start at $750 and top out at $20,000 with the average selling for $2,520.

A Close Look at post-modern Furniture

Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.

ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Emerges during the 1960s; popularity explodes during the ’80s
  • A reaction to prevailing conventions of modernism by mainly American architects
  • Architect Robert Venturi critiques modern architecture in his Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966)
  • Theorist Charles Jencks, who championed architecture filled with allusions and cultural references, writes The Language of Post-Modern Architecture (1977)
  • Italian design collective the Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, meets for the first time (1980) 
  • Memphis collective debuts more than 50 objects and furnishings at Salone del Milano (1981)
  • Interest in style declines, minimalism gains steam

CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Dizzying graphic patterns and an emphasis on loud, off-the-wall colors
  • Use of plastic and laminates, glass, metal and marble; lacquered and painted wood 
  • Unconventional proportions and abundant ornamentation
  • Playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art

POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.

Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendinia onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.

Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group,  which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.

Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals. 

After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.

On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.