$826Sale Price|25% Off
Postmodern Square Black Leather Coffee Table with Mirrored Top, 1970s
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. It features a frame covered in leather and a mirrored top. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of. use, but it can be considered as i...
Leather, Mirror
$1,855Sale Price / set|20% Off
Postmodern Architectural Design Set of 10 Dining Chairs 1980's Italy
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Modern Architectural design set of 10 dining chairs, made in Italy 1980's.
Metal
Pair of Postmodern Leather Armchairs "Tentazione" by Mario Bellini for Cassina
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Beograd, RS
Pair of postmodern leather club chairs "Tentazione" designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina.
Steel
Set of 6 italian postmodern wicker and metal dining chairs, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Set of 6 wicker and metal postmodern dining chairs. These unique chairs consist of a black metal frame, round leather seats and finely crafted metal and wicker backrests.
Metal
Postmodern swivel chair, Cofemo
By Cofemo
Located in Neuss, NW
Rare postmodern swivel chair by Cofemo from the 1980s. High-quality red lacquered steel frame with plastic castors.
Steel
$1,066 / set
Vintage Postmodern Dining Chairs, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Italian metal postmodern dining chairs with black metal frames and black leather seats.
Metal
$8,001Sale Price / set|20% Off
Cassina 'Viola d'amore' Armchairs by Piero Martini, Postmodern, Italian design
By Cassina, Piero De Martini
Located in Antwerp, BE
Cassina produced these post-modern luxury lounge chairs by Italian designer Piero de Martini. Remarkably comfortable, magnificent camel leather seats in amazing vintage condition, as...
Leather, Wood, Down
$1,744Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Design KORIUM KM1 Leather Armchair by Tito Agnoli for Matteo Grassi
By Tito Agnoli, Matteo Grassi
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Made in Italy, 1980's period. All dark blue grey leather armchair.
Leather
Postmodern Set of 4 Italian Fan Back Chairs by Pietro Costantini
By Pietro Costantini
Located in San Diego, CA
Set of four tall back Italian chairs by Pietro Costantini, circa 1990s in black lacquer glossy finish and handstitched black leather seat, solid and sturdy elegant chairs, stamped ma...
Leather, Wood, Lacquer
Postmodern Sfera Armchair by Oswald Mathias Ungers for Sawaya &Moroni, Italy 80s
By Sawaya & Moroni
Located in Lucija, SI
Rare postmodern armchair model Sfera designed by Oswald Mathias for Sawaya & Moroni. Made in Italy in 1989
Leather, Wood, Bentwood
Postmodern Design ARTONA XL Leather Ottoman by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Italian Design "Artona" XL Leather Ottoman / Pouf by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto.
Leather
Postmodern Design 401 BREAK Armchairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy 1980's
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Italian Design "401 BREAK" model Armchair set of 6 by Mario Bellini for Cassina.
Leather
Postmodern Walse Leather Lounge Chair by Tito Agnoli for Poltrona Frau, c1990s
By Poltrona Frau, Tito Agnoli
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Experience the timeless elegance and exceptional comfort of this vintage Postmodern Italian "Walse" lounge chair and ottoman set, designed by the renowned Tito Agnoli for Poltrona Fr...
Aluminum
Set Off Four Postmodern Dining Chair By Pietro Constantini For ELLO Italy 1970s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set off Four Postmodern Dining Chair By Pietro Constantini Italy 1970s
Leather, Wood
Postmodern Dining Table in leather and glass top by Giancarlo Vegni for Fasem
By Fasem International, Giancarlo Vegni
Located in Beograd, RS
Table features the base done in steel and saddle leather with a round thick glass top. Made in Italy in the 1980s.
Leather, Glass
Postmodern Leather Bar Stools designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Poltrona Frau
By Poltrona Frau, Massimo Iosa Ghini
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find stunning postmodern swivel bar stools, model "Alo", designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Poltrona Frau. Each chair is stamped by the manufacturer beneath ...
Steel
Set of Midcentury Italian Postmodern Black and Chrome Mesh Dining Chairs Set
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A handsome set of four dining chairs made in Italy circa 1980s. They feature chrome frames, enameled mesh backs, and leather seats. Marked: ITALY.
Steel, Chrome
$869Sale Price / item|25% Off
Postmodern Black Leather Office Chair by Vico Magistretti for ICF Design, 1978
By ICF Group
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy in 1978 and designed by Vico Magistretti for ICF De Padova. These office chairs feature a solid varnished metal and hard plastic frame and their original high-quality l...
Metal
1980s Sculptural Italian Postmodern Faux Tan Suede Bar Stools – a Pair
By Milo Baughman
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a stylish, unique pair of bar stools, circa the 1980s. These vintage barstools are a nod to Italian postmodernism, showcasing a distinct architectural p...
Faux Leather
Italian postmodern round coffee table Lady-Fat by Patricia Urquiola for B&B 2002
By Patricia Urquiola, B&B Italia
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern round coffee table Lady-Fat by Patricia Urquiola for B&B 2002 Coffee table mod.
Metal
$1,449 / set
Vintage postmodern dining chairs set of 8, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Italian metal postmodern dining chairs with black metal frames and black leather seats.
Metal
$2,655 / set
Postmodern dining chairs, 1980s, Set of 4
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Post modern dining chairs with black lacquered metal tubular frames, black leatehrette upholstery. Attractive, timeless design Good condition 1980s - Italy Dimensions: Height: ...
Metal
$2,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Six Postmodern Costantini Ello Dining Chairs Made in Italy c 1970/80's
By Constantini, Ello Furniture
Located in New York, NY
Heroic set of Post Modern, Hollywood Regency school black lacquered dining chairs made in Italy by Pieto Costantini, imported by Ello, circa 1970-1980's. The set consists of four s...
Leather, Wood
Set of 4 Postmodern Bentwood Sculptural Dining Chairs 1980s
Located in Florence, IT
Set of 4 Postmodern Bentwood Sculptural Dining Chairs, 1980s These chairs have a tall, curved backrest that splits into two flared, wing-like slats widening toward the top, creating...
Marble
$2,850Sale Price|40% Off
Charles Hollis Jones Postmodern Memphis Inspired Lounge Chair
By Memphis Group
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Memphis-inspired asymmetric sculptural lounge chair with unique tri-color design and acrylic legs designed by Charles Hollis Jones. About Charles Hollis Jones: Born in Bloomingto...
Leather, Wood
Rare Oversized Italian Black Leather Lounge Chair, circa 1980
Located in Montréal, CA
A strong standalone statement piece equally suited to a refined residential interior, executive office or curated contemporary space. Origin: Italy Period: circa 1980s Material: Bla...
Leather
Postmodern Chairs in the Style of Scarpa- Set of 5
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 5 - Custom, hand-made individually of solid cherry wood, these are tub dining chairs in the Post-Modern, Mid-century Modern style of Italian designers and architects Afra & To...
Leather, Wood
1990s Postmodern Folding Chair in the Rodney Kinsman'd Style
By Rodney Kinsman
Located in Miami, FL
1990s Postmodern Folding Accent Chair in the Rodney Kinsman'd Style.
Chrome
Original Shadow Armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, Postmodern Icon
By Gaetano Pesce, Ligne Roset, Michel Ducaroy, Meritalia
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Shadow armchair by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia is a highly collectible iconic masterpiece of Post Modern Design. The chair "deconstructed". Designed and made in limited numbers in 2...
Leather, Upholstery, Latex, Resin
Pair of Postmodern Chairs "Baobab" by Lievore Altherr Molina for Tacchini
By Lievore Altherr Molina, Tacchini
Located in Beograd, RS
They feature a unique shape, fully upholstered in orange leather; non-removable cover; hidden glides beneath.
Leather
Postmodern Armchair and Ottoman "Privè" designed by Paolo Nava for Arflex
By Paolo Nava, Arflex
Located in Beograd, RS
They are made of black leather and carbon wire back. Made in Italy by Arflex in the early 1980s.
Leather, Carbon Fiber
$2,391Sale Price / set|40% Off
PAIR 1980s Postmodern Mario Botta Latonda Chair for Alias - 2 pcs
By Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Basel, BS
What Beauties! Stunning RARE PAIR of Mario Botta accent chairs for any space! Very fast shipping, insured 7-21 days. RARE Black leather model, with silver frame. Chair "Latonda" Pro...
Metal
Striking Avant Garde Postmodern Armchair in the style of Shiro Kuramata
By Shiro Kuramata
Located in Weesp, NL
Rare Postmodern Armchair – A Bold Statement Piece Step into the world of avant-garde design with this rare and striking postmodern armchair. A true conversation piece, this chair se...
Steel
$1,182Sale Price / item|42% Off
1980s Postmodern Mario Botta Latonda Chair for Alias (two available) -- 1 pc
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in Basel, BS
What a beauty! Stunning RARE Mario Botta accent chair for any space! Very fast shipping, insured 7-21 days. RARE Black leather model, with silver frame. Chair "Latonda" Production: ...
Metal
Postmodern Massimo Iosa Ghini, Armchair “Numero Uno” by Moroso, 1980s
By Massimo Iosa Ghini, Moroso
Located in Renens, CH
From the “Dynamic Collection” a series of furniture designed during the 1980s by Massimo Iosa Ghini, we present the Numero Uno lounge chair: The streamlined design features a chrome ...
Metal
Luigi Radaelli Italian Pair of 'Tartana' Lounge Chairs in Brown Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Radaelli, pair of 'Tartana' lounge chairs, leather, beech, Italy, 1970s These postmodern Italian lounge chairs will surely grab the viewer's attention.
Leather, Beech
Set of 4 Vintage Postmodern Geometrical Armchairs, Sculptural Memphis Style, 90s
Located in Zagreb, HR
Reminiscent of Memphis Milano style postmodern design. Manufactured in Italy in the 1990s.
Metal
$4,077Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern 1980s Design Icon "Alice" Chairs by Giorgio Cattelan for Cattelan Ita
By Giorgio Cattelan, Cattelan Italia
Located in Basel, BS
Fabulous set of Rare "Alice" chairs by Giorgio Cattelan for Cattelan Italia, Postmodern 1980s. Made of Stitched red leather. Designed in 1984, iconic design by Cattelan Italia. Feat...
Metal
Set of 4 Postmodern Bloob Bar Stools designed by Karim Rashid for Frighetto
By Karim Rashid
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a set of 4 futuristic bar stools "Bloob" designed by Karim Rashid for Frighetto. They feature ergonomic seats with a beautiful shape enhanced by the ton...
Steel
Large Postmodern “Bogo” Console Cabinet by Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate
By Carlo Bartoli, Rossi di Albizzate
Located in Zagreb, HR
Extremely elegant postmodern console cabinet belonging to the “Bogo” system designed by Italian architect Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate in the 1970s.
Leather, Suede, Glass
Postmodern Serpentine Sofa Set with Glass-Top Cocktail Table - 4 Piece Set
Located in Chicago, IL
Postmodern Vladimir Kagan Style Serpentine Sofa Set with Glass-Top Cocktail Table - 4 Piece Set The Postmodern Vladimir Kagan Style Serpentine Sofa Set with Glass-Top Cocktail Table...
Faux Leather, Glass
Postmodern 'Sity' Modular Sectional Sofa, Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, 1972
By Antonio Citterio, B&B Italia
Located in Zagreb, HR
An amazing, rare and early production, three-piece modular Sity sofa designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. Original upholstery, leather pole armrests, loose back and seat cush...
Leather, Fabric
Original Moroso armchair leather green Patricia Urquiola swivel
By Patricia Urquiola, Moroso
Located in Berlin, DE
(see pictures) Manufacturer: Moroso Designer: Patricia Urquiola Country of origin: Italy Epoch: 2000s, Postmodernism Material: Leather, steel Approx. dimensions: width: 96cm, depth: ...
Leather
Original Moroso armchair leather yellow Patricia Urquiola swivel
By Patricia Urquiola, Moroso
Located in Berlin, DE
(see pictures) Manufacturer: Moroso Designer: Patricia Urquiola Country of origin: Italy Epoch: 2000s, Postmodernism Material: Leather, steel Approx. dimensions: width: 96cm, depth: ...
Leather
Original Moroso armchair leather red Patricia Urquiola swivel
By Moroso, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Berlin, DE
(see pictures) Manufacturer: Moroso Designer: Patricia Urquiola Country of origin: Italy Epoch: 2000s, Postmodernism Material: Leather, steel Approx. dimensions: width: 96cm, depth: ...
Leather
$1,350 / set
Matteo Grassi Bar Stools in Grey Leather
By Matteo Grassi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Matteograssi, bar stools, leather, metal, Italy, 1970s Postmodern set of stools in grey leather, designed by Matteo Grassi.
Metal
Original Moroso armchair leather blue turquoise Patricia Urquiola swivel
By Patricia Urquiola, Moroso
Located in Berlin, DE
(see pictures) Manufacturer: Moroso Designer: Patricia Urquiola Country of origin: Italy Epoch: 2000s, Postmodernism Material: Leather, steel Approx. dimensions: width: 96cm, depth: ...
Leather
Matteo Grassi Bar Stools in Dark Grey Leather
By Matteo Grassi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Matteograssi, bar stools, leather, metal, Italy, 1970s Postmodern set of stools in dark grey leather, designed by Matteo Grassi.
Metal
Italian modern armchair P22 with footstool by Patrick Norguet for Cassina, 2010s
By Patrick Norguet, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern black leather armchair with footstool by Patrick Norguet for Cassina, 2010s Armchair model P22 with matching footstool.
Metal
Mario Bellini for Cassina Set of Ten ‘Lira e Liuto’ Dining Chairs in Leather
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Cassina, set of ten ‘Lira e Liuto’ dining chairs, black leather, Italy, 1989 This postmodern set of ‘Lira e Liuto’ dining chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina is ex...
Leather
Original Moroso armchair leather red Patricia Urquiola swivel II
By Moroso, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Berlin, DE
(see pictures) Manufacturer: Moroso Designer: Patricia Urquiola Country of origin: Italy Epoch: 2000s, Postmodernism Material: Leather, steel Approx. dimensions: width: 96cm, depth: ...
Leather
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
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
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 Mendini — a 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.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.