Italian 1970s Erasmo Sofa Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia Manner Living Room
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in London, GB
This stunning and amazingly comfortable sofa in the manner of the iconic Erasmo sofa from Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia , is a beautiful example of 1970s Italian design. Curren...
Wood, Fabric
Mario Bellini Radical Italian Cotton Fabric Le Stelle Sofa for B&B Italia 1970
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Conversano, IT
Designed by Mario Bellini and produced by B&B Italia in the late 1970s, Le Stelle is one of the most emblematic creations of Italian design from that decade, an expression of the...
Iron
Italian Modular Sofa in Metal and Patterned Grey Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular sofa, fabric, metal, wood, Italy, 1970s This beautiful Italian sectional sofa showcases the bold and eccentric design choices of the 1970s, highlighted by its striking uphol...
Metal
Sculptural Tube Sofa by Anna & Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate, 1990s Italy
By Rossi di Albizzate, Carlo Bartoli
Located in Zagreb, HR
Rare sculptural postmodern designer sofa model ''Tube'' designed by Anna & Carlo Bartoli for Italian high-end furniture manufacturer Rossi di Albizzate. The sofa features internal t...
Fabric, Foam
Vintage Postmodern Three-seater Sofa in Red Wool and Black Metal, 1980s Italy
Located in Zagreb, HR
Vintage postmodern three-seater sofa in red wool upholstery with a black metal frame. Features a playful design and dismountable construction. Produced in Italy in the 1980s. Overa...
Metal
Original Living Divani Ile Cube Leder Sofa Couch Zweisitzer Design
By Living Divani
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes und sehr hochwertiges Zweisitzer Sofa ("Ile Cube") vom Italienischen Qualitätshersteller Living Divani zum Verkauf an. Living Divani zeichnet sich durch ...
Leather
Cassina Maralunga Zweisitzer Sofa Vico Magistretti Stoff kord grau Couch
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes graues Maralunga Zweisitzer Sofa in Samt/ Kordstoff von Cassina zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt von Vico Magistretti und gilt bis heute als wahrer Desi...
Velvet
$8,350
1970s Mohair Sofa
Located in Chicago, IL
this piece is in excellent, restored condition but there is a small flaw in the mohair - see photos for reference
Mohair
2x Original B&B Italia Recamiere Charles Sofa Design Couch
By B&B Italia
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten zwei wunderschöne Zweisitzer Sofas vom renommierten italienischen Hersteller B&B Italia zum Verkauf an. Bei den Sofas handelt es sich um das Modell "Charles", das durc...
Metal
B&B Italia Sofa Lunar James Irvine Couch Zweisitzer Dreisitzer
By B&B Italia, James Irvine
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen wunderschönen Zwei-/ Dreisitzer von B&B Italia (Modell: Lunar) zum Verkauf an. Das umklappbare Sofa gilt als wahrer Designklassiker und besticht durch seine zeit...
Steel
$48,291 / item
Rialto Sofa by Laurameroni
Located in Geneve, CH
Rialto Sofa by Laurameroni Dimensions: W 264 x D 86 x H 75 cm Materials: Cachemire Loro Piana Altai 037 Paprika, gray travertine stone legs. Upholstered sofa featuring four legs in ...
Travertine
$28,247 / item
Karl Sofa by Dennis Kaiser
Located in Geneve, CH
Karl Sofa by Dennis Kaiser Dimensions: D 110 x W 300 x H 70 cm. Materials: Linen, foam. Handcrafted in Tuscany, Italy. Customization is available on request. Please contact us. The...
Upholstery, Foam
$13,255 / item
Mythos Sectional Sofa by Marioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Mythos Sectional Sofa by Marioni Dimensions: W 227 x D 185 x H 75 cm. Materials: Upholstery: Tessuto/Fabric 8,50 Mt. Pelle/Leather 12,50 Mq. Product code: I0330 Pure shape and line...
Upholstery
$14,123 / item
Mythos Sectional Sofa by Marioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Mythos Sectional Sofa by Marioni Dimensions: W 200 x D 95 x H 75 cm. Materials: Upholstery: Tessuto/Fabric 7,50 Mt. Pelle/Leather 11,50 Mq Product code: I0331 Pure shape and lines,...
Upholstery
Custom Italian Postmodern Vico Magistretti Style Large 2-Piece Sectional Sofa
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Chicago, IL
Custom Italian Postmodern Vico Magistretti Style Large 2-Piece Sectional Sofa Striking custom Italian Postmodern two-piece sectional in the style of Vico Magistretti, featuring a bo...
Fabric
$26,214 / item
Floating Bouclé Sofa by Dennis Kaiser
Located in Geneve, CH
Floating Bouclé Sofa by Dennis Kaiser Dimensions: D 110 x W 320 x H 75 cm. Materials: Alpaca wool bouclé fabric. Handcrafted in Tuscany, Italy. Customization is available on request...
Upholstery, Foam
$23,860 / item
Levante Sofa by Francesco Zonca
Located in Geneve, CH
Levante Sofa by Francesco Zonca Numbered series signed Dimensions: D 85 x W 230 x H 71.5 cm Materials: Loro Piana Interiors fabric. The elegance of “Loro Piana Interiors” fabrics co...
Fabric, Foam, Wood
VIntage velvet sofa by Saporiti Italia, 1980s
By Saporiti
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage velvet two seater sofa by Saporiti italia. Very comfy two seater sofa, which has a cool pattern running troughout the upholstery. Good condition, has been cleaned. 1980s -...
Velvet
$22,041 / item
Lapis Sofa by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Lapis Sofa by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 278 x D 106 x H 69 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. SEAT, BACK AND ARMREST: polyureth...
Foam, Wood
Postmodern Italian Sectional Sofa in Blue and Off-White Dots Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular sofa, fabric, brushed metal, Italy, 1970s A postmodern design of Italian origin with an ingenious construction comprised of three seating elements and five/six loose backres...
Metal
Early “Bocca” Sofa by Studio65
By Gufram Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
for Gufram c. 1970s, fully restored with original importer’s tag
Fabric
$4,933 / item
Quiete Sofa by Dale Italia
Located in Geneve, CH
Quiete Sofa by Dale Italia Dimensions: D 85 x W 130 x H 77 cm. Materials: Walnut and upholstery. Rocking chair in solid Canaletto walnut. Available in two finishes: natural and grey...
Upholstery, Walnut
$16,311 / item
Arizona 5000 Sofa by Redeco
Located in Geneve, CH
Arizona 5000 Sofa by Redeco Dimensions: W 290 x D 105 x H 79 cm Materials: Wooden structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Seat cushions padded in polyurethane...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
$17,595 / item
Byron 5010 Sofa by Redeco
Located in Geneve, CH
Byron 5010 Sofa by Redeco Dimensions: W 260 x D 101 x H 73 cm Materials: Wooden structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Seat cushions padded in polyurethane f...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
$45,271 / item
Byron 5012 Sofa by Redeco
Located in Geneve, CH
Byron 5012 Sofa by Redeco Dimensions: W 465/289/174 x D 101 x H 73 cm Materials: Wooden structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Seat cushions padded in polyur...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
$44,653 / item
Arizona 5004 Sofa by Redeco
Located in Geneve, CH
Arizona 5004 Sofa by Redeco Dimensions: W 444/284/160 x D 105 x H 79 cm Materials: Wooden structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Seat cushions padded in poly...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1990s Salotti Post Modern Two Toned Black Graphite Leather 3 Pieces Sectional
By Nicoletti Salotti
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Transport yourself back to the sleek and sophisticated 1990s with this exquisite two toned blavk and graphite leather three pieces sectional sofa. The ultra rare floating style secti...
Leather, Wood
$27,629 / item
Caravan Sofa by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Caravan Sofa by De Castelli Dimensions: W 160 x D 85 x H 70 cm Materials: Brushed Copper, Anica Leather Other versions are available, please contact us for any request. Modular sofa...
Copper
$35,000 / item
Caravan Sofa by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Caravan Sofa by De Castelli Dimensions: W 240 x D 85 x H 70 cm Materials: Brushed Copper, Anica Leather Other versions are available, please contact us for any request. Modular sofa...
Copper
$7,323 / item
Wood Labirint Sofa by Andrea Giomi
Located in Geneve, CH
Wood Labirint sofa by Andrea Giomi Dimensions: D 80 x W 60 x H 84 cm Materials: painted wood. Andrea Giomi, was born in Castelfiorentino in the province of Florence in 1970. De...
Wood
$26,678 / item
Loom Sofa by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Loom Sofa by De Castelli Dimensions: W 228 x D 106 x H 74 cm Materials: Orbitale DeLabré Brass, Fabric Other versions are available, please contact us for any request. The Loom coll...
Brass
$36,165 / item
Leather Giorgio Sofa by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Leather Giorgio Sofa by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 280 x D 96 x H 74 cm Materials: STRUCTURE: Metal with wooden panels SEAT CUSHION: Polyurethane foam, density 50kg/m³ + Memory Foam SUS...
Metal
Giorgetti “Maharaja” Settee by Antonello Mosca, Italian Modern
By Giorgetti S.p.A.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A refined “Maharaja” settee designed by Antonello Mosca and masterfully crafted in Italy by Giorgetti, one of the world’s premier luxury furniture houses. This sculptural two-seat so...
Fabric, Wood
$15,371 / item
Lambert 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Lambert 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini Dimensions: W 290 x D 103 x H 63 cm Materials: Solid wood and plywood structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Pre-upholste...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
$15,371 / item
Lambert 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Lambert 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini Dimensions: W 290 x D 103 x H 63 cm Materials: Solid wood and plywood structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Pre-upholste...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
$19,366 / item
Morrison 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Morrison 3-Seater Sofa by Somaschini Dimensions: W 290 x D 109 x H 55 cm Materials: Solid wood and plywood structure padded with polyurethane foam in different densities. Seat cushio...
Fabric, Upholstery, Plywood
Corbeille Leather Sofa by Francesco Binfare for Edra
By Edra, Francesco Binfaré
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A post modern "Corbeille" Sofa by Francesco Binfare for Edra.
Metal
$4,874 / item
Lighted RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid
Located in Geneve, CH
Lighted RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid Dimensions: D 80 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 36 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 35 kg. Available in different color options. This product i...
Other
$23,991 / item
Davis Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Davis Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 340 x D 100 x H 67 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. REMOVABLE PART...
Foam, Wood
$2,496 / item
Amélie Duetto Sofa by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Amélie Duetto Sofa by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 59 x W 120 x H 87 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Prices may ...
Other
$2,496 / item
Amélie Duetto Sofa by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Amélie Duetto Sofa by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 59 x W 120 x H 87 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Prices may ...
Other
$34,667 / item
Tau Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Tau Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 406 x D 90 x H 75 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. REMOVABLE PARTS: ...
Foam, Wood
$41,883 / item
Tau Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Tau Leather Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 551 x D 90 x H 75 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. REMOVABLE PARTS: ...
Foam, Wood
$35,558 / item
Fabric Palmo Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Fabric Palmo Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 417 x D 118 x H 80 cm Materials: FRAME: poplar multiply SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. SEAT: polyurethane foam,...
Foam, Poplar
$26,773 / item
Fabric Panis Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Fabric Panis Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 389 x D 147 x H 70 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. SEATS: polyuret...
Foam, Wood
Large Gaetano Pesce for Cassina 'Cannaregio' Modular Sofa
By Cassina, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gaetano Pesce for Cassina, sofa, model ‘Cannaregio’, multicolored upholstery, Italy, 1987 Large ‘Cannaregio’ sofa, designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina. The 1987 design is playful,...
Fabric
$5,754 / item
Liquid Steel Labirint Sofa by Andrea Giomi
Located in Geneve, CH
Liquid Steel Labirint sofa by Andrea Giomi Dimensions: D 80 x W 60 x H 84 cm Materials: liquid steel. Andrea Giomi, was born in Castelfiorentino in the province of Florence in ...
Steel
$7,323 / item
Wood Labirint Free Sofa by Andrea Giomi
Located in Geneve, CH
Wood Labirint Free Sofa by Andrea Giomi. Dimensions: D 80 x W 60 x H 84 cm. Materials: Various types off recycled wood or material on request. Andrea Giomi, was born in Castelfi...
Wood
$25,156 / item
Lapis Fabric Sofa Composition by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Lapis Fabric Sofa Composition by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 264 x D 180 x H 70 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts. SEAT, BACK AND ...
Foam, Wood
$12,459 / item
Fabric Frank Sofa Bed by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Fabric Frank Sofa Bed by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 247 x D 95 x H 80 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply SUSPENSIONS: Elastic belts in rubber and polypropylene SEATS: Polyuret...
Metal
$7,133Sale Price|20% Off
Tito Agnoli Black Leather Sofa for Poltrona Frau
By Tito Agnoli
Located in Weesp, NL
Introducing Timeless Luxury: Tito Agnoli's 1980s Italian Two-Seater Black Leather Sofa by Poltrona Frau Experience the epitome of sophistication with this Italian two-seater black l...
Leather
$4,874 / item
Sahara Sand Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Sahara Sand Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene of ...
Other
$4,874 / item
Sweet Fuchsia Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Sweet Fuchsia Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene o...
Other
$4,874 / item
Namibian Desert Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Namibian Desert Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene...
Other
$4,874 / item
Chocolate Brown Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Chocolate Brown Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene...
Other
$4,874 / item
Malva Green Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Malva Green Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene of ...
Other
$4,874 / item
Savannah Land Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Savannah Land Big Kroko Sofa by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 63 x W 167 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 22 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene o...
Other
$4,874 / item
Dove Grey RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid Dimensions: D 80 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 36 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 35 kg. Available in different color options. This product...
Other
$4,874 / item
Pumpkin Orange RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid
Located in Geneve, CH
Pumpkin Orange RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid Dimensions: D 80 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 36 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 35 kg. Available in different color options. This pr...
Other
$4,874 / item
Lime Green RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green RAP Sofa by Karim Rashid Dimensions: D 80 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Seat Height: 36 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 35 kg. Available in different color options. This produc...
Other
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.