$9,667 / item
Opticabinet by Lisa Brustolin
Located in Geneve, CH
Opticabinet by Lisa Brustolin Dimensions: W 124 x D 35 x H 184 cm Materials: Wood, Brass. Handcrafted in Italy by masters of Venetian craftmenship, this cabinet is an extensive rese...
Brass
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Wall Unit in Lacquered Ash and Chrome
By Vittorio Introini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, multifunctional wall unit, black lacquered ash, chrome and white fabric, Italy, 1980s. Rare multifunctional wall unit designed by the Italian design...
Chrome
Small Shelf, Lapo Binazzi, 1978
Located in Firenze, IT
Beautiful shelf designed by Lapo Binazzi for a pediatric dental practice in Florence in 1978. It is a unique piece, part of the furniture, all designed by Binazzi. It is made of lami...
Wood
Dorothee Becker & Ingo Maurer, Uten.Silo, 1970s
By Dorothee Becker
Located in London, GB
Make the most of your wall space with the classic plastic, wall storage unit. This iconic design is versatile and practical, perfect for all homes. Designed by Dorothee Becker, this...
Plastic
Manhattan Wine Cellar in Makassar Ebony Veneer, Brass & Horn by Arcahorn
Located in Geneve, CH
Manhattan Wine Cellar in Makassar Ebony Veneer, Brass & Horn by Arcahorn Dimensions: D 59 x W 142 x H 200 cm. Materials: Ebony veneer, brass, and horn. Wine cellar in matte Makassar...
Brass, Other
$24,541 / item
Elizabeth Sideboard by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Elizabeth Sideboard by De Castelli Dimensions: W 183 x D 45 x H 80 cm Materials: Polished Brass, Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are available. Two-door and six-door version...
Brass
$26,075 / item
Elizabeth Sideboard by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Elizabeth Sideboard by De Castelli Dimensions: W 183 x D 45 x H 80 cm Materials: Polished Copper, Wood Brass and Stainless Steel versions are available. Two-door and six-door version...
Copper
$24,541 / item
Elizabeth Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Elizabeth Console Table by De Castelli Dimensions: W 122 x D 37 x H 100 cm Materials: Polished Brass, Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are also available. Please contact us f...
Brass
$26,691 / item
Elizabeth Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Elizabeth Console Table by De Castelli Dimensions: W 122 x D 37 x H 100 cm Materials: Polished Copper, Wood Brass and Stainless Steel versions are also available. Please contact us f...
Copper
$3,183 / item
LOTV High Medium Sideboard by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
LOTV High Medium Sideboard by Pastform Dimensions: D 40 x W 175 x H 85 cm. Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finishes: Whiskey, Rum, BPA, Nobe...
Wood
$1,975 / set
Set of 2 Lowbo XS Nightstands by Phormy
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 LOWBO XS nightstands by Phormy Dimensions: D 40 x W 40 x H 53 cm. Materials: acrylic engraved or flat laminate oak powder coated steel base Different materials and size...
Oak
$14,315 / item
Small Moored Shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo
Located in Geneve, CH
Small moored shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo Dimensions: W 140 x D 42 x H 200 cm Materials: Powdercoated metal with brass detailing. Also available in different dimensions and colors...
Metal, Brass
$18,406 / item
Medium Moored Shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Moored shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo Dimensions: W 140 x D 42 x H 245 cm Materials: Powdercoated metal with brass detailing. Also available in different dimensions and color...
Metal, Brass
$22,496 / item
Large Moored Shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Moored shelving by Rosanna Ceravolo Dimensions: W 140 x D 42 x H 290 cm Materials: Powdercoated metal with brass detailing. Also available in different dimensions and colors...
Metal, Brass
Set of 2 Hold on Green Wall Objects by Haus Otto
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 hold on green wall objects by Haus Otto Dimensions: D 25 x W 26.5 x H 13 cm each Materials: recycled foam, wood, textil. The limited edition collectable “Hold On“ is th...
Textile, Foam, Wood
Set of 2 Hold On Pink Wall Objects by Haus Otto
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Hold On Pink Wall Objects by Haus Otto Dimensions: D25 x W26.5 x H13 cm Each Materials: recycled foam, wood, textil. Available Colours: Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue. Please ...
Textile, Foam, Wood
Set of 2 Hold on Blue Wall Objects by Haus Otto
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 hold on blue wall objects by Haus Otto Dimensions: D25 x W26.5 x H13 cm Each Materials: recycled foam, wood, textil. Available colors: pink, yellow, green, blue. The l...
Textile, Foam, Wood
Set of 4 Hold on Yellow Wall Objects by Haus Otto
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 4 hold on yellow wall objects by Haus Otto Dimensions: D 25 x W 26.5 x H 13 cm Each Materials: recycled foam, wood, textil. Available colours: Pink, yellow, green, blue. ...
Textile, Foam, Wood
$917 / item
Bendy Large Shelf by Mingardo
Located in Geneve, CH
Bendy large shelf by Mingardo Dimensions: D95 x W25 x H10 cm Materials: matt brass plated stainless steel Weight: 8 kg Also available in different finishes and dimensions. ...
Brass, Stainless Steel
$1,615 / set
Set of 2 Bendy Shelves by Mingardo
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 bendy shelves by Mingardo Dimensions: D95 x W25 x H10 cm //D55 x W25 x H10 cm Materials: Matt brass plated stainless steel Weight: 5-8 kg Also Available in different ...
Brass, Stainless Steel
$697 / item
Bendy Small Shelf by Mingardo
Located in Geneve, CH
Bendy small shelf by Mingardo Dimensions: D55 x W25 x H10 cm Materials: Matt brass plated stainless steel Weight: 5 kg Also Available in different finishes and dimensions. ...
Brass, Stainless Steel
$2,672 / item
Hidden Black Sideboard by Lagu
Located in Geneve, CH
Hidden black sideboard by Lagu Designed by Ufuk Ceylan Dimensions: W 120 x D 33 x H 90 cm. Materials: marble, metal. The Hidden sideboard is encased in Black marble highlighted...
Marble, Metal
$14,269 / item
Tako Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Tako Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 41 x H 35 cm Materials: DeErosion Brass, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are available. One drawer...
Brass
$14,025 / item
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 41 x H 40 cm Materials: DeLabré Brass, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are available. One drawer version ...
Brass
Canneto Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli in Brushed Copper & Walnut
Located in Geneve, CH
Canneto Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 234 x D 41 x H 45 cm Materials: Brushed Copper, Canaletto Walnut Wood Brass and Stainless Steel versions available. Smaller ...
Copper
$22,321 / item
Celato Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Celato Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 45 x H 43 cm Materials: Striped DeLabré Copper, Natural Oak Wood Brass and Stainless Steel versions are also availabl...
Copper
$19,335 / item
Celato Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Celato Wall Mounted Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 45 x H 43 cm Materials: Striped DeLabré Brass, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are also availabl...
Brass
$18,406 / item
Elizabeth Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Elizabeth Console Table by De Castelli Dimensions: W 122 x D 37 x H 100 cm Materials: Polished Stainless Steel, Wood Brass and Copper versions are also available. Please contact us f...
Stainless Steel
$7,924 / set
Take Me Home Set by Francesco Profili
Located in Geneve, CH
Take Me Home Set by Francesco Profili Dimensions: W 100 x D 45 x H 38 cm (Chest of Drawers) / W 50 x D 50 x H 230 cm (Doors) Materials: Walnut, Stone Effect A versatile system for t...
Other
Una, Articolo Indeterminativo Buffet by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Una, Articolo Indeterminativo Buffet by Secondome Edizioni Limited Edition Of 9 Pieces + 3 A.P. Designer: Stefano Marolla. Dimensions: D 55 x W 200 x H 70 cm. Materials: Santos rosew...
Brass
$8,389 / item
Yan Walnut Nightstand by Bowen Liu
Located in Geneve, CH
Yan Walnut Nightstand by Bowen Liu Dimensions: D 15.5 x W 20 x H 19 Materials: brass, walnut, cognat leather Based in, produced and shipped from the US. The Yan nightstand provides...
Brass, Other
Vintage 1980s Postmodern Grey Three Drawer Dresser Tall Boy
By Kazuhide Takahama, Ettore Sottsass, Shiro Kuramata, Memphis Milano, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This vintage 1980s Postmodern dresser is a striking statement piece featuring three stacked drawers and a clean-lined silhouette. Its sleek design and rich finish embody the bold, so...
Wood
$8,006 / item
Handmade Nouveau Wood Shelf by Jiří Krejčiřík
By Jiri Krejcirik
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade Nouveau wood shelf by Jirí Krejcirík Dimensions: 130 x 50 x 220 cm Material: Birch Wood Also available in other materials and dimensions. The furniture is inspired by Cze...
Wood, Birch
Emerald Sideboard by Nathalie Du Pasquier, Memphis Style, 1985, France
By Nathalie du Pasquier
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
EMERALD Sideboard by Nathalie Du Pasquier - Memphis Milano This stunning MEMPHIS sideboard is a veritable masterwork of postmodernist art, designed in 1985 by Nathalie Du Pasquier. ...
Mirror, Laminate, Wood
$6,948 / item
Famed Marble Sideboard by Lagu
Located in Geneve, CH
Famed Marble Detailed Sideboard by Lagu. Designed by Ufuk Ceylan. Dimensions: W 144 x D 45 x H 90 cm. Materials: Marble, Metal, Oak. The famed sideboard is encased in Alexander...
Marble, Metal
$8,436 / item
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 110 x D 41 x H 40 cm Materials: DeLabré B Stainless Steel, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Brass versions are available. Two drawers versi...
Stainless Steel
$13,351 / item
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 41 x H 40 cm Materials: DeLabré B Stainless Steel, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Brass versions are available. One drawer versio...
Stainless Steel
$8,656 / item
B.S.P Storage 2 by Atelier SOHN
Located in Geneve, CH
B.S.P Storage 2 by Atelier SOHN Dimensions: D 36 x W 38 x H 84 cm. Materials: Waste plastic dust and recycled plastic. Donghoon,Sohn is a Founder / Designer of Atelier SOHN. He und...
Plastic
$8,401 / item
B.S.P Storage by Atelier SOHN
Located in Geneve, CH
B.S.P Storage by Atelier SOHN Dimensions: D 34 x W 34 x H 85 cm. Materials: Waste plastic dust and recycled plastic. Donghoon,Sohn is a Founder / Designer of Atelier SOHN. He under...
Plastic
$15,454 / item
Antica Kitchen Stand and Shelf by Curvy World Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Antica Kitchen Stand and Shelf by Curvy World Studio Handmade Dimensions: D 45 x W 120 x H 90 cm. Materials: Wood, hemp, recycled marble powder, steel mesh, coating, iron wire, lime,...
Marble, Steel, Iron
Vintage 1980s Postmodern Burlwood Dresser, Caramel Sapele Pommele Veneer
By Lane Furniture, Paul Evans, Milo Baughman, Romeo Rega, Karl Springer
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A striking vintage 1980s Postmodern dresser crafted in richly figured Sapele Pommele veneer, commonly associated with burlwood for its dramatic grain and dimensional movement. Measu...
Wood
Postmodern Lacquer Dresser with Faux-Marble Top
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
A vintage postmodern lacquer dresser with a faux-marble top and a bold, architectural case form. The piece has a substantial low profile, wide storage footprint, and graphic surface ...
Wood, Lacquer
$6,390 / item
Cedar Credenza by Nick Sugihara
Located in Geneve, CH
Cedar Credenza by Nick Sugihara Dimensions: D 30,48 x W 177.8 x H 86.36 cm. Materials: Oiled cherry wood and cedar. Available in cherry and Alaskan cedar. Please contact us. Sugih...
Cherry, Cedar
$7,600Sale Price|20% Off
1980's Charles Cobb California Studio Chest Figured Acacia Lacquer
By Charles B. Cobb
Located in Camden, ME
A unique handcrafted chest created in the California studio of Charles B. Cobb in 1980. The figured acacia drawer fronts edged in cerulean blue with ebony pulls, the curley maple an...
Fruitwood, Maple
$26,412 / item
Black Patinated Monolithic Sideboard by Tino Seubert
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Patinated Monolithic Sideboard by Tino Seubert Dimensions: D 160 x W 45 x H 50 cm. Materials: Walnut carcass, patinated brass cladding, walnut burl veneer. Tino Seubert W...
Brass
$2,649Sale Price|20% Off
Highboard Bar Chest by Luigi Saccardo for Gasparello, Italy, 1980's
By Luigi Saccardo
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Italian design highboard dry bar chest drinks & glasses cabinet by Luigi Saccardo for Gasparello, Italy 1980's. From the "Seven" series. Memphis Design Style. Blac...
Glass, Plastic, Wood, Lacquer
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Curved Glass Etagere Shelf
By Philippe Starck
Located in New York, NY
Spectacular glass display shelf having a curved glass body, with 4 glass shelves, each rests on unusual organic formed cast brass supports. The piece is in amazing, undamaged, origin...
Brass
$35,254 / item
Basilica Hutch by Laylo Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Basilica Hutch by Laylo Studio Limited Edition Dimensions: D 61 x W 101.6 x H 213.3 cm. Materials: Blackened steel, brass, glass, walnut, felt. A hutch built in celebration of the f...
Brass, Steel
Elegant Marble Stone Glass Shelves Wall Mounted Shelving Unit Mikado, Carla Baz
By Carla Baz
Located in Geneve, CH
Elegant Marble Stone Glass Shelves Wall Mounted Shelving Unit Mikado, Carla Baz Dimensions: D 40 X D 200 X H 200 cm. Materials: Entirely handcrafted in solid Guatemala Verde marble w...
Marble
Bo Concepts Copenhagen Wall System Freestanding Bookcase Cupboard
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning Bo Concepts Copenhagen wall unit bookcase RRP £7000 A very well made piece that offers huge amounts of storage, this unit has 14 s...
Wood
Custom 1980s Grasscloth Dresser - Lacquered Cream
Located in Raleigh, NC
Custom-made dresser from the 1980s wrapped in grasscloth and finished with lacquer in cream/straw tones. The natural fiber texture of the grasscloth creates subtle horizontal striati...
Grasscloth, Wood
Marc Newson 'Kiss the Future' Sideboard in Black Molded Polypropylene
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Marc Newson for W & LT (Wild & Lethal Trash) retail stores, freestanding storage unit or room divider, part of the 'Kiss the Future' series, rotation molded polypropylene, Au...
Plastic
Giuseppe Rivadossi Hand-Carved Sideboard in Oak
By Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, sideboard, oak, Italy, 1970s A beautifully crafted sideboard in solid oak by Giuseppe Rivadossi. Characterized by its striking exposed joi...
Oak
$5,647 / item
Universe Dresser, Four Doors, by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Universe Dresser, Four Doors, by Morica Design Dimensions: D 48 x W 222 x H 76 cm. Materials: Marsala Red lacquered wood. Available in Marsala Red, Cipria, Cobalt Blue, Terracotta, ...
Wood
$5,147 / item
Universe Box Sideboard by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Universe Box Sideboard by Morica Design Dimensions: D 48 x W 111 x H 147 cm. Materials: Cobalt Blue lacquered wood, Canaletto walnut. Available in Marsala Red, Cipria, Cobalt Blue, ...
Wood
$3,149 / item
Medium Living Dresser by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Living Dresser by Morica Design Dimensions: D 43 x W 180 x H 80 cm. Materials: Anthracite lacquered wood, oak wood. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Laguna Oak, and Oak wood. P...
Wood
$3,578 / item
Small Living Dresser by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Living Dresser by Morica Design Dimensions: D 43 x W 140 x H 80 cm. Materials: Oxidized bronze lacquered wood, oak wood. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Laguna Oak, and Oak woo...
Wood
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.
Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.
Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.