$23,147 / item
Into The Woods Bookcase by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Into The Woods Sideboard by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 49 x W 120 x H 190 cm. Materials: Wooden structure: white lacquered with high gloss varnish. Base and shelves: oxidized brushe...
Brass
postmodern Abracadabra Modular Shelf Design De Pas Lomazzi & D‘ Urbino
By Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi, Zerodisegno
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
Large Post-modern Abracadabra shelf unit, Laquered Aluminum construction with u-shaped glass shelves. designed by Italian architects De Pas, D‘Urbino & Lomazzi (Studio DDL) ma...
Aluminum, Steel
Wolfgang Laubersheimer 'Gespanntes Regal' for Pentagon / Nils Holger Moormann
By Wolfgang Laubersheimer
Located in Tilburg, NL
Wolfgang Laubersheimer 'Gespanntes Regal' for Pentagon / Nils Holger Moormann. Design 1984. New, current production. The Gespanntes Regal was designed in 1984 and is enjoying cult s...
Steel
Postmodern Tempered Glass and Steel Etagere by Gallotti & Radice with a Shelf
By Gallotti & Radice
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s - 1980s. This etagere / side table is made in tempered glass and features a glass shelf and steel parts. It may show slight traces of use since it's vintage, bu...
Steel
$4,126Sale Price|30% Off
Theodore Alexander Extendable Mahogany and Tooled Leather Top Writing Desk
By Theodore Alexander
Located in Germantown, MD
An Exquisite Theodore Alexander Extendable Mahogany and Tooled Leather Top Writing Desk. Banded and Tooled top. Two drawers and faux drawers on front and back. Measures 79" in width ...
Brass
Simply White Shelf With Mirror by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Simply White Shelf With Mirror by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: L 87 x W 20 cm. Materials: Matte white steel and mirror. Available in two versions and two colors. Please contact us. ...
Steel
$1,113 / item
Simply Foggy Shelf With Mirror by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Simply Foggy Shelf With Mirror by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: L 87 x W 20 cm. Materials: Matte foggy steel and mirror. Available in two versions and two colors. Please contact us. ...
Steel
Set of 3 Black Ash and Orange Leather Waly Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Black Ash and Orange Leather Waly Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: Round: D 14 x W 15 x H 2 cm. Small: D 17 x W 30 x H 2 cm. Large: D 17 x W 60 x H 2 cm. Materials: Bl...
Leather, Ash
Set of Black Ash and Orange Leather WALY Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of Black Ash and Orange Leather WALY Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: Vertical: D 7.5 x W 45 x H 2 cm. Small: D 17 x W 18 x H 2 cm. Large: D 17 x W 90 x H 2 cm. Materials...
Leather, Ash
21st Century by Luca Casini Bookcase Steel Artisan Laser-Cut Hand-Welded
Located in Lecce, IT
Back piece, sides and shelves with different textures obtained from laser-cut solid metal sheets, joined among themselves through TIG welding. Available with hide leather shelf top...
Steel
21st Century by Saverio Incombenti Bookcase Steel Artisan Welded
By Saverio Incombenti
Located in Lecce, IT
Bookcase, rings of different diameters obtained from calendered steel sheet and welded among themselves. Wall-fixing with dowels, hidden from sight by two steel discs fixed by magne...
Steel
21st Century by Saverio Incombenti Wall Bookcase Steel Artisan Welded
By Saverio Incombenti
Located in Lecce, IT
Wall bookcase - Rings of different diameters obtained from calendered steel sheet and welded among themselves. Wall-fixing with dowels, hidden from sight by two steel discs fixed by ...
Steel
John Ild Bookshelf by Philippe Starck for Disform, 1970s
By Disform, Philippe Starck
Located in Renens, CH
Bookshelf designed by Philippe Starck in 1977, produced by Disform. The “John Ild” shelving unit consists of 5 black lacquered wooden shelves, along black metal tube uprights. The w...
Metal
$10,224 / item
Differ Shelf by Lisa Brustolin
Located in Geneve, CH
Differ Shelf by Lisa Brustolin Dimensions: W 66 x D 44 x H 134 cm Materials: Epoxy Resin Differ Shelf is a bookshelf featured by high contrasts, the horizontality and verticality of...
Epoxy Resin
"Angelo Necessario" wall shelf by Paolo Pallucco and Mireille Rivier, 1988
By Paolo Pallucco & Mireille Rivier, Pallucco
Located in Renens, CH
Rare "Angelo Necessario" wall shelf by Paolo Pallucco et Mireille Rivier, Pallucco Italy 1989. "Angelo Necessario" wall shelf by Paolo Pallucco and Mireille Rivier for Pallucco, It...
Metal
Set Of 2 Mirror Image Shelves in Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 Mirror Image Shelves in Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 8 + 4AP. Dimensions: D 24 x W 85 x H 24 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless ...
Stainless Steel
Bezier Shelf in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Bezier Shelf in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 8 + 4AP. Dimensions: D 30 x W 141 x H 31 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel. J...
Stainless Steel
Aurelia Shelf in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Aurelia Shelf in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 8 + 4AP. Dimensions: D 34 x W 142 x H 27 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel. ...
Stainless Steel
$16,184 / item
Symbiotic Shelf by Mameluca
Located in Geneve, CH
Symbiotic shelf by Mameluca Material: brazilian wood: Cedro marinheiro, Jequitibá Rosa, Vinhático, Roxinho, Braúna aço inoxidável; stainless steel. Dimensions: D 40 x W 100 x H 200...
Stainless Steel
$30,752 / set
Set of 2 Symbiotic Shelves by Mameluca
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Symbiotic shelves by Mameluca Material: Brazilian Wood: Cedro marinheiro, Jequitibá Rosa, Vinhático,Roxinho, Braúna aço inoxidável ; stainless steel. Dimensions: D40 x W10...
Stainless Steel
Green Indio Marble and Black Steel Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Green Indio marble and black steel morse shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Steel, Green Indio Marble Also available: Different marble and frame optio...
Marble, Steel
Green Indio Marble and Brass Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Green Indio marble and brass morse shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: brass, green indio marble Also available: different marble and frame options ava...
Marble, Brass
White Carrara Marble and Black Steel Morse Shelf by Ox Denmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
White carrara marble and black steel morse shelf by Ox Denmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: steel, white carrara marble Also available: different marble and frame ...
Marble, Steel
Black Marquina Marble and Black Steel Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Marquina marble and black steel morse shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Steel, black Marquina marble Also available: Different marble and frame...
Marble, Steel
Mixed Marble and Black Steel Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Mixed marble and black steel Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Steel, sand marble, green indio marble, black marquina marble Also available: Di...
Marble, Steel
White Carrara Marble and Brass Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
White Carrara Marble and Brass Morse shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Brass, White Carrara Marble Also Available: Different marble and frame options...
Marble, Brass
Black Marquina Marble and Brass Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Marquina marble and brass Morse shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Brass, black marquina marble Also Available: Different marble and frame optio...
Marble, Brass
$1,232 / item
Mixed Marble and Brass Morse Shelf by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
MIxed marble and brass morse Shelf by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 21 x W 80 x H 87 cm Materials: Brass, marble Also available: Different marble and frame options available, OX DENM...
Marble, Brass
$4,051Sale Price|55% Off
oak console bookcase, Charlotte Perriand, 1970s
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Bookcase cabinet of 1970s production attributed to Charlotte Perriand, composed of large 160 cm long oak shelves resting on black metal corners. The 85 cm height and distinctive sha...
Sheet Metal
Contemporary Zebrano Wood Shelf by Soft Baroque
By Soft Baroque
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Unique handmade solid Zebrano wood shelf from the "Hard Round" series by the London based design duo soft Baroque. Custom designs and sizes are available on request. About Soft Ba...
Zebra Wood
$1,445 / item
Display 3 Floating Stone by Georgiev Kiril
Located in Geneve, CH
Display 3 Floating Stone by Georgiev Kiril Dimensions: D 30 x W 30 x H 100 cm. Materials: Brushed stainless steel and stone. Georgiev Kiril is a multidisciplinary practice that floa...
Stone, Stainless Steel
$1,445 / item
Display 2 Floating Stone by Georgiev Kiril
Located in Geneve, CH
Display 2 Floating Stone by Georgiev Kiril Dimensions: D 30 x W 60 x H 80 cm. Materials: Brushed stainless steel and stone. Georgiev Kiril is a multidisciplinary practice that float...
Stone, Stainless Steel
$9,044 / item
Roots Shelf (RS25)
Located in Ostrava, CZ
Roots Collection, aptly named for its detailed columns, pays homage to ancestral traditions, symbolizing the continuation initiated by both creators' grandfathers. This collection fe...
Wood, Ash
Arch Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Arch Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 43 x W 65 x H 175 cm. Materials: Fibreglass, brass, and gold leaf. THREE ONE FOUR studio was bo...
Brass, Gold Leaf
$2,156 / item
Shelf with Brass Back by Tomasz Omachel
Located in Geneve, CH
Shelf with Brass Back by Tomasz Omachel Dimensions: D 33 x W 80 x H 34 cm. Materials: Ash and brass. Available in different wood options: oak, ash, and American walnut. Different ...
Brass
$128,058 / item
Bust Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Bust Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 60 x W 180 x H 190 cm. Materials: Lacquer, modelboard, resin, and Santos rosewood. THREE ONE FO...
Other
$136,623 / item
HIM Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
HIM Free Standing Shelving Unit by Three One Four Studio Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 60 x W 180 x H 190 cm. Materials: Modelboard, resin, liquid metal, and plaster. THREE ONE FOUR s...
Other, Metal
$1,611Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Italian Shelf by Ponti Terenghi in Chrome, Black Wood and Glass, 1980
Located in Berlin, DE
The Rare Postmodern Memphis Italian Shelf by Ponti Terenghi, crafted in the vibrant era of 1980, showcases a remarkable blend of forms and materials that encapsulate the essence of t...
Metal, Chrome
Set of 3 Bleached Ash and Orange Leather Waly Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Bleached Ash and Orange Leather Waly Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: Round: D 14 x W 15 x H 2 cm. Small: D 17 x W 30 x H 2 cm. Large: D 17 x W 60 x H 2 cm. Materials:...
Leather, Ash
Set of Bleached Ash and Orange Leather WALY Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of Bleached Ash and Orange Leather WALY Shelves by Mademoiselle Jo Dimensions: Vertical: D 7.5 x W 45 x H 2 cm. Small: D 17 x W 18 x H 2 cm. Large: D 17 x W 90 x H 2 cm. Material...
Leather, Ash
$24,276 / item
Cafofo Shelves by Mameluca
Located in Geneve, CH
Cafofo shelves by Mameluca Material:Various Brazilian reclaimed wood & acrylic & carbon steel Dimensions: D125 x W60 x H195 cm Favela (slum) was a place of high inspiration for ...
Steel
Interconnected Rectangular Prisms, Stainless Steel Shelf with Stone by Lee Sisan
Located in Geneve, CH
Interconnected Rectangular Prisms, Stainless Steel Shelf with Stone by Lee Sisan Dimensions: W 36 x D 28 x H 80 cm Materials: Stainless steel, natural stone Each piece is made to or...
Stone, Steel
$33,169 / item
Proportions of Stone Shelf 03 by Lee Sisan
Located in Geneve, CH
Proportions of Stone Shelf 03 by Lee Sisan Dimensions: W 120 x D 40 x H 200 cm Materials: Stainless steel, natural stone Each piece is made to order and uses natural stones, so plea...
Stone, Steel
Steel and Lucite "Waterfall" Etagere Attributed to Charles Hollis Jones, c1970s
By Charles Hollis Jones
Located in Chino Hills, CA
Step into the epitome of vintage glamour with this remarkable postmodern Lucite etagere, attributed to the iconic American designer Charles Hollis Jones, renowned for his pioneering ...
Metal
$1,680Sale Price|40% Off
Jig Saw Puzzle Shelf in the Style of Nicola L
By Nicola L.
Located in New York, NY
Groovy cut-out laminate wood two-tier shelf, after Nicole L. This example shows some cosmetic wear including a white paint spot on the back bottom shelf, and one formed drip protrusi...
Plywood
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Tessellated Stone Étagère/Bookcase by Marquis Collection of Beverly Hills
By Marquis Collection of Beverly Hills 1
Located in San Diego, CA
Tessellated stone lighted étagère/bookcase by Marquis collection of Beverly Hills, a rare and unique four columns with thick glass shelves with light, its impressive very rare and un...
Stone
$3,480Sale Price|55% Off
Library Shelf System Hook System by Pagani and Angelo Perversi, Italy, 1987
Located in Vienna, AT
Graphical shelf system called 'Hook System' by Pagani & Perversi, Italy 1987 Dimensions are 82.32" x 39.37" x 12.99". Very rare Library shelf system by Luciano Pagani and Angelo Pe...
Steel
$20,778 / item
Etagere Shelves by Gentner Design
By Christopher Gentner
Located in Geneve, CH
Etagere shelves by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 35.5 x W 91 x H 238 cm Materials: stainless steel, glass Available in other sizes. Visually delicate, the contrasting materials ...
Stainless Steel
$31,771 / item
Double Etagere Shelves by Gentner Design
By Christopher Gentner
Located in Geneve, CH
Double Etagere shelves by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 35.5 x W 182 x H 238 cm Materials: stainless steel, glass Available in other sizes. Visually delicate, the contrasting ma...
Stainless Steel
Unique Postmodern Shelving System by David Marshall 'Signed'
By David Marshall
Located in North Miami, FL
A unique "L" shaped shelving system, Postmodern design by David Marshall. Composed of 9 glass shelves that are 3/4 inch thick, each carved and colored in an original pattern. Four co...
Iron, Brass
1980s Pair of Bookcases, Cast Iron, Transparent and Red Thick Plexiglas - Italy
Located in Girona, Girona
Pair of bookcases with cast iron base, transparent and red thick plexiglas stands and shelves, nickel-plated cross-brace on back. Great quality. Italy, circa 1980.
Wrought Iron, Metal
'Rocket' Bookshelf by Peter Shire, 1986-1987
By Peter Shire
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Vintage bookshelf by Peter Shire, 1986-1987. Birch solid core plywood and Abet Laminati Laminate, metal with paint. Approximate: 58" high x 10" wide (front to back) Peter Shire:...
Metal
$983 / item
Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli
By Alessandro Zambelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli Dimensions: D 28 x W 6 x H 21 cm Materials: Solid Casting Bronze. Also available in different dimensions and in sets. Please contact us for more in...
Bronze
$402 / item
Little Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli
By Alessandro Zambelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli Dimension: D 10 x W 6 X H 9 cm Materials: Solid casting Bronze. Also available in different sizes and in sets. Please contact us for more inform...
Bronze
$521 / item
Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli
By Alessandro Zambelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Bronzino by Alessandro Zambelli Dimension: D 11 x W 6 x H 10 cm Materials: Solid casting Bronze. Also available in different sizes and in sets. Please contact us for more inform...
Brass
Set of 2 Bronzino Hangers by Alessandro Zambelli
By Alessandro Zambelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 bronzino hangers by Alessandro Zambelli Dimensions: Small: D 10 x W 6 x H 9 cm Large: D 11 x W 6 x H 10 cm Materials: Solid casting bronze. Also available in diffe...
Bronze
Anna Castelli For Kartell Stacking Storage Shelf Nightstand
By Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Kartell
Located in San Diego, CA
Anna Castelli Kartell Mate silver plastic stacking storage nightstand or end table These can also be stacked on top of one another to be four units tall. Space age or POP culture, 19...
Plastic
$28,000 / set
"Seven Stacked Benches, after Shelves" by RO/LU
By RO/LU
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modular plywood shelving or bench or tables, made by the now defunct Minneapolis-based contemporary design studio RO/LU. There is a natural wax finish to the plywood. Only two sets w...
Plywood
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.