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Postmodern Italian Chairs

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Set of four black Italian post modern chairs
Set of four black Italian post modern chairs

Set of four black Italian post modern chairs

Located in Milano, IT

This stunning set of four postmodern Italian chairs from the 1980s perfectly embodies the bold and

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Chairs

Materials

Steel

Italian Postmodern Green Side Chair, 1980s
Italian Postmodern Green Side Chair, 1980s

Italian Postmodern Green Side Chair, 1980s

Located in Hamburg, DE

Postmodern chair from Italy in a special color. The shells are made of green glazed molded plywood

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Walnut Postmodern Dining Chairs, Italy, 1980s
Walnut Postmodern Dining Chairs, Italy, 1980s

Walnut Postmodern Dining Chairs, Italy, 1980s

Located in Antwerp, BE

Walnut postmodern dining chairs, a stylish and contemporary addition to any dining room space

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Italian Postmodern Chairs 1990s
Pair of Italian Postmodern Chairs 1990s

Pair of Italian Postmodern Chairs 1990s

Located in Debrecen, HU

This striking pair of Italian postmodern chairs celebrates the bold geometry and expressive color

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Cherry

Gastone Rinaldi postmodern Dining chairs for Thema italy, 1980s - set of 6
Gastone Rinaldi postmodern Dining chairs for Thema italy, 1980s - set of 6

Gastone Rinaldi postmodern Dining chairs for Thema italy, 1980s - set of 6

By Gastone Rinaldi, Thema Italy 1

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Elegant postmodern dining chairs designed by Italian Designer Gastone Rinaldi and produced by thema

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Italian Postmodern Dining Chair in Cognac Leather
Italian Postmodern Dining Chair in Cognac Leather

Italian Postmodern Dining Chair in Cognac Leather

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Dining chair, beech, leather, Italy, 1970s A delicate chair that is well-proportioned and elevates

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Beech

MEMPHIS "FIRST" Chair / Michele De Lucchi (Italy) / Postmodern Chair
MEMPHIS "FIRST" Chair / Michele De Lucchi (Italy) / Postmodern Chair

MEMPHIS "FIRST" Chair / Michele De Lucchi (Italy) / Postmodern Chair

By Michele de Lucchi

Located in Tinton Falls, NJ

The Most Popular MEMPHIS Chair!!! FIRST is an iconic and sculptural creation conceived by Michele

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

1980's Postmodern Sultana Chair by Arrben Italy
1980's Postmodern Sultana Chair by Arrben Italy

1980's Postmodern Sultana Chair by Arrben Italy

By Arrben

Located in San Diego, CA

A very rare opportunity chair by Arrben in perforated metal black enameled finish, and polished

Category

20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Vintage postmodern italian dining chairs, 1990s
Vintage postmodern italian dining chairs, 1990s

Vintage postmodern italian dining chairs, 1990s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Vintage plywood and grey metal dining chairs made in Italy in the 1990s. Beautiful timeless and

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Italian Lounge Chair and Coffee Table
Postmodern Italian Lounge Chair and Coffee Table

Postmodern Italian Lounge Chair and Coffee Table

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Sitting element and side table, laminated wood, stainless steel, fabric, Italy, 1980s An Italian

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Postmodern Design Chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, Italy, 1990's
Postmodern Design Chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, Italy, 1990's

Postmodern Design Chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, Italy, 1990's

By Pierantonio Bonacina

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Postmodern Modern Italian Design dining chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, made in Italy 1990's. Steer

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Set of 3 Vintage Italian Postmodern Charlie Folding Chair, 1980s
Set of 3 Vintage Italian Postmodern Charlie Folding Chair, 1980s

Set of 3 Vintage Italian Postmodern Charlie Folding Chair, 1980s

By Carlo Bimbi and Nilo Gioacchini

Located in Hamburg, DE

Postmodern folding chairs from the Italian manufacturer Segis according to a design by Carlo Bimbi

Category

20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Italian Postmodern Lounge Chair from Saporiti, 1970s
Italian Postmodern Lounge Chair from Saporiti, 1970s

Italian Postmodern Lounge Chair from Saporiti, 1970s

By Saporiti

Located in Basel, BS

Fantastic original 1970s, Rare Saporiti Lounge chair upholstered in deep green / brown velvet

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair set by Segis, Italy 1990's
Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair set by Segis, Italy 1990's

Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair set by Segis, Italy 1990's

By Segis

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Vintage Postmodern Modern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair set by Segis, made in Italy 1990's

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair Set by Segis, Italy, 1990's
Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair Set by Segis, Italy, 1990's

Postmodern Italian Design Leather Dining Chair Set by Segis, Italy, 1990's

By Segis

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Vintage Postmodern Italian design natural leather dining chair set of 7 chairs by Segis, made in

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Postmodern lacquered wood italian dining chairs, 1980s
Postmodern lacquered wood italian dining chairs, 1980s

Postmodern lacquered wood italian dining chairs, 1980s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Postmodern design dining chairs with black lacquered wooden frames and faux leather upholstery

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Lacquer

Set of 2 Jacquard postmodern lounge chairs, 1980s Italy.
Set of 2 Jacquard postmodern lounge chairs, 1980s Italy.

Set of 2 Jacquard postmodern lounge chairs, 1980s Italy.

Located in Landgraaf, NL

Set of 2 Jacquard postmodern lounge chairs, 1980s Italy. This pair of postmodern lounge chairs

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Metal

Set of 2 Postmodern Italian Modell Juliette Stacking Metal Chair, 1980s
Set of 2 Postmodern Italian Modell Juliette Stacking Metal Chair, 1980s

Set of 2 Postmodern Italian Modell Juliette Stacking Metal Chair, 1980s

By Hannes Wettstein

Located in Hamburg, DE

Postmodern metal stacking chairs by the Italian manufacturer Cerruti Baleri based on a design by

Category

20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Vintage Postmodern Swag Metal Chair
Vintage Postmodern Swag Metal Chair

Vintage Postmodern Swag Metal Chair

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

A fantastic vintage Boho side chair. A chic Postmodern design with swag details highlighted in gold

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Gold

Natuzzi Leather Lounge Chair, Italian, Made in Italy, Postmodern, Light Grey
Natuzzi Leather Lounge Chair, Italian, Made in Italy, Postmodern, Light Grey

Natuzzi Leather Lounge Chair, Italian, Made in Italy, Postmodern, Light Grey

By Natuzzi

Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Natuzzi Leather Lounge Chair, Italian, Made in Italy, Postmodern, Light Grey, Mid Century, Office

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Postmodern Chrome Dining Chairs, 1980s
Postmodern Chrome Dining Chairs, 1980s

Postmodern Chrome Dining Chairs, 1980s

Located in Čelinac, BA

Post modern italian chrome dining chair 1980s.

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Postmodern italian dining chairs by Lexis, 1990s
Postmodern italian dining chairs by Lexis, 1990s

Postmodern italian dining chairs by Lexis, 1990s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Vintage post modern stackable dining chairs labelled with Lexis 'System' - an italian furniture

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Blue Vintage Chair by Philippe Starck 1980s for Kartell Italy
Postmodern Blue Vintage Chair by Philippe Starck 1980s for Kartell Italy

Postmodern Blue Vintage Chair by Philippe Starck 1980s for Kartell Italy

By Philippe Starck

Located in Vienna, AT

Postmodern light blue vintage chair was designed by Philippe Starck in the 1980s and executed by

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Postmodern italian dining chairs set of 4 - 1980s
Postmodern italian dining chairs set of 4 - 1980s

Postmodern italian dining chairs set of 4 - 1980s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Vintage set of 4 postmodern dining chairs with black metal frames and leatehrette seats. The

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Lounge Chairs
Postmodern Lounge Chairs

Postmodern Lounge Chairs

$2,940Sale Price / item|24% Off

Postmodern Lounge Chairs

Located in London, England

Made from Steel on brass feet in the 1980s – 90s. The seat has been upholstered in White Mongolian Sheepskin.

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Brass, Steel

Postmodern swivel chair, Cofemo
Postmodern swivel chair, Cofemo

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

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs

Materials

Steel

Tito Agnoli x Calligaris Italian Postmodern Leather Dining Chairs, 1980s, Italy
Tito Agnoli x Calligaris Italian Postmodern Leather Dining Chairs, 1980s, Italy

Tito Agnoli x Calligaris Italian Postmodern Leather Dining Chairs, 1980s, Italy

By Matteo Grassi, Calligaris, Tito Agnoli

Located in Biebergemund, Hessen

A set of six Postmodern sculptural dining chairs designed by Tito Agnoli and handmade by Calligaris

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather

Set of 4 Italian Postmodern Space Age Model 101 Spaghetti Chairs, 1970s
Set of 4 Italian Postmodern Space Age Model 101 Spaghetti Chairs, 1970s

Set of 4 Italian Postmodern Space Age Model 101 Spaghetti Chairs, 1970s

By Giandomenico Belotti

Located in Hamburg, DE

Four postmodern Spaghetti chairs from the Italian manufacturer alias according to a draft by

Category

20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Pair of Postmodern Italian Leather and Polished Chrome Accent Sling Chairs
Pair of Postmodern Italian Leather and Polished Chrome Accent Sling Chairs

Pair of Postmodern Italian Leather and Polished Chrome Accent Sling Chairs

By Giotto Stoppino

Located in Basel, BS

Gorgeous pair of Italian soft leather and polished chrome accent chairs in the style of Giotto

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Postmodern Dining Chairs by Pietro Costantini, Italy 1980s
Postmodern Dining Chairs by Pietro Costantini, Italy 1980s

Postmodern Dining Chairs by Pietro Costantini, Italy 1980s

By Pietro Costantini

Located in Oirlo, LI

n elegant set of 6 sleek Italian dining chairs by Pietro Costantini. They’re a real example of the

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Wood

Calligaris Postmodern Italian Dining Chair - Wood + Black Leather Set of 4
Calligaris Postmodern Italian Dining Chair - Wood + Black Leather Set of 4

Calligaris Postmodern Italian Dining Chair - Wood + Black Leather Set of 4

By Calligaris

Located in toronto, CA

Circa 1980 - Calligaris Post Modern Chairs Beautifully ribbed back , leather chairs, an example of

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Postmodern Set of 4 Italian Fan Back Chairs by Pietro Costantini
Postmodern Set of 4 Italian Fan Back Chairs by Pietro Costantini

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

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood, Lacquer

1970's Postmodern Italian Design Dining Chair set
1970's Postmodern Italian Design Dining Chair set

1970's Postmodern Italian Design Dining Chair set

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Vintage Postmodern Italian Design Dining Chair set of 6. Made in Italy, 1970's period. Designed in

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Pair of Italian Postmodern Chrome and Black Side Chairs
Pair of Italian Postmodern Chrome and Black Side Chairs

Pair of Italian Postmodern Chrome and Black Side Chairs

Located in Chicago, IL

Pair of chromed and bent steel Postmodern Italian side chairs. Multiple bars of chromed steel with

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Side Chairs

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1980s
Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1980s

Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1980s

By Mario Botta, Alias

Located in MIlano, IT

Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, ​​1980s. Quinta 605 chair

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Design Leather Dining Chairs, Italy 1980's
Postmodern Design Leather Dining Chairs, Italy 1980's

Postmodern Design Leather Dining Chairs, Italy 1980's

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Vintage Postmodern Design Leather Dining Chair set of 4. Made in Italy, 1980's. Grey leather seat

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

1980s Postmodern Italian Nicoletti Salotti Plinth Baseleather Lounge Chair
1980s Postmodern Italian Nicoletti Salotti Plinth Baseleather Lounge Chair

1980s Postmodern Italian Nicoletti Salotti Plinth Baseleather Lounge Chair

By Nicoletti Salotti

Located in Madison, WI

80s and in great condition. Dimensions: Details Lounge Chair: Dimensions: 45"W × 36"D × 32"H

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather

Set of 6 postmodern italian dining chairs, 1980s
Set of 6 postmodern italian dining chairs, 1980s

Set of 6 postmodern italian dining chairs, 1980s

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Set of 6 italian dining chairs with a clear oak wooden frame, original floral fabric upholstery and

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Leather and Steel Chair, c.1980
Postmodern Leather and Steel Chair, c.1980

Postmodern Leather and Steel Chair, c.1980

By Mario Botta

Located in Surbiton, GB

An unattributed Postmodern tubular steel chair of unusual form featuring gun metal grey leather

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair
Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair

Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair

By Calligaris

Located in New York, NY

A very beautiful and chic Italian modern style or Postmodern period black lacquer wood and leather

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair
Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair

Italian Designer Postmodern Black Lacquer Wood and Leather Side Chair

By Calligaris

Located in New York, NY

Very beautiful and chic Italian Modern style or Postmodern period black lacquer wood and leather

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Postmodern Italian Pietro Costantini for Ello Klismos Dining Chairs
Postmodern Italian Pietro Costantini for Ello Klismos Dining Chairs

Postmodern Italian Pietro Costantini for Ello Klismos Dining Chairs

By Pietro Costantini, Ello Furniture

Located in Stafford, TX

1990s Italian Pietro Costantini for Ello “Klismos” Dining Chairs — Set of Eight This elegant set

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer

14x Italian Postmodern Stacking Chairs in Sottsass Memphis Style - Italy, 1970's
14x Italian Postmodern Stacking Chairs in Sottsass Memphis Style - Italy, 1970's

14x Italian Postmodern Stacking Chairs in Sottsass Memphis Style - Italy, 1970's

By Ettore Sottsass

Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland

of Italian postmodern dining chairs from the 1970s, crafted with bold design language and vibrant

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Beech, Plywood

Postmodern Aluminum Dining Chairs, Italy, Circa 1980, Geometric Design
Postmodern Aluminum Dining Chairs, Italy, Circa 1980, Geometric Design

Postmodern Aluminum Dining Chairs, Italy, Circa 1980, Geometric Design

Located in Antwerp, BE

Aluminum postmodern dining chairs made in the 1980s from lightweight but durable aluminum. These

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Set of postmodern "Solaria" chairs by Arrben, Italy 1980s
Set of postmodern "Solaria" chairs by Arrben, Italy 1980s

Set of postmodern "Solaria" chairs by Arrben, Italy 1980s

By Arrben

Located in Antwerpen, VAN

This set of six postmodern”Solaria” dining chairs from the 1980s by Arrben, Italy is a striking

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather

Set of postmodern high-back Italian dining chairs, 1980s
Set of postmodern high-back Italian dining chairs, 1980s

Set of postmodern high-back Italian dining chairs, 1980s

Located in Antwerpen, VAN

This rare set of five Italian high-back dining chairs from the 1980s is crafted from solid beech

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Oak

Italian Postmodern Wood and Velvet Dining Chairs, Italy 80s, Set of 4
Italian Postmodern Wood and Velvet Dining Chairs, Italy 80s, Set of 4

Italian Postmodern Wood and Velvet Dining Chairs, Italy 80s, Set of 4

Located in Lucija, SI

Set of 4 Italian Postmodern dining chairs from the 80s era. In excelent condition. The upholstery

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s
Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s

Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s

Located in Almelo, NL

Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s A bold and sculptural set of

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Pine

Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue, Italy 1980's
Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue, Italy 1980's

Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue, Italy 1980's

By Cidue

Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN

Vintage Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue. Made in the 1980's in Italy. Slender

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Postmodern Chairs Designed by Emanuelle Zenere for Cattelan, Italy 90s
Postmodern Chairs Designed by Emanuelle Zenere for Cattelan, Italy 90s

Postmodern Chairs Designed by Emanuelle Zenere for Cattelan, Italy 90s

By Cattelan Italia

Located in Lucija, SI

Pair of unique Italian Postmodern chairs designed by Emanuelle Zenere for Cattelan Italia I must

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood, Lacquer

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Postmodern Italian Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs

An assortment of postmodern Italian chairs is available at 1stDibs. Each of these unique postmodern Italian chairs was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, animal skin and leather. Postmodern Italian chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Postmodern Italian chairs bearing Mid-Century Modern or Modern hallmarks are very popular at 1stDibs. Philippe Starck, Calligaris and Cidue each produced beautiful postmodern Italian chairs that are worth considering.

How Much are Postmodern Italian Chairs?

Postmodern Italian chairs can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $2,750, while the lowest priced sells for $325 and the highest can go for as much as $22,925.

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.

Finding the Right Seating for You

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.