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.
Ettore Sottsass for Design Centre/Poltronova ‘Bruco’ Wall Lights
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ettore Sottsass for Design Centre/Poltronova, ‘Bruco’ wall light from the Mobili Grigi series, chrome-plated brass, methacrylate (translucent Perspex), enameled aluminum, Italy, 1970...
Aluminum, Brass, Chrome
Postmodern Gold Metal Set of Six Flush Mounts by Blauet, Barcelona, 1980s
By Blauet
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Pretty Postmodern Spanish Set of Six Gold metal Flush Mounts or Wall Sconces by Blauet. Model: Birimbao-2 Oro. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by B...
Metal
Atelier Michel Armand Sculptural 'Fleur' Table Lamp
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Atelier Michel Armand, 'Fleur' table lamp, chrome and brass anodized aluminium, Canada, 1970s This sculptural lamp is crafted by Atelier Michel Armand. Its abstract form is that of ...
Aluminum, Brass, Chrome
Ton A.C. Alberts for RAAK 'Zodiac' Floor Lamp
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ton A.C. Alberts for RAAK Amsterdam, 'Zodiac' floor lamp, glass, wengé, metal, the Netherlands, 1970s This exceptional floor lamp, designed by Ton A.C. Alberts for RAAK Amsterdam in...
Metal
Postmodern Gold Metal Wall Sconce by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Estiluz, Estiluz Lighting, Leonardo Marelli
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Cool Postmodern Gold Wall Sconce by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model A-1149. This fixture was designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 1980s. “Estiluz” or...
Metal
Midcentury Pair of Gold Metal Wall Sconces by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Leonardo Marelli, Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Cool Postmodern Pair of Gold Wall Sconces by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-1184 Oro. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 198...
Metal
Gianemilio, Piero and Anna Monti for Candle 'Luna' Table Lamp in Fiberglass
By Gianemilio Piero and Anna Monti, Candle
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gianemilio, Piero and Anna Monti (Studio di Architettura GPA Monti) for Candle, 'Luna' table or floor lamp, chrome-plated steel, fiberglass, Italy, 1968 This remarkable lamp acquired several affectionate nicknames in our team, like "mushroom" or "cloud" — a reflection of its playful and highly sculptural presence. Its original name, however, is Luna, a reference to the clustered fiberglass domes...
Steel, Chrome
Giovanni Battista e Giampiero Bassi for Studio Luce ‘Cactus’ Table Lamp
By Giovanni Battista, Studio Luce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giovanni Battista e Giampiero Bassi for Studio Luce, ‘Cactus’ table lamp, chrome-plated aluminum, plexiglass, Italy, 1969 Italian design duo Giovanni Battista and Giampiero Bassi d...
Aluminum, Chrome
Postmodern Pair of Gold Metal Wall Sconces by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Leonardo Marelli, Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Cool Postmodern Pair of Gold Wall Sconces by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-9000 Gold. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 19...
Metal
Italian Postmodern Pao T2 Table Lamp by Matteo Thun for Arteluce, 1990s
By Arteluce, Matteo Thun
Located in Hamburg, DE
The large T2 table lamp from Matteo Thun’s Pao lighting series. Shown here in a rare version with a light-colored beech wood base. The Pao lamps are distinguished by their characte...
Metal
Post Modern George Kovacs Robert Sonneman Modern chrome floor Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Robert Sonneman Chromed Steel Tube bent Floor Lamp. Circa. 1970s Comes with light bulb. 120v plug H 46" L 24"
Steel, Chrome
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
1970s Cascading Waterfall Chrome Waterfall Floor Lamp Attr Sonneman
Located in Toronto, ON
Stunning chrome cascading waterfall floor lamp attributed to Robert Sonneman. It was made in the 1970s. T This table lamp has a gorgeous waterfall form which features five cascading ...
Brass
Sergio Asti for Martinelli Luce ‘Profiterole’ Floor or Table Lamp in Fiberglass
By Sergio Asti, Martinelli Luce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sergio Asti for Martinelli Luce, ‘Profiterole’, floor or table lamp, model ‘640’, fiberglass, plastic, Lucca, Italy, 1968 A captivating fusion of both functionality and artistic exp...
Plastic, Fiberglass
$13,800 / item
Gjlla Giani for Nucleo Sormani ‘Radar’ Table Lamps
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gjlla Giani for the Nucleo Division of Sormani, 'Radar' table lamps, pewter and glass, Italy, 1971 This rare pair of table lamps is designed by the Italian architect Gjlla Giani for...
Pewter
Icaro Artemide Carlo Forcolini Wall Lamp Postmodern Style
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Icalo postmodern style wall lamp. Designed by Carlo Forcolini in the 80s. The combination of glass and punching metal shade is really the late80s to the early 90s style like Starck, ...
Steel
Gianfranco Fini for New Lamp 'Programma' Wall Light in Stainless Steel
By New Lamp
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gianfranco Fini for New Lamp, 'Programma' lamp, stainless steel, circa 1970 Expressive wall light by Italian designer Gianfranco Fini designed in circa 1970. Fini, who is known for...
Stainless Steel
1970s Glamorous Guido Polloni Chandelier in Colored Glass (50cm/19.6in)
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Guido Polloni chandelier, glass, Italy, 1970s This exquisite chandelier by glass artist Guido Polloni is crafted in Italy in the 1970s. This light embodies the extreme glamour and b...
Glass
Mariyo Yagi for Sirrah 'Garbo' Chandelier in Nylon
By Mariyo Yagi, Sirrah
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mariyo Yagi for Sirrah, 'Garbo' chandelier, metal, nylon, Italy, 1976 Enchanting 'Garbo' fringe chandelier designed by Japanese designer Mariyo Yagi and manufactured by Sirrah. The ...
Metal
Post modern Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321 Black Gloss
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321. Pre owned Coupe Floor Lamp in black adjustable, an original Joe Colombo design (circa 1967) for Oluce model 3321. Oluce's 1960s Coupe floor lamps pairs a...
Metal
Midcentury Large Gold Metal Wall Sconce by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz, Leonardo Marelli
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Large and beauty Postmodern Gold Wall Sconce by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-1186 Oro. This fixture was designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 198...
Metal
Vintage Wrought Iron Chandelier Candleholder by Ehlén Johansson for Ikea, 1990s
By IKEA
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Wrought Iron Chandelier Candleholder by Ehlén Johansson for Ikea, 1990s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1990 to 1999 I have ...
Wrought Iron
1970s Glamorous Guido Polloni Chandelier in Colored Glass (80cm/31.5in)
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Guido Polloni chandelier, glass, Italy, 1970s This exquisite chandelier by glass artist Guido Polloni is crafted in Italy in the 1970s. This light embodies the extreme glamour and b...
Glass
Ron Rezek Verdigris Copper Table Lamp, Post-Modern Design, USA, 1980s
By Ron Rezek
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A verdigris copper table lamp by designer Ron Rezek. Made in the 1980's. The piece is in all original vintage condition with light wear around the base of the lamp and varying degr...
Copper, Brass
Paul Evans for Directional 'Cityscape' Floor Lamp
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Paul Evans for Directional, 'Cityscape' floor lamp, model PE-4010 from the PE200 series, chrome-plated steel, brass, United States, circa 1975 This distinctive floor lamp from the ...
Brass, Steel, Chrome
Postmodern Banana Floor Lamp by Heico, Plastic, Germany, 1980s Design
By Heico
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern floor lamp in the shape of a banana. An object in style of postmodern design and art movements like memphis. A unique object and rare eye-catcher. This lamp is shaped lik...
Plastic
Italian Model Tabla Table Lamp by Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo, 1980s
By Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table lamp from the Italian manufacturer Italiana Luce based on a design by Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo from the 80s. Sculptural table lamp with a changeable shape....
Metal
1 of the 2 Opaline Large Glass Lamp "Water Lily" by Koch & Lowy for Peill & Putz
By Koch & Lowy, Peill & Putzler
Located in Rijssen, NL
One of the two Large Pedant Ceiling lamp wave by Koch &; Lowy for Peill &; Putzler, Germany Düren 1960s. Peill &; Putzler's "Water Rose" (or "Artichoke") received the "iF Product De...
Chrome
Vintage German Postmodern Table Lamp by Matteo Thun for Nachtmann Leuchten 1980s
By Matteo Thun
Located in Hamburg, DE
Table lamp from the German manufacturer Nachtmann, designed by Matteo Thun. A draft in a postmodern design language. The classic luminaire shape meets bright color in the basic colo...
Metal
$1,160 / item
Postmodern Modern Black Round Chandelier Art Nouveau
Located in Berlin, DE
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of postmodernism and experience pure elegance with our breathtaking black chandelier decorated with crystals. This work of art of lighting m...
Crystal, Metal
Midcentury Gold Metal Wall Sconce by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Leonardo Marelli, Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Cool Postmodern Gold Wall Sconce by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-1180 Oro. This fixture was designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 1980s. This Wal...
Metal
Ron Rezek Table Lamp 1980s
By Ron Rezek
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Post-modern table lamp by Los Angeles lighting designer Ron Rezek, c.1980s. The lamp features a black enameled metal frame and removable black shade with polished brass ring accent t...
Metal
Vintage Danish Spherical Ceramic Table Lamp w. Pink Glaze, 1980s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 1980s Danish table light by Lamperiet Aarhus. The ceramic ball base features a monochrome pink glaze and the light comes installed with a fluted white shade. Measurements: H: 36 ...
Ceramic
Postmodern German Lumibär Bear Floor Lamp by Klein & Leidig for Flötotto, 1990s
Located in Hamburg, DE
The Lumibär is a design classic from Flötotto. The bright bear. Not just something for the children's room. The design is so simple that it also fits wonderfully as a light object...
Plastic
TSAO Designs Chrome and Glass Mushroom Table Lamp, Design Award Lighting
By TSAO Designs
Located in New Windsor, NY
Fine stylish mushroom table lamp with a polished chrome base and milk glass mushroom shaped shade. Black dimmer switch. Signed on the base, TSAO Designs, Inc. New Canaan, Conn. Desig...
Chrome
Rare Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce Table Lamp with Reflective Screen
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce, table lamp, model '611/g-p', aluminum, lacquered steel, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1973 Very rare table lamp designed by the visionary Italian designer ...
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
Pendant Chainmail Droplet, Hand-Linked, 80cm, Steel, Panorammma, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Single Pendant Chainmail Droplet Sculptural Chandelier is a beautiful hand made light piece. A chainmail web hugs the lamp’s canopy, as the knit gets tighter the chainmail envelopes ...
Steel
$1,487Sale Price / set|20% Off
Post-Modern style. Sculptural ceramic table lamps, Spain, 1980s
By Hispania CH, Cerámicas BONDIA
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Sculptural ceramic table lamps, Spain, 1980s. Made of ceramic with an abstract shape similar to a rock, with a light gray glazed finish and hand-painted with splashes of black paint....
Ceramic, Opaline Glass, Paint
Baccarat Table lamp, by Mathias 2000s the Mille Nuits model Purple color
Located in Valladolid, ES
A spectacular table lamp, designed by Mathias in the 2000s for Baccarat, the Mille Nuits model. It features a metal base and steel with a silver finish, while the shade is made of purple crystal with a striking fluted design that opens outwards like a flower. It is preserved in its original box, without the lid. Signed. Mathias is a renowned self-taught French designer, creator of the iconic Mille Nuits collection for the prestigious luxury crystal house Baccarat. He spent his childhood in Syria and Turkey with his grandfather. This period shaped his artistic vision, inspiring the Mille Nuits (One Thousand and One Nights) line with its Eastern tales and legends. His relationship with the company began in 1996 with exclusive, limited-edition pieces. In 1999, he designed the first large chandelier in the collection, which later expanded with enormous success to include table lamps, glasses, goblets (Flutissimo), vases, and more. Baccarat, the world's most luxurious crystal The French house of Baccarat is a benchmark in the manufacture of high-quality crystal. Founded in 1764, Baccarat was born from the efforts of a group of artisans dedicated to achieving the highest purity in crystal. They are considered true masters of this delicate material, perfecting their skills generation after generation. "Baccarat is a legendary French firm that has celebrated its 250th anniversary." In the past two and a half centuries, Baccarat, which began as a producer of high-quality crystal, has become one of the most prestigious and iconic brands in the world of luxury, renowned for its incredible creations in crystal, jewelry, and home decor. The history of Baccarat mirrors...
Crystal, Steel
Ralph Lauren Chrome and Black Leather Desk or Table Lamp
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Good-looking Ralph Lauren dual-bulb table lamp designed and made in America. Made mostly of steel throughout, chromed and overlaid with leather. This results in a super stylized look...
Chrome, Steel
Rare Pop Art Tulip Floor Lamp in Green & Red Painted Metal by Peter Bliss 1980s
By Bliss
Located in Lisse, NL
Unique and very cool British Pop Art floor lamp by Peter Bliss. For the collectors, design lovers and enthousiasts of pop art, we are offering this very rare and stylized tulip floo...
Metal
Postmodern Dimmable Gold Wall Sconce by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Estiluz Lighting, Leonardo Marelli, Estiluz
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Pretty and unique Dimmable Postmodern Black Wall Sconce by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-1069 Oro. This fixture was designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz...
Metal
Neri & Hu 3T09 Bronze Structure and Ivory Fabric 3 Modules Wall Lamp for Cassina
Vico Magistretti for O-Luce 'Atollo' First Edition '233' Table Lamp
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vico Magistretti for O-Luce, 'Atollo' lamp, first edition model '233', aluminum, Italy, 1977 The Atollo lighting object, designed by Vico Magistretti in 1977, stands as one of his m...
Aluminum
Italian Postmodern Tebe Floor Lamp by Ernesto Gismondi for Artemide, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Imposing standing lamp from the Italian manufacturer Artemide after a draft by Ernesto Gismondi from the late 1980s. A postmodern design with special proportions. This floor lamp is...
Metal
Cobweb Chainmail Chandelier, Hand-Linked, Steel, Post-Modern, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A fusion of medieval craftsmanship and modern gothic elegance, the Chainmail Cobweb Chandelier evokes the ethereal beauty of a spider’s web. Meticulously handcrafted from interwoven ...
Steel
Adjustable Brass Pharmacy Style Floor Reading Lamp att. to Koch and Lowy c 1980s
Located in New York, NY
Sleek adjustable pharmacy style floor lamp, in sophisticated satin brass finish. The lamp is adjustable in height ( 52.5" - 57" ) the shade tilts, and the vertical post swivels ton ...
Brass
Habitat Orange Mushroom Floor Lamp Acrylic Steel Space Age Postmodern Glow
Located in Lisboa, PT
This Habitat orange mushroom floor lamp is a striking example of postmodern design influenced by the iconic space age lighting aesthetics of the late 20th century. Combining sculptur...
Steel, Chrome
Vintage Space Age Papillona Floor Lamp by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern floor lamp by the Italian manufacturer Flos after a design by Afra & Tobia Scarpa from the 70s. This design convinces with its imposing height of almost 2m. The filig...
Metal
$4,995Sale Price|50% Off
1980s Rare Huge Italian Floor Lamp Odue Astralis by Quaia, Italy
By Fabio Lenci
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Massive sensuous shaped red acrylic shade with opale diffuser on top and under , mounted on a heavy stainless steel structure and base . Shade pivot a full 360 degree and measure 20 in. wide by 18 in. high. Light bulb is a round fluorescent tube with a North American 120 voltage system and US 2 prong wall plug...
Stainless Steel
French Postmodern Ceramic Table Lamp, Private Detective, by J.C. Peiré, 1980s
By JC Peire
Located in Lille, FR
Jean-Claude Peiré built his signature in the 1980s with a series of ceramic light fixtures reimagining everyday objects at full scale — a tennis racket, a weightlifter's arm, a boxin...
Ceramic
Postmodern Aluminium Sconce "Cyrano" by Bernard Dequet for Lucien Gau, 1990s.
By Philippe Starck, Maison Lucien Gau
Located in Lille, FR
**"Cyrano" Aluminum Wall Sconce by Bernard Dequet for Lucien Gau, France, 1990s** Founded in Paris in 1860, **Lucien Gau** is one of France's most renowned lighting manufacturers, c...
Aluminum
Lorenzo Burchiellaro Large Sculptural Lamp in Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lorenzo Burchiellaro, table or floor lamp, aluminium, Italy, 1970s Sculptural and large lamp by Lorenzo Burchiellaro. Four triangular, bent aluminum sheets form a dynamic body to th...
Aluminum
Model Area 50 Suspension Ceiling Light by M.Bellini for Artemide, 1970s, Italy
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Model Area 50 Suspension Ceiling Light by Mario Bellini for Artemide, 1970s, Italy Elegant design pendant lamp Lampshade is in good condition and very clean. This lamp works with E...
Plastic, Parchment Paper
Ico Parisi Palpebra Red Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina The creative flair of Ico Parisi in a playful invention of mimicry. This artistic lamp is engineered to open and close, mimicki...
Aluminum
Orange Ceramic Table Lamp by Louis Drimmer, France, Late 20th Century
Located in Barntrup, DE
French orange ceramic table lamp by Louis Drimmer from the late 20th Century. This colorful Post-Modern table lamp features an impressive lamp base - pebble-shaped irregularly stacke...
Brass
Postmodern Gold Metal Set of Four Flush Mounts by Blauet, Barcelona, 1980s
By Blauet
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Pretty Postmodern Spanish Set of Four Gold metal Flush Mounts or Wall Sconces by Blauet. Model: Birimbao-2 Oro. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by ...
Metal
Ralph Lauren Chrome and Brown Leather Desk or Table Lamp
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Good-looking Ralph Lauren table lamp designed and made in America. Made mostly of steel throughout, chromed and overlaid with leather. This results in a super stylized look that stan...
Chrome
$1,900Sale Price / set|50% Off
Pair of Pierre Disderot Verre Lumiere French 1980s Gold Wall Lamps
By Pierre Disderot, Verre Lumière
Located in New York, NY
An original pair of French Post Modern gold plated steel modernist wall lamps designed by Pierre Disderot for Verre Lumiere, 1982. Rewired. A sleek Post Deco design. Signed. Verre L...
Gold, Steel
Charles And Ray Eames Dot Pattern Light Suspension 6 Spheres Lamp by Cassina
By Charles and Ray Eames, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Charles And Ray Eames Dot Pattern Light Suspension 6 Spheres Lamp by Cassina ICONIC PATTERN Initially created for a textile design competition launched in 1947 by the Museum of Mod...
Aluminum
Postmodern German Model Minispot Table Lamp from Osram, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table or wall lamp from Osram. A functional design with postmodern details. The cubic base primarily consists of the cladding of the transformer. On the outside it is dec...
Metal