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.
Vintage French Post Modern Console Table - Circa 1980s - Maple Entry Table
Located in Decatur, GA
Vintage post modern squiggle leg console table, France circa 1980s. Gorgeous from any angle. Finished on all sides allowing it to float in a room. Very good original condition with m...
Maple
$1,800
Bubble Glass Side Table
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Bubble Glass Side Table embodies a retro-futuristic fantasy. Inspired by past visions of the future, it draws from mysterious tales of speculative technologies and flying saucers...
Glass
Post Modern Oak and Tinted Glass Coffee Table att. to Lou Hodges for Mersman
By Lou Hodges, Mersman
Located in New York, NY
Classic mid century, postmodern coffee table design attributed to Lou Hodges, for Mersman, circa 1970's. The table features it's original tinted glass top, which rests in the solid ...
Glass, Oak
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. C 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. Circa 1980s Features four independent peach, emerald, and ivory geometric stone bases with built-in slots to ho...
Stone
Postmodern Pluto Desk by Pierre Colleu for Starform and Disney, France 1980s.
By Pierre Colleu 1, Disney Studios, Starform
Located in Lille, FR
Table height: 58 cm. Total height with the head: 90 cm Good condition. No restorations. Some fading on the head and legs, with a few spots and other age-related marks.
Resin, Plastic
Antonio Citterio 'Elios" Writing Desk Console for B&B Italia, 1990s
By B&B Italia, Antonio Citterio
Located in Skokie, IL
Antonio Citterio 'Elios" writing desk console for B&B Italia, 1990 Additional information: Materials: beech, brass, plastic Dimensions: 48.75" w x 19.75" d x 36.5" h
Brass
1970's Glass & Travertine Coffee Table
Located in Bern, CH
1970’s glass topped travertine lounge table. Round glass tabletop set on a two part solid natural stone base. The heavy travertine base is can be set as required to enable changeable...
Travertine
Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova 'Regolo' Square Dining Table in Pine and Glass
By Poltronova
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova, 'Regolo' dining table, pine, glass, Italy, 1975 This dining table by Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova, introduced in in 1975, is a truly special piece ...
Glass, Pine
Iconic Knoll Hat Trick Table & Chairs Dining Set by Frank Gehry Stamped & Dated
By Frank Gehry, Knoll
Located in San Diego, CA
Iconic Knoll Hat Trick Table & Chairs Dining Set by Frank Gehry Stamped & Dated, circa 1992. An exquisite and collectible Frank Gehry sculptural design...
Wood, Maple, Bentwood
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Green Onyx
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool/ side table; a hand sculpted stone from a Mexican marble and Mexican onyx conglomerate, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a ...
Onyx
Karl Springer Lacquered Goatskin Brass Backgammon Game Table
Located in Houston, TX
1970s Karl Springer lacquered goatskin and brass game table featuring a reversible top with felt lining.
Brass
Ettore Sottsass Tartar console table for Memphis Milano Collection
Located in Chicago, IL
Tartar table designed by Ettore Sottsass, 1985. Memphis Milano label. The Tartar table encapsulates Ettore Sottsass’s distinctive style, his focus on geometric forms, and the patter...
Laminate
Postmodern Italian Glass and Metal Bar Cart from Metalnova, 1980s
By Metalnova
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern bar cart from the 1980s by the Italian manufacturer Metalnova. The design impresses with its clear geometry and themes of transparency ...
Metal
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Onyx Marble Conglomerate
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool/ side table; a hand sculpted stone from a Mexican marble and Mexican onyx conglomerate, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a ...
Onyx, Marble
Warren Platner Bronze Coffee Table
By Knoll, Warren Platner
Located in Oakland, CA
Architect Warren Platner bronze finish coffee with a circular glass top. A 1980s production from Knoll. The design consists of an array of bronze finish...
Bronze
Ado Chale 'Goutte d’Eau' Free-Form Coffee Table in Aluminium
By Ado Chale
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ado Chale, Goutte d’Eau coffee table, cast aluminum, lacquered steel, Belgium, ca. 1977 The Goutte D’Eau coffee table is exemplary for Ado Chale’s exceptional talent in creating int...
Aluminum, Steel
Steel Demilune Console Table by Will Stone
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking example of Postmodern elegance, this chic demilune table designed by Will Stone effortlessly combines clean lines with unexpected details. Constructed from solid steel, it...
Brass, Steel
Eclipse Olo Sculptural Nightstand / Side Table
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Rings of white onyx tower in a light gradient descent to create Olo Eclipse Nightstand. This iteration of our beloved nightstand hides two secret compartments which are revealed with...
Stone, Marble, Onyx
$19,165 / item
Cherry Wood Dining Table by Studio Mano & Mambo Jambo
Located in Geneve, CH
Cherry Wood Dining Table by Studio Mano & Mambo Jambo. Dimensions: W 200 x D 100 x H 75 cm. Materials: Wood and Ceramic. Also available in Cherry, Walnut, White Oak, and Mahogan...
Ceramic, Wood
1980s Postmodern Pink Marble Coffee Table
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Postmodern Pink Marble Coffee Table. Circa 1980s Features a square-shaped top with concave edges and a soft pink color with gorgeous ...
Marble
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Mid century Postmodern glass waterfall coffee table
By FIAM
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern coffee table with a waterfall top. Glass is very clean no chips or major scratches. May have light normal use wear to surface. Rounded polished edges. Annealed glass has ...
Glass
Pair of Bench Made Steel Fan Side Tables in Manner of Pierre Chareau
Located in Peabody, MA
A pair of bench made steel fan tables in the manner of the French Constructivist Architect Pierre Chareau. His extraordinary design work from the 1920s and 30s, which often utilized ...
Steel
Rei Kawakubo triangular coffee table, for "Comme des Garçons", by Pallucco, 1986
By Pallucco, Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons
Located in London, Fitzrovia
Rei Kawakubo post modern triangular coffee table, for "Comme des Garçons", by Pallucco, 1986 Granite and black metal legs on castors.
Granite, Steel
Christopher Guy Lacquered and Gilt Coffee "Harper" Table
Located in Peabody, MA
A coffee table in highly polished lacquer with gilt wood accents from the "Harper" line, by the celebrated British designer Christopher Guy (1960-2020). Displays a fusion of modern m...
Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
$2,500 / item
Clover Flower Onyx Coffee Table
Located in New York, US
Introducing the Latte Coffee Table, an uncomplicated piece of solid onyx stone featuring soft elegant veining. Available in two striking variations — a round top or a captivating fou...
Onyx
$117,123 / item
Aequus Dining Table 360 in Graphite Marble by Brent Lee
Located in Geneve, CH
Aequus Dining Table 360 in Graphite Marble by Brent Lee. Signed by Brent Lee. Limited Edition of 12. Dimensions: W 360 x D 120 x H 74 cm. Materials: Graphite Marble. Part of the exc...
Marble
$3,800 / item
Jarvits Arched Console Table in Espresso Walnut
Located in New York, US
The minimal, stylistic arches of Jarvits Consoles give it a sculptured appearance, transforming it into both an artistic accent and a functional table ...
Wood, Walnut
Rodolfo side table 90s Y2K style Baleri Italia
By Enrico Baleri, Baleri Italia
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Rodolfo side table designed by Enrico Baleri for Baleri Italia. This table was published in the 90s. Half transparent table top and steel legs in polished finish. Really good exampl...
Steel
$4,850 / item
Empat Arched Console Table Cherry Red
Located in New York, US
Elegant, deep detailing gives the Empat console table a sculptured appearance that makes it an artistic accent as well as a functional table. Its graceful arches add interest without...
Resin, Plywood
Bernard Vuarnesson early PAR4 coffeetable for Bellato Italy, 1970's.
Located in CASTENRAY, NL
PAR4 modular coffee table by French designer Bernard Vuarnesson for Bellato, Italy 1970's. 4 pull out table tops. light (yellow) Iroko wood frame. Each top has a white or blue side ...
Laminate, Wood
$9,660 / item
Piano desk black lacqued wood
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, black-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano. Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expression and the discipline of w...
Wood
Paolo Piva B&B Italia Alanda 1980s Black Steel Square Glass Coffee Table sofa
By Paolo Piva
Located in London, GB
An iconic design by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia, this coffee table made in Italy around the 1980s. This coffee table consists of a geometric black lacquered iron base giving the illus...
Metal
$4,850 / item
Empat Arched Console Table Hunter Green
Located in New York, US
Elegant, deep detailing gives the Empat console table a sculptured appearance that makes it an artistic accent as well as a functional table. Its graceful arches add interest without...
Resin, Plywood
Post Modern Luna Dining Table, Oval Dining Table For 6 People
Located in İnegöl, TR
Natural wood veneered on MDF. Dimensions: Lenght: 72" Width: 36" Height: 29" Custom colours are available!
Other
Italian Post Modern Travertine Triangular Marble 2 Piece Cocktail Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This Italian post-modern cocktail table is crafted from luxurious travertine marble, showcasing two pieces that seamlessly fit together. The timeless design adds a touch of elegance ...
Travertine
Mid Century Italian Square Onyx & Blush Marble Dining Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A stunning marble dining from Italy, circa 1980's. It features a large 38 x 40 top that seats 4 comfortably. Beautiful natural onyx top. Traditional column base in a blush colored ma...
Marble, Onyx
Bubble glass coffee table
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Bubble Glass Coffee Table embodies a retro-futuristic fantasy. Inspired by past visions of the future, it draws from mysterious tales of speculative technologies and flying sauce...
Glass
Ovni Uovo Black Marble Glass Sculptural Coffee Table
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Ovni Uovo Sculptural Coffee Table presents a retro-futurist fantasy. Performing as a past vision of the future Ovni Uovo constructs over mysterious tales of speculative technolog...
Stone, Marble
$280Sale Price|20% Off
Pink Laminated Post Modern Side End Table
By Parsons
Located in Toronto, ON
Post modern Light pink laminated end/side table. This Parsons style side table is finished in light pink. The laminated veneer has a textured feel. The lines of the table are seamles...
Laminate
A Lacquered JAPANESE Style COFFEE TABLE by ROCHE & BOBOIS ALDO TURA France 1970
By Roche Bobois
Located in PARIS, FR
An elegant and luxurious coffee table, of a Japanese inspiration, Post-Modern, Memphis, Constructivist, geometric structure of two, terrace-like overlapping trays in lacquered wood: ...
Wood, Lacquer
2-Piece Up & Up Triangular Nesting Staggered Coffee Tables in Travertine Stone
By Stone International, Up & Up
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed and made in Italy, these were most likely manufactured by Stone International and distributed by retailers like Up&Up and Roche Bobois. This pair was bought from Up&Up by th...
Stone, Travertine, Marble
$103,814 / item
Aequus Dining Table 285 in Graphite Marble by Brent Lee
Located in Geneve, CH
Aequus Dining Table 285 in Graphite Marble by Brent Lee. Signed by Brent Lee. Limited Edition of 12. Dimensions: W 285 x D 120 x H 74 cm. Materials: Graphite Marble. Part of the exc...
Marble
Post Modern Square Mersman End Table designed by Lou Hodges for Mersman c. 1970s
By Lou Hodges, Mersman
Located in New York, NY
Chic, architectural sidebar end, table designed by Lou Hodges for Mersman, circa 1970's. The table features a sculptural solid oak frame with a bevelled tinted glass top. This exampl...
Glass, Oak
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Green Onyx
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool/ side table; a hand sculpted stone from a Mexican marble and Mexican onyx conglomerate, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a ...
Onyx
Ettore Sottsass & Marco Zanini for Leitner Donau Collection Bed and Nightstand
By Marco Zanini, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and iconic Italian post-modern Donau Collection bed and matching nightstand designed by master architect and furniture designer Ettore Sottsass (Austria/Italy, 1917-2007) in collaboration with Marco Zanini (Milan, Italy; b.1971) for Leitner Interior Design, circa 1988. Scarce design, bold and dramatic, sculptural-form, exceptionally executed in bird’s-eye maple lacquered and laminated wood, including blue accents and columns that offer a visually striking contrast. Retaining the original manufacturer's label, signed, 195/88. Provenance / Acquisition: Acquired from highly reputable auction house Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. Design Signature Auction catalog #8110 Dimensions: (approx) Bed: (Twin XL...
Laminate, Wood
Maurizio Salvato Rotating Burlwood Coffee Table for Saporiti Italia, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern rotating coffee table with burl wood lacquered tops and powder-coated burgundy colored steel legs by Maurizio Salvato for Saporiti Italia, 1980s. Taller Table Height: 14....
Metal
Post Modern Square Green Marble Dining Table
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Absolutely stunning Post Modern Green Empress marble dining table. This table is beautiful and large, seating 8. The rounded edges and corners of the top set this piece off perfectl...
Marble
$9,660 / item
Piano Desk White Lacqued Wood
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, white-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano. Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expression and the discipline of w...
Wood
Iron and Brass Cocktail Table
Located in Houston, TX
Iron and brass cocktail table featuring tapered legs with brass feet, flat bar bracing, and glass top.
Metal, Brass
Coffee Table by Piero De Longhi Catalan Italia Travertine Glass and Brass 1980s
Located in London, GB
The Dielle coffee table, is a timeless piece designed in 1984 by Piero De Longhi for Catalan Italia is a sophisticated design. The transparent glass top allows you to fully appreciat...
Travertine, Metal, Brass
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Green Onyx
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool/ side table; a hand sculpted stone from a Mexican marble and Mexican onyx conglomerate, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a ...
Onyx
$840Sale Price / set|43% Off
Post-Modern Cantilever Side Tables by Interlude Home, Pair
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Pair of gray tone birdseye maple top, chrome base cantilever side tables. These tables are great for multiple seating styles and can be very convenient for long sofas or benches. Goo...
Chrome
Postmodern Tessellated Stone Pedestal
Located in Houston, TX
1980s Tesselated stone pedestal.
Travertine
780/783 Stacking Tables, Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy, set of 3
By Gianfranco Frattini, Mario Bellini, Joe Colombo, Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Playful and iconic set of 3 black nesting tables which can be arranged in many ways. Model 780/783 by Cassina. Designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1966. Set of three low tables in ...
Hardwood
Postmodern Design XL Wengé Coffee Table
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Modernist Design XL Wengé Coffee Table in the manner of Axel Vervoordt or Linteloo Designs. Made in Belgium, 1980's / 1990's period. Beautifully constructed low co...
Oak, Wenge
$9,660 / item
Piano Desk Black Lacqued Wood
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, black-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano. Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expressi...
Wood
Washington Corona Coffee Table by David Adjaye for Knoll, Signed
By Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Washington Corona Coffee Table reflects Sir David Adjaye's architectural and sculptural vision on a new scale. The table is constructed from four die-cast aluminum panels, conn...
Aluminum
Extendable white lacquered dining table, 1970s
Located in Athens, Attiki
Stunning super long extendable dining table in white lacquer. The min. dimensions are 100 cm diameter as a round table and the max length is up to 300 cm. Beautiful and elegant! (the...
Wood, Lacquer
Vintage Curtis Jere Brass Trefoil Clover Form 42" Dining or Center Table
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed and made by Curtis Jere in the US, this table features a wooden frame wrapped in sheets of brass to form its clover-like trefoil shape. Construction quality is excellent - h...
Brass
1980's Memphis Style 'La Vuelta' Desk by Perry King and Santiago Miranda
By Perry King and Santiago Miranda
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1980's Memphis Style 'La Vuelta' desk by Perry King & Santiago Miranda. Named after a Spanish bicycle race this large versatile desk has attractive curves and unique accents that...
Metal