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Post-Modern Centerpieces

POSTMODERN STYLE

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.

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Style: Post-Modern
Shadow Sculpture by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Shadow Sculpture by Laura Pasquino One of a Kind Dimensions: D 46 x H 44 cm Material: Ceramic Finishing: Textured, Glazed Inside Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancien...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Surface Sculpture by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Surface Sculpture by Laura Pasquino One of a Kind Dimensions: D 41 x H 41 cm Material: Ceramic Finishing: Textured, Glazed Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Kore...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Silence Sculpture by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Silence Sculpture by Laura Pasquino One of a Kind Dimensions: D 42 x H 40 cm Material: Ceramic Finishing: Textured, Glazed Inside Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancie...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Postmodern Silver-Plated Serving Plate or Centerpiece Attr. to Lino Sabattini
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s - 1980s. This is a great silver plated metal and glass serving dish / centerpiece. Its simple design is attributable to Lino Sabattini. It is marked Mesa. Thi...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal

Ferruccio Laviani Italian Ceramic "Rumba" Centerpiece Sculpture 1990s
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian glazed ceramic centrepiece sculpture, model Rumba, designed by Italian artist Ferruccio Laviani for workshop Alessio Sarri Ceramiche, Italy 1990s, no longer in production. Ma...
Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Postmodern Round Portoro Marble Ashtray - Trinket Bowl - Vide poche, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1980s. Made in turned Portoro marble. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in perfect original condition a...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Postmodern Lino Sabattini Silver-Plated Brass Shell Vide-Poche, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This is a great silver plated brass vide-poche in the shape of a shell. Its simple design was created by Lino Sabattini. This is a vintage piece, therefore it ...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Silver Plate, Brass

Modern to Postmodern Calla Lily Blue & Clear Lucite Sculpture or Centerpiece
Located in Topeka, KS
Beautiful vintage Modern to Postmodern calla lily sculpture or centerpiece comprised of light blue frosted Lucite blooms and leaves, frosted Lucite base & leaf, and clear Lucite stems. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear. Please see photos and zoom in for details. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, Late 20th Century. The meaning of a calla lily is purity, faithfulness, and holiness. Well, HOLY MOLY… that explains a lot! Just feast your eyes upon this PURELY GORGEOUS vintage calla lily...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Lucite

Postmodern Sabattini Sheffield Plated Metal and Ceramic Serving Plate, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy. This is a great Sheffield plated metal and lacquered ceramic serving dish / vide-poche. Its simple design was created by Lino Sabattini in Italy, circa 1970s. This is...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal, Sheffield Plate

Vintage Large Earthenware Vide-Poche / Decorative Plate by Pino Castagna, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1980s. This catchall / vide-poche / decorative plate is made in glazed earthenware. It is signed by Pino Castagna. This is a vintage piece, therefore it might show sl...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Earthenware

Postmodern Lino Sabattini Silver-Plated Metal Serving Plate, Marked, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s - 1980s. This is a great silver plated metal serving dish. Its simple design was created by Lino Sabattini. This is a vintage piece, therefore it might show sli...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal, Silver Plate

Mohs Large Tabernacle by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mohs large tabernacle by Studio Intervallo. Dimensions: W 30 x D 53 x H 145 cm. Materials: Wooden structure, covered with marbled cotton paper. Mohs is a special element, which ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Wood

Postmodern Lino Sabattini Silver-Plated and Ceramic Serving Plate, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This is a great silver plated metal and lacquered ceramic serving dish. Its simple design was created by Lino Sabattini in Italy, circa 1970s. This is a vintag...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal, Silver Plate

Stunning Postmodern Brown Scavo Glass Bowl or Centerpiece, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1980s. This bowl / centerpiece / vide-poche is made in brown scavo Murano glass. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be co...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Murano Glass

Naan Salver by Van Rossum
Located in Geneve, CH
Naan Salver by Van Rossum Dimensions: D 50 x W 48 x H 4 cm Materials: Oak For over 40 years, Van Rossum has designed and handmade solid and sustainable furniture from the workshop ...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Oak

Untitled 56 by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled 56 by Laura Pasquino One of a kind Dimensions: D 42 cm x H 40 cm Material: Stoneware. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics as well as...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stoneware

Untitled 40 by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled 40 by Laura Pasquino One of a kind Dimensions: D 38 cm x H 38 cm Material: Porcelain. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics as well as...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Franco Bucci Italian Ceramic Bowl Centerpiece, 1970s
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian ceramic bowl centerpiece designed by Frano Bucci and produced by Laboratorio Pesaro with mark under base LP Bucci, Italy, 1970s Please ...
Category

1970s European Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Vano Model 1 Blue Tray by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 1 Blue Tray by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 6.8 x H 33 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each piece may var...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Untitled 34 by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled 34 by Laura Pasquino One of a kind Dimensions: D 37 cm x H 38 cm Material: Stoneware. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics as well as...
Category

2010s Dutch Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stoneware

Monumental Sculptural Brown and White Hand Carved Onyx Bowl or Centerpiece
Located in New York, NY
A monumental sculptural hand-carved onyx bowl with an undulating scalloped live edge in shades of deep chocolate brown, cream, white and beige. The coloration and proportion of this ...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Onyx

Tall Game of Stone Marble Center Piece by Josefina Munoz
Located in Geneve, CH
Tall game of stone marble center piece by Josefina Munoz Game of Stone Collection. Dimensions: H 12 x Ø 20cm. Material: marble Palissandro Blu Nuvolato. Also available in low cen...
Category

2010s Swiss Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Low Game of Stone Marble Center Piece by Josefina Munoz
Located in Geneve, CH
Low game of stone center piece, blue by Josefina Munoz Game of Stone Collection. Dimensions: H 8 x Ø 24 cm. Material: Marble Palissandro Blu Nuvolato. Also available in tall cent...
Category

2010s Swiss Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Vano Model 3 Green Object by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 3 Green Object by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 15.2 x H 39.4 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each pie...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Vano Model 2 Pink Object by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 2 Pink Object by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 25.4 x H 17.8 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each pie...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Vano Model 2 Blue Object by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 2 Blue Object by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 25.4 x H 17.8 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each piece may vary slightly in col...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Vano Model 1 Pink Tray by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 1 Pink Tray by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 6.8 x H 33 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each piece may ...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Vano Model 3 Pink Object by Eter Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Vano Model 3 Pink Object by Eter Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 15.2 x H 39.4 cm. Materials: Clay. Sustainable - Eco-friendly. Handmade. Each piece ...
Category

2010s American Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Decorative Hand Painted Italian Ceramic Large Fish Plate/Bowl by Vietri Italy
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful decorative hand-painted Italian large ceramic fish plate-bowl by Vietri Italy. The plate is in great condition with no chips or cracks and...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Postmodern Pair of Glass Vases by Tamara Aladin for Riihimaen Lasi Oy, Finland
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Finland, 1970s. Designed by Tamara Aladin and manufactured by Riihimaen Lasi Oy. Made in plum purple glass. They are rare and highly collecti...
Category

1970s Finnish Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Glass

Arrebol Tibor Diffuser by Studioroca
Located in Geneve, CH
Arrebol Tibor diffuser by STUDIOROCA Dimensions: W 18 x D 18 x H 30.5 cm Materials: Volcanic rock, polished brass plated steel, glass. Includes 1 essential oil 20mL bottle. STUDIOROCA is a Mexico City design studio focused on architecture, interior design and contemporary furniture. Its penchant for collaboration, the promotion of local talent, artisanal skills and natural materials, and its ever-present pull toward sustainable practices have seen the studio create highly emotive environments and unique functional pieces that speak of a forward-thinking, borderless approach to design. Intro Through architecture, interior design and furniture, STUDIOROCA portrays a distinct Mexican aesthetic, where sophisticated, elegant designs become bold statements of strong masculine lines and dark moody shades that contrast dramatically with elongated curves and highly textured surfaces. Based in Mexico City, the studio has, since its inception, offered much more than simple design solutions, its impetus always being to meaningfully improve lives through design. By promoting, supporting and offering a platform for other Mexican designers in its two stores in Polanco and Condesa, STUDIOROCA has been at the forefront of the modern-day Mexican design movement for over 15 years. The studio’s ability to artfully blend its own architecture and interior design with both local and international product is testament to its glocal outlook. While proudly Mexican and inherently influenced by the country’s culture and craftsmanship, its designs talk to a cosmopolitan, international sense of style. STUDIOROCA’s respect for the environment and reverence of traditional skills has led to the pursuit of sustainable practices, while its affinity for collaboration and promotion of artisanal skills has seen the studio produce work in conjunction with countless talented designers and craftspeople. Its confidently utilitarian designs are the result of risk-taking, boundary-pushing processes that emerge from STUDIOROCA’s constant quest to establish innovative solutions, while simultaneously respecting each of its projects’ unique locations, incorporating the surrounding environment into the design language. Working closely with clients, a personal rapport ensures delving into the core of every design requirement, leading to the ultimate achievement of deeply embedded needs. Ultimately, what STUDIOROCA presents is a fresh iteration of Mexican design, a version which is at once moving, intoxicating and comforting. History STUDIOROCA was founded by Carlos Acosta and Rodrigo Alegre. When, in 2002, the two independent Mexico City architects were commissioned to work collaboratively on the architecture and interiors of a new spa, they were frustrated by the lack of affordable furniture available, and embarked on designing their own pieces for the project. And so STUDIOROCA was born. Initially a furniture store in the heart of the then up-and-coming leafy suburb of Condesa, it has developed into a fully fledged architecture and interior-design studio, with another store in the city’s high-end design district of Polanco, which opened in 2011. Its line of furniture, all designed and manufactured in Mexico, had humble production beginnings in a small kitchen-design factory, a foundation that has carried through into the studio’s current philosophy of small-scale, high-quality production. In conjunction with its own range of functional pieces, STUDIOROCA has always invited other local designers to showcase their work in its two stores, and, what started with three additional designers’ pieces in 2002, has led to collaborations with many more, now presenting the limited-edition work of 28 Mexican designers through its UNION- brand, while continuing to retail exclusive international brands such as Tom Dixon, Moooi and GAN. 2 More recently, the studio’s architectural and interior projects have included large housing developments and hotels, fully employing STUDIOROCA’s 360-degree approach to design. Founders and team Architects by training, founders Carlos Acosta and Rodrigo Alegre prefer to follow an unconventional, integrated model of design that incorporates its many varied facets, allowing their two unique approaches to complement one another. Rodrigo, who graduated from Universidad Anáhuac Norte, is able to envision how color and texture will combine as he explores the emotive nuances he wishes to create within a new environment. His abstract thoughts are brought to life by Carlos, the rational half of the design duo. Trained at Universidad Iberoamericana, with a student exchange to the University of Texas, Carlos’ ability to grasp volumes and spaces brings dreams to fruition through the perfect positioning of wall divisions, furniture pieces and light-streaming windows. Their small dedicated team of designers and architects plays an integral role in realizing the studio’s ambitious visions, with over 200 projects having been completed by this intimate team. Beyond designing, these passionate professionals offer practical solutions, bringing their experience in all forms of design to manifest in big-picture thinking that pays attention to detail, celebrates collaboration and goes the extra mile. The approachable, personal style with which the STUDIOROCA team works is a reflection on the responsibility its people place on themselves as architects and designers who venture beyond the drawing board. Sustainability STUDIOROCA’s focus on sustainability has seen the company establish itself as a trailblazer in the realization of buildings and furniture pieces that are produced with a sense of conscience and responsibility, taking into account the full production chain, from material source to distribution of wealth. The studio has done away with environmentally harmful varnishes on its furniture pieces, and now only use FSC-certified hardwood. It also pledges to keep materials to a minimum, a consideration most appreciated in its 77 range of furniture, where only the necessary functional structures have been designed, and where small leftover pieces of wood from bigger cuts are utilized, rather than sourcing new pieces. This approach continues in its architecture and interior designs, with 80% of materials sourced locally. This, coupled with its use of solar panels, the harvesting of rainwater, and the inclusion of indigenous gardens in its projects, has led to STUDIOROCA’s application for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which is currently under review. For the studio, sustainability has a much further reach than the natural environment, however. Its projects take into account social, cultural and economic sustainability too, by ensuring its production chain – from the craftspeople producing hand-worked elements, to its low-environmental-impact manufacturing line – all sits within Mexico so that the 3 communities benefiting financially are those who have been an integral part of the process. Architecture In STUDIOROCA’s architectural projects, authentic materials that are true to their Mexican origin, such as local mountain rocks, regional marble and indigenous wood, are utilized in new ways to highlight their natural rawness, deep texture and prized imperfections, imbuing buildings with unique character. It’s through such character that every structure portrays its personality, suited to the people who live, work and relax within it. This unpretentious use of materials follows through to metals, which are encouraged to rust and patinate as the building interacts with nature’s elements and becomes part of the environment surrounding it, giving projects an essential sense of place, where the here and now is as important as the then and there. Interior design STUDIOROCA’s interior style leans toward textured materials and dark hues contrasted with paler wood and lighter accent tones. These evocative, luxurious interiors are enlivened by carefully considered lighting that enhances the tonality of moody dark browns, deep blues and a spectrum of blacks, and highlights textures through illuminated reflections. Where environments dictate a paler palette, textures and materials make up the necessary contrast. Local willow wood on wall panels, flooring made from recinto volcanic rock, and countertops decorated with Mexico’s retapado marble become talking points, made even more appealing with plant life and greenery introduced indoors. Furniture Combining its deep respect for handcrafted, artisanal product, and its future-forward approach to technology and innovation, STUDIOROCA’s range of furniture places emphasis on high-quality offerings, producing its ranges in low quantities, often customized to suit the specific requirements of its varied projects. Veering away from industrialized production lines, it employs sophisticated hand-worked machinery, in line with its approach to sustainability and simplicity. The studio’s premiere collection (2002-2008) was shaped by a groundbreaking application of materials and forms, resulting in award-winning designs that set contemporary Mexican design on the map. Pieces from this collection were shown at Fabrica Mexicana and Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City and in the MoMA store in New York. The 2008 Eco collection initiated a change in the production of STUDIOROCA’s furniture pieces, adapting a sustainable view regarding design – a philosophy that continues to guide the studio’s practices today. Sourcing FSC-certified wood, eliminating varnishes, and using local materials wherever possible, this collection was the start of a conscious undertaking to work with local artisans and support local industry, an outlook that was celebrated at the launch of the Eco range at the Mexican Gallery...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stone

Arrebol Escalonado by Studioroca
Located in Geneve, CH
Arrebol Escalonado by Studioroca. Dimensions: 18 x 18 x 30.5 cm. Materials: volcanics rocks essential oils diffuser. Studioroca is a Mexico City design studio focused on architecture, interior design and contemporary furniture. Its penchant for collaboration, the promotion of local talent, artisanal skills and natural materials, and its ever-present pull toward sustainable practices have seen the studio create highly emotive environments and unique functional pieces that speak of a forward-thinking, borderless approach to design. Intro Through architecture, interior design and furniture, STUDIOROCA portrays a distinct Mexican aesthetic, where sophisticated, elegant designs become bold statements of strong masculine lines and dark moody shades that contrast dramatically with elongated curves and highly textured surfaces. Based in Mexico City, the studio has, since its inception, offered much more than simple design solutions, its impetus always being to meaningfully improve lives through design. By promoting, supporting and offering a platform for other Mexican designers in its two stores in Polanco and Condesa, STUDIOROCA has been at the forefront of the modern-day Mexican design movement for over 15 years. The studio’s ability to artfully blend its own architecture and interior design with both local and international product is testament to its glocal outlook. While proudly Mexican and inherently influenced by the country’s culture and craftsmanship, its designs talk to a cosmopolitan, international sense of style. STUDIOROCA’s respect for the environment and reverence of traditional skills has led to the pursuit of sustainable practices, while its affinity for collaboration and promotion of artisanal skills has seen the studio produce work in conjunction with countless talented designers and craftspeople. Its confidently utilitarian designs are the result of risk-taking, boundary-pushing processes that emerge from STUDIOROCA’s constant quest to establish innovative solutions, while simultaneously respecting each of its projects’ unique locations, incorporating the surrounding environment into the design language. Working closely with clients, a personal rapport ensures delving into the core of every design requirement, leading to the ultimate achievement of deeply embedded needs. Ultimately, what STUDIOROCA presents is a fresh iteration of Mexican design, a version which is at once moving, intoxicating and comforting. History STUDIOROCA was founded by Carlos Acosta and Rodrigo Alegre. When, in 2002, the two independent Mexico City architects were commissioned to work collaboratively on the architecture and interiors of a new spa, they were frustrated by the lack of affordable furniture available, and embarked on designing their own pieces for the project. And so STUDIOROCA was born. Initially a furniture store in the heart of the then up-and-coming leafy suburb of Condesa, it has developed into a fully fledged architecture and interior-design studio, with another store in the city’s high-end design district of Polanco, which opened in 2011. Its line of furniture, all designed and manufactured in Mexico, had humble production beginnings in a small kitchen-design factory, a foundation that has carried through into the studio’s current philosophy of small-scale, high-quality production. In conjunction with its own range of functional pieces, STUDIOROCA has always invited other local designers to showcase their work in its two stores, and, what started with three additional designers’ pieces in 2002, has led to collaborations with many more, now presenting the limited-edition work of 28 Mexican designers through its UNION- brand, while continuing to retail exclusive international brands such as Tom Dixon, Moooi and GAN. 2 More recently, the studio’s architectural and interior projects have included large housing developments and hotels, fully employing STUDIOROCA’s 360-degree approach to design. Founders and team Architects by training, founders Carlos Acosta and Rodrigo Alegre prefer to follow an unconventional, integrated model of design that incorporates its many varied facets, allowing their two unique approaches to complement one another. Rodrigo, who graduated from Universidad Anáhuac Norte, is able to envision how color and texture will combine as he explores the emotive nuances he wishes to create within a new environment. His abstract thoughts are brought to life by Carlos, the rational half of the design duo. Trained at Universidad Iberoamericana, with a student exchange to the University of Texas, Carlos’ ability to grasp volumes and spaces brings dreams to fruition through the perfect positioning of wall divisions, furniture pieces and light-streaming windows. Their small dedicated team of designers and architects plays an integral role in realizing the studio’s ambitious visions, with over 200 projects having been completed by this intimate team. Beyond designing, these passionate professionals offer practical solutions, bringing their experience in all forms of design to manifest in big-picture thinking that pays attention to detail, celebrates collaboration and goes the extra mile. The approachable, personal style with which the STUDIOROCA team works is a reflection on the responsibility its people place on themselves as architects and designers who venture beyond the drawing board. Sustainability STUDIOROCA’s focus on sustainability has seen the company establish itself as a trailblazer in the realization of buildings and furniture pieces that are produced with a sense of conscience and responsibility, taking into account the full production chain, from material source to distribution of wealth. The studio has done away with environmentally harmful varnishes on its furniture pieces, and now only use FSC-certified hardwood. It also pledges to keep materials to a minimum, a consideration most appreciated in its 77 range of furniture, where only the necessary functional structures have been designed, and where small leftover pieces of wood from bigger cuts are utilized, rather than sourcing new pieces. This approach continues in its architecture and interior designs, with 80% of materials sourced locally. This, coupled with its use of solar panels, the harvesting of rainwater, and the inclusion of indigenous gardens in its projects, has led to STUDIOROCA’s application for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which is currently under review. For the studio, sustainability has a much further reach than the natural environment, however. Its projects take into account social, cultural and economic sustainability too, by ensuring its production chain – from the craftspeople producing hand-worked elements, to its low-environmental-impact manufacturing line – all sits within Mexico so that the 3 communities benefiting financially are those who have been an integral part of the process. Architecture In STUDIOROCA’s architectural projects, authentic materials that are true to their Mexican origin, such as local mountain rocks, regional marble and indigenous wood, are utilized in new ways to highlight their natural rawness, deep texture and prized imperfections, imbuing buildings with unique character. It’s through such character that every structure portrays its personality, suited to the people who live, work and relax within it. This unpretentious use of materials follows through to metals, which are encouraged to rust and patinate as the building interacts with nature’s elements and becomes part of the environment surrounding it, giving projects an essential sense of place, where the here and now is as important as the then and there. Interior design STUDIOROCA’s interior style leans toward textured materials and dark hues contrasted with paler wood and lighter accent tones. These evocative, luxurious interiors are enlivened by carefully considered lighting that enhances the tonality of moody dark browns, deep blues and a spectrum of blacks, and highlights textures through illuminated reflections. Where environments dictate a paler palette, textures and materials make up the necessary contrast. Local willow wood on wall panels, flooring made from recinto volcanic rock, and countertops decorated with Mexico’s retapado marble become talking points, made even more appealing with plant life and greenery introduced indoors. Furniture Combining its deep respect for handcrafted, artisanal product, and its future-forward approach to technology and innovation, STUDIOROCA’s range of furniture places emphasis on high-quality offerings, producing its ranges in low quantities, often customized to suit the specific requirements of its varied projects. Veering away from industrialized production lines, it employs sophisticated hand-worked machinery, in line with its approach to sustainability and simplicity. The studio’s premiere collection (2002-2008) was shaped by a groundbreaking application of materials and forms, resulting in award-winning designs that set contemporary Mexican design on the map. Pieces from this collection were shown at Fabrica Mexicana and Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City and in the MoMA store in New York. The 2008 Eco collection initiated a change in the production of STUDIOROCA’s furniture pieces, adapting a sustainable view regarding design – a philosophy that continues to guide the studio’s practices today. Sourcing FSC-certified wood, eliminating varnishes, and using local materials wherever possible, this collection was the start of a conscious undertaking to work with local artisans and support local industry, an outlook that was celebrated at the launch of the Eco range at the Mexican Gallery...
Category

2010s Colombian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stone

Calacatta Big Poche by Henry Wilson
Located in Geneve, CH
Calacatta Big Poche by Henry Wilson Dimensions: D 30 x H 7 cm Materials: Calacatta Marble The Big Poche reinterprets and scales up our Vide Poche Rond. Each piece is manufactured in...
Category

2010s Australian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Tapio Wirkaala "Porcelaine Noire" Centerpiece for Rosenthal Studio Linie, 1970s
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Centerpiece, fruit bowl, plate in black porcelain, vintage modernism, designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal Studio Linie “Porcelaine Noire” serie...
Category

1970s German Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Post Modern Tessellated Travertine Candlesticks by Renoir Designs, 1990s
Located in Miami, FL
Exceptional asymmetrical pair of Post-Modern candlesticks or candle holders rendered in two textured tessellated travertine, both polished smooth as well as rough chiseled. Designed ...
Category

Late 20th Century Philippine Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Travertine

Vintage Stainless Steel “Complet” Bowl by Jørgen Møller for Royal Copenhagen
Located in San Diego, CA
This vintage stainless steel bowl is simple yet graphic and a statement piece of design. The timeless simple, yet bold lines in brushed st...
Category

1980s Danish Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stainless Steel

Italy Post-Modern Mario Buccellati Silver Bowl Leaf
Located in Brescia, IT
This silver bowl of Mario Buccellati has an intense beauty and for this reason we can say that it can be a piece of art. The centerpiece is finely engraved, with details that reprod...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Silver

Mirage Contenitore Alto by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Contenitore Alto by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 6.2 cm Materials: green Guatemala marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the mono...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Handmade IOS P. Structure by Le Meduse
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade IOS P. Structure by Le Meduse Unique piece Dimensions: W 75, D 60, H 60 cm Materials: Plaster Each model is unique because it is handmade, it can be reproduced in a similar but not identical way. Request customization. Each model is part of a limited edition collection. I investigated the bone structures a wonderful microcosm revealing the amazing harmony hidden in the small, sometimes invisible natural forms. These structures have always been considered the element that most tells the story of a people and their settlement. This magnificent spongy structure is a work of art of nature...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Plaster

Handmade Topos Ribbon by Le Meduse
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade topos ribbon by Le Meduse Unique piece Dimensions: W 40, D 25, H 22 cm Materials: painted wood. Each model is unique because it is handmade, it can be reproduced in a ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Other

Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: green Guatemala marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the monolithic m...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Contenitore Basso by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Contenitore basso by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: green Guatemala marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the mon...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Carambola Centrepiece by Studio Lievito
Located in Geneve, CH
Carambola centrepiece by Studio Lievito Dimensions: D 33 x W 30 x H 5 cm Materials: Bianco carrara marble. Weight: 3.4 kg Fruits like billiard balls are ready to be ‘split’ during t...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: white Arabescato marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the monolithic ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Contenitore Alto by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Contenitore Alto by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 6.2 cm Materials: white Arabescato marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the mon...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Lente by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Lente by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: green Guatemala marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the monolithic mate...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Contenitore Basso by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Contenitore Basso by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: white Arabescato marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the mo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Contenitore Basso by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Contenitore basso by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: marble, Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the monolithic material...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirage Specchio by Studio Intervallo Dimensions: D 30 x H 3.2 cm Materials: black Marquinia marble. Available in other stones. The Mirage collection comes from the monolithic m...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Marble

Half Half Vase by Jung Hong
Located in Geneve, CH
Half half vase by Jung Hong Unique Piece Dimensions: W 22 x D 22 x H 23 cm Materials: Porcelain. I use the technique of 'sang-gam' (=inlay work) with my special tool, which I made myself, and create delicate and exact lines, which are all handmade, although they are often mistakenly considered manufactured. In the notched hollow lines, I delicately place the subtle different colors one by one, just as hyperrealist painters do. It took me about a year to get a detailed "moon" pattern on the porcelain "moon jar". I am a Berlin-based ceramic artist from Korea and these are very early works made in Berlin, Moon jar is a type of traditional Korean white porcelain...
Category

2010s German Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Postmodern Serving Tray in Stainless Steel and Glass by Michael Graves, 2000 USA
Located in Chicago, IL
This 2000 serving tray embodies Michael Graves' postmodern way of making everyday objects noble and accessible in a Postmodern way. Thick and round, the silicone handles have a good ...
Category

Early 2000s Taiwanese Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Stainless Steel

Half Half Vase by Jung Hong
Located in Geneve, CH
Half Half Vase by Jung Hong Unique Piece Dimensions: W 24.5 x D 24.5 x H 29.5 cm Materials: Porcelain I use the technique of 'sang-gam' (=inlay work) with my special tool, which I made myself, and create delicate and exact lines, which are all handmade, although they are often mistakenly considered manufactured. In the notched hollow lines, I delicately place the subtle different colors one by one, just as hyperrealist painters do. It took me about a year to get a detailed "moon" pattern on the porcelain "moon jar". I am a Berlin-based ceramic artist from Korea and these are very early works made in Berlin, Moon jar is a type of traditional Korean white porcelain...
Category

2010s German Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Italian Post-Modern Rectangular Rounded Centerpiece Metal from Maoli, 2000s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post-modern Rectangular rounded centerpiece in metal from Maoli, 2000s Rectangular rounded centerpiece in metal. It has rounded corners. Early 2000s. From the Maoli collect...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal

Half Half Vase by Jung Hong
Located in Geneve, CH
Half half vase by Jung Hong. Unique piece. Dimensions: W 30.5 x D 30.5 x H 34.5 cm. Materials: Porcelain. I use the technique of 'sang-gam' (=inlay work) with my special tool, which I made myself, and create delicate and exact lines, which are all handmade, although they are often mistakenly considered manufactured. In the notched hollow lines, I delicately place the subtle different colors one by one, just as hyperrealist painters do. It took me about a year to get a detailed "moon" pattern on the porcelain "moon jar". I am a Berlin-based ceramic artist from Korea and these are very early works made in Berlin, Moon jar is a type of traditional Korean white porcelain...
Category

2010s German Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Half Half Vase by Jung Hong
Located in Geneve, CH
Half half vase by Jung Hong Unique Piece Dimensions: W 28 x D 28 x H 31 cm Materials: Porcelain I use the technique of 'sang-gam' (=inlay work) with my special tool, which I made myself, and create delicate and exact lines, which are all handmade, although they are often mistakenly considered manufactured. In the notched hollow lines, I delicately place the subtle different colors one by one, just as hyperrealist painters do. It took me about a year to get a detailed "moon" pattern on the porcelain "moon jar". I am a Berlin-based ceramic artist from Korea and these are very early works made in Berlin, Moon jar is a type of traditional Korean white porcelain...
Category

2010s German Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Large Masuo Ojima Pottery Bowl
Located in Highland, IN
This large and striking bowl by Masuo Ojima (b 1949) has a beautiful deep emerald green glaze on the exterior and gunmetal on the interior. The wonderful physical presence makes it a...
Category

1980s American Vintage Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Pottery

Unique Ruff Sculpture by Marthine Spinnangr
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Ruff sculpture by Marthine Spinnangr One of a Kind Dimensions: D 3 (top) / 10 (bottom) x W 13 x H 20 cm Materials: Clay Different glaze t...
Category

2010s Norwegian Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Clay

Moon Vase by Jung Hong
Located in Geneve, CH
Moon vase by Jung Hong Unique Piece Dimensions: W 43 x D 43 x H 34 cm Materials: Porcelain Dyed porcelain, inlay, high temparature fired, polished silky fine surface (the moon map...
Category

2010s German Post-Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Porcelain

Post-modern centerpieces for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Post-Modern centerpieces for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage centerpieces created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, stoneware and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Post-Modern centerpieces made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original centerpieces, popular names associated with this style include Lino Sabattini, StudioNotte Design, Ambrogio Pozzi, and Franco Bucci. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for centerpieces differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $142 and tops out at $24,410 while the average work can sell for $2,419.

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