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.
$2,371Sale Price|20% Off
Carlo Nason Postmodern Italian Murano Glass Chandelier for Mazzega, 1970s
By AVMazzega, Carlo Nason
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Beautiful Murano glass chandelier, made by Carlo Nason for Mazzega in the 70s, the chandelier is composed of sixteen cylindrical cannuoli and a blown glass disc, the structure is in ...
Steel
Double Bronze Sconce by Solis Betancourt for Holly Hunt
By José Solís Betancourt 1, HOLLY HUNT
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing the exquisite "Double Bronze" Sconce by Solis Betancourt for Holly Hunt, a sophisticated addition to elevate your interior décor. Crafted ...
Bronze
1980s Heavy Metal Chrome Elephant Floor Lamp as Side Table Postmodern Design
Located in München, DE
Very rare chrome metal elephant as a floor lamp or table lamp. Great postmodern design from the 1980s. Made entirely of chromed metal, very high quality and solid. Many details su...
Metal, Chrome
$4,386 / item
Giotto Large Hanging Lamp by Roberto Paoli
Located in Geneve, CH
Giotto Large Hanging Lamp by Roberto Paoli Dimensions: Ø 140 x H 7 cm. Materials: Metal and polyethylene. This product is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Available in three di...
Metal, Other
$1,387 / item
Ne600 Mat Lamp by MLK Furniture
Located in Geneve, CH
Ne600 Mat Lamp by MLK Furniture Dimensions: D 20 x W 20 x H 63 cm. Materials: Stainless steel, acrylic. Available in mat, or mat and mirror. Also available in brass, copper, or stai...
Stainless Steel
Large Brass Table Lamp Signed G. Autier France, 1970s
By G. Autier
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Exceptional 1970s handcrafted design table lamp base by G. Autier, France. High quality geometrical brass sculpture. Incised signature G Autier Measures: Brass body height 11.4" in...
Brass
$794 / item
Anaka Table Lamp by Saadia Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Anaka Table Lamp by Saadia Design Dimensions: D 28 x W 28 x H 46 cm. Materials: Wood, linen, and rope. All our lamps can be wired according to each country. If sold to the USA it wi...
Linen, Rope, Wood
Snowflake 100 Pendant Lamp in 1 Side Painted Bamboo Plywood by David Trubridge
Located in Geneve, CH
Snowflake 100 Pendant Lamp in 1 Side Painted Bamboo Plywood by David Trubridge Dimensions: Ø 100 cm Materials: Bamboo plywood Plywood available in: untreated, 1 painted side, or 2 pa...
Bamboo, Plywood
No. 17 Set of 10 Circle blue/green/grey Pendant Lamps by Sander Bottinga
Located in Geneve, CH
No. 17 pendant lamp by Sander Bottinga Dimensions: H100 (custom size) x W122 x D48 cm Materials: brass, leather, wood, hand printed and painted linen. Composition made out of 10 p...
Brass
Terre Tobacco Ceramic Table Lamp by Grès Éditions
Located in Geneve, CH
Terre Tobacco Ceramic Table Lamp by Grès Éditions Unique Piece. Dimensions: Lampshade: Ø 30 x H 22 cm. Base: H 30 cm. Materials: Jute and ceramic. Weight: 2,4 kg. All our lamps can ...
Ceramic, Jute
$1,588 / item
Frame Miroir Small Wall Lamp by Violaine d'Harcourt
Located in Geneve, CH
Frame Miroir Small Wall Lamp by Violaine d'Harcourt Dimensions: D 11 x W 24 x H 35 cm. Materials: Lacquered steel and paper. Wall light in lacquered steel, made in Portugal, bulb in...
Steel
Top Top 125 Ultra Blue Pendant Lamp by +kouple
Located in Geneve, CH
Top Top 125 Ultra Blue Pendant Lamp by +kouple Dimensions: D 9,5 x W 7,2 x H 27,3 cm. Materials: Powder-coated steel. Available in different color options. The PVC cord length is 2...
Steel
Beige Ceramic Josef Table Lamp by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige Ceramic Josef Table Lamp by Simone & Marcel Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 41.5 cm. Materials: Brass, cotton and ceramic. Also available in different marble, wood and alabaster options ...
Brass
Ficapula Floor Lamp with Glass And Marble Base by Cassina
By Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ficapula Floor Lamp with Glass And Marble Base by Cassina DESIGN LAMP: NATURAL LINES With its organic shapes borrowed from the plant world, the eclectic style of the eye-catching F...
Glass
Post Modern Pendulum Torchiere Floor Lamp By Ron Rezek
By Ron Rezek
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
This Post Modern Pendulum Torchiere Floor Lamp by Ron Rezek is a striking example of late 20th-century design that balances sculptural form with functional lighting. Executed in a sl...
Metal
Göran Slöjdare, Wall Light, Pine, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pine wall light designed and produced by Göran Slöjdare, Sweden, c. 1970s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 9.75” H x 5.75” W x 5” D Back Plate Dimensions (inches): 9.75” H x 4.95” W ...
Pine
A BIG Red Lacquered SHABBY-CHIC POST-MODERN Geometric TABLE LAMP, France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
A very large and decorative table lamp (can be used as a floor lamp too), Art-Déco, Neo-Classical, Post-Modernist, with a square section base in golden metal, the body of the lamp be...
Metal
$1,295 / set
Postmodern Plaster Table Lamps, a Pair
Located in Bradenton, FL
A pair of postmodern urn shaped table lamps made of plaster. Shoulders are embossed with a textured pattern of green and light blush hexagons. Below, the body is concertina shaped, p...
Linen, Plaster
Francesco Buzzi Ceriani 'Cuffia' Table Lamp in Black Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Francesco Buzzi Ceriani 'Cuffia' table lamp, aluminum, steel, chrome, Italy, design 1960s The Cuffia table lamp, designed by Francesco Buzzi Ceriani in 1960s Italy, is a refined exa...
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
$8,464 / item
Continuum 900 Wall Sconce by Lost Profile Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Continuum 900 Wall Sconce by Lost Profile Studio Dimensions: W 38 x D 12 x H 90 cm Materials: Brass, Glass, Aluminium, LED Finishes: Aged Brass (w...
Aluminum, Brass, Other
Meritalia Alda Lamp, Small by Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
Created through a process that celebrates imperfection and unconventionality, the luminous objects by Edizioni del Pesce embody Gaetano Pesce's distinctive philosophy. Each luminous ...
Metal
Organic Form Contemporary Sculptural Branch Brass Chandelier by Morghen Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Dafne pendant light sculpted by Morghen Studio Materials: Grinded brass, LED Light, silicone Dimensions: 130 x 70 x 60 c...
Brass
Halo Matte Cream White Ceramic Table Lamp by Grès Éditions
Located in Geneve, CH
Halo Matte Cream White Ceramic Table Lamp by Grès Éditions Unique Piece. Dimensions: Lampshade: Ø 30 x H 22 cm. Base: H 30 cm. Materials: Jute and ceramic. Weight: 2,6 kg. Electrica...
Ceramic, Jute
$1,102 / item
White Alabaster Pura Table Lamp by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
White Alabaster Pura Table Lamp by Simone & Marcel Dimensions: Ø 40 x H 58 cm. Materials: Brass, cotton and white alabaster. Also available in different marble, wood and alabaster o...
Alabaster, Brass
Ostro Green Ceramic Wall Sconce by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
Ostro Green Ceramic Wall Sconce by Simone & Marcel Dimensions: D 17 x W 31 x H 31 cm. Materials: Ceramic and glass. Available in different ceramic and marble options and finishes. C...
Ceramic, Glass
Postmodern Spanish Chromed Table Lamp by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz, 1980s
By Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz, Leonardo Marelli
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Beauty and cool Postmodern Chromed Table Lamp by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. This Table Lamp was made in Barcelona (Spain) by Estiluz during 1980s. Model M-1131. “Estiluz” original...
Metal
Italian Postmodern Wall Light, 1970s
Located in Milan, IT
Monumental Italian Postmodern wall light. Carries 3 light bulbs.
Metal
$8,595 / item
Super Loft Pendant by United Alabaster
Located in Geneve, CH
Super Loft Pendant by United Alabaster ByBlasco Dimensions: W 210 x D 15 x H 100 cm (Customizable Height) Materials: Alabaster, Copper (Matt Black fin...
Alabaster, Copper
$15,081 / item
Vesper 230B Pendant Lamp by Morghen Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Vesper 230B Pendant Lamp by Morghen Studio Dimensions: 230 x 220 x 110 cm Materials: Blackened brass, Satin brass, LED light, Silicone Standard features: Light source: COB LED - 24v...
Brass
$4,232Sale Price / item|20% Off
Profana Sculptural Floor Lamp • Handmade Edition Steel • by Pedro Paulo-Venzon
Located in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
According to Giorgio Agamben, to profane is to bring into the human realm that which was only devoted to the gods. This discussion about inversion is the point of departure for Prof...
Steel
Postmodern Zen Table Lamp by Sergio & Oscar Devesa for Metalarte, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
A rare table light from the Spanish manufacturer Metalarte after a design by Sergio & Oscar Devesa from the 80s. The shape of this design is based on the properties and possibilitie...
Metal
Vintage Wall Lamp from Paulmann, 1980s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
Discover this vintage wall lamp from Paulmann from the 1980s in postmodern Memphis style. The colourful design made of metal in red and yellow and transparent Vintage wall lamp from ...
Metal
$1,400Sale Price|50% Off
1980s Space Age Triangular Murano Glass Flush / Wall Light
By La Murrina
Located in New York, NY
A hand Blown Murano Glass Triangular pyramid clear and white with gold fitting. Made by La Murrumbidgee 1980. Golden brass fixture. Rewired I’m. Three candelabra sockets. Signed.
Brass
Orange & Red Fractal Resin Table Lamp att. Pierre Giraudon - France 1970's
Located in New York, NY
A luminous, graphic cylindrical lamp made of fractal resin in shades of orange and red. Reminiscent of the work of Pierre Giraudon or Marie-Claude de Fouquières. In good vintage cond...
Resin
Postmodern Articulated Pair of Gold Wall Sconces by Estiluz, Barcelona, 1980s
By Estiluz Lighting, Estiluz, Leonardo Marelli
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Cool Articulated and Dimmable Postmodern Pair of Gold Wall Sconces by Leonardo Marelli for Estiluz. Model: A-1060 Gold. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Sp...
Metal
$1,861 / item
Medium Geo Sconce by The GoodMan Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Geo Sconce by The GoodMan Studio Dimensions (May vary): ⌀ 28 x H 6 cm (with ⌀ 11 cm sphere) Materials: Glass, Metal, Silver Leaf Blown glass with silvered leaf glass pearl ce...
Metal, Other
Beautiful 1970s Limburg glass ceiling lamp in octagon shape
Located in München, BY
Beautiful original 1970s glass ceiling lamp in an octagonal shape. The shade has a light gold tint and small air bubbles. Manufactured by Limburg. Very high-quality workmanship. Made...
Brass
Polifemo Floor Lamp by Carlo Forcolini for Artemide, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
During the 1980s, Artemide produced an Italian postmodern floor lamp crafted by the renowned designer Carlo Forcolino. This lamp features...
Metal
$5,737 / item
Rio Floor Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs
Located in Geneve, CH
Rio Floor Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs Dimensions: D 53.3 x H 172.7 cm Materials: Claypaste, metal. Available in Egg White, Blush Pink, Charcoal Black, or Nude. Please contact ...
Metal
$853 / set
White Brut Body Sconces by Di Fretto
Located in Geneve, CH
White Brut Body Sconces by Di Fretto Dimensions: W 26 x D 10 x H 27 cm Materials: White Faience The Body appliques are the 2 sides of the sculpture of a w...
Faience
Vintage French Model Dum-Dum Egg Glass Table Lamp from SCE, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Table lamp in the form of the French manufacturer SCE. The elegant glass diffuser shows the shape of a simple egg. In addition to the function as a functional light source, this lam...
Glass
Set Of 2 Nueé Matte Cream White Ceramic Table Lamps by Grès Éditions
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 Nueé Matte Cream White Ceramic Table Lamps by Grès Éditions Unique Pieces. Dimensions: Lampshade: Ø 30 x H 40 cm. Base: H 46 cm. Materials: Ecru cotton and ceramic. Weight: ...
Ceramic, Cotton
Pair of Thick Textured Glass and Brass Wall Lights by J.T. Kalmar, Austria, 1960
By J.T. Kalmar, Kalmar Lighting
Located in Rijssen, NL
Pair of wall light fixtures by J.T. Kalmar, Vienna, Austria, manufactured in circa 1960. The glass shows a beautiful ice-like texture, which gives a diffuse light effect and a nice p...
Brass
Small Rio Travertine Table Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Rio Travertine Table Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs Dimensions: D 15.2 x H 17.8 cm Materials: Travertine. Available in Green Forest marble, Sandstone, Travertine, or White ...
Travertine
$3,950 / set
Pair Of Murano Glass Sconces By Mazzega
By Mazzega, Carlo Nason
Located in Houston, TX
Pair Of Murano Glass Sconces By Mazzega. Offered is a stunning pair of Murano sconces designed by Carlo Nason for Mazzega in the 1970's. These sconces have a central pearlized white...
Chrome
$3,307 / item
Big Aurum Blue Glass Sconces by Alex de Witte
Located in Geneve, CH
Big Aurum blue glass sconces by Alex de Witte Dimensions: D 30 x H 40 cm Materials: Mouth blown glass It can be purchased as an ensemble or individual...
Blown Glass
Sputnik Chandelier with in Glass and Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sputnik chandelier, brass, opaline glass, Europe, 1970s. This Sputnik chandelier features six exquisite glass globes. The fixture is an elegant and striking design with six gracefu...
Brass
Post Modern Desk Lamp by Ron Rezek, ca. 1980's
Located in New York, NY
Chic 1980's desk lamp by Ron Rezek, in excellent original, clean and working condition, showing only light cosmetic wear, normal and consistent with age. The hood shade (6.5 in. diam...
Metal
Bo Paulsson, Wall Lights, Moulded Pine-Veneer, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of moulded pine-veneer wall lights, designed and produced by Bo Paulsson, Sweden, c. 1970s. Overall Dimensions: 9" H x 6" W x 5" D Bulb Specifications: E-14 Bulb Number of So...
Pine
$5,109 / item
Echo #3 Wall Light by Margaux Leycuras
Located in Geneve, CH
Echo #3 Wall Light by Margaux Leycuras *One of a Kind, Signed and numbered* Dimensions: D 6 x W 56 x H 53 cm. Material: Ceramic, sand stoneware top with a porcelain engobe finish and...
Ceramic, Porcelain, Stoneware, Mirror
Postmodern Italian Washington Table Lamp by Jean Michel Wilmotte, 1980s
By Lumen Center
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table lamp from the Italian manufacturer Lumen Center Italia based on a design by architect and designer Jean Michel Wilmotte from the 80s. This is the old, original versi...
Metal
Set of 2 Complementary Pêle-mêle Table Lamps by Daniel Schneiger
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Complementary Pêle-Mêle Table Lamps by Daniel Schneiger One of a Kind. Shade not included. Dimensions: D 15,3 x W 23 x H 45,8 cm (each). Materials: Cast from gypsum plaster....
Plaster
AVMazzega style. Palm Beach Regency Murano glass pendant lamp, Italy, 1970s
By Novaresi, La Murrina, Carl Fagerlund, AVMazzega, Barovier&Toso
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Palm Beach Regency style Murano glass pendant lamp in the style of Angelo Vittorio Mazzega, Italy, 1970s. Composed of two translucent handmade, blown and molded glass diffusers with ...
Metal, Chrome
Memphis Milano Treetops Lamp by Ettore Sottsass
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
Treetops by Ettore Sottsass is not just a lamp but a truly dynamic, slender and colourful presence, capable of infusing, with its lively allure, joy and lightheartedness to any envir...
Metal, Iron
Italian Postmodern Model Pao T2 Table Lamp by Matteo Thun for Arteluce, 1990s
By Arteluce
Located in Hamburg, DE
The large T2 table lamp version from the Pao lamp series by Matteo Thun. The Pao lamps captivate with their characteristic diffuser made of frosted glass. However, it is rather the ...
Glass, Wood
$10,432 / item
Set of 2 Halos Pendant Lamps by United Alabaster
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Halos Pendant Lamps by United Alabaster Dimensions: D 120 x H 150 cm (Adjustable Height) Materials: Alabaster Halo with a minimalist structure, fully illuminated to appreci...
Alabaster
$995 / item
Mod Glass Globe Wall Sconce by Lamp Shaper
Located in Geneve, CH
Mod Glass Globe Wall Sconce by Lamp Shaper Dimensions: D 14 x W 18 x H 38 cm. Materials: Brass and glass. Different finishes available: raw br...
Brass
$497 / item
Nuvol Simple Wall Light by Contain
Located in Geneve, CH
Nuvol simple wall light by Contain. Dimensions: D 10 x H 11 cm Materials: brass structure and opal glass. Available in different finishes. All our lamps can be wired according to ...
Brass
Set of 2 Vintage Italian Postmodern Meridiana Table Lamps by Paolo, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Set of 2 Vintage Italian Postmodern Meridiana Table Lamps by Paolo Francesco Piva for Stefano Cevoli, 1980s Two elegant table lights from the Italian manufacturer Stefano Cevoli aft...
Metal
$1,301 / item
Bright Breeze Pendant Lamp by Nordic Tales
Located in Geneve, CH
Bright Breeze Pendant Lamp by Nordic Tales Designed by Jonas Hoejgaard Dimensions: Ø 23 x H 23 cm. Materials: Glass and brass. Finish: Crema textile cord. Dimensions may vary. All o...
Brass