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.
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
Giovanni Battista e Giampiero Bassi for Studio Luce ‘Cactus’ Table Lamp
By Studio Luce, Giovanni Battista
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
Gianemilio, Piero and Anna Monti for Candle 'Luna' Table Lamp in Fiberglass
By Candle, Gianemilio Piero and Anna Monti
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
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
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
$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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
$1,484Sale 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
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
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
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
An Important ART-DECO NEOCLASSICAL TABLE LAMP by PHILIPPE BARBIER, France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
An important elegant table lamp, Post-Modernist, NeoClassical, Shabby-Chic, a black lacquered metal cubic base and a wide spherical body with a final cylindrical lampshade, by Philip...
Metal
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
Pete Sans for Taller Uno. Post-Modern table/floor lamp, Spain, 1980s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Post-Modern table or floor lamp designed by Pete Sans for Taller Uno, Spain, 1980s. "Jellyfish" model lamp, 1984. Made of polished aluminum and sewn parchment shade. Its shape evokes...
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
$1,440Sale Price|40% Off
Post-Modern Missoni Table Lamp by Massimo Valloto, Italy, 1980s
By Missoni, Missoni Home
Located in Vienna, AT
An amazing colorful postmodern Missoni table or side lamp from the 1980s, designed by Massimo Valloto, executed by Ceramiche Viba, Bassano, Italy. This light has a conical unusual ce...
Metal, Brass
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
A POP POST-MODERN Lucite TABLE LAMP by MARIE-CLAUDE DE FOUQUIERES France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
DESCRIPTION: An exceptional and sculptural monolythic table lamp or night light, Post-Modernist, Pop, Space-Age, in a block of massive yellow amber fractal resin, illuminated transpa...
Lucite, Plexiglass
Mario Bellini for Artemide Table or Floor Lamp 'Circo' in Off-White Canvas
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Artemide, table or floor lamp, lacquered metal, canvas, Italy, 1978. Quirky and quite unique, this 'circo' table lamp designed by Mario Bellini, is a true example...
Metal
Rare Pair of Post-Modern Adjustable 'Orbit' Lamps by Ron Rezek
By Ron Rezek
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare pair of adjustable 'Orbit' lamps by Ron Rezek, circa 1980. High-end Post-Modern design featuring adjustable height swing arms and 2 light intensity settings: full, half, off. T...
Aluminum, Steel
Memphis Milano Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
Tahiti, a masterpiece by Ettore Sottsass, is an ironic lamp with a zoomorphic shape that recalls childhood games: a lamp is hidden in the head, ideal for lighting a table. The base w...
Metal
Postmodern Martini Lamp by David Krys
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A rare 1993 postmodern martini lamp designed by David Krys. Metal wire forms the glass' shape with a skewered green olive stuffed with a red light bulb disguised as a pimento. Great ...
Chrome
Italian Model On Off Table Lamp by Alberto Meda for Luceplan, 1990s
By Alberto Meda
Located in Hamburg, DE
Small table lamp by Luceplan based on a design by Alberto Meda. This lamp has a very special feature. Tilting the light turns it on or off. On Off is the basis of the design concept...
Plastic
A SHABBY-CHIC BAROQUE NEO-CLASSICAL Sculptural Bronze TABLE LAMP, France 1980.
By Philippe Anthonioz
Located in PARIS, FR
An elegant and sculptural very large table lamp (or small floor lamp) of organic, plant inspiration, Post-Modernist, Neo-Baroque, rectangular base and vertical axis with sculpted bronze body with gunmetal patina, in the spirit of Philippe Anthonioz...
Bronze
$1,900
Murano Gilt Glass Lamp
Located in Houston, TX
1980s Italian Murano glass table lamp with gold gilt bands and a lucite base. Newly wired. Dimensions include lamp shade.
Murano Glass, Lucite
$1,500 / item
Martine Bedin Super Memphis Milano Postmodern
By Memphis Group, Martine Bedin
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Famous Super lamp deigned by Martine Bedin. Six light bulb along with its back. With wheel and movable. Iconic one in Memphis Milano and 1980s Postmodern designs.
Stainless Steel
Postmodern Multidirectional Chrome Desk Lamp by Walter Von Nessen
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful and rare multidirectional desk lamp by Nessen Studios in chrome finish and steel, shade shown that rotates side to side, and the classic Nessen arm retractable system. the ...
Chrome
Very cool pop art Post Modern table lamp with colorful Resin Pretzels sculpture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Very cool pop art Post Modern lamp featuring a central frosted white light column supporting a vertical stack of resin pretzels. Each pretzel topped with a crystalline granular textu...
Resin, Acrylic
$1,440Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pr. Mid Century Cast Plaster Cactus Table Lamps by Bon Art
Located in New York, NY
Tres chic pair of cast plaster cactus table lamps, in very fine original condition. Both lamps are in working condition, original shades included, but s...
Plaster
Postmodern Mushroom Glass Table Lamp, Italy
Located in Hamburg, DE
Imposing glass table lamp of Italian origin. Screen and foot of the luminaire are made of colored glass and show a circumferential groove structure. In contrast to the violet glass ...
Metal
$4,957Sale Price|25% Off
Carlo Nason for Mazzega Murano Glass Table Lamp LT328 Model 1970s
By Mazzega, Carlo Nason
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian table lamp model LT328 designed by Carlo Nason for Mazzega vetri di Murano composed of 4 pulegosi glasses and metal base, Italy 1970s Note that the lamp is original to the ...
Metal
Postmodern Model Z-Lite Zig Zag Flexible Table Lamp, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table lamp with a transformable design. The Z-Lite or Zig Zag desk lamp is characterized by its complex construction and versatility. It ...
Metal
"Estela" Lamp BRAZIL - 1997
By Fernando and Humberto Campana
Located in Forest, BE
Designed by the Brazilian due Humerto and Fernando Campana for Oluce in 1997, and integrating the permanent collection of Vitra, the “Estela” lamp uses a simple solution consisting o...
Metal
Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs PostModern Deco Sleek Chrome Bankers Desk Lamp
By George Kovacs, Robert Sonneman
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
1980’s, award winning, postmodern, Memphis.Era, modernist, re-imagined art deco, bankers desk touch lamp Designed by Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs, This stunning, elegant lamp...
Chrome
$1,320Sale Price|20% Off
David Grant Maul Blown Glass Neon Lamp Sculpture, 1983
By Rudi Stern
Located in Miami, FL
Artisan blown glass neon lamp sculpture on black acrylic base by David Grant Maul, 1983. Singed and dated.
Glass, Acrylic
$469Sale Price / set|50% Off
Postmodern Pair of "Delta" Table Lamps by Mario Bertorelle for JM RDM, 1980s
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Unique Italian pair of table lamps by Mario Bertorelle, from 1980s. These pieces were made during the 1980s in Massanzago by JM RMD. These table lamps are named Delta. Delta is the ...
Plastic
$4,487Sale Price / set|50% Off
Pair of French Fondica Golden Bronze 90’s Table Lamps
By Stephane Galerneau, Fondica
Located in New York, NY
A sophisticated pair of golden bronze lamps with twisted coral column bodies. The sculptural French dore table lamps were designed by Stephane G...
Gold, Bronze
Italian Postmodern Model Pao T2 Table Lamp by Matteo Thun for Arteluce, 1990s
By Matteo Thun
Located in Hamburg, DE
The large T2 table lamp version from the Pao lamp series by Matteo Thun. The Pao lights impress with their characteristic diffuser made of frosted glass. What is particularly specia...
Glass
Soft Futurism Lamina Lamp in Aluminum and Marble by Filippo Andrighetto
Located in Geneve, CH
Soft Futurism Lamina Lamp in Aluminum and Marble by Filippo Andrighetto. Dimensions: W 21 x D 21 x H 45 cm. Materials: Gently brushed aluminum and marble. Available in marble option...
Marble, Aluminum
LOP Big Rectangle Dreamy by BằNG - Unboring Object
Located in Geneve, CH
LOP Big Rectangle Dreamy by BằNG - Unboring Object Dimensions: W 24 x D 25.5 x H 60 cm. Materials: acrylic, stainless steel, matte opal glass. Light bulb included and replaceable: ...
Stainless Steel
Post-Modern hand-crafted Cocoon resin table lamps, Italy, 70s
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni, Tobia Scarpa
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of sculptural hand-crafted cocoon table lamps, Italy, 1970s. Formed by several varnished pine wood elements of different shapes and sizes, creating two curious columns of a cert...
Resin, Wood, Pine
Italian modern table lamp Daphine Classic by Tommaso Cimini for Lumina, 2010s
By Tommaso Cimini, Lumina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern table lamp Daphine Classic by Tommaso Cimini for Lumina, 2010s Adjustable table lamp model Daphine Classic in black painted metal. The compact base, complete with a sw...
Metal
$1,614Sale Price / set|20% Off
Seguso style. Post-Modern Scavo Murano glass table lamps, Italy, 1980s.
By Seguso Vetri d'Arte, F. Fabbian, De Majo, Venini, AVMazzega
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of Neoclassical and Post-Modern style handmade Murano glass table lamps in the style of Seguso, Italy, 1980s. Each piece is composed of an amphora-shaped or jar-shaped aquamarin...
Metal
Pair of blue murrine Idra table lamps, murano, Rosanna Toso, Leucos, Italy, 1982
By Leucos, Rosanna Toso
Located in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, FR
Hand made Murano blown glass table lamp, manufactured by Leucos during the 1980's. It was designed by Rosanna Toso in 1982 and originally produced in two size in the color blue/gree...
Blown Glass, Glass, Art Glass, Milk Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine, Opalin...
Brittish Designer, Table Lamp, Ceramic, United Kingdom, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A black and white-glazed ceramic table lamp designed and produced in Great Britain, c. 1970s. Dimensions of Lamp (inches): 12.45” H x 4.5” Diameter Dimensions of Shade (inches): 7” ...
Ceramic
Vintage Unique Accent Lamp Base Pottery Paper Mache Post Modern
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a unique accent lamp base, showcasing a head decoupaged in vintage comic strip paper panels held by two oversized, white-gloved cartoon hands. Paper mache cr...
Pottery, Stoneware, Paper
$802Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern "Bonsai" Wood Table Lamp by Josep Llusca for Blauet, Barcelona, 1990s
By Josep Llusca, Blauet
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Unique and pretty Postmodern Spanish "Gran Bonsai" Beech Wood Table Lamp by Blauet. Model: B1458-12 Cherry / Satin Nickel. This Table Lamp was designed by Josep Llusca for Blauet, S....
Metal
LOVERS Handmade Ceramic Table Lamp, Postmodern Memphis-Inspired Design
Located in Istanbul, TR
LOVERS is a handmade ceramic table lamp inspired by affection, connection, and the playful warmth of shared feelings. Its sculptural ceramic body is individually hand-built and deco...
Ceramic
Postmodern Spanish "Fina" Wood Table Lamp by Blauet, Barcelona, 1990s
By Blauet
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Unique and pretty Postmodern Spanish "Fina" Beech Wood Table Lamp by Blauet. Model: B-1485 Natural. This Table Lamps was designed by Josep Llusca for Blauet, S.A. This Table Lamp was...
Beech, Textile
$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
LOP Small Rectangle Clear by BằNG - Unboring Object
Located in Geneve, CH
LOP Small Rectangle Clear by BằNG - Unboring Object Dimensions: W 18 x D 19.5 x H 38 cm. Materials: dichroic acrylic, stainless steel, matte opal glass. Light bulb included and rep...
Stainless Steel
Winnie Table Lamp in Rattan, Wood and Printed Cotton by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Winnie Table Lamp in Rattan, Wood and Printed Cotton by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 57 cm. Materials: Painted natural rattan frame structure completed with a printed cotton ...
Rattan, Lacquer, Wood
Large Unique Postmodern Table Lamp in Brushed Steel 1970s
Located in Meer, VAN
Large Unique Postmodern Table Lamp in Brushed Steel 1970s A truly remarkable one-off postmodern table lamp in brushed steel. The Netherlands, late 1970s. This sculptural table lamp...
Steel