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.
Postmodern Moroccan Berber Pattern Black and Silver Beige Abstract Rug No Fringe
Located in New York, NY
The Rapture Collection is a high-end rug collection that includes 29 rug design options, in 155 design and rug color combinations, totaling 620 various design-color-size combinations...
Cotton, Polyester
1980s Postmodern Unique Shape Floral Pink & Purple Rug 12’x9’
Located in Bensalem, PA
Stunning pick and violet floral postmodern custom wool rug signed on bottom
Wool
Postmodern Rug by by Masland Carpets c 1980's
Located in New York, NY
Classic 1980's Hollywood Regency, Art Deco Revival, Post Modern style bespoke carpet, rug by noted American maker Masland. The carpet is constructed of spun nylon, it is in very goo...
Nylon
$704Sale Price|28% Off
Vintage Postmodern Geometric Area Rug, circa 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Postmodern Geometric Area Rug. circa 1980s Features an abstract design on tufted wool in dark tones of greens, magenta, and cream around a black center. In excellent origin...
Wool
Neptune Squiggle Small Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Neptune Squiggle Small Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio Dimensions: W 135 x L 200 cm. Materials: Wool. Available in different colors and size options. Prices may vary...
Wool
Vintage Berber Moroccan Rug with Color Block Design
Located in Dallas, TX
21066, vintage Berber Rehamna Moroccan rug with color block pattern and Cubist style. Drawing inspiration from Paul Klee, Sonia Delaunay, and Theo van Doesburg, this hand knotted woo...
Wool
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Sculpted Blue White and Pink Foliage Rectangular Area Rug
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Exceptional vintage postmodern rectangular area rug. Features a vibrant display of pink, white and blue foliage on a black backdrop. Rug 6
Fabric
Norden Hide Squiggle Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Norden Hide Squiggle Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio Dimensions: W 150 x L 210 cm. Materials: Wool. Available in different colors and size options. Prices may vary. ...
Wool
Sam Turner Cityscape The Rug Company Carpet in Chocolate Brown 100 Knot, c 2019
By Sam Turner, The Rug Company
Located in New York, NY
Stunning Cityscape rug by Sam Turner for The Rug Company. The rug was executed in rich chocolate brown with geometric rectangular lines, this example is in excellent original conditi...
Wool, Silk
Moss Green Squiggle Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Moss Green Squiggle Rug Crafted in New Zealand Wool by Okej Studio Dimensions: W 180 x L 245 cm. Materials: Wool. Available in different colors and size options. Prices may vary. C...
Wool
Vintage Hand-Knotted Rug, model "Orion" designed by Ottavio Missoni for Missoni
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a breathtaking postmodern rug designed by Ottavio Missoni for Missoni. Model "Orion" is an iconic piece designed as a patc...
Wool
$7,700Sale Price|21% Off
Missoni Post-Modern Wool Rug, 1980s, Italy, Signed
By Missoni, Missoni Home
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Attention interior designers, this is the rug you need for that high-profile cover-worthy room you're working on. This signed Missoni rug is from the 1980s Italy and in an oh-so-on-t...
Wool
$6,662 / item
No.08 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr
Located in Geneve, CH
No.08 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr Dimensions: D290 x H350 cm Materials: 85% wool 15% cotton no.08 is a true eclectic statement piece celebrating the understated lush aesthetics of Cappele...
Wool, Cotton
MEMPHIS GJS 1 Limited Edition Geometric-Shaped Rug / George J Sowden (Rare)
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
This striking & elegant carpet is from a Limited Edition of 36 units (ours is Edition # 5 of 36, hand signed by the artist/designer George J Sowden, one of the original MEMPHIS membe...
Wool
$17,008 / item
Cocoon Large Rug by Art & Loom
Located in Geneve, CH
Cocoon large rug by Art & Loom Dimensions: D 304.8 x H 426.7 cm Materials: 100% New Zealand wool Quality (Knots per Inch): 80 Also available in differ...
Wool
Big Hand Knotted "Ricky" Rug, Florian Pretet and Lisa Mukhia Pretet
By Florian Pretet, Atelier Février
Located in Geneve, CH
Big hand knotted "Ricky" rug, Florian Pretet and Lisa Mukhia Pretet Dimensions: 200 x 290 cm Materials: 90% Himalayan wool, 10% silk Hand knotted in Nep...
Wool, Silk
$6,350 / item
Almond Coral Rug by Volver Studios
Located in Geneve, CH
Almond Coral Rug by Volver Studios Dimensions: W 250 x L 350 cm. Materials: Wool and bamboo. Available in seven size options: 90 x 240 cm, 140 x 200 cm, 170 x 240 cm, 200 x 300 cm, ...
Wool, Bamboo
MEMPHIS "ARIZONA" Carpet / Nathalie Du Pasquier (France) / PostModern Rug
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
Looking at ARIZONA by Nathalie Du Pasquier feels like standing in front of an abstract painting, where the sculptural forms of Memphis design seem to be flattened onto a two-dimensio...
Wool
$1,032 / item
Hand Tufted Block Rug by Hatsu
Located in Geneve, CH
Hand Tufted Block Rug by Hatsu. Dimensions: D 213 x W 152.4 cm Materials: Wool. Hatsu is a design studio based in Mumbai that creates modern lighting that are unique and immediatel...
Wool
Vintage Boujad Moroccan Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
74776 Vintage Red Boujad Moroccan Rug, 04'05 X 11'09. Discover the allure of Boujad rugs, originating from the vibrant city of Boujad in the Khouribga region—a once pivotal pilgrimag...
Wool
$2,905 / item
Gold/Orange Handwoven Tapestry by Calyah
Located in Geneve, CH
Gold/Orange handwoven tapestry by Calyah Unique piece Materials: Tibetan wool and silk. Dimensions: 170 x 65 x 1 cm Colour: gold/orange. Also available in red/yellow, white/blue...
Wool, Silk
$3,817 / item
Moss Green Earth Carpet by Massimo Copenhagen
Located in Geneve, CH
Moss Green Earth Carpet by Massimo Copenhagen Handwoven Materials: 100% New Zealand Wool Dimensions: W 300 x H 400 cm Available colors: Verte Grey, Mos...
Wool
Zabihi Collection Antique Persian Mahal Rug
Located in New York, NY
an early 20th-century soft mellow color room size mahal rug Details rug no. 9706 size 8' 8" x 10' 6" (264 x 320 cm)
Wool
Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug with Industrial Postmodern Cubism Style
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
51895, Zeki Muren distressed vintage Turkish Sivas rug with Industrial Postmodern Cubism style. The versatility of this rug lies in its simple, colorful checkerboard design. Whether ...
Wool
$5,675
Turkish Konya Rug
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Turkish Konya rug.
Wool
MEMPHIS "CALIFORNIA" Carpet / Nathalie Du Pasquier / PostModern Rug
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
CALIFORNIA, the rug created by Nathalie Du Pasquier in 1983, reflects the designer’s creativity: it is a festival of different visual stimuli gathered over the years, presented here ...
Wool
$6,300Sale Price|25% Off
Missoni Post-Modern Striped Rug, circa 1980, Italy, Signed
By Missoni Home, Missoni
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Attention interior designers, this is the large rug you need for that high-profile cover-worthy room you're working on. This signed Missoni rug is from the 1980s Italy and in an oh-s...
Wool
Italian postmodern rug by MiSSONI, label present
By Missoni Home, Ottavio Missoni
Located in Milano, IT
Explore the iconic aesthetic of the 1980s with this postmodern Italian rug by Missoni, an authentic expression of the boldest and most creative interior design of the 20th century. M...
Wool
Vintage Berber Moroccan Boucherouite Rug with Bohemian Tribal Style
Located in Dallas, TX
21532 vintage Berber Moroccan Boucherouite rug with Bohemian Tribal style 03'03 x 04'10. Showcasing an expressive tribal design, incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted cott...
Wool, Cotton
$5,234 / item
Curve Volcano Nuances Rug by Gandia Blasco
Located in Geneve, CH
Curve Volcano Nuances Rug by Gandia Blasco Design by Patricia Urquiola Dimensions: W 200 x H 300 cm. Materials: Fiber composition: Felt base (75% wool + 2...
Wool, Natural Fiber
$1,400Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary Hand Knotted Rug Designed by Chris Baisa for Delinear
By Chris Baisa
Located in San Diego, CA
Delinear Inc. was founded in San Francisco in 1996 by Chris Baisa, whose creative work spans textile, product and furniture design. Baisa’s Gridloc tables were sold at SFMOMA, The Ar...
Wool
$4,802Sale Price|20% Off
Italian Artist Ugo Nespolo Early Rug, Italy, 1970s
By Ugo Nespolo
Located in Milan, IT
Italian artist Ugo Nespolo early rug, Italy, 1970s. Signed.
Wool
New Purple Berber Beni Mrirt Moroccan High-Low Rug, 08'06 x 13'08
Located in Dallas, TX
21164 New Purple Beni Mrirt Moroccan High-Low Rug 08'06 x 13'08. This hand-knotted wool modern Beni Mrirt Moroccan rug is a splendid embodiment of the rich traditions of Moroccan wea...
Wool
$3,925 / item
Lilac Giro Rug by Gandia Blasco
Located in Geneve, CH
Lilac Giro Rug by Gandia Blasco Design by MUT Design Dimensions: W 132 x H 324 cm. Materials: 100% wool. Weight: 18,5 kg Passion for life outdoors, a dream come true on the edge of...
Wool
Contemporary Abstract Afghan Square Rug
Located in New York, NY
21st century square one of a kind Afghan contemporary rug with a colorful abstract design. Measures:8.2" x 8.5".
Wool
$3,637 / item
Ame Beige Goz Rug by Gandia Blasco
Located in Geneve, CH
Ame Beige Goz Rug by Gandia Blasco Design by Kengo Kuma Dimensions: W 176 x H 240 cm. Materials: Wool, teak wood. Weight: 11,18 kg Passion for life outdoors, a dream come true on ...
Wool, Teak
$2,950
Tapete Glifo
Located in Mérida, MX
Handmade on a pedal loom by Zapotec weavers working from their community in Oaxaca. The traditional patterns in the Zapotec wool rugs are glyphs, fretwork animals and idols taken from the archeological remains in the town's church and Mitla as well as the Mixtec codices. Chuch's zapotec rug...
Wool
$13,673 / item
Lecourbe 1967 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Lecourbe 1967 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 240 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W140 x L220, W170 x L240, W210 x L300, W230 x L300, W240 x L300 cm. Atelier...
Wool, Silk
$5,342 / item
Yggdrasil Red Rug by Volver Studios
Located in Geneve, CH
Yggdrasil Red Rug by Volver Studios Dimensions: W 250 x L 250 cm. Materials: Wool. Available in thirteen size options. Also available in custom measurements. Prices may vary. Please...
Wool
$6,350 / item
Dahlia Rug by Volver Studios
Located in Geneve, CH
Dahlia Rug by Volver Studios Dimensions: W 250 x L 350 cm. Materials: Wool and bamboo. Available in seven size options: 90 x 240 cm, 140 x 200 cm, 170 x 240 cm, 200 x 300 cm, 250 x ...
Wool, Bamboo
Forme celate Rug abstract motif Agostino Goccione, Paracchi
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Forme Celate carpet with abstract carpet motif designed by Agostino Goccione for Paracchi, characterized by the artist's typical pictorial language. Fluid geometries and chromatic ba...
Textile, Cotton
The Modernist Mirage: A Contemporary Moroccan Masterpiece of Bauhaus Geometry
Located in Dallas, TX
53200 New Contemporary Moroccan Rug, 09'11 x 12'04. This striking contemporary Moroccan rug, hand knotted in wool in Turkey, is a confident dialogue between modernist design and artisanal tradition. Drawing clear inspiration from Cubist abstraction and Bauhaus rigor, the composition is unapologetically architectural—an intellectual textile created for interiors where design literacy and connoisseurship quietly command the room. It is not merely decorative; it is a statement of cultivated taste. The sumptuous field unfolds in a hypnotic all-over geometry: disciplined horizontal rows of concentric cubes...
Wool
New Modern Blue Berber Beni Mrirt Moroccan Rug with Expressionist Style
Located in Dallas, TX
21168 Rare Modern Blue Beni Mrirt Moroccan Rug, 12'03 x 13'08. An exquisite masterpiece of modern Moroccan weaving, this hand-knotted wool Beni Mrirt rug is a portal to a dreamscape—...
Wool
$16,459 / item
CF BP Bluepass by Caturegli Formica
Located in Geneve, CH
CF BP bluepass by Caturegli Formica Dimensions: W 225 x L 240 cm Materials: Wool Carpets as deep information Carpets are very common items. But it has never really been clear...
Wool
New Contemporary Olive Geometric Textured Carpet with Modern Raised Design
Located in Dallas, TX
31186 New Modern Geometric High-Low Rug with Earthy Hues, 09'11 x 14'03. Modern geometric high-low rugs from India are contemporary area rugs characterized by bold geometric designs ...
Wool
$3,057 / item
Skin Rug - Brazillian designers collection
By Tri Design
Located in Londrina, Paraná
This rug was named Skin for representing different shades of people skin colors. It pays a homage to cultural diversity. This rug is produced in association with Tapetah. Reference ...
Polyester
$5,798 / item
Regenerated Nylon Areia Rug by Studio Orth
Located in Geneve, CH
Regenerated Nylon Areia Rug by Studio Orth Dimensions: W 300 x D 179 x H 3 cm Materials: eco-friendly regenerated nylon (ECONYL®) About: Studio Orth is a multidisciplinary furnitur...
Nylon
Vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal Rug with Contemporary Abstract Style
Located in Dallas, TX
74526 Vintage Berber Moroccan Rug with Contemporary Abstract Style. More than the asymmetrical beauty found in the geometric pattern, this hand-knotted wool contemporary abstract Mor...
Wool, Cotton
Vintage Handwoven Rug with Abstract Design, 1980s
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
Beautiful high quality rug with abstract geometric design in bauhaus manner. Made out of handwoven wool. Marked on backside but brand unreadable. In very good condition with only lig...
Wool
Postmodern Designer Rug, hand- knotted 100% wool, India 1990s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a gorgeous Postmodern rug with abstract pattern. It features a beautiful palette of colours, from medium dark grey, severa...
Wool
$29,184 / item
Wetland Rug by Estudio Raffreyre
Located in Geneve, CH
Wetland rug by Estudio Raffreyre Dimensions: W 500 x 800 cm Materials: Hanging Fibers ESTUDIO RF is located in Lima, Peru. We are dedicated to the research of the contemporary h...
Other
Eco-Friendly Regenerated Nylon Coral Seixo Rug by Studio Orth
Located in Geneve, CH
Eco-Friendly Regenerated Nylon Coral Seixo Rug by Studio Orth Dimensions: W 208 x L 170 x H 3 cm Materials: eco-friendly regenerated nylon (ECONYL®) About: Studio Orth is a multidi...
Nylon
Vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal Rug, Cozy Boho Chic Meets Tribal Enchantment
Located in Dallas, TX
21763 Vintage Neutral Moroccan Azilal Rug, 05'04 x 05'06. Step into the enchanting realm of Azilal rugs, where each strand tells a story meticulously crafted by skilled artisans amid...
Wool
Vintage Berber Moroccan Rug with Postmodern Boho Chic and Memphis Style
Located in Dallas, TX
21051, vintage Berber Moroccan rug with Postmodern boho chic and Memphis Style 06'11 x 10'00. This hand-knotted wool vintage Berber Moroccan rug features a compartmental design sprea...
Wool
Colorful Vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
20625 Vintage Boucherouite Moroccan Azilal Rag Rug, 03'05 x 06'02. Azilal rag rugs, also recognized as Azilal Boucherouite rugs, epitomize sustainable craftsmanship originating from ...
Wool
$3,637 / item
Tsuchi Brown Goz Rug by Gandia Blasco
Located in Geneve, CH
Tsuchi Brown Goz Rug by Gandia Blasco Design by Kengo Kuma Dimensions: W 176 x H 240 cm. Materials: Wool, teak wood. Weight: 11,86 kg Passion for life outdoors, a dream come true ...
Wool, Teak
1990’s Colorful Purple Beni MGuild Berber Moroccan Carpet with Modern Style
By Berber Tribes of Morocco, Beni M'Guild
Located in Dallas, TX
20959 Vintage Purple Beni MGuild Moroccan Rug, 06'01 x 09'04. Crafted by the skilled hands of Berber women from the Ait M'Guild tribe in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Beni Mguild r...
Wool
The Chromatic Grid: A Modern Moroccan Masterpiece of Geometric Expression
By Mark Rothko, Gunta Stölzl, Paul Klee
Located in Dallas, TX
80697 Modern Moroccan Color Block Rug Inspired by Gunta Stolzl, 10'05 x 13'10. Presenting a resplendent testament to artistic audacity and daring creativi...
Wool
New Contemporary Moonlit Dusk Modern Ikat Rug, 09'07 x 13'10
Located in Dallas, TX
30349 New Moonlit Dusk Modern Ikat Rug, 09'07 x 13'10. This hand knotted wool Moonlit Dusk Modern Ikat rug from India is a stunning creation that marries traditional craftsmanship wi...
Wool
Chromatic Reverie: Turkish Tulu Masterpiece, Sacred Bloom of Modern Distinction
By Georgia O'Keefee, Judy Chicago
Located in Dallas, TX
51863 New Colorful Turkish Tulu Rug, 09'05 x 12'10. Radiant, daring, and unapologetically sensuous, this hand-knotted wool contemporary Tulu shag rug captures the spirit of modern ar...
Wool, Angora