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Post-Modern Western European Rugs

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
Spike 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SPIKE 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Seven 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SEVEN 200 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm. Materials: wool 80% , silk 20%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Skyla 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SKYLA 200 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm. Materials: wool 50%, silk 50%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Spike 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SPIKE 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Spirit 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SPIRIT 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Spirit 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SPIRIT 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Tearose 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
TEAROSE 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Travis 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
TRAVIS 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Travis 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
TRAVIS 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Pacifico 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
PACIFICO 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Raw 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RAW 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Raw 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RAW 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Proxima 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
PROXIMA 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Rehab 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
REHAB 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Raw 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RAW 200 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm. Materials: wool 50% , silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

REHAB 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
REHAB 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Ruskin 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RUSKIN 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Richmond 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RICHMOND 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Silk 100% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic and ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk

ROCKWELL 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ROCKWELL 200 ug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Sahara 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SAHARA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Rustic 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RUSTIC 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Ruskin 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RUSKIN 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Memento 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MEMENTO 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Matrix 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MATRIX 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Memento 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MEMENTO 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Memento 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MEMENTO 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Nebula 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
NEBULA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Numbers 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
NUMBERS 400 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm. Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Numbers 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
NUMBERS 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Oak 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
OAK 200 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

OTTO 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
OTTO 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Pacifico 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
PACIFICO 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kimono Ainu 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Kimono Ainu 400 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm. Materials: wool 50%, silk 50%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Pacifico 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
PACIFICO 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hi...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kimono Clouds 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Kimono Clouds 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulia...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kimono Clouds 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Kimono Clouds 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 400 x H 300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulia...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kinesis 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
KINESIS 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kintsugi 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
KINTSUGI 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kyoto 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
KYOTO 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 100% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. Illulia...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool

Madisson 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MADISSON 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hi...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

MAKAO 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MAKAO 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Manhattan 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MANHATTAN 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

MADISSON 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MADISSON 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Mariposa 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MARIPOSA 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Mariposa 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MARIPOSA 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50% , Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Futura 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Futura 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Girlfriend 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
GIRLFRIEND 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Grid 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Grid 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm. Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

HEISENBERG 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
HEISENBERG 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Heisenberg 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
HEISENBERG 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, h...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Illusion 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ILLUSION 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Jasper 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
JASPER 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

Kaboom 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
KABOOM 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Wool, Silk

DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H400 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk, Wood

DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk, Wood

DIS 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk, Wood

DIS 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk, Wood

DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Western European Rugs

Materials

Silk, Wood

Post-modern western european rugs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Post-Modern western european rugs 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 western european rugs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include rugs and carpets, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, wool and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Post-Modern western european rugs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original western european rugs, popular names associated with this style include Seraina Lareida, Paolo Stella, Sarah Balivo, and Urban Rug Co.. 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 western european rugs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $425 and tops out at $88,999 while the average work can sell for $8,873.

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