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.
$2,486 / item
Nature Cream Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature cream central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different color...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Cream Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Cream Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. A...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Bronze Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Bronze Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. ...
Aluminum
$2,486 / item
Nature White Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature White central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different color...
Aluminum
$4,092 / item
Nature Bronze Double Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature bronze double central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W136 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 27 kg. Also available in differ...
Aluminum
$4,092 / item
Nature Navy Double Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature navy double central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W136 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 27 kg. Also available in differen...
Aluminum
$4,095 / item
Nature Burgundy Double Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature burgundy double central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W136 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 27 kg. Also available in diff...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Navy Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. Al...
Aluminum
$4,092 / item
Nature Salmon Double Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Salmon double central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W136 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 27 kg. Also available in differ...
Aluminum
$2,488 / item
Nature Chocolate Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature chocolate central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different c...
Aluminum
$2,486 / item
Nature Black Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Black central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different color...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Burgundy Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Burgundy Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg....
Aluminum
$2,474 / item
Cover Navy Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg....
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Burgundy Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Burgundy Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colo...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Chocolate Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Chocolate Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different col...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Burgundy Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Burgundy Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Navy Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different c...
Aluminum
$3,961 / item
Cover Navy Double Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Double Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W136 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 27 kg. Also available in different...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Bronze Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Bronze Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors...
Aluminum
$2,474 / item
Cover Salmon Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Salmon Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 k...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover White Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover White Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different co...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Navy Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different col...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Bronze Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Bronze Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different...
Aluminum
$2,474 / item
Cover Bronze Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Bronze Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 k...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Chocolate Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Chocolate Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in differen...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Chocolate Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover chocolate double right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D 83 x W 148 x H 81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in dif...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Navy Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Navy Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors a...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Salmon Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Salmon Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Grey Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Grey Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors a...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover White Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover White Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors ...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Black Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Black Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different ...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover White Double Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover White Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different ...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Black Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Black Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. A...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Black Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Black Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different co...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Bronze Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Bronze Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different c...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Salmon Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Salmon Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different c...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Grey Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Grey Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors an...
Aluminum
$2,474 / item
Cover Burgundy Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Burgundy Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Cream Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Cream Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium and upholstery . Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors ...
Aluminum
$2,474 / item
Cover Cream Central Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Cream Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover White Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover White Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors ...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Grey Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Grey Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm) Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different col...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Salmon Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Salmon Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different...
Aluminum
$2,795 / item
Cover Salmon Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Salmon Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W80 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in different colors...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Burgundy Double Modular Right Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Burgundy Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in differe...
Aluminum
$4,270 / item
Cover Grey Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover Grey Double Right Modular Sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W148 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 29 kg. Also available in different c...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Salmon Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Salmon Double Left modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also available ...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Burgundy Double Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Burgundy Double Right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also availab...
Aluminum
$2,985 / item
Nature White Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature white right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W76 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in diffe...
Aluminum
$2,985 / item
Nature Salmon Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Salmon left modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W76 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminium, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in diff...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Navy Double Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Navy Double Right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also available i...
Aluminum
$2,985 / item
Nature Cream Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Cream Right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W76 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in diffe...
Aluminum
$2,985 / item
Nature Salmon Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Salmon right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W76 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 19 kg. Also available in diff...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Black Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Black Double Left modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also available i...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature White Double Left Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature White Double Left modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also available i...
Aluminum
$2,486 / item
Nature Bronze Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Bronze Central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different colo...
Aluminum
$2,486 / item
Nature Navy Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature navy central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different colors...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Burgundy Double Left Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Burgundy Double Left modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also availabl...
Aluminum
$2,486 / item
Nature Grey Central Modular Sofa by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature grey central modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D83 x W68 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum and upholstery. Weight: 17 kg. Also available in different colors...
Aluminum
$4,794 / item
Nature Black Double Right Modular Sofa by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature Black Double Right modular sofa by MOWEE Dimensions: D85 x W144 x H81 cm (seat height 42 cm). Material: Aluminum, upholstery and Iroko Wood. Weight: 29 kg. Also available ...
Aluminum