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.
$906 / item
Milky White Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 43 x H 58 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 7 kg. Available in different color options. This product is suitabl...
Other
Saffron Yellow Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Saffron Yellow Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 43 x H 58 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 7 kg. Available in different color options. This product is suit...
Other
$906 / item
Dove Grey Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 43 x H 58 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 7 kg. Available in different color options. This product is suitable ...
Other
Elephant Grey Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Double U Stool by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 43 x H 58 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 7 kg. Available in different color options. This product is suita...
Other
$522 / item
Jet Black Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product is ...
Other
$522 / item
Lime Green Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product is...
Other
$522 / item
Malva Green Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Malva Green Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product i...
Other
$522 / item
Flame Red Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Flame Red Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product is ...
Other
$522 / item
Dove Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product is ...
Other
$522 / item
Elephant Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product...
Other
$522 / item
Argil Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This product is...
Other
Chocolate Brown Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Chocolate Brown Cin Cin Stool by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 49 cm. Seat Height: 49 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. This produ...
Other
Lime Green Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version....
Other
Jet Black Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. ...
Other
Milky White Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices may ...
Other
Powder Blue Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version....
Other
Elephant Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered versi...
Other
Flame Red Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Flame Red Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard v...
Other
Pumpkin Orange Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Pumpkin Orange Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a stand...
Other
Dove Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard v...
Other
Safron Yellow Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Safron Yellow Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standa...
Other
$4,763 / item
Milky White Bot One Stool by Fabio Della Fiorentina
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Bot One Stool by Fabio Della Fiorentina Dimensions: Ø 150 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 30 kg. Available in different color options. Av...
Other
Argil Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a standard ...
Other
Chocolate Brown Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Chocolate Brown Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 40 x W 46 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Available in a stan...
Other
$952 / item
Jet Black Threebù Stool by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black Threebù Stool by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene of veget...
Other
$952 / item
Sahara Sand Threebù Stool by Marcantonio
Located in Geneve, CH
Sahara Sand Threebù Stool by Marcantonio Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 4 kg. Also available in biobased polyethylene of veg...
Other
Argil Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered versi...
Other
Elephant Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered ve...
Other
Milky White Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered vers...
Other
Sweet Fuchsia Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Sweet Fuchsia Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered ve...
Other
Pumpkin Orange Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Pumpkin Orange Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered v...
Other
Malva Green Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Malva Green Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered vers...
Other
Jet Black Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered versio...
Other
Saffron Yellow Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Saffron Yellow Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered v...
Other
Dove Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered versio...
Other
Lime Green Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Amélie Sit Up High Stool by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 49 x W 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 6 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered versi...
Other
Chocolate Brown Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Chocolate Brown Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices ...
Other
Sweet Fuschia Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Sweet Fuschia Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices ma...
Other
Flame Red Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Flame Red Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices may va...
Other
Argil Grey Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices may v...
Other
Dove Grey Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Ali Baba Stool by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 41 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2,5 kg. Available in a standard version and an LED version. Prices may va...
Other
$627 / item
High Toy Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil
Located in Geneve, CH
High Toy Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil Dimensions: W 47 x D 53 x H 104 cm Materials: Paint, Fabric. Also available in W 47 x D 53 x H 88 cm, Seat Height: 60 cm. With the intention of...
Fabric, Paint
$685 / item
Le Tabouret Stool by Bosc Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Le Tabouret Stool by Bosc Design Dimensions: W 42 x D 42 x H 94 cm Materials: Wood. Black chestnut stool. Shooting carried out at Lou Casteu. It al...
Wood
$2,846 / item
White Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
White Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 47 x H 90 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cane/Upholstery. Weight: 4,4kg / 9,7 lbs The Gravatá series synthesizes our vision reg...
Upholstery, Wood
$2,846 / item
Brown Gravatá Bar Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Brown Gravatá Bar Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 47 x H 100 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cane/Upholstery. Weight: 4,4kg / 9,7 lbs The Gravatá series synthesizes our vision regard...
Upholstery, Wood
$2,846 / item
Bleached Tauari Gravatá Bar Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Bleached Tauari Gravatá Bar Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 47 x H 100 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cane/Upholstery. Weight: 4,7kg / 10,4 lbs The Gravatá series synthesizes our vi...
Upholstery, Wood
$2,846 / item
Brown Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Brown Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 47 x H 90 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cane/Upholstery. Weight: 4,4kg / 9,7 lbs The Gravatá series synthesizes our vision reg...
Upholstery, Wood
$2,846 / item
Bleached Tauari Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Bleached Tauari Gravatá Counter Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 47 x H 90 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cane/Upholstery. Weight: 4,4kg / 9,7 lbs The Gravatá series synthesizes our ...
Upholstery, Wood
$1,882 / item
Niemeyer II Stool by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Niemeyer II Stool by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 45 x W 70 x H 42 cm. Materials: Oak, InsidherLand Woollen Ref. 1 fabric. 15 kg. Available in different fabrics. The Niemeyer II stool...
Upholstery, Wood
$1,220 / item
Rock Stool by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Rock Stool by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 42 x W 53 x H 50 cm. Materials: InsidherLand Bright Velvet Ref. Pink fabric. 7 kg. Available in different fabrics. Rock is a stool with the ...
Upholstery, Wood
$7,157 / set
Set Of 2 W Oak Stools by Idaaf Architects
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 W Oak Stools by Idaaf Architects Dimensions: D 30 x W 55 x H 45 cm. Materials: Solid oak. Made in century old oak wood, W stool serve as an easy and comfortable seating for...
Oak
$3,172 / item
Set Of 2 01 & 02 Stools by Joana Kieppe
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 01 & 02 Stools by Joana Kieppe Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 16 x W 14 x H 26 cm. Materials: Ivory and lotus high temperature clay. Reproduction is entirely manual, therefore...
Clay
$7,622 / item
Element Diabase Bulk Stool by Idaaf Architects
Located in Geneve, CH
Element Diabase Bulk Stool by Idaaf Architects Dimensions: W 85 x D 45 x H 55 cm Materials: Diabase Stone ‘Element’, which combines furniture of different functions, was created under the influence of the Georgian Oda house...
Stone
$5,554 / item
Prugna Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Prugna Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 49 x H 67 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production: ...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Mirtillo Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirtillo Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 49 x H 67 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Aubergine Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Aubergine Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 49 x H 67 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Productio...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Indigo Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Indigo Awaiting T Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 49 x H 67 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production: ...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Lago Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Lago Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 65 x H 60 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production: Se...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Brume Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Brume Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 65 x H 60 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production: S...
Brass
$5,554 / item
Argent Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Argent Awaiting H Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 40 x W 65 x H 60 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production: ...
Brass