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.
$780 / item
Chair D
Located in Mérida, MX
The handwoven technique of the 'Petatillo' in Yucatan has been practiced for more than 50 years. Usually, it is woven with natural cane. This is one hundred percent artisan work, whi...
Nylon, Wood
$778 / item
Mocca September Bar Stool by Oxdenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Mocca September Bar Stool by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 38 x W 42 x H 93 cm Materials: leather, black powder coated steel Also available: different colors available. Ox Denmarq is...
Steel
Jonas Bohlin for Magis Pair of Post-Modern "Lyra" Bar Stools
By Magis, Jonas Bohlin
Located in San Diego, CA
An elegant pair of Lyra bar stools designed by Jonas Bohlin for Magis of Italy, showcasing the designer's affinity for sculptural simplicity and functional innovation. Distinguished ...
Chrome
Postmodern German Kreuzschwinger Barstool by Till Behrens, 1980s
By Till Behrens
Located in Hamburg, DE
Elegant design classic by Prof. Till Behrens in the Bar stool version. The further development of the cantilever chair. The stools are made entirely of steel rods, which have been m...
Metal
$3,600 / set
Pair of Chic Post-Modern Counter Height Stools
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chic post-modern counter height stools Cognac leather seats. Chrome footrests. Comfortable and sturdy. Great for a small counter. Sold as a pair only.
Chrome
$1,567 / item
Txt.02 Stool by Txt.Ure
Located in Geneve, CH
Txt.02 stool by Txt. Ure Dimensions: Ø 64 x H 40 cm. Materials: Tulle natural fiber with natural finish. For interior and exterior use (under covered spaces). Txt. ure was the first design project to reintroduce the Mexican weaving...
Other
Tecton Stool in Travertine or Teak by Félix Millory for Monitillo 1980
Located in Geneve, CH
Tecton Stool in Travertine or Teak by Félix Millory for Monitillo 1980. Dimensions: W 45 x D 45 x H 44 cm. Materials: Travertine and Teak wood. This stool is available in a selectio...
Travertine
Nobu Tanigawa "Nardis" Black Bar Stools with Back for Fasem Italy, Set of Two
By Fasem International, Nobu Tanigawa
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Post modern Nardis black stool by Nobu Tanigawa for Fasem. Nobu Tanigawa "Nardis" black bar stools for Fasem Italy, Set of Two. Pair of Nardis bar height stools with black rubber lik...
Steel
Fasem Italia Set of 3 postmodern bar stools by Nobu Tanigawa, 1990
By Nobu Tanigawa, Fasem International
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
This set of three postmodern bar stools from Fasem Italia combines Italian design artistry of the 1990s with timeless aesthetics and high-quality craftsmanship. Designed by renowned ...
Chrome
$2,200 / set
Post Modern Memphis Era Grey Oak Bar Stools
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Set of 3 Post-Modern era bar stools styled after Michele de Lucchi "First Chair" . Heavy and well crafted stools created in iron and wood with a grey cerused...
Iron
$7,789 / item
Cherry Textured Stool by Mambo Jambo Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Cherry Textured Stool by Mambo Jambo Studio Dimensions: D 33 x W 43.2 x H 43.2 cm. Materials: Cherry wood. Available in Cherry, Walnut, White Oak, and ...
Cherry
$1,976 / item
Brass Sculpted Brass Chair, Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass sculpted brass chair, Misaya. Dimensions: W 54 x L 58 x H 79 cm (seating: 63). Hand-sculpted chair in brass.
Brass
$1,348 / item
Oleander Bellini High Stool by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Oleander Bellini High Stool by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 34 x W 34 x H 65/75 cm Materials: Timber / Stone tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 8kg Frame Finishes: Textura Black. ...
Stone, Steel
$960Sale Price / set|20% Off
1980s Post-Modern Bar Stools by Giandomenico Belotti, White Metal
By Fly Line, Giandomenico Belotti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of Post modern bar stools in white enameled metal with spaghetti corded seats designed by Giandomenico Belotti for fly line. good condition. Located in Brooklyn NYC Dimensions...
Steel
$3,600 / set
Set of 3 Postmodern 1980s Bar Stools
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These sturdy stools feature powder-coated steel frames for durability and composite wood seats for comfort. Their cool minimalist design makes these stools a stylish choice for any m...
Metal
Private re-edition for PRADA of iconic 1960s Inflatable Stool by Verner Panton
By Prada, Verner Panton, Verpan
Located in Renens, CH
Private re-edition for PRADA of the iconic 1960s Inflatable Stool designed by Verner Panton. Exclusively produced by Verpan for the Spring/Summer PRADA Men’s fashion show, held in Mi...
Plastic
$1,406 / item
txt.13 High Stool by Txt.Ure
Located in Geneve, CH
txt.13 Stool by Txt.Ure Dimensions: Ø 56 x H 50 cm. Materials: Tulle natural fiber with natural finish. For indoor and outdoor use (under covered spaces). Please contact us. Txt. ure was the first design project to reintroduce the Mexican weaving...
Other
$7,407 / item
Tamga American Walnut Stool by Tolga Sencer
Located in Geneve, CH
Tamga American Walnut Stool by Tolga Sencer Dimensions: D 55.5 x W 55.5 x H 40 cm. Materials: American walnut. Available in different wood options (m...
Walnut
Set of 2 Medium Pausa Oak Stool by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 medium Pausa oak stool by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte Dimensions: D 27 x W 35 x H 65 cm Materials: oak wood Available in burnt oak version and in 3 sizes. Pausa is a se...
Oak
Set of Milo Baughman Mid-Century Modern Bar Counter Stools in Chrome & White
By Milo Baughman, Design Institute America
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A well made matching set of four stools made by Design Institute & designed by Milo Baughman. These feature heavy chromed steel construction with white enameled curved slat wood seat...
Chrome, Enamel
Set of Four Vintage Postmodern Swiveling Bar Stools in Oak and Tawny Bouclé
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Durable, functional, and stylish set of four bar stools in oak with tawny bouclé seats and back rests (ca. 1980s, USA). Rectangular, boxy frame with sled base for added stability and...
Bouclé, Oak
Philippe Starck Mickville chair for Driade - Italy, 1985
Located in Naples, FL
Radical folding and transportable design by Starck. Suitable for use or as art pieces. Driade production 1985 France/Italy. In good vintage condition, minor scratches. A design of d...
Lacquer
Scandinavian Stools in Pine with Geometric Tops 1970s
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Stools or side tables, pine, Scandinavia, 1970s This beautiful set of stools, crafted from natural pine wood, showcases a striking combination of geometric shapes and a rich, patina...
Pine
Vertebrae High Bar Stool in Mild Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Vertebrae High Bar Stool in Mild Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: D 40 x W 45 x H 85 cm. Materials: Mild steel. Vertebrae_ Barstool explores the structural lo...
Steel
$1,047 / item
Small Pouf! Leather Stool by Nestor Perkal
Located in Geneve, CH
Small pouf! leather stool by Nestor Perkal Dimensions: W 45 x D 39 x H 40 cm Materials: Leather, poplar plywood, suede. Available in other colors and in ...
Leather, Suede, Poplar, Plywood
$1,802 / item
Bermuda Triangle Stool by Odditi
Located in Geneve, CH
Bermuda Triangle Stool by Odditi Dimensions: D 42 x H 46 cm Materials: Petrified Wood Sculpted Seat, Limestone Composite, Steel Base The ‘Bermuda Triangle’ sculptural stool features...
Limestone, Steel
$6,800 / set
Pair of French Wool Boucle Pouf Dining Stools
Located in New York, NY
Pair of beautiful hand crafted luxurious French dining height pouf/stools with long wool boucle upholstery. Old new stock /never used. Polished bronze hand cast sheep legs. Can be so...
Bronze
Post-Modern Style stool, black solid wood, cane back, camel leather seating
By SIMONINI
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
Immerse yourself in the captivating world of the award-winning Aurora Collection, also known as Dawn — a transformative milestone in our esteemed design legacy that has earned the pr...
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
Sculptural Wooden Ashanti Stool by Interior Craft
Located in Greensboro, NC
A post modern interpretation of African Ashanti Stools by American furniture company Interior Crafts. Very sturdy and sculptural. Reach out for alternate shipping quotes depending o...
Wood
A Set of 3 POST-MODERN BAR STOOLS, in the style of MEMPHIS, France 1980
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of 3 high bar stools, Post-Modernist, Memphis, Eighties, circular and angular structures in anthracite lacquered square section steel, footrests and low backrests, red and yell...
Metal
Post-Modern Waterfall Lucite Vanity Stool or Bench with Off White Leather Seat
Located in San Diego, CA
Super high quality post-modern waterfall lucite vanity stool or bench with off white leather seat, circa 1970s. The bench is in very good vintage condition with 1" thick lucite base;...
Lucite, Leather
JUNCO Stool in Mexican Oak Rosamorada with Natural Finish by Daniel Couttolenc
Located in Geneve, CH
JUNCO Stool in Mexican Oak Rosamorada with Natural Finish by Daniel Couttolenc Dimensions: D 34 x W 34 x H 47 cm. Materials: Mexican Oak (Rosamorada)....
Oak
$1,718 / item
Fringes Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Fringes Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 50 x W 50 x H 50 cm. SH: 50 cm. Materials: Wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Cotton Velvet upholstery and fringes. ...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
$665Sale Price|30% Off
Rodney Kinsman Tokyo Stool for Bieffelplast, Italy 1980s
By Rodney Kinsman, Bieffeplast
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Tokyo counter stool made of a satin black steel frame, curved black polyurethane backrest and a red naugahyde cushioned seat. The footrest maintains the plastic tube...
Steel
Pair of Loewenstein Rush Seat Counter Stools
By Loewenstein
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Postmodern with a soft edge. This pair of counter-height stools by Loewenstein features rounded dowel legs, gently arched backs, and original handwoven rush seats that keep things gr...
Rush, Wood
$1,953 / item
Mellow 70 Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Mellow 70 Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 70 x W 70 x H 50 cm. SH: 50 cm. Materials: Wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Cotton Velvet, ref. Antique Pink, CV28 upholstery. Available in...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
$630Sale Price / set|30% Off
Carlo Bimbi and Nilo Gioacchini "Charlie" Barstools for Segis Italia, a Pair
By Carlo Bimbi and Nilo Gioacchini
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Postmodern Memphis style barstools by Carlo Bimbi and Nilo Gioacchini for Segis Italia, circa 1980s. Chairs are made of white moulded plastic attached to a tubular chrome fra...
Chrome
Rino III TM Side Table in Polished Brass by Studio Orth
Located in Geneve, CH
Rino III TM Side Table in Polished Brass by Studio Orth Dimensions: D 48 x W 64 x H 48 cm. Materials: Polished brass. Available in polished brass and polished aluminum finishes. Pr...
Brass
Jade Green Round Moroccan Art Deco Upholstered Stool
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Art Deco Style stool in lime green and gold Moroccan style stool, vanity stool. A bold and glamorous Moroccan round ottoman or vanity stool in lime green upholstery, featuring a rai...
Fabric
$2,600Sale Price|25% Off
Charles Hollis Jones Lucite and Chromed Steel Vanity Swivel Stool, c 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking 1970s Lucite vanity stool by Charles Hollis Jones, the celebrated “Mister Lucite” whose innovative designs helped define the Hollywood Regency aesthetic. This sculptural p...
Chrome
$2,069 / item
Nala Teak Wood Stool by Heaps & Woods
Located in Geneve, CH
Nala Teak Wood Stool by Heaps & Woods Dimensions: W 30 x D 30 x H 45 cm Materials: Teak wood A solid block of teak wood featuring an organic rippled texture hand-carved across its o...
Other
$245Sale Price|30% Off
Postmodern Memphis Style Bar Stool, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Single bar stool in the style of Memphis Milano circa 1980s. Teal fabric cover is easily replaceable. Gray tubular steel frame.
Steel
Set of Jamaica Swivel Bar Stools by Pepe Cortès for BD Barcelona, 1990s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Set of 4 'Jamaica' bar stools designed by Pepe Cortes for BD Barcelona in the 1990s. Beechwood seats and elegant chrome bases. Very good condition 1990s - Spain Very good condit...
Chrome
$4,313 / item
Radical Postmodern Lacquered Green Barstool Poderío
By Moanne
Located in Almería, ES
True confidence doesn’t ask for attention—it commands it. The Poderío Barstool embodies that quiet authority. With its cylindrical form and assertive geometry, it stands grounded, fi...
Wood, Lacquer
ELEMENTOS Earth Stool in Sandblasted Pine with Black Finish by Daniel Couttolenc
Located in Geneve, CH
ELEMENTOS Earth Stool in Sandblasted Pine with Black Finish by Daniel Couttolenc Dimensions: D 42 x W 42 x H 42 cm. Materials: Sandblasted Pine. Earth is firmness, stability—a force...
Pine
Michele De Lucchi FIRST Barstool, Metal, Memphis Design, Italy, 1995
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
The FIRST Chair is an iconic and sculptural creations conceived by the Italian Architect/Designer Michele De Lucchi. He seems to be paying homage to Alexander Calder in the lightness...
Metal
$2,627 / item
Coleman Counter Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Coleman Counter Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 54 x W 44 x H 95 cm. SH: 70 cm. Materials: Solid wood, foam, brass, and upholstery. Finish: Upholstery: Vivid Chenille, ref. Moss, VIC13....
Brass
Jamaica Bar Stool Pepe Cortes for Amat-3 Aluminum Post-Modern
By Amat-3, Pepe Cortés
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a pair of Jamaica Bar Stool, an iconic piece of contemporary Spanish furniture designed by Pepe Cortés in 1991. Created by Barcelona-based interior designer...
Aluminum, Chrome
Signed Artist Shlomi Haziza Lucite Sculpture Z Stools, 6 Available
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Sculpted 1 inch thick Lucite Z bar stool by Shlomi Haziza for H Studio(signed). Each hand engraved-signed by Shlomi himself. Labeled on bottom of cushion. ...
Upholstery, Lucite
Vintage Bentwood "Manilla" Stools by Val Padilla for Jasper Conran
By Jasper Furniture Company, Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Don't miss out on vintage seating that truly stands out from the crowd! This fantastically funky pair of barstools attributed to Filipino designer Val Padilla for London's Jasper Con...
Metal, Chrome, Wire
$1,120Sale Price / set|30% Off
Nobu Tanigawa "Nardis" Chrome Bar Stools for Fasem Italy, Set of Two
By Fasem International, Nobu Tanigawa
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Nardis bar height stools with rubber like seats on a polished chrome frame designed by Nobu Tanigawa for Fasem Italy.
Chrome
$7,161 / item
Classic Travertine Unfilled Chunky Stool by Etamorph
Located in Geneve, CH
Classic Travertine Unfilled Chunky Stool by Etamorph Dimensions: Ø 36 x H 46 cm. Materials: Classic Travertine Unfilled. Chunky stands as a sculptural masterpiece. The variation of ...
Stone, Travertine
U-shaped Form Rubber Seat and Burned Steel Large Stool 2.0 by Arno Declercq
Located in Geneve, CH
Large AD Stool 2.0 by Arno Declercq Materials: Burned steel and Rubber seat Measures: W 152 x D 38 x H 69 cm Arno Declercq Belgian designer and art dealer who makes bespoke objects...
Steel
Sarapis Bar Stools by Philippe Starck for Aleph Driade, Italy, 1986
Located in DE KWAKEL, NL
A striking pair of Sarapis bar stools designed by Philippe Starck for Aleph Driade in 1986. These sculptural stools exemplify Starck’s radical approach to postmodern design, where gr...
Metal
Set of 3 Design Institute of America Brass Stools in Ivory White Bouclé, c. 1980
By Design Institute America, Milo Baughman
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Super sexy set of three Post Modern counter or bar stools manufactured in the 1980s by Design Institute of America ("DIA") in the style of Milo Baughman. Cantilevered brass stools with long horizontal foot rests. The look is modern, upscale and luxurious. Light and airy but very sophisticated. Fully restored seat with new cushioning. Newly professionally upholstered in super soft ivory white bouclé. The fabric ventilates well making it great for all climates. Cozy in the cold and cool and airy in the heat. The bouclé is also rated highly durable ( over 50k double rubs). These DIA stools...
Brass
Four Glamorous Brass and Grey Barstools, Midcentury, France, 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Brass and grey barstools, midcentury, France, 1970s Beautiful restored brass barstools with grey corduroy top that swivels. Adds glamour to any room. Pi...
Brass
$2,174 / item
Large Pouf! Leather Stool by Nestor Perkal
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Pouf! leather stool by Nestor Perkal Dimensiones: W 101 x D 85 x H 35 cm Materials: leather, poplar plywood, suede. Available in other colors and in 3 sizes. The POUF! collection is made up of three seats made of leather and suede. They look like diamonds, minerals or the footprints of an animal in the soil. They are suitable for home furnishing, in the office or in a public place. Genuine italian vegetable...
Leather, Suede, Poplar, Plywood
$1,720 / item
Fringes Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Fringes Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 50 x W 50 x H 50 cm. SH: 50 cm. Materials: Wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Upholstery: Cotton Velvet, ref. Steel ...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
$2,197 / item
Melody Counter Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Melody Counter Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 50 x W 50 x H 95 cm. SH: 70 cm. Materials: Solid wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Upholstery: Cotton Velvet, ref. Mustard, CV 10. Legs:...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, Mexican Ice Onyx / Marble
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool / side table; a hand sculpted stone from an incredibly particular stone; Mexican Ice Onyx, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in...
Onyx