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.
Set of 2 Heritage Gwol Stool and Table by Lee Jung Hoon
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Heritage Gwol stool and table by Lee Jung Hoon Dimensions: D46 x W44 x H45cm and D46 x W16.3 x H43.5cm Materials: Stainless Steel, Steel, Granite, Maple. The Heritage s...
Granite, Steel, Stainless Steel
$1,322 / item
Pill Stool by Meg Morrison
Located in Geneve, CH
Pill Stool by Meg Morrison Dimensions: D 25 x H 47 cm (approximate measurements) Materials: Stoneware, textile mill remnants. This piece can be used...
Other
$1,861 / item
Pill XL Stool by Meg Morrison
Located in Geneve, CH
Pill XL Stool by Meg Morrison Materials: Stoneware, textile mill remnants. Dimensions: D 55 x H 31 cm (approximate measurements) This piece can be u...
Other
$3,066 / item
Seijaku Stool by Astrid Hauton
Located in Geneve, CH
Seijaku stool by Astrid Hauton Dimensions: H 39 x D 39 x H 40 cm Materials: woven washi paper, painted wood, waxed black Valchromat. « Seijaku », in Japanese, express the idea o...
Other
$3,066 / item
Seijaku Stool by Astrid Hauton
Located in Geneve, CH
Seijaku stool by Astrid Hauton Dimensions: H 39 x D 39 x H 40 cm Materials: woven washi paper, painted wood, waxed black Valchromat. « Seijaku », in Japanese, express the idea o...
Other
$772 / item
Natural Tupp Stool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural Tupp stool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 41 x W 41 x H 65 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors and with backrest. Give the ...
Steel
Large Black Tupp Barstool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Black Tupp barstool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 102 x SH 82 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors. Give the ba...
Steel
$836 / item
Large Black Tupp Stool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Large black Tupp stool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 82 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors and with backrest. Give ...
Steel
$927 / item
Black Tupp Barstool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Tupp barstool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 41 x W 41 x H 85 x SH 65 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors. Give the bar some ...
Steel
$836 / item
Large White Tupp Stool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Large White Tupp stool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 45 x W 45 x H 82 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors and with backrest. Give ...
Steel
$772 / item
White Tupp Stool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
White Tupp stool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 41 x W 41 x H 65 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors a...
Steel
$772 / item
Black Tupp Stool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Tupp stool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 41 x W 41 x H 65 cm Materials: birch wood, nickel plated steel. Also available in other colors and with backrest. Give the ba...
Steel
Natural Blossom Bar Chair by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural Blossom bar chair by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 48 x W 43 x H 92 x SH 65 cm Materials: birch wood, steel. Available in other colors and sizes. With or without backrest...
Steel
$656 / item
Natural Blossom Barstool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural blossom barstool by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 43 x W 43 x H 65 x SH 65 cm. Materials: birch wood, steel. Available in other colors and...
Steel
$3,148 / item
Colbert L Stool by Domkapa
Located in Geneve, CH
Colbert L stool by Domkapa Dimensions: W 154 x D 45 x H 45 cm. Materials: Natural leather (Desna Brandy), black texturized steel. Also available in different materials. Colbert...
Steel
$2,662 / item
Loop Bench 120 Oak by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop Bench 120 Oak by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, Oak Dimensions: D120x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 16.4 kg Also Available: Colours: solid wood (mat...
Aluminum
$2,516 / item
Red Loop Chair by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Red loop chair by Sebastian Scherer. Dimensions: D 57x W 40 x H 80 cm. Material: Aluminium. Weight: 5.1 kg. Also available: Colours: Snow white / light sand / sun yellow / clay o...
Aluminum
$2,516 / item
Graphite Grey Loop Chair by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Graphite grey loop chair by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D57x w40 x H80 cm Material: Aluminium. Weight: 51 kg. Also available: Colours: Snow white / light sand / sun yellow / cl...
Aluminum
$2,516 / item
Snow White Loop Chair by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Snow white loop chair by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D 57x W 40 x H 80 cm Material: aluminium. Weight: 51 kg. Also available: Colors: Snow white...
Aluminum
$2,516 / item
Night Black Loop Chair by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Night black loop chair by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D 57x W 40 x H 80 cm. Material: aluminium. Weight: 5.1 kg. Also available: colors: snow white / light sand / sun yellow / ...
Aluminum
$4,032 / item
Loop Bench 240 Walnut by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 240 walnut by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, walnut Dimensions: D240x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 30.5 kg Also available: Colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): black...
Aluminum
$3,119 / item
Loop Bench 120 Walnut by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop Bench 120 walnut by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, Walnut Dimensions: D120x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 16.4 kg Also Available: Colours: solid woo...
Aluminum
$2,967 / item
Loop Bench 160 Oak by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 160 Oak by Sebastian Scherer Material: aluminium, oak Dimensions: D160x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 20.4 kg Also available: colors: solid wood (matt lacquered): black and wh...
Aluminum
$3,423 / item
Loop Bench 160 Walnut by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop Bench 160 walnut by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, Walnut Dimensions: D160x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 20.4 kg Also Available: Colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): black...
Aluminum
$3,728 / item
Loop Bench 200 Walnut by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 200 walnut by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, walnut Dimensions: D 200 x W 38 x H 45 cm. Weight: 25.8 kg Also available: Colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): b...
Aluminum
$989 / item
Rose Loop Stool by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Rose loop stool by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D38 x W38 x H44 cm Material: Aluminium Weight 3.5 kg Also available in wood. Also available in colours: snow white / light sand ...
Aluminum
$1,229 / item
Walnut Loop Stool by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Walnut loop stool by Sebastian Scherer. Dimensions: D38 x W38 x H45 cm. Material: Aluminium, Solid Wood, Walnut. Weight: 4.2 kg. Also available in Aluminium, LOOP STOOL WOOD: sol...
Aluminum
$2,516 / item
Sun Yellow Loop Chair by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Sun Yellow loop chair by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D57x w40 x H80 cm Material: Aluminium. Weight: 5.1 kg. Also available: Colours: Snow white / light sand / sun yellow / clay...
Aluminum
$1,229 / item
Oak Loop Stool by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak loop stool by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D38 x W38 x H45 cm Material: Aluminium, solid wood, oak Weight: 4.2 kg Also available in aluminium, loop stool wood: Solid wood (m...
Aluminum
Raw Aluminium Loop Stool by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw Aluminium loop stool by Sebastian Scherer Dimensions: D38 x W38 x H44 cm Material: Aluminium Weight 3.5 kg Also available in wood. Also available in colours: snow white / li...
Aluminum
$3,271 / item
Loop Bench 200 Ash by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 160 Ash by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, Ash Dimensions: D200x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 25.8 kg Also Available: Colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): black and w...
Aluminum
$2,662 / item
Loop Bench 120 Ash by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 120 ash by Sebastian Scherer Material: aluminium, ash Dimensions: D 120x W 38 x H 45 cm. Also available: colors: solid wood (matt lacquered): b...
Aluminum
$2,967 / item
Loop Bench 160 Ash by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 160 Ash by Sebastian Scherer Material: Aluminium, Ash Dimensions: D160x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 20.4 kg Also Available: Colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): black and w...
Aluminum
$3,575 / item
Loop Bench 240 Ash by Sebastian Scherer
Located in Geneve, CH
Loop bench 240 Ash by Sebastian Scherer Material:aluminium, ash Dimensions: D240x W38 x H45 cm. Weight: 30.5 kg Also available: colours: solid wood (matt lacquered): black and wh...
Aluminum
Hoop Stool – Sculptural Brass & Contemporary Form by Misaya
By Masaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Hoop Stool – Sculptural Brass & Contemporary Form by Misaya Dimensions: D36/39 x W52 x H32 cm Materials: Brass Also Available: Different colors (Gold, Pol...
Brass
Set of 2, Lammi Bar Stools, Tall & Black by Made by Choice
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2, Lammi bar stools, 74 cm, tall & black by made by choice with Saku Sysiö. Dimensions: 47 x 38 x 74 cm. Materials: Oak. Standard finishes: natural wood / painted black. ...
Oak
Halikko Stool Backrest, Tall & Black by Made by Choice
Located in Geneve, CH
Halikko stool backrest, tall & black by Made By Choice Dimensions: 47 x 42 x 84 cm Materials: Solid Oak Standard finishes: Natural Wood / Painted Black. Also Available: Uphols...
Oak
Set of 4, Lammi Bar Stools, Tall & Black by Made by Choice
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 4, Lammi bar stools, 74 cm, tall & black by made by choice with Saku Sysiö. Dimensions: 47 x 38 x 74 cm Materials: oak Standard finishes: natural wood / painted black. A...
Oak
$3,347 / item
White Layered Oak Wood Stool III by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
White layered oak wood stool III by Hyungshin Hwang. Dimensions: D 36 x W 30 x H 45 cm. Materials: oxidized red oak. Layered Series is the main the...
Oak
$3,605 / item
White Layered Oak Wood Stool II by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
White layered oak wood stool II by Hyungshin Hwang Dimensions: D 36 x W 27 x H 48 cm Materials: oxidized red oak Layered Series is the main theme a...
Oak
$3,347 / item
Layered Steel Seat XIV by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
Layered steel seat XIV by Hyungshin Hwang Dimensions: D 33 x W 30 x H 45 cm Materials: stainless steel Layered Series is the main theme and concept of work of Hwang, who continu...
Stainless Steel
$3,605 / item
Black Ocean 3 Stool by the Shaw
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Ocean 3 stool by The Shaw. Dimensions: D32.5 x W 32.5 x H97 cm. Materials: stainless steel. Weight: 15 kg. B L A C K O C E A N I opened my eyes, it was still dark, the ...
Stainless Steel
$6,648 / set
Set of 2 Black Ocean 1 Stools by The Shaw
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 black ocean 1 stools by The Shaw Dimensions: D41.5 x W 41.5 x H46 cm Materials: Stainless Steel Weight: 20 kg B L A C K O C E A N I opened my eyes, it was still dark...
Stainless Steel
Low Brass Sculpted Stool with Brownish-Gray Fabric Upholstered Seat by Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Low Brass Sculpted Stool with Brownish-Gray Fabric Upholstered Seat by Misaya Dimensions: W 36 x L 36 x H 32 cm Hand-sculpted stool. Available in different brass finishes.
Brass
Black Brass Sculpted Chair with Black-and-White Pattern Upholstery by Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Brass Sculpted Chair with Black-and-White Pattern Upholstery by Misaya Dimensions: W 54 x L 58 x H 79 cm (seating: 63) Hand-sculpted chair in brass. Available in different bras...
Brass
Set of Lena Armchair and Stool – Brass Frame & White Upholstery by Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of Lena Armchair and Stool – Brass Frame & White Upholstery by Misaya Dimensions: Chair: H 76 x W 65 x L 80 cm Stool: 38 x 61 x 42 cm Hand-sculpted brass Available in different b...
Brass
$1,802 / item
Low Brass Sculpted Stool, Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Low brass sculpted stool, Misaya Dimensions: W 58 x L 58 x H 24 cm Hand-sculpted stool.
Brass
$4,635 / item
Zen Pouffe, Misaya
By Misaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Zen Pouffe, Misaya Dimensions: W 58 x L 58 x H 24 cm Hand-sculpted Pouffe Materials: Brass, teak, wood. Dimensions: 106 x 68 x 72 cm.
Brass
Set of 4 Light Blue Queen Heart Stools by Royal Stranger
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 4 light blue queen heart stools by Royal Stranger Dimensions: 46 x 49 x 43 cm Different upholstery colors and finishes are available. Brass, Copper or Stainless Steel in po...
Gold Leaf, Other
$1,931 / item
Unique Arch Square White Stool by Mesut Öztürk
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique arch square white stool by Mesut Öztürk. Dimensions: W 19 x D 19 x H 40 cm. Materials: stoneware. "Arch stools are sculptural furnitures der...
Stoneware
$4,143 / set
Set of 3 Timber Stools by Onno Adriaanse
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Timber stools by Onno Adriaanse Signed and numbered Dimensions: D40x W29 x H45 cm. Materials: Stained pine wood, clear satin coating Also ava...
Pine, Coating
$2,446 / item
Fragments Stool by Geke Lensink
Located in Geneve, CH
Fragments stool by Geke Lensink Dimensions: D 43 x H 61 cm Materials: earthenware, handpainted graphics After graduating from ArtEZ University of the Arts, Geke Lensink starte...
Earthenware, Paint
$12,875 / item
Drum Stool by John Eric Byers
Located in Geneve, CH
Drum stool by John Eric Byers Dimensions: D51 x H38 cm Materials: carved + blackened + maple All works are individually handmade to order. John...
Other
$1,065 / item
Factory Stool by Mingardo
Located in Geneve, CH
Factory stool by Mingardo Dimensions: D34 x W32x H46 cm Materials: RAL 9005 black varnished iron structure and satin natural brass details Weight: 7 ...
Brass, Iron
Large Pausa Burnt Oak Bench by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Pausa burnt oak bench by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte Dimensions: D 35 x W 95 x H 80 cm Materials: burnt oak wood. Available in natural oak version and in 3 sizes. Pausa is...
Oak
$15,450 / set
Set of 2 Sculpted Stools by Jörg Pietschmann
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 sculpted stools by Jörg Pietschmann Dimensions: H 45 x W 38 x D 16,5 cm //H 41,5 x W 38 x D 16 cm Polished oil finish. In Pietschmann’s sculptures, trees that for centuri...
Oak
$3,956 / item
Brass Ribbon Stool by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Steel Ribbon stool by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 50 x W 15 x H 43 cm Materials: brass Available in steel and brass. An exercise in minimalism and...
Brass
$10,862 / item
Slumped Leather Stool by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Slumped leather stool by Gentner Design. Dimensions: D 46 x W 25.5 x H 46 cm. Materials: steel, leather. Gentner Design Rooted in a language of sculpture, character defining details, and world renowned craftsmanship, the work is found at the crossroads of design and art. Established in 2011, the namesake furniture label is a rare combination of aesthetic dexterity and mastery of craft resulting in furniture and objects that are expressive, formal, and transcend materiality. The collection is based in metal and incorporates only natural materials such as leather, wood, and glass in unique ways, challenging our assumptions. Christopher Gentner Christopher Gentner, with a BFA in metalsmithing from the Cleveland Institute of Art and apprenticeships under sculptors and jewelers, together with dedication to craft, quickly developed his reputation nationally as a foremost authority of metal fabrication and furniture. One of his crowning achievements was the re-creation and fabrication of the Frank Lloyd Wright...
Steel
$5,665 / item
Long Burnt Oak Chair by Daniel Elkayam
Located in Geneve, CH
Long burnt oak chair by Daniel Elkayam One of a kind Dimensions: D 30 x W 30 x H 160 cm Materials: Oak wood The Charred Collection A collection of handmade ...
Oak
$3,968 / item
Butt Stool by Chuch Estudio
Located in Geneve, CH
Butt stool by Chuch Estudio (Handmade in México) Materials: parota solid wood Dimensions: 38 x 40 x H 60 cm Also available: different finishes. Ch...
Wood