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.
$1,028 / item
Noel Counter Chair by Thorup Copenhagen
Located in Geneve, CH
Noel Counter Chair by Thorup Copenhagen Dimensions: D 42 x W 50 x H 77 cm. Materials: Stainless steel, dark grey wool. Available in other colors. Please contact us. Thorup Copenhag...
Stainless Steel
Rare set of Three Michael Graves Bent Wood and Steel Barstools
Located in Chicago, IL
Rare set of three steam-bent maple wood and steel framed post modern barstools designed by NYC architect and designer Michael Graves. Graves often featured a modernist aesthetic wit...
Steel
Trio Vintage Design Institute America Counter Height Bar Stools Steel Frames
By Milo Baughman, Design Institute America
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed and made in the United States, these feature a somewhat ambiguous history. They have been credited to Design Institute America, a somewhat ambiguous manufacturer itself, and...
Steel
$1,315 / item
Lime Green Lazy Bones High Stool by Barnaby Gunning
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Lazy Bones High Stool by Barnaby Gunning Dimensions: D 40 x W 50 x H 72 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 8 kg. Available in different color o...
Other
$681 / item
Stainless Steel Cosmic Stool by Mati Sipiora
Located in Geneve, CH
Stainless Steel Cosmic Stool by Mati Sipiora Dimensions: D 35 x W 40 x H 40 cm Materials: Stainless Steel. Finish: Polished Stainless Steel. Weight: 5....
Stainless Steel
$2,105 / item
Object 02 Noir Seating by Volta
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 02 noir seating by Volta Dimensions: D 45 x W 40 x H 95 cm Materials: Cork and Velvet Also available in diffentent colours. Please contact us. MEÏ COLLECTION The Meï co...
Velvet, Cork
Pair of Purple Postmodern Memphis Style Bar Stools, Italy 1980s
Located in Athens, Attiki
A pair of purple Postmodern Memphis style bar stools, Italy 1980s. Periwinkle purple lacquered steel with black moulded rubber seats and backs. Ver...
Metal
Maçka Bar Stool, Black Powder Coated Metal Structure by AVLU
Located in Geneve, CH
Maçka Bar Stool, Brushed Stainless Steel by AVLU Dimensions: W 50 x D 44 x H 99 cm Materials: Brushed Stainless Steel or Powder Coated Metal Structure with custom upholstery. Refer...
Metal, Stainless Steel
Jamaica Barstools by Pepe Cortés for Amat-3 for Knoll, Pair
By Pepe Cortés, Knoll, Amat-3
Located in Stamford, CT
Pepe Cortés’ intention for his Jamaica Stools was ease of placement in a range of environments. Commercial grade durability paired with essential comfort for the home are both found ...
Aluminum
$1,961 / item
Chamois Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Chamois Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 42 x W 52 x H 49 cm. SH: 49 cm. Materials: Solid wood, foam, brass, and upholstery. Finish: Upholstery: Cotton Velvet, ref. Lilac, CV15. Footer: ...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
Gradient 01 Oak, Chestnut, Ash and Beech Wood Stool by Luis Gimeno
Located in Geneve, CH
Gradient 01 Oak, Chestnut, Ash, and Beech Wood Stool by Luis Gimeno Dimensions: D 40 x W 40 x H 50 cm Materials: Black stained Oak, Chestnut, Ash, Beech. The idea behind this design...
Oak, Ash, Beech, Chestnut
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
Monolit Stool & Side Table in Silver Modular Mirror Glass Bricks by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Monolit Stool & Side Table in Silver Modular Mirror Glass Bricks by Homa. Dimensions: W 30 x D 30 x H 40 cm Unit Size: W 15 x D 15 x 40 cm (each). Materials: Glass Bricks, Silver Mi...
Mirror, Glass
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Amisco Chair or Stool with Foam Back
Located in Miami, FL
Tubular steel frame in red lacquer with black foam back support and beige seat cushion by Amisco, Canada.
Steel
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
$2,129 / 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
$5,132 / item
Wave Stool & Side Table III by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Wave Stool & Side Table III by Homa. Dimensions: W 30 x D 23 x H 36 cm. Materials: Blown Glass. Colour: Burgundy. Formed through an experimental glassblowing process, each Wav...
Blown Glass
$2,237 / 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
Hexagonal Drumstool, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Hand Repousse, Limited
By Robert Kuo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hexagonal drumstool Black lacquer Hand Repousse Limited Edition Each piece is individually crafted and is unique. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, ...
Lacquer
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
Post Modern Spaghetti Bar Stool Giandomenico Belotti Alias Fly Line 1980s
Located in Forest Grove, PA
The spaghetti barstool designed by Giandomenico Belotti, unmarked, circa 1980s. These stools have been attributed to Fly Line and Alias. An iconic Post Modern design, the seats and backs are upholstered with 'spaghetti' straps made of strong PVC, this vintage stacking stool...
Steel
$5,718 / item
Mirtillo Awaiting L Stool by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirtillo Awaiting L Stool by Secondome Edizioni Designer: Coralla Maiuri + Giorgia Zanellato. Dimensions: D 48 x W 48 x H 69 cm. Materials: Brass and velvet. Collection / Production...
Brass
$2,990 / item
Black Tela Bar Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Tela Bar Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 58 x W 60 x H 94 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cotton, Weave, Plywood, Upholstery. Weight: 6,1kg / 13,4 lbs The Tela armchair is a meeting b...
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
$810 / item
Kawung Wood & Metal Counter Stool in Teak
Located in New York, US
The Kawung is an homage to Indonesian traditional batik pattern that dates centuries, crafted with a solid wood frame and adorned with a touch of Javanese elegance. The luxurious cre...
Metal
Large Pausa Oak Stool by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Pausa oak stool by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte Dimensions: D 35 x W 35 x H 75 cm. Materials: Burned Oak. Available in natural oak version and in 3 sizes. Pausa is a series...
Oak
Large Chrome Stools or Ottomans Attributed to Milo Baughman- A Pair
By Design Institute America, Thayer Coggin, Karl Springer, Milo Baughman
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Pair of vintage chrome stools or ottomans in the style of Milo Baughman. Featuring well constructed, heavy gauge chromed steel frames, and newer upholstered seats in a beautiful blus...
Chrome
Set of 4 Design Institute of America Brass Stools in the Style of Milo Baughman
By Milo Baughman, Design Institute America
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Elegant and luxurious set of four cantilevered brass stools in the style of Milo Baughman made by Design Institute of America ("DIA") newly professionally reupholstered in super soft...
Brass
Vintage Bentwood "Manilla" Stools by Val Padilla for Jasper Conran
By Heywood-Wakefield Co., Jasper Furniture Company
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
$2,739 / item
Oak and Walnut Bình Minh Barstool by ONON DETAILS
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak and Walnut Bình Minh Barstool by ONON DETAILS Dimensions: W 66 x D 64 x H 89 cm. Materials: Walnut, Oak. ONON Details furnitures are chosen by famous design brand, domestic an...
Oak, Walnut
$2,261 / item
Saddlestool Backless Stool/Perch by A. Jacob Marks
Located in Geneve, CH
Saddlestool Backless Stool/Perch by A. Jacob Marks Dimensions: W 37 x D 39 x H 52 cm. Materials: Natural Walnut. SDA Also available in different materials. Saddlestool is a backle...
Walnut
Deep Stool in Oak Wooden Legs & Upholstered Seat by Quinti Sedute
Located in Geneve, CH
Deep Stool in Oak Wooden Legs & Upholstered Seat by Quinti Sedute Designed by Archirivolto Design Dimensions: D 50 x W 52 x H 98 cm. Materials: Oak and upholstery. Available in diff...
Upholstery, Oak
1980s Sculptural Italian Postmodern Faux Tan Suede Bar Stools – a Pair
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a stylish, unique pair of bar stools, circa the 1980s. These vintage barstools are a nod to Italian postmodernism, showcasing a distinct architectural p...
Faux Leather
$5,131 / item
Wave Stool & Side Table VI by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Wave Stool & Side Table VI by Homa. Dimensions: W 29 x D 30 x H 45 cm. Materials: Blown Glass. Colour: Burgundy. Formed through an experimental glassblowing process, each Wave St...
Blown Glass
$5,921 / item
Wave Stool & Side Table IX by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Wave Stool & Side Table IX by Homa. Dimensions: W 30 x D 30 x H 45 cm. Materials: Blown Glass, Silver Mirror. Colour: Satin. Formed through an experimental glassblowing process, ...
Blown Glass, Mirror
ELEMENTOS Stool Set in Sandblasted Pine with Black Finish by Daniel Couttolenc
Located in Geneve, CH
ELEMENTOS Stool Set in Sandblasted Pine with Black Finish by Daniel Couttolenc. Overall Dimensions: D 168 x W 168 x H 168 cm. Individual Dimensions: D 42 x W 42 x H 42 cm. Materials:...
Pine
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
$1,758 / item
Knot Stool / Side Table by Luis Gimeno
Located in Geneve, CH
Knot Stool / Side Table by Luis Gimeno Dimensions: W 32 x D 32 x H 45 cm Materials: Solid Red Oak. The Knot Stool is a handcrafted piece made from red oak, features an interlocking ...
Oak
$1,973 / item
Unique Arch Square Stool by Mesut Öztürk
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique arch square stool by Mesut Öztürk. Dimensions: W 20 x D 20 x H 40 cm. Materials: stoneware. "Arch stools are sculptural furnitures derived ...
Stoneware
$3,146 / item
Rubin Red Standard Plopp Stool by Zieta
By Zieta
Located in Geneve, CH
Rubin Red Standard Plopp Stool by Zieta Dimensions: Ø 35 x H 50 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Finish: Rubin red. Available in different colors ...
Stainless Steel
$3,158 / item
Oak Root Stool by Daniel Elkayam
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak Root Stool by Daniel Elkayam One of a Kind Dimensions: D 30 x W 30 x H 45 cm Materials: Oak Wood Daniel Elkayam — Designer Jerusalem-born Art-de...
Oak
$1,674 / item
High Smile Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil
Located in Geneve, CH
High Smile Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil Dimensions: W 52 x D 53 x H 111 cm Materials: Metal, Soleta. Also available in W 52 x D 53 x H 95 cm, Seat Height: 60 cm. With the intention ...
Metal
$22,103 / item
Gradient 01 Stool / Side Table by Luis Gimeno
Located in Geneve, CH
Gradient 01 Stool / Side Table by Luis Gimeno Dimensions: W 40 x D 40 x H 50 cm Materials: Black Stained Oak, Chestnut Wood, Ash Wood and Beech Wood. The idea behind this design wa...
Oak, Wood, Chestnut
$2,105 / item
Object 04 Marron Seating by Volta
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 04 Marron Seating by Volta Dimensions: D 45 x W 40 x H 90 cm Materials: Cork and Velvet Also available in diffentent colours. Please contact us. MEÏ COLLECTION The Meï ...
Velvet, Cork
$447Sale Price / set|50% Off
Calligaris Lacquered Wood Upholstered Bar Stools Made in Italy, Set of 3
By Calligaris
Located in Miami, FL
Calligaris lacquered wood upholstered bar stools made in Italy, (3) Offered for sale is a set of three Calligaris lacquered wood and leather upholstered bar stools in a post-moderni...
Wood
$4,258 / item
Wax Aluminum Stool by Saturday Yard Work
Located in Geneve, CH
Wax Aluminum Stool by Saturday Yard Work Dimensions: D 40 x W 40 x H 58 cm Materials: Aluminium. SATURDAY YARD WORK by Nathan Martin is a Kaurna/Adelaide-based practice that aims to...
Aluminum
Aurora stool, light honey solid wood, natural caning back, cane 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
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
$1,782 / item
High Moi Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil
Located in Geneve, CH
High Moi Bar Stool by Doimo Brasil Dimensions: W 51 x D 58 x H 109 cm Materials: Veneer, Natural Leather. Also available in W 51 x D 58 x H 93 cm, Seat Heig...
Leather
$2,421 / item
Brass Sculptural Log Stool - Large Size by Misaya
By Masaya
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass Sculptural Log Stool - Large Size by Misaya Dimensions: W38 x D34 x H33.5 cm Materials: Brass Also Available: Different colors (Gold, Polished Brass. Black, Painted Brass) and...
Brass
Anodized Burgundy and Cane Wicker Bench by Tino Seubert
Located in Geneve, CH
Anodised Burgundy and cane wicker bench by Tino Seubert Dimensions: L 145 x W 40 x H 45 cm. Materials: Color anodized aluminum extrusions, cane weave. Tino Seubert When he firs...
Aluminum
$1,000 / item
Large White Tupp Barstool by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Large White 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
$3,421 / item
Layered Steel Stool by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
Layered steel stool by Hyungshin Hwang Dimensions: D 30 x W 30 x H 45 cm Materials: stainless steel Layered Series is the main theme and conce...
Stainless Steel
Joe Colombo Bar Stool for Zanotta
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bar stool by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, c.1970s, Italy. The swivel 'Birillo' stool features a small round black leather backrest and cream upholstered seat. The stool has a chrome fram...
Chrome
Set of Six De Sede DS 218 Bar Stools by Paolo Piva in Nappa Leather
By De Sede, Paolo Piva
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
This set of six bar stools with red seats made of high-quality nappa leather is in excellent condition. The leather seats show minimal signs of wear. The cubic frames made of polishe...
Stainless Steel
$1,567 / item
Object 01 Marron Seating by Volta
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 01 marron seating by Volta Dimensions: D 45 x W 40 x H 50 cm Materials: Cork and Velvet Also available in diffentent colours. Please contact us. MEÏ COLLECTION The Meï ...
Velvet, Cork
Set of 4 Postmodern Bar Stools by Indecasa designed by Joan Casas, Spain 1980s
By Indecasa, Joan Casas Y Ortinez
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a set of 4 minimalist postmodern Bar Stools designed by Joan Casas for Indecasa. They feature leather seats in dark burgundy, which are attached to alum...
Steel
$836 / item
Radical Design Brown Velvet Stool Furia
By Moanne
Located in Almería, ES
There’s a fire that doesn’t need to roar to be felt—an inner intensity that simmers beneath the surface. The Furia Stool captures that quiet force. With its soft, rounded body and as...
Velvet
Contemporary Stool by Objects of Common Interest, Metamorphic Rock, Purple
Located in Copenhagen, DK
A solid rock formation sitting upon a tray on casters as an elemental gesture for creating a resting element. The rock is a familiar yet surprising material mass, semitransparent, so...
Steel
vintage italian table & stool set by Raul Barbiere & Gabriella Montaguti for Rex
By Raul Barbieri, Rexite
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Black red, green and yellow swivel stool by Raul Barbiere for Rexite. Made in Italy - 1980 's Dimensions: 36 cm diametre seating 70 cm heigh 46 cm low Material: Rubber an...
Plastic, Rubber
$1,567 / item
Object 01 Beige Seating by Volta
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 01 Beige Seating by Volta Dimensions: D 45 x W 40 x H 50 cm Materials: Cork and Velvet Also available in diffentent colours. Please contact us. MEÏ COLLECTION The Meï c...
Velvet, Cork