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.
$10,645 / item
Hopi Ottoman Red Pattern by Marta Bakowski
Located in Geneve, CH
Hopi Ottoman red pattern by Marta Bakowski Dimensions:D65 x W65 x 44 cm Materials: Marble and fabric. Also available in different finishes. HOPI, this new collection of ottomans ins...
Marble
$3,368 / item
Layered Steel Seat X by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
Layered steel seat X by Hyungshin Hwang Dimensions: D 33 x W 27 x H 42 cm Materials: stainless steel Layered Series is the main theme and concept of work of Hwang, who continues...
Stainless Steel
$3,368 / 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
$3,627 / 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
$1,554 / item
Traspade Pouf by Testatonda
By Testatonda
Located in Geneve, CH
Traspade pouf by Testatonda Dimensions: D 60 x W 58 x H 38 cm. Materials: stainless steel. The Trespade collection is the repetition of dimensions, the intertwining of materials...
Stainless Steel
Postmodern Bar Stools, Model 4822 “Polo” by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell
By Kartell, Anna Castelli Ferrieri
Located in Almelo, NL
Postmodern Bar Stools, Model 4822 “Polo” by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell, Italy, 1984 Designed by pioneering Italian architect and designer Anna Castelli Ferrieri, these strik...
Metal
$3,839 / item
Newman Counter Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Newman Counter Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 50 x W 40 x H 92 cm. SH: 70 cm. Materials: Solid wood, foam, brass, and leather. Finish: Upholstery: Leather, ref. Cream, L02. Legs: Cream...
Brass
Patrick Naggar Rare Tabouret Stool Circa 1986 France
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Rare vintage tabouret stools designed by Patrick Naggar, circa 1986, for ARC International. Crafted in molded ebonized wood with electric blue enameled steel legs featuring a distinc...
Metal
Chess Stool or Side Table by Panorammma, Convex, Black Lacquered Wood, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Two hand-turned wooden pieces with an elegant piano polish inform an imaginative play as sculptural stools or side table sets. Directly referencing chess pieces, these stools luidica...
Resin, Wood
Javier Mariscal duplex stool
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Old edition of iconic duplex stool by Javier Mariscal . Made in beginning of the eighties for the duplex bar in Valence.
Metal
Sculptural Night Log Side Table by Panorammma, Wood & Resin
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Night Log Formed from a reclaimed tree trunk, Night Log preserves the natural silhouette of the wood its knots, cracks, and irregular contours that trace the memory of growth. After ...
Resin, Wood
Sculptural Night Log Side Table by Panorammma, Wood & Resin
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Night Log Formed from a reclaimed tree trunk, Night Log preserves the natural silhouette of the wood its knots, cracks, and irregular contours that trace the memory of growth. After ...
Resin, Wood
Uri Stool, Ikea, 1995
By IKEA
Located in Firenze, IT
Stool, model Uri, designed by Per Idar Ledang in 1995 for Ikea. It features a cushion upholstered in blue velvet and distinctive wave paws, iconic of the postmodern style.
Steel
Mohair and Walnut Stools by Karl Springer, C. 1980s
Located in Westport, CT
An exceptional set of vintage 1980s stools by Karl Springer, fully restored by the team at Stamford Modern. Newly reupholstered in luxurious navy blue mohair, these sculptural stools...
Mohair, Walnut
Chess Stool or Side Table by Panorammma, Set, Black Lacquered Wood, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Two hand-turned wooden pieces with an elegant piano polish lacquer play together as sculptural stools or side table sets.
Resin, Wood
Inside / Outside Jää Cube Side Table / Seat - Recycled Plastic - Pair Available
Located in Leicester, GB
The Jää cube is a multifunctional side table. The Jää cube has a sculptural design with a beautiful tactile surface and small, satin polished aluminium spacers and end nuts. It has a...
Aluminum
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
Set of Six De Sede DS 218 Bar Stools by Paolo Piva in Nappa Leather
By Paolo Piva, De Sede
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
Stool and light Elephant -Dutch Design Richard Hutten for Gispen- 2008
By Richard Hutten, Gispen
Located in The Hague, NL
The Low-res Elephant is both a stool, a lamp and a playful decoration object at the same time. Designed by Richard Hutten in 2008 for the renowned Dutch manufacturer Gispen in the Ne...
Acrylic
Aurora stool, light honey solid wood, natural caning 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
American Designer, Stools, Pine, Brass, Mohair, USA, 1980s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of dark-stained pine, brass and mohair stools designed and produced in the US, c. 1980s. Dimensions: 31.25” H x 16” W x 15.375” D All upholstered furniture can be reupholste...
Brass
Stone Heart Travertine Stool by Harshita Jhamtani Designs
Located in Geneve, CH
Stone Heart Travertine Stool by Harshita Jhamtani Designs Dimensions: D 30.5 x H 45.7 cm Materials: Travertine. Handcrafted from beige and red travertine, this unique ottoman/end ta...
Travertine
$800Sale Price|27% Off
Stool ASHIGARU-4 by POPCORN
By POPCORN
Located in 加須市, 11
Stools, display stands, and interior design elements ASHIGARU means "a common foot soldier" in Japanese, so named because it looks like a common foot soldier. It weighs 13 kg.
Steel
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
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
$1,200 / item
Cult Stool, Sculptural Side Table, in Black Laquer
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult Stool remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in a modernist manner. This edition of Cult Stool in stark contrast to its predecesor is redu...
Resin, Wood
Chess Stool or Side Table by Panorammma, Concave, Black Lacquered Wood, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Two hand-turned wooden pieces with an elegant piano polish lacquer play together as sculptural stools or side table sets.
Resin, Wood
$7,254 / item
White Magic Stool by Lucile Gracile
Located in Geneve, CH
White Magic Stool by Lucile Gracile Dimensions: D 65 x W 48 x H 35 cm Materials: Glazed ceramic, platinum. Born in 1988, lives and works in Paris. Ceramic artist using traditional ...
Platinum
Post Modern High Arm Bench by Directional, 1970
By Directional
Located in Chicago, IL
Post Modern high arm bench by Directional, 1970. Original upholstery.
Upholstery
Danish Designer, Stools, Metal, Leather, Denmark, 1980s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brown leather and metal stools designed and produced in Denmark, c. 1980s. Seat Height (inches) stool 1: 13.88" Seat Height (inches) stool 2: 15.88"
Steel
Contemporary Red Bean Lacquer Low Empire Drumstool by Robert Kuo
By Robert Kuo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Low Empire drumstool Red Bean Lacquer Hand Repoussé Limited Edition Each piece is individually crafted and is unique. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dyna...
Lacquer
$529 / item
Lace Burgundy Stool by Mowee
Located in Geneve, CH
Lace burgundy stool by Mowee. Dimensions: D43 x H91 cm. Material: Polyethylene, stainless steel. Weight: 6.7 kg Also Available in different colours...
Stainless Steel
Post-Modern Solid Pine Stool by E.R.A. Herbstb, Germany, 1980s Design
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice Post Modern solid Oak stool . Manufactured by E.R.A. Herbstb 1980s Germany .
Pine
Pair of Enrique Garcel Bone-Clad Stools or Benches, Karl Springer Style, 1980s
By Enrique Garcel, Karl Springer
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Stylish pair of Enrique Garcel tessellated bone benches. Use them in the living room, or a bedroom. Separate them and use one in a foyer and another in the ...
Bone, Fabric, Resin
Releve Stool in Matte Lacquered Sapele with Mohair Upholstery by Vonnegut Kraft
Located in Geneve, CH
Releve Stool in Matte Lacquered Sapele with Mohair Upholstery by Vonnegut Kraft Dimensions: D 35,6 x W 53,3 x H 44,5 cm. Materials: Sapele and mohair up...
Mohair, Sapele Wood
1980's Postmodern Barstools by Les Industries Amisco, Canada, Leather Minimalist
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
1980's Postmodern Barstools by Les Industries Amisco, Canada, Leather, Minimalist, Kitchen, Stools Vintage from the 1980s DIMENSIONS: 20ʺW × 20ʺD × 43.5ʺH Seat Height: 30.5" These...
Metal
$1,118 / set
Vintage bar stools by Allmilmö, 1980s, Set of 3
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Set of 3 post modern bar stools by Allmilmö. White metal frames with cool bentwood seats. 1980s - Germany In good condition Dimensions: Height 100cm Width: 50cm Depth: 45cm Seat ...
Metal
80s Postmodern Lacquered Wood & Vegan Leather Barstool Radical
By Moanne
Located in Almería, ES
Rebellion isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it takes shape in silence—in the refusal to blend in, in the geometry that breaks the mold. The Radical Counter Stool is just that: a visual m...
Wood, Faux Leather, Lacquer
Post modern cantilevered set of chrome and black vinyl barstools, circa 1990s
Located in Houston, TX
Post modern cantilevered set of chrome and black vinyl barstools, circa 1990s. Chrome has been cleaned and the stools are in very good condition. Structurally sound. 38.5” H x 16” ...
Chrome
$2,296 / item
Bolota Capture Stool by A. Jacob Marks
Located in Geneve, CH
Bolota Capture Stool by A. Jacob Marks Dimensions: D 30.5 x H 46 cm. Materials: high density black cork, blackened aluminum. BC1 BOLOTA is a limited series of seating and tables fea...
Aluminum
Set of Three Thick Orange & Clear Acrylic Counter Height Bar Stools
Located in North Miami, FL
These extremely FUN orange acrylic top bar stools with clear acrylic base and steel footrest, are counter height or can be used for extra seating at a dining table as well. Comforta...
Acrylic
$2,944 / item
Black Tela Counter Stool by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Tela Counter Stool by Wentz Dimensions: D 52 x W 58 x H 84 cm Materials: Tauari Wood, Cotton, Weave, Plywood, Upholstery. Weight: 5,8kg / 12,7 lbs The Tela armchair is a meeti...
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
$3,026 / item
Figueroa Bar Stool by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Figueroa Bar Stool by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 54 x W 53 x H 107 cm. Materials: polished brass, InsidherLand Cotton Velvet Ref.CV 0790 fabric. 11 kg. Available in different fabrics...
Brass
$13,377 / item
Nuture Stool by Ella Bulley
Located in Geneve, CH
Nuture Stool by Ella Bulley Limited Edition Of 15 Pieces Dimensions: D 40 x W 90 x H 76 cm. Materials: Walnut and red wood. Ella Bulley is a Material Design Studio based in London, ...
Wood, Walnut
$10,104 / item
Console Bar Stool by Konstantin Achkov
Located in Geneve, CH
Console Bar Stool by Konstantin Achkov Limited Edition Dimensions: D 50 x W 44 x H 85 cm. SH: 65 cm. Materials: Oak wood, epoxy resin, and stainless steel. Konstantin Achkov is a le...
Stainless Steel
$4,816 / item
Terrazzo Rainbow Stool by Lilia Cruz Corona Garduño
Located in Geneve, CH
Terrazo rainbow stool by Lilia Cruz Corona Garduño. Hapiness Series Dimensions: W 19.7" x D 12" x H 17" Materials: Terrazzo (Pigmented concrete and gr...
Concrete
$2,400 / set
Set of 3 Matteo Grassi Leather Counter Stools
Located in Dallas, TX
A sophisticated set of three Italian leather counter stools by Matteo Grassi, celebrated for the company's exceptional craftsmanship and mastery of fine leather upholstery. Executed ...
Steel
$7,112 / item
Cyber Stool in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Cyber Stool in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Dimensions: D 43 x W 40 x H 85 cm. SH: 47 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. The space routes of the Apollo 11 are all enclos...
Aluminum
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
$19,949 / item
Gradient 03 Stool / Side Table by Luis Gimeno
Located in Geneve, CH
Gradient 03 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...
Wood, Chestnut, Oak
Stool Sedes 1/15 by Sculptur Ron van de Ven 1998
By Ron van de Ven
Located in Weesp, NL
Rare Sculptural Stool “Sedes” by Ron van de Ven, 1998 — Numbered 1/15 Offered here is an exceptionally rare collector’s piece: the “Sedes” sculptural stool by Dutch artist and desig...
Aluminum
$3,886 / item
Gaia Mini Stool by KV Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Gaia Mini Stool by KV Design Dimensions: D 30 x W 30 x H 30 cm. Materials: Walnut, Stainless Steel. Finish: oil Limited Edition of 8. KV Design is a team of professionals, and we be...
Stainless Steel
Pair of Bar Stools "Dania" in green leather by Salvati & Tresoldi for Saporiti
By Saporiti, Salvati & Tresoldi
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a pair of striking swivel Postmodern Bar Stools designed by Salvati & Tresoldi for Saporiti Italia. They feature a leather upholstered in forest gre...
Stainless Steel
Italian 20th Century Modernist Magis Condor Andries and Hiroko Van Onck Stools
By Andries & Hiroko van Onck, Magis
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
This set of four stools were designed by Andries and Hiroko Van Onck for Magis, blending unique style from the 20th century modernist movement. The stools feature a metal frame with ...
Metal
Vintage Veneman Cast Aluminum Branch Barstools. - A Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exquisite pair of Veneman cast aluminum barstools captures the whimsical yet sophisticated essence of Faux Bois design. Expertly crafted to mimic the organic texture of real tre...
Aluminum
$1,118 / item
Light Pink Stool 01 by Iranzo
Located in Geneve, CH
Light Pink Stool 01 by Iranzo Dimensions: D 68 x H 48 cm. Material: Epoxy resin & polypropylene Available in: White / Black - at a lower price Light pink / Blue / Pastel green ...
Epoxy Resin
$2,448 / item
Rumbo Stool by Jean-Baptiste Van Den Heede
Located in Geneve, CH
RUMBO stool by Jean-Baptiste Van den Heede Dimensions: W 49 x D 28 x H 40 cm Materials: white beech The RUMBO stool version in beech wood with walnut plywood bottom Jean-Baptiste V...
Textile, Beech
$13,589 / item
Max Stool in Kvadrat Hero 2 Fabric by Julien Lestrille
Located in Geneve, CH
Max Stool in Kvadrat Hero 2 Fabric by Julien Lestrille. Dimensions: W 62 x D 50 x H 45 cm. Materials: Wood, Kvadrat Hero 2 Fabric. The upholstery is available in several color choices of Kvadrat Hero 2, allowing for a personalized finish that perfectly complements your interior. Inspired by cartoon characters, the Max collection brings out the child within us. Its design reflects a bold spirit — one that explores volume, plays with balance, and transforms an everyday object into a showcase of craftsmanship. Its solidity, strong presence, and playful touch make it a unique piece that draws the eye while remaining fully functional. Composed of upholstered panels, Max celebrates the meticulous work of master upholsterers. It is designed to highlight textiles and showcase their texture and richness, turning the piece into a true stage for materials. Julien Lestrille is a designer. A graduate of the Strate School of Design, he has developed expertise in furniture design through collaborations with prestigious studios such as Gilles & Boissier, Bruno Moinard...
Upholstery, Wood
$3,980 / item
Steel 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: stainless steel Available in steel and brass. An exercise in mini...
Stainless Steel
$2,673 / item
Coleman Bar Stool by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Coleman Bar Stool by Munna Dimensions: D 54 x W 44 x H 105 cm. SH: 80 cm. Materials: Solid wood, foam, brass, and upholstery. Finish: Upholstery: Vivid Chenille, ref. Moss, VIC13. Le...
Brass