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.
Vintage Modern Chrome Curved Back Tufted Bar Stools In Grey Italian Leather
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage Modern Chrome Flat Bar Curved Back Tufted Bar Stools in Steel Grey Italian Leather - Pair The sleek chrome flat bar base provides a contemporary t...
Chrome
Set of 3 Piton Stools by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Knoll, Signed
By Knoll, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of three Piton stools designed by Edward Barber and Osgerby in 2013 and manufactured by Knoll. The stools are made in die cast steel with a wooden swivel seat. All of the t...
Steel
Double Arch Bar Stool in Brass and Drau Ref. 5 Upholstery by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Double Arch Bar Stool in Brass and Drau Ref. 5 Upholstery by InsidherLand. Dimensions: D 56 x W 60 x H 105 cm. Materials: InsidherLand Drau Ref. 5 upholstery, polished brass. This l...
Metal, Brass
Trio Vintage Design Institute America Counter Height Bar Stools Steel Frames
By Design Institute America, Milo Baughman
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
Pair of Duplex stools by Javier Mariscal for BD 1980's Memphis
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Unique memphis style bar stools designed by Javier Mariscal and initally created for the Duplex bar in valencia. The stools are also on display at the Barcelona design Museum. 1980...
Metal
Stool & Side Table Set, Black Lacquered Wood, Post-Modern Design, Panorammma
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
Vintage chrome wire bar stools, 1980s - set of 4
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage postmodern bar stools with a white metal frame and grey skai seats. 1980s - Italy Very good condition Dimensions: Height: 108cm Width x depth: 46cm Seat height: 78cm Ref...
Metal
Set of 3 Matek Patos Sculptural Stools in Recycled Composite by Project Materia
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Matek Patos Sculptural Stools in Recycled Composite by Project Materia. Designed by Forever Studio. Dimensions: W 60 x D 50 x H 48.5 cm (each stool). Materials: MATEK™ recyc...
Composite
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
Contemporary Silver Arch Stool in Polished Aluminium by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Contemporary Silver Arch Stool in Polished Aluminium by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 54 x L 31.5 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polished Aluminium. This listing features the Silver Arc...
Aluminum
Pair of Enrique Garcel Bone-Clad Stools or Benches, Karl Springer Style, 1980s
By Karl Springer, Enrique Garcel
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
Design for Leisure Gray Ultrasuede, Lucite, Aluminum, Glass Postmodern Bar Suite
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This rare and fantastic bar suite was in the 1980s by Design for Leisure. The now defunct company was a high quality seating resource for the interior design trade, in the day. These...
Aluminum, Steel
$1,663 / item
Umber Pier Bar Stool by Resident
Located in Geneve, CH
Umber Pier Bar Stool by Resident Dimensions: W 46 x D 42.8 x H 107 cm Materials: Solid Oak. Weight: 8.2 Kg. About: Founded by Simon James & Scott Bridgens in 2011, Resident is the ...
Leather, Oak
Swedish Designer, Stool, Pine, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pine stool designed and produced in Sweden, 1970s.
Pine
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
$1,113 / 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
Vecta Beylerian Collection Table & Stool
By Vecta Group
Located in Highland, IN
This terrific post-modern design by Vecta uses wire rod for a strong graphic quality. It features a semi-circular table with a machined steel top paired with a three-legged stool. It...
Steel
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
Stool by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Benetton
Located in Lugo, IT
Steel and leather stool Design by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Benetton 1980 88 Not perfect condition as pictured Thank you
Steel
Cult Stool, Sculptural Table, Black Lacquered Wood, Panorammma, Mexico
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
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
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
Postmodern Leather Bar Stools designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Poltrona Frau
By Poltrona Frau, Massimo Iosa Ghini
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find stunning postmodern swivel bar stools, model "Alo", designed by Massimo Iosa Ghini for Poltrona Frau. Each chair is stamped by the manufacturer beneath ...
Steel
$2,296 / item
Chouchou Rose Stool by Pulpo
Located in Geneve, CH
Chouchou rose stool by Pulpo Dimensions: D35 x W30 x H43 cm Materials: ceramic Also available in different colours. Whether stool or storage table...
Ceramic
$8,648 / item
Tripot Bench by Arturo Verástegui
Located in Geneve, CH
Tripot bench by Arturo Verástegui Dimensions: D 35 x W 110 x H 45 cm Materials: walnut wood. Double bench made of walnut. Arturo Verástegui has been the director and founder ...
Walnut
Stool & Side Table, Concave, Black Lacquered Wood, Post-Modern, Panorammma
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
Stool & Side Table, Convex, Black Lacquered Wood, Post-Modern, Panorammma
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
Three Postmodern Memphis Style Bar Stools, Italy, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Three bar height Italian Postmodern bar chairs inspired by Memphis Milano. Made of black lacquered steel with black moulded rubber seats and backs.
Steel
Candy Columns by Sabine Marcelis, various sizes and colours
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Multi use Candy Column by Sabine Marcelis TYPE Freestanding table ENVIRONMENT Indoor MATERIAL Polyester resin FINISH mat / polished DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT PRICE (excl. VAT & shipping...
Resin
$7,077 / 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
Contemporary White Arch Stool in Steel and Plaster by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Contemporary White Arch Stool in Steel and Plaster by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 54 x L 31.5 x H 43 cm. Materials: Steel and Plaster. This listing features the White Arch St...
Steel
$1,968 / 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 upholstery. Available in all Munna fabrics except...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
Porcelain and Oak Stool, Judith van den Boom, Netherlands, 2012
Located in Regensburg, DE
Stool Porcelain by Studio Boom Wehmeyer, 2012. Artist: Judith van den Boom (Dutch, b. 1977) Unique Work from the series ‚Vitrified Variables‘. Porcelain, moulded and glazed, oak. Di...
Porcelain, Oak
Sweet Fuschia Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Sweet Fuschia 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
Set of Three 1980s Postmodern "Alice" Bar Stools by Claudio Nardi for Zeus
Located in Sacramento, CA
Set of three 1980s postmodern bar stools manufactured by Zeus Noto in Italy and designed by Claudio Nardi. The stools have gray powder-coated steel bases and black molded polyurethan...
Steel
Milky White Amélie Sgabello Stool by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White 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
$937 / item
Bar Stool in Aluminium by Six Dots Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Bar Stool in Aluminium by Six Dots Design. Unique Piece. Dimensions: W 39 x D 39 x H 69 cm. Materials: Raw aluminum. The tall stool is a bar stool that provides comfort and stabilit...
Aluminum
$703 / item
4D Stool III by Kutarq Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
4D Stool III by Kutarq Studio Materials: Stainless steel. Dimensions: D 29 x W 29 x H 42 cm The 4D STOOLS emerge from years of dedicated exploration, embodying a seamless fusion of ...
Stainless Steel, Other
$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
Nestle Foot Stool Gypsum & Fiberglass by Brent Warr Studios
By Brent Warr
Located in Bainbridge, GA
The Nestle Foot Stool by Brent Warr is a tactile blend of whimsy and sculptural sophistication. Its exaggerated legs and rounded silhouette are crafted from a wood core and shaped us...
Epoxy Resin, Fiberglass, Plaster, Hardwood, Paint
$2,062 / item
Oak Stool 1 by Romain des Bois
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak Stool 1 by Romain des Bois Dimensions: D 37 x H 50 cm. Materials: Oak. About: Romain des Bois is, above all, rooted in a deep love for the countryside — especially the country...
Wood
$880Sale Price|20% Off
Stool ASHIGARU-8 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
Vintage Glazed Ceramic Tall Stool
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Command attention with this monumental vintage glazed ceramic piece, a masterclass in Postmodern elegance and classical form. Finished in a rich, deep oxblood red glaze, the high-lus...
Ceramic
$2,847 / item
Silhouette Bar Stool by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Silhouette Bar Stool by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 51 x W 48 x H 110 cm. Materials: wood structure with translucent dark brown in high gloss varnish, InsidherLand Ref. Mix 2 fabric. ...
Upholstery, 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
Contemporary Black Arch Stool in Steel by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Contemporary Black Arch Stool in Steel by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 54 x L 31.5 x H 43 cm. Materials: black painted steel. This listing features the Black Arch Stool in its...
Steel
$1,593 / item
Natural Pier Bar Stool by Resident
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural Pier Bar Stool by Resident Dimensions: W 46 x D 42.8 x H 107 cm Materials: Solid Oak. Weight: 8.2 Kg. About: Founded by Simon James & Scott Bridgens in 2011, Resident is th...
Leather, Oak
Barrel Chair Counter Stools Post Modern Preview, 1990
Rockstool Medium Signed Rock Shaped Stool by Rockstool Paris
Located in Geneve, CH
Rockstool Medium Signed Rock Shaped Stool by Rockstool Paris Dimensions: W 80 x D 65 x H 50 cm Materials: Stoneware Available in different colors and sizes, please contact us. It's...
Stone, Other
$9,468 / item
LV Stool in Aluminum by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
LV Stool in Aluminum by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 45 x D 45 x H 45 cm. Materials: Aluminum, Fur. The LV edition is made of a chair, a stool, a lounge chair, a bench, and an...
Aluminum
Postmodern Prototype Stool by Isabelle Moore, 1995
Located in Surbiton, GB
Prototype barstool made by the artist and furniture maker Isabelle Moore in 1995 at Parnham College. Composed from maple, suede and painted MDF. Isabelle Moore creates unique furni...
Suede, Wood, Maple
Pair of Post Modern Memphis-Style Wrought Iron Barstools w/ Flame Backrest
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition, New Upholstery Recommended Materials: Wrought Iron, Original Lose Cushions This pair of Post Modern Memphis-style barstools, dating to the ...
Wrought Iron
$2,648 / 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
$4,898 / item
Stool, Solid Wood by Sebastiano Zilio
Located in Geneve, CH
Stool, Solid Wood by Sebastiano Zilio Dimensions: W 58.8 x D 58.8 x H 45 cm. Materials: Solid Sungkai wood, About: Sebastiano Zilio Italy, 1969 Italian designer and artist Sebasti...
Wood
Soma Bar Stool in White Pigmented Lacquered Oak by Kasper Nyman
Located in Geneve, CH
Soma Bar Stool in White Pigmented Lacquered Oak by Kasper Nyman. Materials: Solid oak, Plywood with oak veneer. Dimensions: D 49.5 x W 47.5 x H 101 cm. This listing features the Som...
Oak, Plywood, Wood, Hardwood, Lacquer
Soma Counter Chair in White Pigmented Lacquered Oak by Kasper Nyman
Located in Geneve, CH
Soma Counter Chair in White Pigmented Lacquered Oak by Kasper Nyman. Materials: Solid oak, Plywood with oak veneer. Dimensions: D 49.5 x W 47.5 x H 91 cm. This listing features the ...
Plywood, Wood, Hardwood, Oak, Lacquer
$3,867 / item
Mangala Stool in Natural Oak Veneer by Pendhapa
Located in Geneve, CH
Mangala Stool in Natural Oak Veneer by Pendhapa. Dimensions: Ø 40 x H 45 cm. Materials: Natural Oak Veneer, fabric. This listing features our Mangala Stool in its 45 cm height confi...
Oak
$5,027 / item
Wave Stool & Side Table I by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Wave Stool & Side Table I by Homa. Dimensions: W 30 x D 23 x H 40 cm . Materials: Blown Glass. Colour: Brown. Formed through an experimental glassblowing process, each Wave Stool/S...
Blown Glass
$386 / item
Narrow Dropseat by Frederik Van Humbeeck
Located in Geneve, CH
Narrow Dropseat by Frederik Van Humbeeck Dimensions: W 30 x D 30 x H 55 cm Materials: Wood. Weight: 5,4 kg Variations by woodspecies: Sharred Oak, Oak, Cherry, European walnut, Amer...
Wood
Set Of 2 Soft Snake Modular Seats by SLIDE Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 Soft Snake Modular Seats by SLIDE Studio Dimensions: D 52 x W 119 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 12 kg. Available in different co...
Other