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.
Italian Bulky Low-Slung Modular Sofa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Avilla, modular sofa, fabric, beech, Italy, 1980s This bulky, low-slung sectional sofa captures the relaxed confidence of Italian design in the 1980s. Rather than appearing light, r...
Fabric, Beech
De Sede DS-600 'Snake' Sectional Sofa in Brown Leather
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ueli Berger, Eleonora Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz Ulrich and Klaus Vogt for De Sede, 'Snake' sectional sofa, model 'DS-600', leather, Switzerland, 1970 Designed by Ueli Berger, Eleonora Ped...
Leather
Nienkamper for De Sede Set of Eight Dining Chairs in Leather and Chromed Metal
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nienkamper for De Sede set of eight dining chairs, leather, chromed metal, Switzerland, 1970s These dining chairs combine generous leather upholstery with a clean tubular steel fram...
Metal, Chrome
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Set of Eight Dining Chairs in Walnut & Cognac Saddle Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Attributed to Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, dining chairs, saddle leather, walnut, Italy, circa 1970 Set of eight dining chairs attributed to Italian designers Afra & Tob...
Leather, Walnut
Saporiti Large Post-Modern Sofa in Structured Turquoise Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Saporiti, sofa, fabric, metal, Italy, 1970s Large sofa manufactured by Saporiti. This sofa is designed to be comfortable, soft and inviting. It has three seats with round sloping ar...
Metal
Postmodern Pair of Lounge Chairs in Red Striped and Red Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lounge chairs, red and striped fabric, lacquered steel, lacquered wood, Europe, 1980s This pair of lounge chairs from the 1980s reflects the bold and playful character of postmoder...
Fabric
Shiro Kuramata 'How High the Moon' Lounge Chair in Nickel-Plated Steel Mesh
By Shiro Kuramata, Vitra
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Shiro Kuramata for Vitra, 'How High the Moon' lounge chair, nickel-plated steel mesh, Switzerland, design 1986 Shiro Kuramata’s ‘How High the Moon...
Steel, Nickel
De Sede DS-600 'Snake' Sectional Sofa in Warm Sage Colored Suede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
De Sede, ‘Snake’ DS-600, suede, felt, Switzerland, 1970s A design by Ueli Berger, Elenora Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz Ulrich and Klaus Vogt for De Sede, Switzerland. This De Sede modular Sn...
Suede, Felt
Grassi&Bianchi for Enrico Pellizzoni Set of Eight 'Pasqualina' Dining Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Grassi&Bianchi for Enrico Pellizzoni, set of eight 'Pascqualina' dining chairs, leather, steel, Italy, 1980s The Pasqualina armchair, designed by Grassi & Bianchi for Enrico...
Steel
Large-Scaled Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois Modular 'Mah Jong' Sofa in Wool
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, 'Mah Jong' modular sofa, wool, France, designed in 1971 The Mah Jong sofa, designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois in 1971, is one of the most recogni...
Wool
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate 'Blop' Lounge Chairs in Original Fabric
By Carlo Bartoli, Rossi di Albizzate
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate, pair of two-seat sofa with pair of lounge chairs and coffee table, model 'Blop', original velvet, lacquered wood, Italy, 1972 A postmodern desi...
Velvet
Wiener Werkstätten 1970s Modular Organic Sofa in Colorful Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Wiener Werkstätten, modular sofa, fabric, plastic, Austria, 1970s This modular sofa by Wiener Werkstätten captures something of the freedom and optimism of the 1970s. Its low, gener...
Fabric, Plastic
Gionathan de Pas, Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi 'Joe' Lounge Chair in Leather
By Poltronova, Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gionathan de Pas, Donato D'Urbino and Paolo Lomazzi for Poltronova, 'Joe' glove lounge chair, cognac leather, brass-plated steel, Italy, 1970 This extraordinary chair, named the ‘Jo...
Brass, Steel
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto Pair of 'Artona' Sofas in Walnut
By Maxalto, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, pair of 'Artona' sofas, walnut, beige-sand fabric, Italy, 1975/1979 Cubic ‘Artona’ sofas by Italian designer couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. The w...
Fabric, Walnut
Mario Bellini CAB 412/413 Dining Chairs Set of Ten, Black Leather
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Vienna, AT
Wonderful set of 10 dining chairs by Mario Bellini 1980's. 2x cab 413 and 8x cab 412 by Cassina. We have a total of 4x cab 413 and 12x cab 412 at the moment, please inquire if you n...
Steel
Grassi&Bianchi for Enrico Pellizzoni Set of Ten 'Pasqualina' Dining Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Grassi&Bianchi for Enrico Pellizzoni, set of ten 'Pascqualina' dining chairs, leather, steel, Italy, 1980s The Pasqualina armchair, designed by Grassi & Bianchi for Enrico Pellizzon...
Steel
Hans Hopfer for Neue Wiener Werkstätte 'Castell' Sectional Sofa
By Hans Hopfer
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans Hopfer for Neue Wiener Werkstätte 'Castell' modular sofa, fabric, plastic, Austria, design 1972 Stunning modular sofa designed by Hans Hopfer for Neue Wiener Werkstätte. This s...
Fabric, Plastic
Italian Set of Eight Dining Chairs With Wavy Backrests in Saddle Leather, Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Set of eight bicolor dining chairs, saddle leather in brown and red-brown colors, walnut, Italy, 1970s These playful and well-proportioned dining chairs were made in Italy during th...
Leather, Walnut
A POSTMODERN "DR GLOB" chair, by PHILIPPE STARCK, KARTELL, Italy 1980
Located in PARIS, FR
An iconic "Dr Glob" postmodern chair, silver lacquered metal tube structure and stylized plastic seating area, by Philippe Starck, produced by Kartell, Italy 1980. Kartell signature ...
Metal
Mario Bellini for Cassina Set of Six 'Cab' Dining Chairs in Red Brown Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Cassina, set of six 'Cab' dining chairs, model '412', leather, plastic, Italy, design 1976 Beautiful set of 'Cab' dining chairs in luxurious reddish brown leather ...
Leather, Plastic
Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti Confidential Corner Sofa in Burgundy Leather
By Saporiti
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti, sectional sofa, model 'Confidential', leather, Italy, 1972 In 1972, Italian architect and furniture designer Alberto Rosselli designed a distinctive s...
Leather
Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau Bicolor Set of Ten Leather 'Dinette’ Armchairs
By Poltrona Frau, Luigi Massoni
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Massoni for Poltrona Frau, set of ten armchairs, model ‘Dinette’, leather, chrome, Italy, 1972 This set of dining chairs showcases an exceptional design, defined by distinctiv...
Chrome
Italian Post Modern La Belle Chair by Sawaya and Moroni
Located in Troy, MI
Found in Italy, this chair dates from the early 1990s. Designed by William Sawaya for upscale Italian maker Sawaya and Moroni, this chair’s seat and back rest are made of molded, lam...
Metal
Post-Modern Set of Six Italian Ash Wood Dining Chairs in Cognac Faux Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining chairs, ash, faux leather, Italy, 1970s A set of six Italian dining chairs from the 1970s, crafted in ash wood and upholstered in rich cognac faux leather. Defined by their e...
Faux Leather, Ash
Rare Large-Scale De Sede DS 11 Modular Sofa Consisting of Sixteen Elements
Located in Waalwijk, NL
De Sede, modular 'DS-11' sofa, leather, beech, Switzerland, 1970s Monumental DS-11 modular sofa by De Sede, produced in Switzerland during the 1970s. This exceptionally large compos...
Leather, Beech
1970s Italian Modular Sofa in Brown and Beige Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular sofa, fabric, Italy, 1970s This charming Italian sofa is made in a characteristic patterned upholstery in brown and beige tones with cord like stitching along the backrests...
Fabric
Fler 'Idler' Lounge Chairs with Ottoman in Teddy Mohair by Pierre Frey
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Fler for Furniture Makers of Australia, living room set - lounge chairs with ottoman, model 'The Idler', "Teddy Mohair" Aubergine by Pierre Frey, Australia, wood, design 1969 This s...
Mohair, Wood
Howard Keith 'Cloud' Sofa Upholstered in Blue Velvet
By Howard Keith
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Howard Keith for HK Furniture, 'Cloud' sofa, velvet, United Kingdom, 1970s Stunning Howard Keith “Cloud” sofa featuring a sculptural organic form. ...
Velvet
Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois Croissant Sofa with Lounge Chair Off-White Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, sofa with lounge chair reupholstered fabric, France, late 1970s The Croissant sofa with lounge chair, designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, epito...
Fabric
De Sede DS-600 'Snake' Sectional Sofa in Brown Leather
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ueli Berger, Eleonora Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz Ulrich and Klaus Vogt for De Sede, 'Snake' sectional sofa, model 'DS-600', leather, Switzerland, 1970s Designed by Ueli Berger, Eleonora Pe...
Leather
Post-Modern Italian Bar Unit with Cabinets and Bar Stools
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Bar unit, chrome, metal, glass, mirror, fabric, wood, Italy, 1970s This Italian bar from the 1970s combines several materials typical of the period, including chrome, metal, wood, g...
Metal, Chrome
Ubald Klug for De Sede 'Terrazza' Landscape in Red Brown Leather
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ubald Klug for De Sede, DS-1025 'Terrazza' landscape sofa, leather, Switzerland, 1970s. Waterfall shaped sofa in red brown leather by the Swiss manufacturer De Sede. The design for...
Leather
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate 'Down' Sectional Sofa
By Rossi di Albizzate, Carlo Bartoli
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Carlo Bartoli for Rossi di Albizzate, sectional sofa model 'Down', fabric, lacquered wood, Italy, 1973 This design truly resembles the ethos of the seventies – a bright and bold era...
Fabric, Wood
Joe Colombo for Zanotta Pair of 'Birillo' Swivel Bar Stools in Stainless Steel
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Zanotta, pair of 'Birillo' bar stools, stainless steel, leather, plastic, Italy, design 1970 Designed by Joe Colombo for Zanotta in 1970, the Birillo bar stools hav...
Stainless Steel
Mario Marenco for Arflex Modular 'Marechiaro' Three-Seat Sofa in Wool
By Arflex, Mario Marenco
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Marenco for Arflex, modular three-seater sofa, model 'Marechiaro', wool, plastic, metal, Italy, circa 1976. This well-designed sofa by Mario Marenco for Arflex is fully execut...
Metal
Sculptural Goatskin Armchair Rhubarb Chair by Enrique Garcel, Mid-Century Modern
By Bartolozzi & Maioli, Enrique Garcel
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A Masterpiece of 1970s Organic Modernism: This sculptural goatskin wrapped rhubarb leaf form armchair by Enrique Garcel evokes the theatrical glamour of the Hollywood Regency era mix...
Goatskin, Lacquer
De Sede DS-600 'Snake' Sectional Sofa in Reddish-Brown Patinated Leather
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
De Sede, ‘Snake’ DS-600 sectional sofa, leather, felt, Switzerland, 1972. A design by Ueli Berger, Elenora Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz Ulrich and Klaus Vogt for De Sede, Switzerland. This D...
Leather, Felt
Mario Bellini Set of Six 'Lira e Liuto' Dining Chairs in Cognac Leather
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Cassina, set of six ‘Lira e Liuto’ dining chairs, cognac leather, Italy, 1989 This set of six ‘Lira e Liuto’ dining chairs has beautiful cognac colored leather tha...
Leather
Ubald Klug for De Sede 'Terrazza' Landscapes in Patinated Cognac Brown Leather
By De Sede, Ubald Klug
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ubald Klug for De Sede, DS-1025 'Terrazza' landscape sofa elements, patinated cognac brown leather, Switzerland, 1970s. Waterfall shaped sofas in a patinated leather by the Swiss m...
Leather
Italian Post-Modern Set of Six Dining Chairs in Walnut Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Set of six dining chairs, walnut, Italy, 1980s A striking example of Italian design from the 1980s, these walnut chairs embody a refined balance between sculptural form and everyday...
Walnut
Italian Organic Sofa in Khaki Green Velvet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sofa, velvet, plastic, Italy, 1970s Eccentric sofa of Italian origin. The design reminds of the anatomy of the flower with its inward-facing tufted lines and a stuffed middle sectio...
Velvet, Plastic
Post-Modern Chaise Longue By Weiman
By Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin, Directional, Weiman
Located in Houston, TX
Post-Modern Chaise Longue By Weiman. This stunning postmodern chaise made by Weiman and was inspired by the designs of cloud series. Great size that could be used as a sofa, chaise ...
Bouclé, Wood
Italian Sofa in Cognac Leather and Aluminum
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sofa, aluminum, leather, Italy 1970s Comfortable sofa made in the 1970s. This sofa strongly represent the essence of furniture design of the 1970s, going beyond the strict conventio...
Aluminum
$7,800 / item
Parchment Bench Attr. Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Houston, TX
Parchment Bench attributed to Jean-Michel Frank composed of a wood frame veneered in goatskin and newly upholstered in ecru-cream-colored mohair.
Goatskin, Mohair, Wood
Tito Agnoli Set of Six 'Ilex' Dining Chairs in Solid Oak
By Tito Agnoli
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Tito Agnoli for Tarpac Data International, set of six 'Ilex' dining chairs, oak, lacquered metal, Italy, 1980s This pristine set of six dining chairs exemplifies the furniture desig...
Metal
De Sede Large Daybed or Lounge Set in Patinated Brown Leather
By De Sede
Located in Waalwijk, NL
De Sede, daybed, leather, Switzerland, 1970s This De Sede daybed/lounge set includes two parts: a lounge seat and an additional ottoman-style section, allowing for versatile configu...
Leather
Pierre Chapo Sculptural 'S34' Chair in Elm
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Chapo, dining chair model 'S34', elm, France, 1960s This asymmetrical chair with a twisted base is a true icon of Pierre Chapo's playful and solemn designs. The backrest is p...
Elm
Luigi Radaelli Italian Pair of 'Tartana' Lounge Chairs in Brown Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Radaelli, pair of 'Tartana' lounge chairs, leather, beech, Italy, 1970s These postmodern Italian lounge chairs will surely grab the viewer's attention. The construction is ba...
Leather, Beech
Postmodern Sculptural Curved Kidney Cloud Sofas – Pair of 2
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
Make a bold statement with this stunning pair of Postmodern Sculptural Curved Kidney Cloud Sofas, dating to the 1990s. Featuring dramatic curved silhouettes, oversized rounded cushio...
Upholstery
Ubald Klug for De Sede 'Terrazza' Landscapes in Rich Beige Leather
By De Sede, Ubald Klug
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ubald Klug for De Sede, DS-1025 'Terrazza' landscape sofa elements, leather, Switzerland, 1970s. Waterfall shaped sofas in leather by the Swiss manufacturer De Sede. The design for...
Leather
Rainer Daumiller Pair of Dining Chairs in Solid Pine
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Rainer Daumiller for Hirtshals Sawmill, pair of dining chairs, pine, Denmark, 1970s Beautiful, organic and natural dining chairs in solid pine by Danish Rainer Daumiller in the 1970...
Pine
Organically Shaped Post-Modern Sectional Sofa in Black Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular sofa, leather, Europe, 1980s This sofa is fully executed in a black leather that contributes to a unified look. The construction consists of four elements. The sofa embraces...
Leather
Italian Post-Modern Sectional Corner Sofa in Cognac Brown Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular corner sofa, leather, Italy, 1970s A spacious L-shaped modular Italian corner sofa, upholstered in firm cognac leather. The cushions are generously padded with a rounded, pl...
Leather
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chair in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Joe Colombo, Comfort, Italy
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Comfort, lounge chair ‘Elda’, fiberglass, leather, Italy, design 1963 The ‘Elda’ chair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo. This lo...
Leather, Fiberglass
De Pas, D’Urbino & Lomazzi for BBB Pair of 'Flap' Transformable Lounge Chairs
By BBB Bonacchina, Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi for BBB, pair of 'Flap' lounge chairs, metal, plastic, alcantara, Italy, 1975 The "Flap" lounge chair, produced in 1975 by BBB, tr...
Metal
"Hestra" for Ikea Italian Postmodern Design Rattan Bamboo Armchair 1980s
By IKEA, Tito Agnoli
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian post modern design set of two armchairs "Hestra" model produced by Ikea from 1980s, with iron structure and wicker covering, Sweden 1980s. Please note that the armchairs are...
Iron
$142,000 / set
Paul Evans for Directional Sculpted Bronze Dining Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Paul Evans for Directional, dining chairs, model PE-106, epoxy bronzed resin over steel, fabric, United States, circa 1970 These dining chairs are designed by Paul Evans for Directi...
Bronze, Steel
Rare Set of 8 Bruno Rey Sculptural Dining Chairs for Kusch & Co., 1970s
Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois Mah-Jong 18 pieces Modular Sectional Sofa
Located in Seattle, WA
A substantial 18 pieces Mah-Jong sofa designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, in a mix of Missoni Home Fabric and Kenzo. The set is in really good condition, with light fabric wear...
Fabric, Foam
Custom Holland & Sherry White Bouclé Wool Bench
Located in Houston, TX
Custom Holland & Sherry white bouclé wool bench featuring a tapering oval body mounted on white oak ball feet. Also available C.O.M. International Orders: All international sales ar...
Bouclé, Oak