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.
Postmodern sculptural Dining Set in Aluminium and Steel Belgium 1980s/90s
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Postmodern dining chairs from the 1980s/90s. Most likely it comes from Belgium. Unfortunately designer and producer are unknown. The set is very rare, only to be found it the North a...
Aluminum, Steel
De Sede DS-2011 Two-seat Sofa in Black Leather, Switzerland
By De Sede
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
With its fluid, curved shapes, the DS-2011 appears powerful and dynamic. The visual lightness and modern, casual elegance underline the timeless look that makes the DS-2011 a sofa th...
Leather
$5,300 / set
Asymmetrical Club Chairs by Wittman
By Wittmann
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Austria. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. Reupholstered in Brentano Jinx fabric. Note- both chairs are different height and are asy...
Fabric
Pair of Postmodern Leather Chairs by Giancarlo Vegni for Fasem, Italy 1984
By Giancarlo Vegni, Fasem International
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a pair of Postmodern Dining Chairs designed by Giancarlo Vegni for Fasem. The chairs are done in cognac saddle leather featuring minimal design and slee...
Steel
Pair Black Orchidee Lounge Chairs by Michel Cadestin for Airborne France
Located in New York, NY
Michel Cadestin for Airborne, Orchide Lounge Chairs Newly Upholstered in High quality faux black leather. These are extremely comfortable and chic and match any decor. Excellent cond...
Faux Leather
$4,396Sale Price|30% Off
Pair of Art Deco Style Leather and Chrome/Aviator Lounge Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
PAIR of Industrial Art Deco style round back lounge chairs with chrome frame and black leather upholstery.
Chrome
Original 1984 "Costes" Dining Chairs by Philippe Starck for Driade — Pair
Located in Basel, BS
A pair of definitive masterpieces of 1980s post-modern Italian design. Designed by the legendary Philippe Starck in 1984, the "Costes" chairs were originally conceived for the bustl...
Metal
Zveva Bench in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Zveva Bench in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 100 x D 40 x H 42 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not incl...
Foam, Wood, Hardwood, Beech
Restored Sculptural Postmodern "Elephant" Lounge Chairs by Weiman
By Weiman
Located in Toluca Ter, CA
A pair of postmodern lounge chairs by Weiman, with tags. The pleated arms curl like the trunk of an elephant, giving the chairs their namesake. First purchased in the 1990s, this ...
Chenille
Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s A bold and sculptural set of eight dining chairs from Italy, crafted in the 1970s in the spirit of Postmodern design...
Pine
1980s Thayer Coggin Post Modern Violet Pleated Ottomans, Set of 2
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Transport yourself back to the sleek and sophisticated 1980s with this exquisite purple chenille ottoman set. Outstanding design is exhibited throughout. The luxurious pleased set is...
Upholstery, Wood
$13,547 / item
LV Lounge Chair in Aluminum by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
LV Lounge Chair in Aluminum by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 58 x D 65.4 x H 76 cm. Materials: Aluminum, Fur. The LV edition is made of a chair, a stool, a lounge chair, a benc...
Aluminum
Vintage black leather high back dining chairs, set of 6, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Set of 6 black italian leather high back dining chairs. Beautiful sleek and timeless design with the backrest continuing all the way down to form the back legs. The chairs are in g...
Leather
$5,400 / set
Pierre Paulin for Artifort Pair of Lounge Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Paulin for Artifort, pair of armchairs, model '442/3', grey upholstery and steel by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, the Netherlands, 1960s These comfortable chairs shows elegant ...
Steel
Postmodern Folding Chairs, Red Triangular Seats, Set of Four, Circa 1985
Located in Downingtown, PA
Postmodern Folding Chairs, Red Triangular Seats, Set of Four, Circa 1985 Each of these four folding chairs is built from two triangles and a black line. The seat is a broad triangle...
Metal
A Set of 3 POST-MODERN BAR STOOLS, in the style of MEMPHIS, France 1980
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of 3 high bar stools, Post-Modernist, Memphis, Eighties, circular and angular structures in anthracite lacquered square section steel, footrests and low backrests, red and yell...
Metal
Set of 4 Italian Postmodern Space Age Model 101 Spaghetti Chairs, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Four postmodern Spaghetti chairs from the Italian manufacturer alias according to a draft by Giandomenico Belotti from the late 1970s. A timeless classic of Italian design. The fili...
Metal
$13,800 / set
Streamlined Modern Living Room Set with Sofas and Ottoman in Green-Blue Patterned Upholstery and Chromed Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sofa, fabric, chromed metal, Italy, 1970s A striking and generously proportioned living room set from the 1970s, this set embodies the sleek elegance characteristic of the era. Desi...
Metal, Chrome
$2,880Sale Price|20% Off
Pair Nelo Wave Chairs by Takeshita Okamura & Erik Marquardsen for Nelo Sweden
By Takashi Okamura and Erik Marquardsen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of Nelo Wave Chairs by Takeshita Okamura & Erik Marquardsen for Nelo of Sweden. Gray and black patina leather chairs with black lacquer wood frames. Good vintage condition. Grea...
Leather, Bentwood, Lacquer
1980s Sculptural Leopard Tiger Wood Chairs and Ottoman, Set of 3
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning chairs you could hope to find. This is an ultra-rare opportunity to acquire what is, unequivocally, the best of the best, it bei...
Upholstery, Wood
$1,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Postmodern Italian Bar Stools, 1980s - Set of Three
Located in Miami, FL
Set of three postmodern Italian barstools with black Naugahyde seats and silver lacquered frames with footrests.
Steel
Michele De Lucchi Memphis 'First' Chair, Lacquered Wood, 1983
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
The Most Popular MEMPHIS Chair!!! FIRST is an iconic and sculptural creation conceived by Michele De Lucchi. The designer seems to be paying homage to Alexander Calder in the lightn...
Metal
Original Rolf Benz Ecksofa Dono 6100 Couch Design Leder braun
By Rolf Benz
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes Rolf Benz Dono 6100 Ecksofa mit braunem Lederbezug zum Verkauf an. Das Sofa zeichnet sich durch seine moderne und praktisch...
Leather, Wood
Italian modern armchair P22 with footstool by Patrick Norguet for Cassina, 2010s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern black leather armchair with footstool by Patrick Norguet for Cassina, 2010s Armchair model P22 with matching footstool. The armchair is padded and upholstered in s...
Metal
$1,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 5 Red Swedish Postmodern 80s Vintage Nils Gammelgaard Ikea "Ted" Chairs
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli, IKEA
Located in Basel, BS
Great opportunity to have a complete set of 5 of these wonderful 1980s Nils Gaamelgaard for Ikea chairs as a perfect set of 5 in red! Sold here as a set. Note: Red cushions will be...
Metal
Mario Bellini Style Italian Modern Cream Leather Wrapped High Back Dining Chairs
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in South Bend, IN
A sleek and stylish set of four Italian Modern or Postmodern high back dining chairs In the manner of Mario Bellini for Cassina Italy, Circa 1980s Hand-stitched cream leather upho...
Steel
Postmodern German Kreuzschwinger Kitchen Barstool Till Behrens Meyer Stahlmöbel
By Till Behrens
Located in Hamburg, DE
Till Behrens Kreuzschwinger kitchen stool or bar stool. Elegant design classic by Prof. Till Behrens in the kitchen stool version. The further development of the cantilever chair. ...
Metal
TAWARAYA "Boxing Ring" Seating Pod by Masanori Umed, Memphis Design, Japan, 1983
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
The TAWARAYA Ring by Masanori Umeda for MEMPHIS srl is one of that design movements most famous & critically-discussed pieces from the inaugural MEMP...
Laminate, Wood
Jasper Morrison Super Oblong Modular Sofa Set Design Cappellini Italy
Located in Krefeld, DE
This rare Super Oblong modular sofa set was designed by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini in Italy and exemplifies Morrison’s philosophy of understated, intelligent design. Composed of ...
Cotton
Longue Chair Zyklus By Peter Maly For COR 1980s
By Peter Maly
Located in Čelinac, BA
Peter Maly Zyklus Longue Chair For COR 1980s
Chrome
Mario Botta, 4 'Seconda' Black Metal Chairs, Alias Mod. 602, 1980s
By Mario Botta
Located in Argelato, BO
Three 'Seconda' chairs designed by the famous architect Mario Botta for the Italian firm Alias, model 602. All 4 are painted black both in the structure and in the seat, they bear ...
Steel
Set of Four Chrome and Leather Dining Chairs by Gavina c 1960/1980's
Located in New York, NY
Set of four leather and chrome dining chairs designed by Kazuhide Takahama for Cassina circa 1960-1970's. The chairs feature leather seats, arm rests and backs, on bright chrome fram...
Chrome
Yoko 3-Seater Sofa, Leather by Michel Ducaroy, Ligne Roset
By Michel Ducaroy, Ligne Roset
Located in Toronto, CA
Exceptional YOKO 3-seater in new, extremely soft caramel leather. Designed by Michel Ducaroy, famous for producing the TOGO for Ligne Roset, and produced only for a few years from 1...
Leather, Foam
Mid-Century Italian Post Modern Sculptural Chaise Lounge in Red Velvet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An incredible designed and constructed chaise lounge from Italy circa 1990's. It features a heavy steel internal frame, red velvet upholstery and polished stainless legs. Fabric is o...
Stainless Steel
FLAMINGO chair in blush nude leather by MOĆI Collective
Located in Como, Italy
FLAMINGO is a chair that defies gravity. Its seemingly floating frame, accented with transparent crystal-resin and chrome details, exudes a sense of lightness and distinctive charact...
Aluminum
Set of 4 dining chairs design by Silvio Coppola for Fratelli Montina Italy 1970s
Located in Ystad, SE
Set of Four Dining Chairs by Silvio Coppola for Fratelli Montina. Italy, 1970s. A rare and highly refined set of four Italian dining chairs designed by Silvio Coppola and produced b...
Leather, Ash
Cubist Girl Aluminum Chair by Christopher Royal for Rockledge Design Studio
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking piece of sculptural art furniture — the "Cubist Girl" chair by Christopher Royal for Rockledge Design Studio, hand-crafted in marine-grade aluminum with a clear baked powd...
Aluminum
$21,217Sale Price / set|25% Off
Roy McMackin Postmodern Romanesque Sectional Sofa, Domestic Furniture, 1990s, US
By Roy McMakin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Roy McMackin Postmodern Romanesque Sectional Sofa, Domestic Furniture, 1990s, USA. Provenance: Commission directly from the artist by the current consignor Sofa: 32.75" H x 83" W...
Textile, Wood
Robert Thibier Four Seat Sofa with Gold Painted Metal Frame
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Robert Thibier four seat sofa, gold painted steel, fabric, France, 1960s/1970s This exceptional four-seat sofa by Robert Thibier is a rare example of French design from the 1960s an...
Steel
Italian 1970s Erasmo Sofa Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia Manner Living Room
Located in London, GB
This stunning and amazingly comfortable sofa in the manner of the iconic Erasmo sofa from Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia , is a beautiful example of 1970s Italian design. Curren...
Wood, Fabric
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
1 of 8 Club Chairs "Intercista" by Poltrona Frau in Pink Leather, Italy 1989
By Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Poltrona Frau
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find very rare postmodern club chairs model "Intervista" designed by Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Poltrona Frau. ...
Leather
Vintage Thayer Coggin for Milo Baughman Semi-Circular 3-Piece Sectional Sofa
By Thayer Coggin, Milo Baughman
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
Make a bold statement with this exceptional vintage Thayer Coggin for Milo Baughman three-piece sectional sofa. Featuring an impressive curved, semi-circular design, this iconic sect...
Upholstery
Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” Chair for Cassina, Bordeaux Leather, 1989
By Mario Bellini, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” chair for Cassina, bordeaux leather, Italy, 1989 The "Lira e Liuto" was designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in 1989, extending the formal logic of...
Leather
Oscar Niemeyer “Alta” Chairs for Mobilier International, Black, 1971, Set of 2
By Oscar Niemeyer, Mobilier International
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Oscar Niemeyer “Alta” easy chairs for Mobilier International, black leather and steel, France, 1971, set of two The “Alta” easy chair, created by Oscar Niemeyer in 1971 in collabora...
Leather
Danny Ho Fong for Tropi-Cal Basket Weave Rattan Sofa
Located in Lutz, FL
Uncommon Tanganika model basket weave rattan sofa designed by Danny Ho Fong for Tropi-Cal circa 1970’s. Three seat hand woven rattan sofa in an open basket weave pattern which extend...
Fabric, Rattan
Pair of “Moji” Armchairs by Shigeru Uchida for Poltrona Frau, Italy
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
A rare pair of “Moji” armchairs, designed in the late 1980s by the Japanese architect and designer Shigeru Uchida for Poltrona Frau. Known for his architectural and minimalist approa...
Leather, Wood
Sedia da temporale fulminata alle spalle by Paolo Pallucco
Located in PARIS, FR
Paolo Pallucco 100 sedie in una notte, Sedia 6- Sedia da temporale fulminata alle spalle, 1990 Numéroté, signé "p.pallucco" et tampon sous l'assise 3/4 Bois peint en noir H. 98 x L. ...
Wood
Pair of Postmodern Italian Leather and Polished Chrome Accent Sling Chairs
Located in Basel, BS
Gorgeous pair of Italian soft leather and polished chrome accent chairs in the style of Giotto Stoppino. If you would like to purchase an individu...
Chrome
Pair of High Back Golem Chairs by Vico Magistretti for Poggi, Italy 1969
By Vico Magistretti, Poggi, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Pair of stunning high-back SD51 Golem chairs by Vico Magistretti for Poggi, 1969 Italy. This Post Modern chair plays on the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic of Carlo, Afra and Tobia Scar...
Leather, Wood, Bentwood, Paint
Mats Theselius 'Aluminium' Lounge Chair in Woven Birch Bark
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mats Theselius for Källemo AB, limited edition 'Aluminium' lounge chair, aluminum, beech, birch bark, Sweden, 1990 One of Mats Theselius’s most exemplary designs is the Aluminium ar...
Aluminum
Glass chair in the Manner of Louis Dierra
By Louis Dierra
Located in London, GB
This striking curved glass chair, inspired by the iconic designs of Louis Dierra for the Glass Centre Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, represents a masterful blend of a...
Glass, PVC
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Dining Chairs with Carvings in Oak
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, set of six dining chairs, oak, Italy, 1970s An exceptional set of chairs by the Italian sculptor and designer Giuseppe Rivadossi. The chai...
Oak
Set of 8 Tokyo Armchairs by Rodney Kinsman for Bieffeplast
By Bieffeplast, Rodney Kinsman
Located in Toronto, CA
Designed in the early 1980s by Rodney Kinsman for Bieffeplast, the Tokyo Armchair brings a sharp, architectural edge to everyday seating. Its slender tubular steel frame and discipli...
Steel
$7,975Sale Price|20% Off
Curved Harry Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia
Located in Hamburg, DE
Designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, the Curved Harry sofa is a refined example of contemporary Italian design, combining elegant proportions with exceptional comfort. Th...
Aluminum
2 x Chairs After Charles Rennie Mackintosh Metal High Back Hill House 1980s
Located in London, GB
This listing is for two chairs We have six chairs in total An amazing art nouveau pair of side chairs after Charles Rennie Mackintosh Hill House chair...
Iron
Custom Italian Postmodern Vico Magistretti Style Large 2-Piece Sectional Sofa
Located in Chicago, IL
Custom Italian Postmodern Vico Magistretti Style Large 2-Piece Sectional Sofa Striking custom Italian Postmodern two-piece sectional in the style of Vico Magistretti, featuring a bo...
Fabric
B&B Italia Moon sofa by Zaha Hadid, Customised in Rubelli, 2007
Located in PARIS, FR
The first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2004). Born in Baghdad, trained at the Architectural Association in London, Zaha Hadid built a practice grounded in the re...
Steel
Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” Chair for Cassina, Bordeaux Leather, 1989, Set of 6
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” chairs for Cassina, bordeaux leather, Italy, 1989, set of 6 The "Lira e Liuto" was designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in 1989, extending the formal l...
Leather
Set of 6 Post Modern Gaetano Pesce "543 Broadway" Chairs For Bernini, 1993
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a remarkable set of six "543 Broadway" chairs designed by Gaetano Pesce for Bernini (Italy, 1993). These iconic postmodern chairs embody the radical, avant-garde ethos of the...
Steel