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.
Set of 3 "Torno" stools by Brazilian Designer Gustavo Bittencourt, 2026
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Set of 3 "Torno" stools by Brazilian designer Gustavo Bittencourt, 2026 Private offer for the sale of 3 stools
Metal
Danish Pair of Armchairs in Oak and Chrome with Blue Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Manufactured by Duba Møbelindustri, pair of armchairs, bent plywood, chrome-plated metal, fabric, Denmark, 1970s. Pair of Danish chairs manufactured by Duba Møbelindustri. The whol...
Fabric, Plywood
Pair of Vintage Cognac Leather P40 Chairs by Vegni & Gualtierotti for Fasem
By Giancarlo Vegni & G. Gualtierotti, Fasem International
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of vintage cognac leather P40 chairs by Giancarlo Vegni & Gianfranco Gualtierotti for Fasem. Original labels under the seats. The frame rolls the back into the arms in one uni...
Steel, Chrome
Set of 3 Vintage Faux Bamboo Lounge Chairs and Table from Kettal, Spain, 1980s
By Kettal
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern garden furniture from the spanish manufacturer kettal from the 1980s. the set consists of two armchairs and a matching table. The frame is made of plastic tubes connected...
Plastic
$300Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Italian Chrome Pipping Single Stool by Effezeta
Located in San Diego, CA
Nice cantilever tubular chrome single stool by Ezzefeta Italy , great condition all original circa 1980s.
Chrome
Ludmila Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Ludmila Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Ø 60 x H 42 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not included. ...
Foam, Wood, Hardwood
Rare Pierre Chapo Set of Eight S11 Dining Chairs in Sipo Wood and Leather
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Chapo, rare set of eight dining chairs, model S11, sipo wood, leather, France, circa 1966 A set of eight chairs in solid sipo wood, which makes this set so rare, with cognac...
Leather, Wood
Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue, Italy 1980's
By Cidue
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Design "Alice" Dining Chairs by Cidue. Made in the 1980's in Italy. Slender black lacquered metal frame with grey stained rush woven seats. They all shows signs of...
Metal
Disco Pouf in Tinted Rattan and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Disco Pouf in Tinted Rattan and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Ø 37 x H 49 cm. Materials: tinted rattan and HR foam. Fabric is not included. Please contact us for further i...
Rattan, Foam
$13,538Sale Price / set|20% Off
Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa Oak Leather Dining Chairs 3T Model, Italy 2000s
By AgapeCasa, Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Set of eight Italian post modern dining chairs model 3T designed by Angelo mangiarotti from 1978 with oak frame and leather seat. Produced by Agapecasa with the designer’s and manufa...
Leather, Oak
Bridget Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Bridget Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 70 x D 72 x H 86 cm. Materials: Stained rattan, plywood seat, and HR foam. Fabric is not inc...
Rattan, Foam, Plywood
Celeste Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Celeste Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 74 x D 74 x H 74 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not ...
Foam, Beech
Babylone Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Babylone Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 79 x D 86 x H 72 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not...
Foam, Beech
Bridget Chair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Bridget Chair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 48 x D 59 x H 86 cm. Materials: Upholstery, Stained rattan, plywood seat, and HR foam. Fabric i...
Upholstery, Rattan, Foam, Plywood
$5,450 / item
Maison Regain Grid Side Benches in Elm
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Maison Regain benches, elm, France, 1970s Lovely benches by Maison Regain, a lovely example of French design from the 1970s. Made from solid elm wood, the benches emphasize clear co...
Elm
Tortona Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Tortona Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Ø 42 x H 50 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not included. ...
Foam, Wood, Hardwood
$5,167Sale Price / set|25% Off
Pietro Costantini for Ello Postmodern High Back Dining Chairs, Set of 8 (Italy)
Located in Round Top, TX
Set of Eight (8) Postmodern Italian Pietro Costantini Dining Chairs Designed for Ello This exquisite set of dining chairs features high, exaggerated slatted backrests and a uniquely...
Textile, Wood
Gigi Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Gigi Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 60 x D 75 x H 83 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not inc...
Foam, Beech
1 x Hourglass Rope Dining Chair Tom Dixon Style Metal Frame UK, 1980s Postmodern
By Tom Dixon
Located in London, GB
An amazing hourglass rope chair designed after the famous 'S' chair of Tom Dixon. The chair is weaved with rushed rope weaved around a metal frame. It holds a playful and beautiful...
Iron
Rima Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Rima Armchair in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 80 x D 85 x H 70 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not inc...
Foam, Beech
Postmodern 1980s Flex 2000 Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, Beech Wood
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Basel, BS
Excellent Flex 2000 Stacking Chair by Gerd Lange for Thonet, with wooden oak frames and black seats. No longer produced, Rare items. NOTE: We have up to 32 chairs available!! Let us know if you need more-- we can arrange. This listing is for one chair, and you can purchase up to 32! Please let us know how many chairs you would like to purchase, and we can combine shipping for you. Designed by Gerd Lange in 1983, manufactured in Western-Germany. The legs are made of solid ashwood, the frame is made of ashwood bentwood and veneered beech struts. The seat and back consists of original black painted PVC material. Incredible space savers-- stackable! Dimensions 18.3ʺW × 16ʺD × 31.1ʺH International Shipping details...
PVC, Ash, Beech
Italian Postmodern Lounge Set Tan Leather Postmodern Armchair Pair and Sofa
By Nicoletti Salotti, Ralph Lauren
Located in Rochester, NY
Postmodern Italian camel leather lounge set in the style of Nicoletti Salotti circa late 1980s/early 1990s. As it stands now, I can't find the makers mark. The set is also reminisc...
Leather
543 Broadway Chair, Gaetano Pesce for Bernini S.p.A. 1993
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Designed in 1993 by Gaetano Pesce, the 543 Broadway Chair is a rejection of hyper-rational industrial design. A master of resin and color, the Broadway chair features molded resin se...
Chrome
Fidji Pouf in Rattan and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Fidji Pouf in Rattan and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Ø 43 x H 50 cm. Materials: rattan and HR foam. Fabric is not included. Please contact us for further information and...
Rattan, Foam
$1,676Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set - 4 Yellow Swedish Postmodern 80s Vintage Nils Gammelgaard Ikea "Ted" Chairs
By Giancarlo Piretti, IKEA, Anonima Castelli
Located in Basel, BS
Great opportunity to have a complete set of 4 of these wonderful 1980s Nils Gaamelgaard for Ikea chairs as a perfect set of 4 in yellow! Sold here as a set. Note: Yellow cushions wi...
Metal
Joe Chair by De Pas, D'Urbino, Lomazzi for Poltronova Italy. Original. Restored.
By Poltronova, Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi
Located in Kansas City, MO
Original iconic "Joe" Chair designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D'Urbino, and Paolo Lomazzi for Poltronova, Italy, 1970s. Named after baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and shaped like an...
Steel
Postmodern Gerard van den Berg Florence Sofa for Montis, Buck Leather
By Gerard Van Den Berg, Montis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gerard van den Berg designed the Florence sofa for Dutch manufacturer Montis during the height of Postmodern experimentation with organic furniture forms. Known alternately as "The R...
Leather, Foam
Miss Lo Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Miss Lo Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 73 x D 68 x H 82 cm. Materials: Stained rattan, plywood seat, and HR foam. Fabric is not inc...
Rattan, Foam, Plywood
$2,473Sale Price|20% Off
Jan Ekselius Style Postmodern Space Age Accent/ Dining Chair, 1960s
By Jan Ekselius
Located in Basel, BS
This is an absolutely beautiful Postmodern sculptural upholstered accent lounge chairs, Jan Ekselius style. This Memphis Milano fitti...
Metal
$33,500Sale Price|20% Off
Richard Meier for Knoll International Architectural Rocking Chaise, 1982, Signed
By Knoll, Richard Meier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking and exceptionally rare rocking chaise designed by Richard Meier for Knoll International (circa 1982), this sculptural lounge piece beautifully captures Meier’s architectur...
Leather, Wood
Design Institute of America, chrome and leather barstools
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Postmodern swivel chrome and faux leather cantilever barstools by Design Institute of America . all original in very good condition. The seat back and seats are black… Height 39 inch...
Steel
1980s Post Modern Italian Leather Sofa
By Chateau d'Ax
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Lovely Italian Post Modern Leather sofa. Literally looks like it was never sat on. Off white color. Perfect condition.
Leather
$18,486 / item
Lattice Armchair, Luminous Grid by Pestacle Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Lattice Armchair, Luminous Grid by Pestacle Studio Dimensions: W 40 x D 20 x H 30 cm Materials: Brown velvet, Lime, Baltic Wood. About: Pestacle Studio is a Montreal-based creativ...
Velvet, Wood
Tubular Steel “Z” Chair by Les Industries Amisco, 1970's
Located in Lisboa, PT
This chair was designed and produced by Les Industries Amisco, a French Canadian company, maker of the popular "paper clip" stools, during the 1970's. It has a "Z" shape iron structu...
Metal, Iron
Noe Duchaufour-Lawrence Steel and Upholstered "Borghese" Sofa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Borghese sofa by Noé Duchaufour Lawrance. Designed in 2018 and Inspired by the stone pines of the Villa Borghese in Roma. The metal structure reproduces the network of branches and s...
Fabric
$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
Senzafine armchair with foot rest by Gaetano Pesce 2010s
Located in PARIS, FR
Born in La Spezia in 1939, Gaetano Pesce spent six decades dismantling the conventions of Italian design from his studios in Venice, Paris and finally New York. Trained as an archite...
Foam
$2,920Sale Price|20% Off
Vico Magistretti Navy / Black 2-Seater Loveseat Maralunga Sofa Cassina Italy 80s
Located in Basel, BS
Original Loveseat sofa "Maralunga," designed by Vico Magistretti and manufactured by Cassina in Italy during the late circa late 1970s/1980s. This e...
Fabric
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern Italian black leather loveseat sofa style of Nicoletti Salotti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage Italian black leather loveseat two-seater 6 foot long sofa in the manner of Nicoletti Salotti. Very clean sofa high quality leather and very comfortable modern design. Locate...
Leather
543 Broadway Chair, Gaetano Pesce for Bernini S.p.A. 1993
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Designed in 1993 by Gaetano Pesce, the 543 Broadway Chair is a rejection of hyper-rational industrial design. A master of resin and color, the Broadway chair features molded resin se...
Chrome
Toshiyuki Kita Wink Charcoal Gray Leather Lounge Chair for Cassina, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Charcoal gray leather Wink lounge chair designed by Toshiyuki Kita for Cassina, 1980s. Wink rises out of the complex interweaving of Western ways and Asian influences, a versatile...
Leather
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in orange for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995
Niels Gammelgaard "Gasell" Child's Stool or High Chair for Ikea
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Memphis style children's high chair or stool with red plastic seat and footrest on gray powder-coated steel frame designed by Niels Gammelgaard for Ikea, circa 1990s.
Steel
Institutional Chair, Black Leather, Post-Modern Design, Panorammma, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Uncannily challenging excessive symbolic power granted to scientific institutions, the “Institutional Chair” reveals a tension with the accepted desubjectivisation of the body into s...
Steel, Nickel
$3,267Sale Price|20% Off
Vico Magistretti Veranda Lounge Chair for Cassina, Italy, 1980s
By Figli di Amadeo Cassina, Vico Magistretti
Located in Milan, IT
Veranda adjustable lounge chair by Vico Magistretti for Cassina 1980.
Metal
Substantial Sofa in Delicate Striped Green Blue Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sofa, fabric, Europe, 1970s/80s A robust and substantial sofa, exuding a playful charm through its distinct geometric form. The sofa's three back cushions seamlessly integrate into...
Fabric
$2,456Sale Price|20% Off
Marcel Breuer b34 Chair 1930s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Marcel Breuer B34 chair was made in Czechoslovakia in 1930 for Bata Snofmaner store.
Formica
Set of 4 Victoria Modular Sofa Pieces by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 4 Victoria Modular Sofa Pieces by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: Left/Right/Corner Modules: W 90 x D 95 x H 70 cm each Simple Module: W 70 x D 95 x H 70 cm. Materials: Solid bee...
Upholstery, Beech, Wood, Foam
Ludmila Bench in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Ludmila 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 in...
Foam, Wood
Aurora Office Chair by Simonini: Ergonomic Solid Wood Swivel Design
By SIMONINI
Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo
Warm and inviting, the Aurora Collection, prestigious winner of the International IF Design Award 2023 and the German Design Awards 2023, now welcomes an addition with its office cha...
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
Italian Leather Loveseat by Nicoletti Salotti, 1980s Postmodern Design
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
A sculptural Italian leather loveseat by Nicoletti Italia, showcasing the relaxed, oversized proportions and soft architectural lines that defined hig...
Leather
$350Sale Price|30% Off
1990s Vintage Kartell “FPE” Chair by Ron Arad — Fantastic Plastic Elastic — Mid-
By Ron Arad
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Ron Arad Model: FPE (Fantastic, Plastic, Elastic) Manufacturer: Kartell, Milan, Italy Era: Late 1990s / Early 2000s (original production run 1999–mid 2000s)  The FPE chair is one of Ron Arad’s most iconic plastic-and-metal designs. It uses an ingenious method: a single sheet of injection-molded polypropylene is slid flat into double-barrelled aluminum extrusions, then bent into shape under pressure — creating a light, flexible but structurally sound chair without screws, glue, or welding.  This combination of industrial engineering + sculptural form + stackable practicality helped make the FPE a landmark of late-20th-century design. It’s part of major museum collections worldwide (including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York).  • Original vintage Kartell production (not reproduction) • Polypropylene seat/back + extruded aluminum frame • Signature flexible-seat technology — seat/back remain slightly flexible until someone sits, then lock rigid under weight.  • Lightweight & stackable (up to 6–8 chairs) — ideal for small spaces or flexible interiors.  • Great for lovers of postmodern / space-age / contemporary design; fits gallery-style interiors, modern apartments, creative studios. Dimensions (approx / official): 31¼″ H × 17″ W × 22″ D (79.4 × 43.2 × 55.9 cm)  Materials: Injection-molded polypropylene (seat), Extruded aluminum (frame)  Condition & Authenticity Notes • Good vintage condition — seat/back show light wear typical of age/use (please refer to photos). • Underside of seat shows original manufacturing stamp: “Kartell — FPE...
Plastic
Kwok Hoi Chan for Steiner ´Chromatic´ Modular Elements
By Kwok Hoi Chan, Gilbert Steiner
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Kwok Hoi Chan for Steiner, elements, model ´chromatic´, fabric, France, 1970 A postmodern design by Kwok Hoi Chan created in 1970 for Steiner. Design in the seventies was all about ...
Fabric
Cloud Serpentine Sofa by Vladimir Kagan for Directional in Mohair
By Vladimir Kagan, Directional
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. USA. Reupholstered in green mohair. Lucite leg on bottom in the middle. Tagged. A classic of postmodern design.
Mohair
Postmodern Gerard van den Berg Loge Chairs for Montis, Cognac Leather, 1980
By Montis, Gerard Van Den Berg
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gerard van den Berg designed the Loge chair for Dutch manufacturer Montis in 1980, employing a continuous shell construction that merges seat, back, and armrests into a unified sculp...
Chrome
$6,400 / set
Pair of Cubic Lounge Chairs in Black Leather
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pair of lounge chairs, black leather, wood, Northern Europe, 1980s The design of this pair of lounge chairs is characterized by a cubic frame. When seated you experience a pleasant ...
Leather, Wood
KFF Trix Memphis chair by Karl Friedrich Förster, 1988
By Karl Friedrich Förster, KFF
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
This Memphis-style Trix chair features a black metal frame and a natural-colored seat and backrest. The frame is in very good condition, with the wood surfaces displaying a minimal, ...
Metal
Bert England for Dunbar Executive Office Chairs – 1980s, Set of Eight
By Dunbar Furniture, Bert England
Located in Chicago, IL
Bert England for Dunbar Executive Office Chairs – 1980s, Set of Eight or Sold Individually $2500 per chair $25,000 for the entire set of Eight. Elegant and exceptionally comfortable,...
Leather
Postmod 80s Flex 2000 (32 Avail) Stacking Chairs Gerd Lange Thonet Beech -8 pcs
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
Located in Basel, BS
Excellent set of 8 Flex 2000 Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, with wooden oak frames and black seats. No longer produced, Rare items. FAST SHIPPING: Fast, international, in...
PVC, Ash, Beech
Roche Bobois Mah Jong Sectional Sofa by Hans Hopfer, Multicolor
By Roche Bobois
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Roche Bobois "Mah Jong" – Modular corner sofa, designed by Hans Hopfer, 2000s A modular arrangement consisting of 12 seats and 6 backrests, configured in a corner layout. Designed by...
Cotton, Satin, Velvet