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 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
1980s Maurice Villency Style Postmodern Vintage Travertine Round Dining Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed after the success of similar Maurice Villency tables, this table expands on the Villency look with a small travertine toe on the base, a thinner top, and a beveled edge. All...
Travertine
Sheep by Hanns Peter Krafft for Meier, made of genuine sheepskin, as a stool
Located in München, BY
Rare small 'sheep' stool made of genuine sheep's wool by Hanns Peter Krafft, handcrafted by Meier. Made in Germany in the 1980s. This charming sheep has thick, creamy-white wool, lea...
Leather, Wool, Pine
Vintage Brass Saturn Table Lamp, Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs, 1980
By Robert Sonneman, George Kovacs
Located in San Carlos, CA
Vintage Brass "Saturn" Table Lamp by Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs, United States, circa 1980 A definitive example of American postmodern lighting design. Robert Sonneman's "Sat...
Brass
Pair of Post Modern Lacquered Night Stands by Roger Rougier
By Maison Rougier, Roger Rougier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Materials: Lacquered Wood, Black Rubber Accents Designed by Roger Rougier for Maison Rougier, this dramatic pair of postmodern nightstands del...
Rubber, Wood
Red & Black Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Low Loveseat Sofa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Red & Black 2 tone Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Loveseat Sofa. Very fun Beautiful pop art leather sofa. Has unique back supports and legs upholstered in leather. Bea...
Leather
Red & Black Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Low lounge chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Red and black Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather lounge chair. Very fun Beautiful pop art wide leather chair. Has unique back supports and legs upholstered in thick leathe...
Leather
Superb Red & Black Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Low Sofa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Red & black Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Sofa. Very fun Beautiful pop art long leather sofa. Has unique back supports and legs upholstered in leather. Beautiful vint...
Leather
Large Gaetano Pesce for Cassina 'Cannaregio' Modular Sofa
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gaetano Pesce for Cassina, sofa, model ‘Cannaregio’, multicolored upholstery, Italy, 1987 Large ‘Cannaregio’ sofa, designed by Gaetano Pesce for Cassina. The 1987 design is playful,...
Fabric
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
Post modern Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321 Black Gloss
By Joe Colombo, Oluce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Joe Colombo Floor lamp 3321. Pre owned Coupe Floor Lamp in black adjustable, an original Joe Colombo design (circa 1967) for Oluce model 3321. Oluce's 1960s Coupe floor lamps pairs a...
Metal
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern space age gloss white laminate queen platform bed with headboard
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern space age gloss white laminate queen platform bed with headboard. Custom fabricated queen bed with headboard that has blanket or pillow storage. Labeled made in 1989 in U...
Steel
Post modern taupe beige Gloss lacquer 6 Drawer long Dresser Italy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful post modern taupe beige gloss lacquer 6 drawer long dresser, circa 1980. Very clean inside and out. Look at photos. all drawers have metal glides with stops. Great for home...
Plywood, Lacquer
Italian Postmodern Dining Table in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining table, walnut, Italy, 1980s This Italian dining table from the 1980s is a beautiful example of straightforward quality and honest design. Crafted in rich, honey toned walnut,...
Walnut
Vintage French Post Modern Console Table - Circa 1980s - Maple Entry Table
Located in Decatur, GA
Vintage post modern squiggle leg console table, France circa 1980s. Gorgeous from any angle. Finished on all sides allowing it to float in a room. Very good original condition with m...
Maple
Postmodern Banana Floor Lamp by Heico, Plastic, Germany, 1980s Design
By Heico
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern floor lamp in the shape of a banana. An object in style of postmodern design and art movements like memphis. A unique object and rare eye-catcher. This lamp is shaped lik...
Plastic
Mid-Century Janni van Pelt Style Black Bar Cart, Wire Grid Glass, Two Tier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Modernist Dutch bar cart in the manner of Janni van Pelt, rendered in a spare rectilinear form that reflects the discipline of postwar Dutch design. The tubular black enameled metal ...
Metal, Enamel
Post Modern Art Deco Revival Brass King Size Headboard. Circa 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern 1980s Art Deco Revival Brass King Size Knot Headboard in the Style of Luciano Frigerio Features brass tubes bent in elegant curvy lines forming a knot with an Art Nouveau ...
Brass
$1,400 / set
Matteo Grassi Dining Chairs in Leather and Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Matteo Grassi, set of four dining chairs, leather and steel, Italy, 1980s. Sophisticated set of four dining chairs designed by Italian designer Matteo Grassi in the 1980s. These cha...
Steel
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
Cattelan Italia 'Argo' Oval Dining Table in Travertine
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cattelan Italia 'Argo' table, travertine, Italy, 1980 Architectural dining table made by Cattelan Italia in 1980. This model 'Argo' dining table shows a slender oval tabletop, beaut...
Travertine
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Sculptural Lounge Chair Jaymar 1980s
By Jaymar
Located in Toronto, ON
Gorgeous pop art chair by Jaymar in a dark nylon like material. It's a blueish black fabric colour with slight prints/texturing on the fabric (see photos). This bold and modern chair...
Leather
$478Sale Price / set|33% Off
Set of 2 THONET S320 Stacking Chairs designed by Ulrich Boehme & Wulf Schneider
By Thonet, Ulrich Bohme
Located in Schwerin, MV
Set of 2 Thonet S 320 Armchairs in stained reddish-brown plywood and chrome plated Steel, Germany, 1980s A striking set of four original Thonet S 320 armc...
Chrome
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
Funky Red Framed Stacking Chairs with Fritz Hansen Style Plywood Seating
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spirited postmodern stacking chairs showcase the playful geometry and joyful color that defined the hip era of postmodernism. Each chair features a single-shell molded plywood seat t...
Metal
Monumental three-tier Post-Modern wooden coffee table, Italy, 1980s
Located in Argelato, BO
This coffee table embodies the bold aesthetic of 1980s Italian postmodern design through a functional nest-like structure. The piece unfolds across three staggered, concealed levels,...
Metal
Rare Gérard Gallet for Mobilier International Faceted Hexagonal Sofas
By Mobilier International, Gérard Gallet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gérard Gallet for Mobilier International, sofas, fabric, wood wrapped in leatherette, France, circa 1980 This piece constitutes a rare example of the oeuvre of Gérard Gallet (1934–1...
Fabric, Faux Leather, Wood
Postmodern Italian Mantel Clock by Michael Graves for Alessi, 1980s
By Michael Graves (b.1934), Alessi
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare table clock of the Italian manufacturer Alessi after a design by Michael Graves from 1986. A special and rare collector's object of Postmoderne. The coat Clock is a miniature a...
Metal
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. C 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. Circa 1980s Features four independent peach, emerald, and ivory geometric stone bases with built-in slots to ho...
Stone
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
White Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Low lounge chair ottoman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cream white Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather lounge chair with ottoman. Very fun Beautiful pop art long leather chair and foot rest. Has unique back supports and legs up...
Leather, Wood
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Bedroom Divider Wardrobe Walnut
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, bedroom divider or wardrobe unit, walnut, glass Italy, 1980s This exceptional piece by Italian sculptor and designer Giuseppe Rivadossi is a testament to his exquisite woodworking skills. This monumental wardrobe displays...
Glass, Walnut
Michel Ducaroy Ligne Roset Blue Leather Togo Corner Sofa France 1980s
By Ligne Roset, Michel Ducaroy
Located in Benalmadena, ES
This authentic Michel Ducaroy design for Ligne Roset is the iconic Togo Ottoman, executed in France during the 1980s. The piece features supple Blue Leather upholstery, defining the ...
Leather
Maison Regain Daybed in Solid Elm
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Maison Regain, daybed, solid elm, fabric, France, 1980s. A Maison Regain daybed, whose structure is composed primarily of solid elm, imparts a sense of warmth and organic texture to...
Fabric, Elm
Pair of Post-Modern Dining Chairs in Solid Ash Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pair of dining chairs, ash, Europe, 1980s Striking pair of dining chairs, made in Europe in the 1980s. These chairs showcase beauty and strength due to their material, solid ash woo...
Ash
Postmodern Pluto Desk by Pierre Colleu for Starform and Disney, France 1980s.
By Pierre Colleu 1, Disney Studios, Starform
Located in Lille, FR
Table height: 58 cm. Total height with the head: 90 cm Good condition. No restorations. Some fading on the head and legs, with a few spots and other age-related marks.
Resin, Plastic
$9,600Sale Price|20% Off
Iconic Trix & Robert Haussmann Amor Stripe 12 “Zebra” Credenza by Wogg
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic Trix & Robert Haussmann Amor Stripe 12 credenza by Wogg. Intriguing design, use of materials and refined execution cumulate in the iconic Amor Stripe 12 “Zebra” credenza b...
Chrome
Coffee Table with Marble Top and Chrome Base
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Coffee table, marble, chrome, Europe, 1980s. Exuding simplicity, this unassuming side table exudes an aura of pure elegance. Its design showcases a square, delicately marble tablet...
Marble, Chrome
Italian Side Tables in Metal and Round Granite Top
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Side tables, granite, metal, brass, Italy, 1980s These side tables feature a red granite tabletop in round format. The granite shows a vivid surface. A brass pedestal ends in a blac...
Granite, Metal, Brass
Mauro Lipparini for Saporiti 'Avedon' Curved Sofa in Turquoise Upholstery
By Mauro Lipparini, Alberto Rosselli Saporiti
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mauro Lipparini for Saporiti 'Avedon' sofa, fabric, lacquered wood, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1980s A truly wonderful piece that breathes the elegance of Italian Post-Modern desig...
Steel, Chrome
Ettore Sottsass Memphis Milano Diva Vintage Wall Mirror, Italy, 1984
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in Vienna, AT
A post-modern wall-mounted mirror, Model „Diva" designed in 1984 by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy. This mirror is a vintage original from the 1980s, made from wood and mi...
Glass, Mirror, Laminate, Wood
Vigo Magistretti for Cassina Sofa in Dark Grey Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vico Magistretti for Cassina, two-seater sofa, model 'Veranda', fabric, aluminum, Italy, 1983. Beautiful esthetically balanced two-seater sofa designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassi...
Aluminum
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
All Gray Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather Low lounge chair
Located in Brooklyn, NY
All light gray Nicoletti Salotti Post Modern Italian Leather lounge chair. Very fun Beautiful pop art wide leather chair. Has unique back supports and legs upholstered in thick soft ...
Leather
Vintage Organic Modern Ceramic Table Lamp, USA, c1980s
Located in Oakland, CA
Gorgeous matte white organic modern vintage ceramic table lamp c1980s by unknown Bay Area artist. From the estate of ceramist, Pat Hill. Signed on bottom. **measurements are withou...
Ceramic
$660Sale Price / set|20% Off
Gien “Fraises en Folie” Set of 6 Hand-Painted Porcelain Plates, France 1985
By Gien
Located in Bochum, NRW
Gien “Fraises en Folie” – Set of 6 Hand-Painted Dessert Plates, Each with Unique Historic Border, France. An extraordinary collector’s edition from *Gien, France, this six-piece *“Fr...
Faience, Porcelain
1980s Rounded Brass Mirrored Front Nightstand Side Tables
By Ello Furniture, Karl Springer
Located in Bensalem, PA
This listing is for a pair of Ello Furniture rounded brass nightstands with tinted mirrored front and top. I also have a floating king bed and tall b...
Brass
Alessandro Mendini, Sirfo Goose Table, Zanotta, Italy, 1986
By Alessandro Mendini, Zanotta
Located in Krefeld, DE
Alessandro Mendini “Sirfo” side table for Zanotta Edizioni, Italy, 1986. Iconic postmodern design piece, also known as the “Goose Table”. The ...
Aluminum
$1,581Sale Price|20% Off
Seguso Vetri d’Arte. Post-Modern Murano glass pendant lamp, Italy, 1980s
By AVMazzega, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Post-Modern Murano glass pendant lamp by Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Italy, 1980s. Formed by a large piece of murano glass in the shape of a transparent bell with raspberry red glass border...
Metal, Steel, Chrome
Ettore Sottsass Style Postmodern Magenta and Orange Lacquered Cabinet
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Postmodern magenta and orange lacquered cabinet, bookcase, or bar cabinet In the manner of Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano USA, Circa 1980s Measures: 51.25"W x 2...
Wood, Lacquer
A Pair Of Travertine and Brass Floor Lamps By Michael Taylor
Located in London, GB
A Pair of floor lamps from the post modern era by American designer Michael Taylor, with travertine bases supporting a tapering stem with travertine sphere decorated with brass accen...
Travertine, Brass, Iron
Bouloum Lounge Chair by Olivier Mourgue for Arconas
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. Reupholstered in Kvadrat felt. More available if needed.
Felt
$2,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Post Modern Cantilever Swing Chairs by Herbert and Jutta Ohl for Rosenthal Linie
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Rare set of 4 1980s Post-Modern Cantilever Swing Chairs. Designed in 1982 by Herbert and Jutta Ohl for German Manufacturer Rosenthal Studio Lini...
Metal
Ligne Roset Inspired 1980s Tan Leather Loveseat w/ Slanted Profile
By Ligne Roset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Striking Ligne Roset inspired loveseat from the 1980s showcases the era's bold approach to leather furniture design. The slanted profile creates an eye-catching silhouette that defin...
Leather
Seguso style. Post-Modern Scavo Murano glass table lamps, Italy, 1980s.
By AVMazzega, Seguso Vetri d'Arte, F. Fabbian, Venini, De Majo
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of Neoclassical and Post-Modern style handmade Murano glass table lamps in the style of Seguso, Italy, 1980s. Each piece is composed of an amphora-shaped or jar-shaped aquamarin...
Metal
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern white Gloss Laminate waterfall 6 Drawer Dresser with round mirror
By Memphis Milano, Lane Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
beautiful post modern white gloss laminate and chrome trim waterfall front 6 drawer dresser with original round mirror, circa 1980. Very clean inside and out. Look at photos. all dra...
Mirror, Laminate, Plywood
$89Sale Price / set|40% Off
Vintage Set of 4 Post Modern Pink Lucite Scrolling Ribbon Napkin Rings
Located in Amityville, NY
A vintage post modern set of four napkin rings in pink lucite, with a scrolling, looping, wrapping, ribbon or bow shape. Each of the 4 in the set is identical, providing a perfect fe...
Lucite
$1,050Sale Price|30% Off
Post modern mahogany Gloss faux wood Laminate waterfall 6 Drawer Dresser
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Beautiful post modern faux mahogany wood grain gloss laminate waterfall front 6 drawer dresser, circa 1980. Very clean inside and out. Look at photos. all drawers have metal glides w...
Laminate, Plywood
Vintage Pastel Green Ceramic Ashtray, Postmodern Design, Circa 1980
Located in Toronto, CA
A stylish pastel green ceramic ashtray from the 1980s, reflecting the playful yet functional aesthetic of postmodern design. The piece features a simple round form with three rests, ...
Ceramic
$2,812Sale Price|25% Off
Post modern taupe lacquer chrome 12 drawer dresser credenza by Ello
By Milo Baughman, Ello Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern taupe lacquer laminate and chrome 12 drawer dresser credenza. In style of Milo Baughman Style made by Ello circa 1980. Has 12 drawers with chrome handles. All drawers sli...
Chrome
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Wall Unit in Lacquered Ash and Chrome
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, multifunctional wall unit, black lacquered ash, chrome and white fabric, Italy, 1980s. Rare multifunctional wall unit designed by the Italian design...
Chrome
Postmodern Grey Metal Set of Six Flush Mounts by Blauet, Barcelona, 1980s
By Blauet
Located in Badajoz, Badajoz
Pretty Postmodern Spanish Set of Six grey metal Flush Mounts by Blauet. Model: Birimbao-2. These fixtures were designed and manufactured in Barcelona (Spain) by Blauet during 1980s. ...
Metal