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.
Maitland Smith Stacked Books Box Drawer Cabinet Tessellated Stone & Brass 1992
Located in Toronto, CA
A sculptural Maitland-Smith tessellated stone cabinet designed in the form of a stack of books, dating to 1992 and produced in the Philippine...
Limestone, Travertine, Marble, Belgian Black Marble
Ambrogio Tresoldi e Alberto Salvati Wardrobe Cabinet Purple Blue Lacquered Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ambrogio Tresoldi and Alberto Salvati, cabinet / wardrobe, lacquered wood, Italy, 1970s Ambrogio Tresoldi and Alberto Salvati began their careers at the Politecnico di Milano under ...
Wood, Lacquer
Italian Postmodern Sideboard with Geometric Front
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cabinet, cherry wood, ebony wood, mahogany wood, Italy 1970s This stunning sideboard, made from a luxurious combination of cherry, ebony wood, and mahogany, is a true statement piec...
Cherry, Ebony, Mahogany
$8,700 / item
1970s Italian Tall Cabinets in Walnut
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cabinets, walnut, glass, Italy, 1970s These three walnut cabinets from 1970s Italy have a strong and unusual shape that immediately stands out. The most noticeable element is the ro...
Walnut
Rare Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio 'PE72' Cabinet in Sculpted Bronze
By Paul Evans
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio, cabinet, model 'PE72', epoxy bronzed resin over laminate, smoked glass, aluminum, mirrored glass, laminate, United States, 1972 This rare illumina...
Slate, Bronze, Steel
Guido Faleschini for Mariani Cabinets in Red Brown Leather
By Guido Faleschini, i4 Mariani
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, cabinets from the 'Pace Collection', leather, fabric, chrome-plated steel, aluminum, mahogany, Italy, circa 1975 This captivating set of four cabin...
Chrome, Aluminum, Steel
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
Pierre Chapo Cabinet Model 'R18' in Solid Elm
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Chapo, cabinet model 'R18', solid elm, France, 1960s This exquisitely crafted 'R18' cabinet combines a simplified yet complex design combined with nifty, solid construction d...
Elm
USM Haller Modular System Six Drawer Cabinet in Light Grey
By Usm Haller
Located in Seattle, WA
This is a modular USM Haller two-column, six-drawer cabinet in original light gray, made in Switzerland, in overall good condition with some surface wear and scratches. Height: 45 ...
Steel
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
Luxurious Italian Cabinet in Bamboo and Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cabinet, lacquered bamboo and ash, brass, Italy, 1970s. This glamorous cabinet, dating from the 1970s, has a compact geometric shape that is at once simple and assertive. Yet the e...
Brass
$1,137Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage Post Modern Deco Revival Black Lacquer Tall Cabinet / Tallboy, USA 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
1980s deco revival black lacquer tall cabinet, by Millennium, USA. Looks like chrome edging, but is actually mirror glass. Double doors open onto shelved storage; 2 large drawers bel...
Mirror, Lacquer
$7,200Sale Price / set|37% Off
Pair of Monumental Post-Modern Obelisk Cabinets
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A truly unique pair of Post-Modernist cabinets in the form of a faux porphyry obelisk or pyramid on four gilded balls, resting on a black plinth base. Each cabinet contains four draw...
Laminate, Wood
Vintage Model Märd Rolling Storage Box from Ikea, 1990s
By IKEA
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern Model Märd Rolling Storage Box from Ikea, Sweden, 1991 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Materials: Plastic, Wood Color: Red Period: 1990s Item ...
Plastic, Wood
Large Postmodern Geometric Bar Cabinet in Custom Lacquer
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
A large-scale architectural postmodern cabinet defined by bold stepped geometry and strong volumetric composition. Composed of offset cubic forms arranged in an asymmetrical configu...
Wood, Lacquer
Manhattan Wine Cellar in Makassar Ebony Veneer, Brass & Horn by Arcahorn
Located in Geneve, CH
Manhattan Wine Cellar in Makassar Ebony Veneer, Brass & Horn by Arcahorn Dimensions: D 59 x W 142 x H 200 cm. Materials: Ebony veneer, brass, and horn. Wine cellar in matte Makassar...
Brass, Other
Postmodern bar cabinet by Belgochrom, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful brushed aluminum and brass post modern design bar cabinet by Belgochrom. Belgochrom used to make high quality furniture that was sold in high end furniture shops all arou...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
$11,329 / item
Pilion Dressing Cabinet by Madheke
Located in Geneve, CH
Pilion Dressing Cabinet by Madheke Dimensions: D 150 x W 45 x H 105 cm. Materials: Leather finished cabinet with contrasting leather trims, Brass hardware details. Finish options: Le...
Brass
Henredon Scene Two Cabinets, Olive Burl Wood, Post-Modern Design, 1986
By Henredon
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of Scene Two Henredon cabinets in honey colored olive burl wood with one adjustable shelf inside each cabinet. These feature Macassar ebony wood trim around the doors and sculpt...
Olive, Burl
A two-part cabinet in rare exotic woods with solid ebony inlays, Italy, 1990s
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A large two-part cabinet in rare exotic woods with solid ebony inlays. This unique two-part sideboard, crafted by Bottega Costa in the 1990s, is a remarkable example of Ligurian cra...
Ebony, Fruitwood, Rosewood
Memphis Cabinet or a Bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini, 1986
By Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanini
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an exceptionally rare Memphis style cabinet or a bookcase. It was designed by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for ...
Glass, Wood
$5,060 / item
Pez Cabinet by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Pez Cabinet by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 42 x W 140 x H 166 cm Materials: Wood. It is as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. The front scales, which can change positio...
Wood
Luigi Saccardo 'Topline' Highboards in Vibrant Green and Black Color
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Saccardo, 'Beehive' large cabinets from the 'Topline' series, lacquered laminated wood, metal, Italy, circa 1976 Back in the seventies, Topline was a newly introduced collecti...
Metal
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl Cabinet in Off-White Polyurethane
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl, sideboard, polyurethane, Germany, 1970/71 Ernest Hofmann, also known by his artist name 'Igl', recently gained an international audience for his desig...
Plastic
$26,000
Ledge Dry Bar by Simon Johns
By Simon Johns
Located in East-Bolton, Quebec
Ledge dry bar is a floating wall-mounted sculptural dry bar. Made of carved solid ash, it’s surface recalls the textures of crumbling cliffs around the studio. It’s interior has two solid wood surfaces for a collection of bottles...
Leather, Glass, Ash
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl Shelving Cabinet in Off-White Polyurethane
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl, shelving sideboard, polyurethane, Germany, 1970/71 Ernest Hofmann, also known by his artist name 'Igl', recently gained an international audience for ...
Plastic
Post modern bar cabinet by Belgochrom, 1980s
By belgochrom
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful brass/copper postmodern design cabinet by Belgochrom. Belgochrom used to make high quality furniture that was sold in high end furniture shops all around belgium. The we...
Brass
Drexel Heritage Cabochon TV Console Entertainment Center Cabinet 868-960 72"
By Drexel
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage Drexel Heritage Cabochon TV console / entertainment center / bar or liquor cabinet featuring post modern styling. Made from whitewashed oak with paneled doors over an iron ba...
Iron
$3,684 / item
Dinastía Entry Cabinet by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Dinastía Entry Cabinet by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 35 x W 88 x H 135 cm Materials: Wood. The smallest of the Dynasty series, but not for that reason renounces its grandeur. Four-d...
Wood
Unique Rectangular Deep Blue Brass Cabinet with Two Doors by Christopher Boots
Located in Geneve, CH
Curiosity Cabinet by Christopher Boots Unique Piece Dimensions: D 50 x W 97 x H 140 cm. Materials: Reclaimed oak, cast bronze, clear quartz, smoky quartz, lapis lazuli, pyrite, indus...
Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, Pyrite, Brass, Bronze
$15,608 / item
Marea Cabinet by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Marea Cabinet by De Castelli Dimensions: W 90 x D 45 x H 155 cm Materials: DeMarea Brass, Titanium Oak Wood Stainless Steel and Copper versions also avai...
Brass
$13,745 / item
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Tako Floor Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 220 x D 41 x H 40 cm Materials: DeLabré B Stainless Steel, Natural Oak Wood Copper and Brass versions are available. One drawer versio...
Stainless Steel
$13,862 / item
Marea Cabinet by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Marea Cabinet by De Castelli Dimensions: W 90 x D 45 x H 155 cm Materials: DeMarea Stainless Steel, Titanium Oak Wood Brass and Copper versions also avai...
Stainless Steel
$3,828 / item
Small Cibeles Cabinet by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Cibeles Cabinet by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 41 x W 73 x H 130 cm Materials: Wood. We are Félix and Désirée Ramos, brothers and product designers of our brand, Lola Glamour....
Wood
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Grid Wall Cabinet in Oak
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, wall cabinet, oak, Italy, 1970s A striking piece from the 1970s, this hanging cabinet by Giuseppe Rivadossi reflects his deep respect for ...
Glass, Oak
A'dammer Cabinet by Aldo van de Nieuwelaar for Pastoe, 1970s - H:170cm
By Aldo van den Nieuwelaar, Pastoe
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Timeless and elegant design - The Netherlands Measures : 40x37cm H:170cm A’dammer is a prime example of a piece of furniture that also functions as an object. A’dammer is characteriz...
Plastic, Wood
Half-moon Wall Bronze Cabinet with Natural Jade Green Stone by Pierre De Valck
Located in Geneve, CH
Bow wall cabinet by Pierre De Valck Dimensions: D 100 x W 28 x H 15 Materials: Stone, bronze Weight: 25 kg Each piece is unique Pierre De Valck (1991) ...
Stone, Bronze
$2,882 / item
LOTV Vinyl Slide Cabinet by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
LOTV Vinyl Slide Cabinet by Pastform Dimensions: D 41 x W 150 x H 57 cm Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finis...
Wood
$16,844 / item
Tlaloc Wine Cabinet by Andres Gutierrez
Located in Geneve, CH
Tlaloc Wine cabinet by Andres Gutierrez Dimensions: D40 x W80 x H130 cm Materials: Body: solid white oak wood, Legs: white oak plywood. — Inspir...
Oak, Plywood
Perfidia Bar Cabinet in Solid Wood with Cast Bronze Details by Estudio Andean
Located in Geneve, CH
Perfidia Bar Cabinet in Solid Wood with Cast Bronze Details by Estudio Andean Dimensions: D 43,8 x W 85 x H 185 cm. Materials: Solid wood, cast bronze, steel, and aged mirror. Bar ...
Bronze, Steel
IKEA Märd Rolling Storage Box in Red Plastic, 1990s
By IKEA
Located in Stockholm, SE
Vintage IKEA “Märd” rolling storage box from the 1990s, executed in durable molded red plastic. Designed as a compact and mobile storage solution, the piece features integrated whee...
Plastic
$21,055 / item
Solomia Cabinet by Ruda Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Solomia Cabinet by Ruda Studio Dimensions: D 45 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Materials: Solid Ash Wood, Rye Straw Inlay, Plywood, Brass handles and legs. Weight: 70 kg. Design brand RUDA Stud...
Brass
$10,527 / item
Black Sea Natūra Cabinet by Ruda Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Sea Natūra Cabinet by Ruda Studio Dimensions: D 45 x W 100 x H 100 cm. Materials: Solid wood (ash), rye straw inlay, plywood and brass. Weight: 70 kg. Dimensions are customiza...
Brass
$20,636 / item
Coatlicue Cabinet by Andres Gutierrez
Located in Geneve, CH
Coatlicue cabinet by Andres Gutierrez Dimensions: D40 x W90 x H185 cm Materials: Solid white oak wood. — Inspired by the Aztec goddess of life and death, Coatlicue, ‘The One Who Has A Serpent Skirt’— Friendly shaped wood en representation of Coatlicue; The two headed goddess morphs into a striking solid white oak cabinet standing over six feet tall. The door handles represent the necklace made out of human hands and hearts that hangs around the goddess’neck in the Aztec monolith unearthed in 1790. The base of thec abinet represents Coatlicue’s sharp claws fringed by a skirt of snakes, her symbol for earth as both creator and destroyer. This cabinet features four 40cm-deep shelves...
Oak
Italian Secretary Cabinet 1970's
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This tall Italian cabinet features an architectural silhouette, crafted from warm honey-toned wood with a gently curved top reminiscent of a vault...
Brass
$71,670 / item
Alber Bar Cabinet by Madheke
Located in Geneve, CH
Alber Bar Cabinet by Madheke Dimensions: D 338.5 x W 56.2 x H 256.3 cm. Materials: Leather and wood. Finish options: Bordeaux Leather. Dunkelbraun Leather. Marine Leather. Beige Lea...
Wood
$11,673 / item
Geller Credenza by Madheke
Located in Geneve, CH
Geller Credenza by Madheke Dimensions: D 202 x W 54 x H 76.1 cm. Materials: Marbled stone credenza top, Walnut credenza body with pronounced front edge profile, Walnut veneered sculp...
Brass
6x USM Haller Rollcontainer Büroschrank Rollen dunkelblau offen
By WK Möbel, Fritz Haller
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen von sechs wunderschönen USM Haller Rollcontainern in dunkelblau zum Verkauf an. Die Bürocontainer lassen sich ideal unter dem Schreibtisch positionieren und bieten d...
Metal
$1,806 / item
TV Mini Vinyl Small Cabinet With Drawers by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
TV Mini Vinyl Small Cabinet With Drawers by Pastform Dimensions: D 35 x W 100 x H 57 cm. Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finishes: Whiskey, ...
Wood
Memphis Style Tall Cabinet by Eugenio Pinuer, Colorful Design, 1980s
By Wassily Kandinsky, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in ECHT, NL
Quality made tall cabinet. Made in Switzerland by Wohnsinn AG in the 1980s. Crazy post modern design in true Memphis style. Lots of colors and asymmetric patterns. A style that let g...
Metal
Vintage Boby Trolley by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Italian Post modern plastic storage Boby trolley by Joe Colombo for Bieffeplast. designed in 1968. Iconic design, Logo and signature present. features several storage compartments a...
Plastic
$19,998 / item
Trono Credenza by Andres Gutierrez
Located in Geneve, CH
Trono credenza by Andres Gutierrez Dimensions: D50 x W186 x H74 cm Materials: Solid white oak wood — Inspired by Xochiquetzal, the aztec godess as...
Oak
$165,008 / item
Ripple Tall Cabinet by Three One Four Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Ripple Tall Cabinet by Three One Four Studio Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 45 x W 110 x H 190 cm. Materials: Modelboard, brass, resin, and glass. THREE ONE FOUR studio was born from t...
Other, Brass
Ettore Sottsass Casablanca cabinet Memphis Milano 1981
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Ettore Sottsass's Casablanca cabinet boasts a totem-like profile, closely resembling his iconic Carlton room divider and Ashoka lamp. This piece stands out...
Laminate
$7,153 / item
Famed Marble Sideboard by Lagu
Located in Geneve, CH
Famed Marble Detailed Sideboard by Lagu. Designed by Ufuk Ceylan. Dimensions: W 144 x D 45 x H 90 cm. Materials: Marble, Metal, Oak. The famed sideboard is encased in Alexander...
Marble, Metal
$27,634 / item
Cathedral Cabinet by Paul Heijnen
Located in Geneve, CH
Cathedral cabinet by Paul Heijnen (2013) Dimensions: H 270 x L 240 x W 60 cm Materials: Oak, red cedar, birch Standoffs: Black powder/brushed bras...
Birch, Oak
Post Modern Lacquered Wall Unit Entertainment Center Chest of Drawers c 1970/80s
Located in New York, NY
Massive lacquered sideboard, entertainment center, chest of drawers, in faux marbleized finish, made by Elkins Industries c. 1970/80's. This impressive cabinet features two banks of ...
Lacquer
O & O Clothes Rack Small by Christine Rathmann
Located in Geneve, CH
O & O clothes rack small by Christine Rathmann. Materials: Metal. Dimensions: D 41 x H 117 cm. Also available in different dimensions. The founders, Mia and Torben Koed, decided to put their 30 years of experience into a new project. It was time for a change and a new challenge. The challenge was to build an ambitious design brand from the ground up with high-quality materials and great attention to the little details. With a drive to create new originals, the WOUD collection is founded upon the idea to look ahead instead of looking back and share the love for honest design. Therefore, we are eager to discover and develop new ideas whether it being in form, function or choice of material. Made by Michael is a Danish design studio founded by Michael Daae Christensen in 2014 with a strive to create simple design. He is an inquisitive talent with passion for the whole process of design - from sketch to final production. After he completed his Master in Furniture Design from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Michael Christensen moved to New York to work at Søren Rose Studio...
Metal
$1,770 / item
Lowbo S Cabinet by Phormy
Located in Geneve, CH
LOWBO S cabinet by Phormy Dimensions: D 40 x W 119 x H 53 cm. Materials: acrylic engraved or flat laminate, oak, powder coated steel base Different materials and sizes available...
Oak
$16,844 / item
Solomia 2 Cabinet by Ruda Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Solomia 2 Cabinet by Ruda Studio Dimensions: D 45 x W 170 x H 75 cm. Materials: Solid wood (ash), rye straw inlay, plywood, glass and brass. Weight: 80 kg. Dimensions are customizable. Please contact us. Inspired by the wealth of Ukrainian land, RUDA Studio has created an interior object – the Solomia cabinet...
Brass