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.
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto 'Artona' Sideboard in Black Leather and Walnut
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, 'Artona' sideboard, walnut, burlwood, leather, Italy, 1975/1979 This sideboard was designed as part of the ‘Artona’ line by Afra & Tobia Sca...
Leather, Walnut, Burl
Luciano Frigerio 'Louis' Sidebooard in Satin Brass and Walnut Burl
By Luciano Frigerio, Frigerio Di Desio
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luciano Frigerio for Frigerio Di Desio, 'Louis' sideboard, polished satin brass, walnut burl, Italy, 1970s An exquisite piece of furniture by Italian designer Luciano Frigerio, this...
Brass
Vintage post modern pink laminate sideboard / dresser with 6 drawers, USA 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
Vintage post modern pink laminate sideboard / dresser with six drawers, USA 1980s. It's in the shade 'Wisteria' (written on the back) which I kind of love- a deep pink with lilac ton...
Laminate, Plywood, Particle Board
Italian Postmodern Sideboard with Geometric Front
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sideboard, 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 p...
Cherry, Ebony, Mahogany
Giuseppe Rivadossi Hand-Carved Sideboard in Oak
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, sideboard, oak, Italy, 1970s A beautifully crafted sideboard in solid oak by Giuseppe Rivadossi. Characterized by its striking exposed joi...
Oak
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto 'Artona' Sideboard in Black Lacquered Wood
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, 'Artona' sideboard, walnut, lacquered wood, ebony, brass, Italy, 1975/1979 This sideboard with strong geometrical lines is a design by Afra & Tobia ...
Brass
Luciano Frigerio Sideboard in Brass and Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luciano Frigerio, sideboard, brass, lacquered elm burl, Italy, 1970s This exquisite sideboard, created by the creative Italian designer Luciano Frigerio, exemplifies the aesthetic s...
Brass
Paul Evans for Directional Rare 'Cityscape' 'Steel Hinged' Sideboard in Chrome
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Paul Evans, Paul Evans Studio for Directional, 'Cityscape' or 'Steel Hinged' cabinet, mirrored glass, chrome-plated steel, lacquered High Pressure Laminate, United States, 1970s Thi...
Steel, Chrome
Italian Post-Modern Sideboard with Geometric Front
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sideboard, cherry, mahogany, ebonized wood, Italy 1970s This stunning sideboard, made from a luxurious combination of cherry, ebonized wood, and mahogany, is a true statement piece ...
Cherry, Mahogany
$6,450 / item
Italian Postmodern Sideboards with Geometric Front
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sideboards, cherry wood, ebony wood, mahogany, Italy 1970s This stunning sideboard, made from a luxurious combination of cherry, ebony wood, and mahogany, is a true statement piece ...
Cherry, Ebony, Mahogany
$4,371 / item
Mytho Wooden Cabinet by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Mytho Wooden Cabinet by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 45 x W 120 x H 160 cm Materials: Wood. A bet on ingenuity. A set of wooden pieces with different thicknesses glides across its sur...
Wood
$20,154 / item
Honor Gradient Sideboard by Memoir Essence
Located in Geneve, CH
Honor Gradient Sideboard by Memoir Essence Dimensions: D 50 x W 200 x H 90 cm. Materials: Gold leaf, and royal ebony with black gradient. Also available with a lacquered interior. P...
Gold Leaf
$5,531 / item
Leo Medium Sideboard by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
Leo Medium Sideboard by Pastform Dimensions: D 42 x W 200 x H 80 cm Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finishes: Whiskey, Rum, BPA, Nobel, Bran...
Wood
Knut & Marianne Hagberg Sideboard IKEA 2010 Eiche Design Kommode
By IKEA
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes und äußerst seltenes Sideboard von IKEA aus dem Jahr 2010 zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Knut & Marianne Hagberg und zeichnet sich durch die ...
Oak
Italian Modern Blue Black Solid Wood Sideboard by Umberto Asnago, Giorgetti 1982
By Umberto Asnago, Giorgetti S.p.A.
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian post modern blue, black and wooden solid wood sideboard by Umberto Asnago for Giorgetti Italia, 1982. Sideboard in solid wood, with a curved ...
Wood
Vintage Postmodern Asymmetric Sideboard by Rougier
Located in Oxnard, CA
Here is a rare asymmetric sideboard / console by Roger Rougier, circa 1980s. The piece is comprised of two halves - on the left a triangular set of drawers topped by a deep drop-dow...
Wood, Lacquer
French Sideboard in Solid Elm by Skilled Craftsman
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sideboard, elm, France, 1970s Stunning lived-in sideboard made in France in the 1970s. This piece is comprised of a lower and upper cabinet, displaying elegance and practicality. Th...
Elm
Nikol International Tall Post-Modern Sideboard in Walnut and Smoked Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nikol International, storage unit/sideboard, walnut, smoked glass, Italy, 1970s/early 1980s Presenting an exquisite post-modern sideboard that skillfully balances form and function ...
Smoked Glass, Walnut
$16,107 / item
Dolmen Sideboard by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Dolmen Sideboard by Somaschini Dimensions: W 234 x D 50 x H 71 cm Materials: Plywood structure and doors with workmanship at 45 degrees. Doors with push-pull system opening. Internal...
Plywood, Ash
$3,687 / item
Box TV Stand by DAaZ
Located in Geneve, CH
Box TV Stand by DAaZ Dimensions: D 47 x W 220 x H 39 cm. Materials: Albizzia wood. DAaZ Furniture honors the spirit of adventure. We embrace the escape of the ordinary and revel in...
Wood
$5,972 / item
Oh Lola Sideboard by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Oh Lola Sideboard by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 45 x W 170 x H 125 cm Materials: Wood. Lola Glamour box essence with flat finishes, without patinas or aging. Impeccable carpentry, v...
Wood
$20,212 / item
Marea Sideboard by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Marea Sideboard by De Castelli Dimensions: W 190 x D 45 x H 71 cm Materials: DeMarea Brass, Titanium Oak Wood Copper and Stainless Steel versions are available. Two, Three, Five and ...
Brass
$2,968 / item
Small Sideboard by Tomasz Omachel
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Sideboard by Tomasz Omachel Dimensions: D 40 x W 60 x H 80 cm. Materials: Ash, Brass. Tomasz Omachel (1984) is a self-taught maker. His story began in furniture renovation, w...
Brass
$5,519 / item
Libra Sideboard by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
Libra Sideboard by Pastform Dimensions: D 40 x W 200 x H 70 cm Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finishes: Whiskey, Rum, BPA, Nobel, Brandy, S...
Wood
Walnut Low Sideboard by Says Who with Metal Accents, Danish Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Walnut array low sideboard 150 by Says Who Materials: walnut, metal Dimensions: D 37 x W 150 x H 25 cm Also available in different colours and materia...
Metal
$17,765 / item
Unveil Sideboard 200 by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Unveil Sideboard 200 by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 50 x W 200 x H 85 cm. Materials: Wooden structure: walnut veneer and interior in sycamore veneer. ...
Brass
Contemporary Limed Oak Sideboard with Travertine Stone Top By José Castro
Located in New York, NY
Conceived as a study in order and disruption, this contemporary sideboard draws from the rhythm of classical architecture and deliberately unsettles it. Repeated arches establish an ...
Travertine
Italian Colored Glass and Brass Sideboard or Credenza
Located in London, London
Colored glass sideboard Brass base and details Postmodern mix of colors Contemporary, Italy.
Brass
$32,412 / item
Greenwich Console by Arturo Verástegui
Located in Geneve, CH
Greenwich console by Arturo Verástegui Dimensions: D 300 x W 2.22 x H 75 cm Materials: oak wood, Metalicus granite, Katalox wood, stainless steel. Console made of burnt white oa...
Granite, Steel
Dama in Venice, Solid Wood, Sideboard by Sebastiano Zilio
Located in Geneve, CH
Dama in Venice, Solid Wood, Sideboard by Sebastiano Zilio Dimensions: W 279.6 x D 49.2 x H 77.3 cm. Materials: Solid Sungkai wood, About: Sebastiano Zilio Italy, 1969 Italian desi...
Wood
Wendell Castle “Samba” Cabinet for Icon Design Sculptural Ash Wood Storage Cabin
Located in Miami, FL
A stunning example of American furniture, the Samba Cabinet by Wendell Castle for Icon Designs reflects Castle’s signature philosophy of treating furniture as sculpture. The piece fe...
Leather, Wood
Postmodern vintage pastel pink blue peach laminate waterfall sideboard USA 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
Postmodern pastel colourwash / watercolour effect laminate waterfall sideboard, USA 1980s. The interior is also fully finished in the pastel lamina...
Laminate
$12,900 / item
Shale High Credenza (72") in solid ash by Simon Johns
By Simon Johns
Located in East-Bolton, Quebec
Both monumental and subtle, the Shale Credenza brings the intricacies of nature’s geology indoors. The wood doors are scored vertically across the grain...
Mirror, Ash
$18,115 / item
ST 12 Sideboard by Laurameroni
Located in Geneve, CH
ST 12 Sideboard by Laurameroni Dimensions: W 198 x D 53 x H 75 cm Materials: Burnished brass and walnut canaletto dyed. ST 12 LG OB: Low sideboard with 4 hinged doors and metal legs...
Brass
$29,396 / item
Oak Enzo Sideboard by Rosanna Ceravolo
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak Enzo sideboard by Rosanna Ceravolo Dimensions: W 220 x D 46 x H 68 cm Materials: Solid american oak fronts, polyurethane spray finish. Also available in different dimensions a...
Oak
$22,218 / item
BD 91 Sideboard by Laurameroni
Located in Geneve, CH
BD 91 Sideboard by Laurameroni Dimensions: W 200 x D 50 x H 80 cm Materials: Liquid Metal Bronze on Maxima carving; Gris Vigné; int. Walnut Canaletto. Wooden sideboard with Maxima c...
Bronze
Luciano Frigerio Architectural 'Perla' Sideboard in Dark Padouk Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luciano Frigerio for Frigerio Di Desio, 'Perla' sideboard, padouk, Italy, 1973 This refined sideboard by Luciano Frigerio, model 'Perla', is executed in richly colored padouk wood. ...
Padouk
$5,218Sale Price|20% Off
Post-Modern Credenza by Renato Toso and Robertà Pamio, Italy, 1920s
By Roberto Pamio & Renato Toso
Located in Antwerp, BE
Post-modern; Italian design; Roberto Pamio and Renato Toso; sideboard; Credenza; Room divider, Italy, 1970's Post-modern Italian credenza in wood with black-painted wooden pillars...
Wood
Bespoke Italian Colored Glass and Brass Sideboard
Located in London, London
Bespoke sideboard Colored glass panels Brass inlay Brass legs Contemporary, Italy.
Brass
$4,746 / item
Canette TV Stand by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Canette TV Stand by Morica Design Dimensions: D 55 x W 171 x H 48 cm. Materials: Anthracite leather, Laguna oak, metal. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Laguna Oak, and Oak wood. Plea...
Leather, Wood
Sleek Black Lacquer and Brass Sideboard
Located in North Charleston, SC
A striking credenza in high-gloss black lacquer with polished brass base and trim. Designed with clean minimalist lines and rounded corners, the piece reflects the bold elegance of l...
Brass
Brass And Solid Wood Bugs Sideboard by PANOPTIKUM COLLECTIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass And Solid Wood Bugs Sideboard by PANOPTIKUM COLLECTIONS Dimensions: D 48 x W 168 x H 80 cm. Materials: Solid wood, veneer, pyrographу, and brass. The BUGS collection is a vivi...
Brass, Other
Ettore Sottsass Memphis 'Casablanca' Cabinet, 1981, Italy
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
This strikingly sculptural cabinet is a superb work of art designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis. The wood and plastic laminate structure features a base with a column supp...
Laminate, Wood
Amazing angular trapezoid-shaped postmodern vintage zig zag sideboard, USA 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
An amazing angular trapezoid-shaped postmodern zig zag sideboard, USA 1980s. Clad in 3 colours of shiny laminate- pale pink, deeper mauvey pink, maroon. Four push-click doors open o...
Laminate
$3,316 / item
EN 312 Side Board by Haus Otto
Located in Geneve, CH
EN 312 side board by Haus Otto Dimensions: D40 x W43 x H68 cm Materials: Painted chipboard wood Weight: 15 Kg The material chipboard (DIN EN312) is one...
Wood
Totem Wood Sideboard, Four Doors and Two Drawers, by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Totem Wood Sideboard by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 45 x W 200 x H 75 cm Materials: Wood. The mathematics hidden behind our idea of the canon of beauty encourages us to grant attribu...
Wood
$3,316 / item
Tauro Wooden Cabinet by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Tauro Wooden Cabinet by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 42 x W 125 x H 135 cm Materials: Wood. A versatile wardrobe, both in functionality and location. With its original use of geometry...
Wood
$5,635 / item
Dinastía Sideboard by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Dinastía Sideboard by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 50 x W 175 x H 100 cm Materials: Wood. We are Félix and Désirée Ramos, brothers and product designers of our brand, Lola Glamour. W...
Wood
Bespoke Italian Mondrian Style Blue Green White Brown Modern Brass Dresser/Chest
By Cosulich Interiors & Antiques
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Contemporary modern graphic Pop Art design six-drawer dresser / sideboard, entirely handcrafted in Italy, with a Piet Mondrian inspired abstract decor, the surrounds edged in natural...
Brass
$6,707 / item
Traccia Sideboard by Dale Italia
Located in Geneve, CH
Traccia Sideboard by Dale Italia Dimensions: D 54 x W 187 x H 96 cm. Materials: Walnut. Frame in solid Canaletto walnut. Available in a two-door version with two drawers, two intern...
Walnut
Bespoke Postmodern Style Colored Glass and Brass Console Sideboard
Located in London, London
Bespoke sideboard Colored glass Four doors Brass inlay Contemporary, Italy.
Brass
$21,743 / item
Collectionist Lounge Sideboard by Laurameroni
Located in Geneve, CH
Collectionist Lounge Sideboard by Laurameroni Dimensions: W 160 x D 40 x H 73 cm Materials: Delabré Dark bronze; shiny Levanto marble; gunmetal legs. Low sideboard with curved side...
Wood
Venus, 4 doors Sideboard on Two Cylinder Legs in Gradient Lacquer by Ultramobili
Located in Geneve, CH
Venus, 4 doors Sideboard on Two Cylinder Legs in Gradient Lacquer by Ultramobili Dimensions: W 225 x D 53 x H 83 cm Materials: Mat lacquer. 4-door sideboard cabinet with rounded e...
Lacquer
Black Rectangular Wood Contemporary Gold Treasure Shrine By Christian Friedl
Located in Geneve, CH
Gold Treasure Shrine by Christian Friedl Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 56 x W 310 x H 75 cm. Materials: Oak, gold leaf. Consistency and lasting value result in a wonderful symbiosis. ...
Gold Leaf
Totem Wood Sideboard, Three Doors and Three Drawers, by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Totem Wood Sideboard by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 46 x W 195 x H 84 cm Materials: Wood. Geometry and mathematics behind the scenes of art. The design embraces and integrates the ex...
Wood
$6,111 / item
Magic Sideboard, Four Doors, by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Magic Sideboard, Four Doors, by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 55 x W 240 x H 70 cm Materials: Wood. Infuse art and vitality into your environment with distinctive creations that reflec...
Wood
$25,859 / item
Collectionist Buffet Sideboard by Laurameroni
Located in Geneve, CH
Collectionist Buffet Sideboard by Laurameroni Dimensions: W 146 x D 50 x H 140 cm Materials: Glossy lacquered wood; int. Matt lacquered wood. Medium cabinet with curved sides in po...
Wood
$20,664 / item
Bosque Sideboard by Ginger & Jagger
Located in Geneve, CH
Bosque Sideboard by Ginger & Jagger Dimensions: D 62 x W 220 x H 80 cm. Materials: Wood and brass. Finish: Body, interior, and exterior in Amara Ebony wood veneer in gloss finish...
Brass
$5,113 / item
Reina Sideboard 190 by Lola Glamour
Located in Geneve, CH
Reina Sideboard 190 by Lola Glamour Dimensions: D 45 x W 190 x H 78 cm Materials: Wood. Each of the pieces in the Reina series captivates due to its exclusive combination of colors ...
Wood
$23,934 / item
Dolmen Sideboard by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Dolmen Sideboard by Somaschini Dimensions: W 234 x D 50 x H 71 cm Materials: Plywood structure and doors with workmanship at 45 degrees. Doors with push-pull system opening. Internal...
Ash, Plywood