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 Dining Chairs in Steel and Ocher Yellow Leatherette
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining chairs, yellow leatherette, chrome, steel, Italy, 1970s Comfortable Italian dining chairs in yellow leatherette. The eye-catching colored upholstery emphasizes the round sha...
Steel, Chrome
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
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl 'Directors' Writing Desk in White Polyurethane
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl, 'Directors' writing desk, polyurethane, Germany, 1970/71 Ernest Hofmann, also known by his artist name 'Igl', recently gained an international audienc...
Plastic
Salvador Dalí Leda Armchair Sculpture in Polished Brass, Spain
By Salvador Dalí, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Leda armchair designed by Dali manufactured by BD. Structure in polished cast brass varnish. Measures: 47 x 60 x 92 H. cm Year: 1935-1937 Taken from “Femme á la téte rose” 1935 (...
Brass
$1,000Sale Price / item|20% Off
Rare Post Modern Black Ribbed leather Office desk chair on casters made in Italy
By De Sede, Poltrona Frau, Cassina
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare Post Modern Black Ribbed leather Office desk chair on casters made in Italy. Beautiful Designed chairs with great leather upholstery. These chairs chan be used as a dining, desk...
Leather, Plastic
Vintage Wooden Barley-Twist Hourglass with Hand-Blown Glass
Located in San Diego, CA
A handsome vintage hourglass featuring a solid wood frame with classic barley-twist turned supports and a faceted hexagonal top and base. The hourglass contains hand-blown glass bulb...
Glass, Wood
Mario Botta for Artemide ‘Shogun’ Floor Lamp
By Artemide, Mario Botta
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Botta for Artemide, 'Shogun' floor lamp, aluminum, steel, Italy, 1986 Mario Botta referred to lamps as “people”. He said: "Shogun is a person. He has a head, body and feet, ...
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage Postmodern Magazine Rack by Markus Börgens for D-Tec, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern newspaper rack, metal and acrylic glass of D-Tec, designed by Markus Börgens from the 80s. The stand consists of two elements, the support f...
Metal
Joe Colombo for Comfort 'Elda' Lounge Chair in Red Leather and Fiberglass
By Comfort, Italy, Joe Colombo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Comfort, lounge chair ‘Elda’, fiberglass, leather, Italy, design 1963 The ‘Elda’ chair is one of the most well-known designs of Italian designer Joe Colombo. This lo...
Leather, Fiberglass
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
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
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
Postmodern German Vela Sail Floor Lamp A. Engbert Franz Ringelhan for Rolf Benz
By Rolf Benz
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern floor lamp by Rolf Benz based on a design by A. Engbert and F. Ringelhan from 1990. The design clearly shows its maritime inspiration. An abstract sailboat with an exagg...
Aluminum
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
Gonfalon Paravent, Room Divider in Textile and Chainmail
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
“Gonfalon Paravent is a spatial divider that oscillates between architecture and textile, solidity and fluidity. First conceived in 2020 and revisited in a second edition in 2026, th...
Metal, Chrome
'Canna Fiorita' Wall or Ceiling Lights by Castiglioni & Menghi for Fontana Arte
By Roberto Menghi, Fontana Arte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Canna Fiorita' Wall or Ceiling Lights by Castiglioni & Menghi for Fontana Arte (Italy, 1981) This pair of 'Canna Fiorita' wall or ceiling lights by Piero Castiglioni and Robert...
Brass
Bridget Barstool in Stained Rattan and Plywood by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Bridget Barstool in Stained Rattan and Plywood by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 45 x D 55 x H 104 cm. Materials: Stained rattan, plywood seat. This listing features the bar stool wi...
Rattan, Plywood
$650 / item
Italian Coffee Tables in Granite and Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Coffee tables, granite, brass, black lacquered steel, Italy, 1980s These Italian side tables showcase a rectangular brown granite tabletop with a striking, vivid surface. The granit...
Granite, Brass, Steel
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
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
Pair of 1970s Zonca Italian Articulating Brass Wall Lamps
By Zonca
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of 1970s Zonca Italian Articulating Brass Wall Lamps Executed in brass and metal, these wall-mounted lights pivot both on the backplate and on the shade to direct a soft downwa...
Metal, Brass
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: Upholstery, Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. The Ludmila ...
Upholstery, Foam, Hardwood, Wood
Post Modern Glass and Acrylic Side Table in Manner of Shlomi Haziza, c. 1980s
Located in Peabody, MA
Postmodern glass and acrylic side table in the manner of Shlomi Haziza, c. 1990s. The top is beveled glass. The colored acrylic elements are faceted, creating a prismatic effect.
Glass, Acrylic
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 'C10T' Coffee Table in Wood and Crystal Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, produced by Forme & Superfici, coffee table, wood, glass, Italy, numbered A61/100, Italy, 1970s Designed by the Italian duo Nerone and Patuz...
Glass, Wood
Post-Modern Willem Noyons Dining Room Set with Table and Chairs in Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Willem Noyons dining room set, birch, plywood, The Netherlands, 1982/1983 This Dutch dining set by Willem Noyons, reflects a distinctly architectural approach to furniture making. C...
Birch, Plywood
Piero Lissoni for Cassina "Flat Series" Credenza
By Piero Lissoni, Cassina
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Pierso Lissoni "Flat Series" for Cassina. Very nice shape with three pull out drawers. Right side is a single drawer deep enough for bottles. Divided trays in other drawers keep e...
Carrara Marble, Aluminum
Fidji Headboard in Rattan, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Fidji Headboard in Rattan, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 200 x D 15 x H 100 cm. Materials: Upholstery, Rattan frame, particle board, and HR foam. The F...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Rattan
$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
Bridget Low Cabinet in Natural Rattan by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Bridget Low Cabinet in Natural Rattan by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 110 x D 35 x H 100 cm. Materials: Natural stained rattan and wrapped rattan. Like a delicately intertwined nec...
Rattan
1970's Glass & Travertine Coffee Table
Located in Bern, CH
1970’s glass topped travertine lounge table. Round glass tabletop set on a two part solid natural stone base. The heavy travertine base is can be set as required to enable changeable...
Travertine
Single-Pendant Chainmail Droplet Sculptural Chandelier 80 cm, brass finish
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Single Pendant Chainmail Droplet Sculptural Chandelier is a beautiful hand made light piece. A chainmail web in a brass finish hugs the lamp’s canopy; as the knit becomes tighter, th...
Steel
Pastoe Dining Table in Lacquered Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining or center table, lacquered wood, The Netherlands, 1970s Crafted by Pastoe, this geometric table stands as a testament to modern design sensibilities. This pedestal dining tab...
Wood, Lacquer
Postmodern Sectional Sofa in Deep Green Fabric
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Modular sofa, fabric, Europe, 1970s This beautiful modular sofa, made in Europe in the 1970s, exudes comfort and charm. Wrapped in soft, rich green fabric, it invites you to sink in...
Fabric, Pine
Gae Aulenti for Francesconi ‘Singa’ Lamp
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gae Aulenti for Francesconi, ‘Singa’ lamp, plastic, steel, chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1975 This rare ‘Singa’ lamp is designed by Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti for Ita...
Steel, Chrome
Rare Luigi Colani for Fritz Hansen Lounge Chair in Orange Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Luigi Colani for Fritz Hansen, lounge chair, chrome-plated steel, metal, orange fabric, Denmark, 1970s The German industrial designer Luigi Colani was renowned for incorporating org...
Metal, Steel, Chrome
Postmodern Pluto Desk by Pierre Colleu for Starform and Disney, France 1980s.
By Starform, Pierre Colleu 1, Disney Studios
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
$2,200 / set
Pair of Post Modern Acorn Arm Chairs by Vignelli
By Sunar, Massimo and Lella Vignelli
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Clean, oversized pair of arm chairs by Vignelli. Simple, modern lines that allow for maximum versatiliy, use them in any design application. Across from a desk, at a game table, at...
Beech
Bruno Rey for Dietiker Red Barstool
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. Majestic armr...
Foam, Beech, Upholstery
$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
Danish Postmodern Wall Calendar, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Danish Postmodern Wall Calendar, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. Additional information: Materials: Plastic Style: Postmodern Country of Origin: Germany Color...
Plastic
Ball Foot Sculptural Chair, Vegan Cactus Leather, Burgundy
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The “Ball-Foot Chair” is upholstered with a burgundy cactus leather, a vegan textile infused with natural cactus fibers, which is produced in Mexico. The chair’s comfortable and roun...
Steel
Rodolfo side table 90s Y2K style Baleri Italia
By Baleri Italia, Enrico Baleri
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Rodolfo side table designed by Enrico Baleri for Baleri Italia. This table was published in the 90s. Half transparent table top and steel legs in polished finish. Really good exampl...
Steel
Ico Parisi Palpebra Aluminium Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina The creative flair of Ico Parisi in a playful invention of mimicry. This artistic lamp is engineered to open and close, mimicki...
Aluminum
Vintage Postmodern Olympia Floor Lamp by Jorge Pensi for B.Lux, 1980s
By Jorge Pensi
Located in Hamburg, DE
Elegant floor lamp from the Spanish manufacturer B.Lux after a design by Jorge Pensi from the 80s. This floor lamp convinces with it's slender design language and the special materi...
Metal
Modernist Antiqued Reeded Glass & Mirror Console Table by John Himmel, Canada
By Himmel Galleries
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A striking modernist console table designed and manufactured by John Himmel in Montreal, Canada, this piece exemplifies refined craftsmanship and architectural clarity. The console ...
Mirror, Wood
Rare Pop Art Tulip Floor Lamp in Green & Red Painted Metal by Peter Bliss 1980s
By Bliss
Located in Lisse, NL
Unique and very cool British Pop Art floor lamp by Peter Bliss. For the collectors, design lovers and enthousiasts of pop art, we are offering this very rare and stylized tulip floo...
Metal
Cassina Veranda 3 seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti
Located in Bern, CH
Cassina Veranda 3 seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti and produced by Cassina, Italy in the late 1980's. Based on the Maralunga Sofa with fold down back rest. Adjustable three seater des...
Metal, Steel
Iron and Brass Cocktail Table
Located in Houston, TX
Iron and brass cocktail table featuring tapered legs with brass feet, flat bar bracing, and glass top.
Metal, Brass
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. Available in Ambe...
Upholstery, Plywood, Foam, Rattan
Italian Model Tabla Table Lamp by Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo, 1980s
By Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table lamp from the Italian manufacturer Italiana Luce based on a design by Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo from the 80s. Sculptural table lamp with a changeable shape....
Metal
Ennio Lucini for Harvey Guzzini Dh 'Cespuglio' Table Lamp
By Ennio Lucini, Harvey Guzzini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ennio Lucini for Harvey Guzzini DH (Design House), 'Cespuglio' table lamp, aluminum, acrylic, Italy, 1968 This provocative 'Cespuglio' table lamp (1968) is designed by Ennio Lucini ...
Aluminum
Charles And Ray Eames Dot Pattern Light Suspension 6 Spheres Lamp by Cassina
By Charles and Ray Eames, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Charles And Ray Eames Dot Pattern Light Suspension 6 Spheres Lamp by Cassina ICONIC PATTERN Initially created for a textile design competition launched in 1947 by the Museum of Mod...
Aluminum
Post-Modern Murano Glass Vide-Poche Dish, Italy, 1990s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Beautiful Murano art glass square shaped vide-poche plate in deep red, cream white and black colors. Original label on both sides: "Chromia Glass. Hand made. Vetro di Murano". An ey...
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
“Bird of Paradise” Vintage Leather Chair by Pieter van Velzen for Leolux
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Produced by Dutch manufacturer Leolux in the early 2000s, the "Bird of Paradise" — or "Paradijsvogel" — armchair was designed by Pieter van Velzen around the concept of navigating pa...
Metal
Luna Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Luna Armchair in Stained Rattan, Plywood and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 74 x D 72 x H 74 cm. Materials: Stained rattan, plywood seat, and HR foam. As our rattan pieces...
Upholstery, Rattan, Foam, Plywood
Ingo Maurer Gaku lamp - Germany, 1998
By Ingo Maurer
Located in London, GB
The Gaku table lamp by Ingo Maurer is a study in finesse, defined by a shade reminiscent of a Calla in bloom. With a palpable fragility, it diffuses light into a gentle glow. The com...
Fabric
BLOQUE 6, Pedestal with Ettore Sottsass Veneer by Bonne Choice
Located in Toronto, ON
Designed By Bonne Choice Using Ettore Sottsass Veneer. The veneer created by Ettore Sottsass in the 1980s – utilized for the first time in the Memphis collection – now becomes part ...
Wood, Plywood
Faceted Postmodern Style Coffee Table in Hand-Lacquered Custom RAL Colors
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Coffee table lithic collection explores the tension between primitive, rock-like formations and refined, architectural silhouettes. This set features a low-profile coffee table and a...
Wood, Lacquer
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Frank Gehry for Knoll "Hat Trick" Armchair
By Knoll, Frank Gehry
Located in Skokie, IL
Frank Gehry for Knoll "Hat Trick" Armchair The iconic "Hat Trick" chair was designed by Frank Gehry for Knoll International. Constructed of hard white maple veneers in 5cm wide, 1mm...
Maple, Plywood