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.
1980s Rounded Brass Ello 9 Drawer Mirrored Front Dresser
Located in Bensalem, PA
Stunning 9 drawer Ello dresser with matching mirror I also have a matching bed nightstands and tallboy if interested please feel free to email me with any questions or additional pic...
Brass
$979 / item
28sp Brass Wall Lamp by Bocci
Located in Geneve, CH
28sp Brass wall lamp by Bocci Dimensions: Diameter 16.5 x H 11.5 cm Materials: blown glass, electrical components, brass mounting plate. Lamping: : 1.5w LED or 20w xenon. Non-dim...
Metal, Steel, Nickel
Postmodern Black Marble Base Octagonal Coffee Table. Circa 1980s.
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Postmodern Black Marble Base Octagonal Coffee Table. Circa 1980s. Feature a Post modern / Brutalist design, textured Midsection, polished top and foot with beautiful marble v...
Marble
Doors of Perception Sculpture by Pilar Zeta in Carrara Marble & Brass
Located in Geneve, CH
Doors of Perception by Pilar Zeta Unique piece. Materials: Carrara marble, mirror, brass and car paint installation. Dimensions: W 501 x D 852.5 x H 270 cm....
Marble, Brass
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
$1,950Sale Price / set|35% Off
Set of 6 Post Modern tan gloss Lacquer curved dining chairs made in Italy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Set of (6) Post Modern Tan / cream Gloss Lacquer curved tall back dining chairs Memphis Milano Style. Very unique set of (6) Dining chairs in good vintage condition. Tan Gloss Lacque...
Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
$1,047 / item
Agio Chair by Dale Italia
Located in Geneve, CH
Agio Chair by Dale Italia Dimensions: D 43 x W 50 x H 85 cm. SH: 46 cm. Materials: Walnut and fabric/leather. Chair in solid Canaletto walnut. Available in different upholstery opt...
Upholstery, Walnut
$2,896Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Jay Spectre for Century Cerused Oak Nightstands with Brushed Steel Bases
By Jay Spectre, Century Furniture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sophisticated pair of postmodern nightstands designed by Jay Spectre for Century Furniture, showcasing the designer’s signature blend of sculptural form and understated luxury. Exe...
Oak
$2,767 / item
Block Pedestal by DUISTT
Located in Geneve, CH
Block Pedestal by DUISTT Dimensions: W 35 x D 35 x H 100 cm Materials: Black Limed Oak, High Gloss Black Lacquered Wood and Bronze The BLOCK pedestal is a strong piece composed of ...
Bronze
$1,617 / item
Low Frame Bookcase by Doimo Brasil
Located in Geneve, CH
Low Frame Bookcase by Doimo Brasil Dimensions: W 150 x D 30 x H 65 cm Materials: Structure: painted metal, Top: leather, Shelf: venner. With the intention of providing good tas...
Steel
A Huge POST-MODERN PLANTER or VASE by GUY LEFEVRE for MAISON JANSEN, France 1970
By Guy Lefevre
Located in PARIS, FR
An elegant and generous cylindrical planter with a golden border, Art-Deco, Modernist, Shabby-Chic, in mirror polished steel enhanced with a golden square section border, brown plast...
Metal, Brass
$6,218 / item
Tavolino2 Ultramarine Blue Side Table by Pulpo
Located in Geneve, CH
Tavolino2 ultramarine blue side table by Pulpo Dimensions: D135.5 x W59.5 x H40 cm Materials: Glass, aluminum All color combinations available on request. Clear lines, avant...
Aluminum
Pierre Chapo “S28” Dining Chairs for Atelier Pierre Chapo, 1972, Set of 8
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Pierre Chapo “S28” dining chairs for Atelier Pierre Chapo, elm, France, 1972, set of eight. The "S28" dining chairs, designed by Pierre Chapo in 1972, represent a clear transition f...
Elm
Alcove Verde Wall Lamp by Violaine d'Harcourt
Located in Geneve, CH
Alcove Verde Wall Lamp by Violaine d'Harcourt Dimensions: D 7 x W 12 x H 33 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Wall light made in Portugal, bulb included: LED E14 1W non-dimmable. Available in...
Ceramic
$2,551 / item
Chestnut Cicero 26 Table Lamp by Danny Kaplan Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Chestnut Cicero 26 Table Lamp by Danny Kaplan Studio Dimensions: ⌀ 41 x H 66 cm Materials: Glazed Ceramic, Unfinished Brass, Linen This item is handmade, and may exhibit variability...
Brass
$7,391 / item
Grappa Armchair by Nomade Atelier
Located in Geneve, CH
Grappa armchair by Nomade Atelier Dimensions: D97 x W 77 x H90 cm Material: Brass, Walnut, Leather. Available in black leather. For others finishes. Form meets function in this sleek yet extremely comfortable suspended leather sling chaise...
Brass
$2,200 / set
Chrome Postmodern Sculptural Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chrome jewel tone velvet upholstered sculptural chairs featuring a Minimalist design. Creates a vision of multiple angles with triangular footing on four corners. At the cent...
Chrome
Postmodern Animal Vintage Side Table Sirfo Alessandro Mendini Zanotta Edizione
By Alessandro Mendini, Zanotta
Located in Vienna, AT
Post-Modern vintage side table sirfo goose table from cast aluminum in silver color with yellow beak by Alessando Mendini for Zanotta edizione 1986, Italy....
Aluminum
Polyte Solet Dolphin coffee table and stools, 1990s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Stunning and very rare set by french Artist Polyte Solet (b.1973) featuring two whale tail stools and a beautiful sculpted coffee table depicting a d...
Glass, Mahogany
Rumble Handmade Fruit Bowl in White Marble by MANTA Handmade Stone Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Rumble Handmade Fruit Bowl in White Marble by MANTA Handmade Stone Design Limited Edition of 6 Pieces. Dimensions: D 26 x W 48 x H 42 cm. Materials: Marble. MANTA is the design bra...
Marble
1980s Italian Round Carrara Marble Dining Table, Antonia Astori for Driade
By Antonia Astori, Ettore Sottsass, Driade
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
White Carrara marble top and base by one of the most celebrated female Italian designers of Postmodernism, Antonia Astori. Beautiful and whimsical, this piece exemplifies the Memphis...
Carrara Marble, Steel
Uchida Shigeru 'ISU' armchair for Pastoe - Netherlands, 1995
By Pastoe
Located in London, GB
Solid and self-assured, the ISU armchair by Japanese 20th-century designer Shigeru Uchida (1943-2016) is a masterpiece in industrial refinement. A major figure in post-war Japan, Uch...
Mohair
Luigi Vaghi Dining Chairs for Former, Black Leather, 1968, Set of 10
By Vaghi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Luigi Vaghi dining chairs for Former, Italy, 1968, set of ten. Luigi Vaghi designed these sculptural dining chairs in 1968 for Former. The style is typical of the age, visible in ot...
Leather, Birch
Mario Bellini ‘Vol Au Vent’ Dining Chairs and Armchairs for B&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
A refined set of original ‘Vol Au Vent’ dining chairs and armchairs designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in the early 2000s. This elegant set includes six dining chairs and t...
Leather
$1,280Sale Price|50% Off
1980s Vintage Comfortable Brigantin Sofa by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset (1/2)
By Ligne Roset, Michel Ducaroy
Located in Izegem, VWV
This deep seat comfortable 2-seater sofa model Brigantin was created by the famous French designer Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset in 1981. All in foam, covered by a super soft grey/...
Cotton, Foam
Postmodern Dining Table by Ettore Sottsass, Italy, 1980s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Round dining table designed by Ettore Sottsass, a piece of postmodern design in Memphis style. The solid wood round top is supported by four metal legs with wooden bases. This table ...
Metal
Postmodern Bullnose Chaise by Carson’s of High Point in Pierre Frey Wool
By Carsons
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. Reupholstered in a Pierre Frey Wool. Made in North Carolina.
Wool
Paper Milk Large Pendant Light in Ash Wood & Industrial Rice Paper by KIMU
Located in Geneve, CH
Paper Milk Large Pendant Light in Ash Wood & Industrial Rice Paper by KIMU Unique Piece Dimensions: Ø 70 x H 45 cm. Materials: Ash wood and rice paper. Available in different sizes. Prices may vary. All our lamps can be wired according to each country. If sold to the USA it will be wired for the USA for instance. Please contact us. “In Taiwanese life, the most overlooked thing is the lamp... it's hard to find old Taiwanese lamps...
Ash, Paper
21st Century by Ce Studio Coffee Table Steel Artisan Finish Custom
Located in Lecce, IT
Indoor-outdoor coffee table, elongated and curved cylindrical base, steel top.
Steel
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
Set of 5 Hand-Blown Green Bubble Glass Tumblers, Mid-Century Modern
Located in Toronto, CA
A charming set of five hand-blown green glass tumblers featuring a lively seeded bubble design. Each glass showcases unique variations in bubble placement, a hallmark of artisanal cr...
Glass, Blown Glass
HABANA Sectional Sofa by Stanley Jay Friedman for Brueton, 1980
By Brueton
Located in Chicago, IL
HABANA Sectional Sofa by Stanley Jay Friedman for Brueton, 1980 Reupholstered Each section measures 35" deep, 26" wide 27" tall 17" seat height. That is the 4 sections and 2 ottomans
Upholstery, Velvet
$2,950 / item
Sectional Sofa Elements in Leatherette
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Sectional sofa elements or lounge chairs, leatherette, beech, Europe, 1980s. A set of modular sofa elements in a beige leatherette. Their geometrical shape contributes to the striki...
Faux Leather, Beech
$5,850 / set
Pair of Murano Glass Lamps by Vetri
Pair of Murano glass lamps by Vetri. Large pair of Postmodern Murano glass pyramid or triangular shaped lamps. This unusual and rare pair of Italian lamps was manufactured by Vetri, ...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$12,106 / item
Drop of Silver on Copper V Mirror by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Drop of Silver on Copper V Mirror by Homa Dimensions: W 49 x D 5 x H 49 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. Copper Frame. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based in Istan...
Glass
Set of 4 Postmodern German Kreuzschwinger Bar Stools by Till Behrens, 1980s
By Till Behrens
Located in Hamburg, DE
Elegant design classic by Prof. Till Behrens in the Bar stool version. The further development of the free wing. The stools are made entirely of steel rods, which have been mounted ...
Metal
Vintage Bruce Burdick for Herman Miller Executive Desk, Burdick Group System
By Bruce Burdick, Herman Miller
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Vintage Bruce Burdick executive desk for Herman Miller from the Burdick Group System, a rare Postmodern 1980s modular workstation executed in aluminum, glass, enameled steel, and ena...
Aluminum, Enamel, Steel
$1,580Sale Price|20% Off
Op Art Acrylic Sphere on Stand Sculpture by Vasa Mihich
Located in San Diego, CA
Op Art acrylic sphere sculpture on lucite base by Vasa Mihich, circa 1990. The optical look is changed by rotating the piece and letting the light refra...
Acrylic, Lucite
$3,439 / item
Looking for Equilibrium Sculpture by MCB Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Looking for Equilibrium Sculpture by MCB Ceramics Unique piece. Dimensions: D 20 x H 125 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Numerated and signed by the artist. All...
Ceramic
$1,537 / item
Txt.02 Stool by Txt.Ure
Located in Geneve, CH
Txt.02 stool by Txt. Ure Dimensions: Ø 64 x H 40 cm. Materials: Tulle natural fiber with natural finish. For interior and exterior use (under covered spaces). Txt. ure was the first design project to reintroduce the Mexican weaving...
Other
Port Saint Laurent Refined Contemporary Marble Side Table 62/45
Located in Geneve, CH
Port Saint Laurent Refined Contemporary Marble Side Table 62/45 Dimensions: Diameter 62 x height 45 cm Materials: Port Saint Laurent Angelo is the...
Marble
$1,116 / item
Small Pouf! Leather Stool by Nestor Perkal
Located in Geneve, CH
Small pouf! leather stool by Nestor Perkal Dimensions: W 45 x D 39 x H 40 cm Materials: Leather, poplar plywood, suede. Available in other colors and in ...
Leather, Suede, Poplar, Plywood
$12,026 / item
Mano Standing Lamp by Umberto Bellardi Ricci
Located in Geneve, CH
Mano standing lamp by Umberto Bellardi Ricci. Dimensions: D 18" x W 12" x H 73 in. Materials: Brass, Aluminium base, Led strip. All our lamps can b...
Aluminum, Brass
Nature Leather and Black Steel Maggiz Magazine Rack by Ox Denmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Nature leather and black steel maggiz magazine rack by Ox Denmarq Dimensions: D 24 x W 47 x H 43 cm Materials: steel, leather Also available: different leather and frame colors av...
Steel
$5,315Sale Price|30% Off
Postmodern Italian Bar Sideboard Murano Glass and Brass, 1980s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
An interesting postmodern bar cabinet, sideboard/bar cabinet, very distinctive Italian design, with two front doors in milky white Murano glass,...
Brass
Felicerossi Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofa, 1970s
By Felicerossi
Located in Antwerp, BE
A rare Felicerossi Italian post-modern sectional sofa in brown and beige fabric upholstery, produced in the 1970s. This organically shaped modular model consists of three units that ...
Metal
Spectrum Green, Kolho Original Dining Chair, MDJ KUU by Made by Choice
Located in Geneve, CH
Spectrum Green, Kolho Original dining chair, MDJ KUU by Made By Choice with Matthew Day Jackson Kolho Collection Dimensions: 54 x 54 x 77 cm Materials: Oak ( MDJ KUU Formica lami...
Laminate, Birch, Plywood
Black Marble Long Slate Dining Table Signed by Frédéric Saulou
Located in Geneve, CH
Marble Long Slate Dining Table Signed by Frédéric Saulou Designer: Frédéric Saulou. Materials: Trélazé black slate. Dimensions: 75 x 300...
Slate
Bormioli Rocco Matisse Vintage Whisky Glasses Set of 4, 1980s Italy
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Bormioli Rocco Matisse Italian Whisky Glasses Set of 4 heavy with a nice texture molded bottom. Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 in. Made in Italy, circa 1980s. Vintage barware set of 4 whiskey...
Glass
Roger Rougier Cream Modernist Dresser — Sculptural c1980s Canadian Design
Located in Montréal, CA
Roger Rougier dresser in a refined cream-white finish, embodying the understated luxury of 1970s Canadian modernist design. This piece carries the signature Rougier language: clean ...
Lacquer
Alessi Round Polished Stainless Steel Tray Postmodern
By Alessi
Located in Bochum, NRW
Alessi Round Polished Stainless Steel Tray Postmodern. Round tray with a leased edge. Maker's mark on the bottom. Diameter 48cm. Good use condition with minor wear.
Stainless Steel
Basquiat Gold Griot Skateboard Deck 2019 (Basquiat skateboard deck)
By (after) Jean-Michel Basquiat
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Limited edition Basquiat Gold Griot Skateboard Deck c. 2019: Rare limited edition Basquiat skateboard deck published by The Broad Museum Los Angeles in conjunction with the estate of...
Wood
Contemporary High Polished Bronze Coffee Table by Colo Studio, France
By Art Decor
Located in London, GB
Bonze coffee table 'Radiant' by Colo studio, 2022 Material: Bronze, golden polish Dimensions: H 33 x 119 x 72 cm Year: 2022 Limited and numbered edition of 8 pieces + 4 AP, handmade...
Bronze
David Garcia, Postmodern American Studio Art Glass Sculpture, 1991
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage hand-crafted art glass sculpture features triangular form with multiple layers of brightly colored, applied fused glass elements on clear glass base. Predominantly green and...
Glass, Art Glass
A SHABBY-CHIC NEO-CLASSICAL Octogonal DINING TABLE by ERIC MAVILLE, France, 1970
By Eric Maville
Located in PARIS, FR
A very chic and impressive dining room octogonal table, on an octogonal base in black lacquered wood, with a top in black plexiglass hooped by a bronze or brass golden belt...
Brass
Late 20th Century Dominican Carved Varnished Wooden Hand Sculpture/Cigar Holder
Located in North Miami, FL
Late 20th century dominican hand-carved varnished wooden hand sculpture/cigar holder By: unknown Material: wood Technique: carved, hand-carved, ...
Wood
$11,445 / item
Grand Canyon Coffee Table by NITUSH AROOSH
Located in Geneve, CH
Grand Canyon Coffee Table by NITUSH AROOSH Dimensions: D 80 x W 150 x H 35/40 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Available in different finishes. All our lamps can be wired according to each country. If sold to the USA it will be wired for the USA for instance. Please contact us. Aroosh and Nitush Mahipal, the creative minds behind Nitush-Aroosh, were born and raised in New Delhi, India, amidst a vibrant cultural and artistic milieu. Their parents instilled in them a love of beauty and creativity from a young age, and they were fortunate to travel extensively to different parts of the world, where they were exposed to diverse forms of art, design, and architecture. From childhood, Aroosh and Nitush were captivated by the stainless steel available at their family’s factory, spending countless hours creating their toys and honing their skills. This fascination laid the foundation for their future design and art endeavors, eventually leading to the birth of Nitush-Aroosh. The Mahipal brothers use innovative techniques to create a crumbled effect on stainless steel, resulting in sculptural pieces that appear to be made of a different material altogether. Their sculptural objects, including furniture, lights, sculptures, and wall installations, are carefully crafted to invite the viewers to embark on self-discovery and introspection. The Mahipal brother’s maiden international art exhibition at the Marbella Art...
Stainless Steel
Powder Blue Cupole 80 Hanging Lamp by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Powder Blue Cupole 80 Hanging Lamp by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: Ø 80 x H 40 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Available in three sizes. Prices may vary. This product is suitable for...
Other
$569 / item
Incense Column by Nick Sugihara
Located in Geneve, CH
Incense Column by Nick Sugihara Dimensions: D 12.7 x W 12.7 x H 43.18 cm. Materials: VG Douglas Fir. Sugihara Fine Furniture is a small furniture and interior studio based in San D...
Fir
$5,637 / item
Crema Tirreno Roll Ball Sink by Serafini
Located in Geneve, CH
Crema Tirreno roll ball sink by Serafini Special Edition Materials: Crema Tirreno marble. Dimensions: D 54.5 x H 14 cm Tap not included. Marmi Serafini is...
Marble