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.
Attila Coffee or Low Centre Table by Jean-Michel Wilmotte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Attila table by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Interesting proportions. Tall coffee table or low centre table. Referenced and documented.
Steel
Angelo Mangiarotti Carrara Marble Coffee Table for Skipper
By Skipper, Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Carrara marble coffee table by Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper, c.1970's, Italy. This table from the Eros collection features two pieces, a cone shaped pedestal marble base and a roun...
Stone, Marble, Carrara Marble
Italian Modern Astrolabio Center Table By Oscar Tusquets
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Modern Center Table By Oscar Tusquets. We offer this iconic Italian modern Oscar Tusquets Astrolabio for Aleph-Driade Center Table or dining table. This table was designed by...
Bronze
$476Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Design Chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, Italy, 1990's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Postmodern Modern Italian Design dining chair by Pierantonio Bonacina, made in Italy 1990's. Steer head bend bentwood pressed wood back wit...
Metal, Chrome
$798 / item
Mocca September Bar Stool by Oxdenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Mocca September Bar Stool by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 38 x W 42 x H 93 cm Materials: leather, black powder coated steel Also available: different colors available. Ox Denmarq is...
Steel
$2,939 / item
Small Olive Wood Dice Set by Marcela Cure
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Olive Wood Dice Set by Marcela Cure Dimensions: W 19 x D 19 x H 7 cm Materials: Olive Wood with Malachite inlay. Our Small Dice set is composed of 9 (6cms) wood dice with malachite inlays. Acrylic tray included. Nothing better than having fun, and if you can do it...
Malachite
$88Sale Price|20% Off
Decorative geode and black glass jewelry box by Don Drumm, late 20th century
By Don Drumm
Located in View Park, CA
A very unique decorative jewelry box hand-crafted of black glass, mirror, iron, and geode by Don Drumm, late 20th century. The geode boasts a bevy of brilliant blues, from cerulean t...
Rock Crystal, Iron
A RADICAL POSTMODERN COFFEE TABLE by GUY LEFEVRE for MAISON JANSEN, France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
A beautiful, elegant and rigorous coffee table, Post-Modernist, Radical, Constructivist, Shabby-Chic, geometric structure in brushed stainless steel, with an additional shelve, with ...
Metal, Brass
Ursula Coffee Table in Stained Rattan and Tempered Glass by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Ursula Coffee Table in Stained Rattan and Tempered Glass by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 110 x D 110 x H 37 cm. Materials: Stained rattan weave base with a clear tempered glass tabl...
Rattan, Glass
Table Lamp “Praxi” by Bruno Gecchelin for iGuzzini, Italy, 1982
By iGuzzini
Located in Hagenbach, DE
This is the iconic “Praxi” table lamp designed by Bruno Gecchelin for iGuzzini, Italy, in 1982. A hallmark of 1980s Italian industrial design, the lamp features a sleek, articulated ...
Aluminum, Metal
Ettore Sottsass Cantone Corner Shelves, Italy, 1981
Located in Dronten, NL
Striking “Cantone” corner cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass, an iconic example of the Italian postmodern master’s sculptural and architectural approach to furniture. This piece emb...
Silver
Beige Baba Sofa by Gisbert Pöppler, Upholstered Teak Frame, Germany
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige baba sofa by Gisbert Pöppler. Dimensions: H 74 (SH43) x W 303 x D 140.5 cm. Materials: Upholstered wooden frame, teak footings. Like a friend that...
Upholstery, Teak
$1,359 / item
Object 096 Console Table by NG Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 096 Console Table by NG Design Dimensions: W 100 x D 27 x H 90 cm Materials: Powder-Coated Steel Also Available: All of objects available in different materials and colors on...
Steel
Murano Multicolored Handblown Flower
By Murano 5
Located in Pasadena, TX
This flower is handblown. It was crafted in Murano, Italy. It is multicolored with 3 petals. Makes for a great gift.
Art Glass
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
Fisherman Coffee Table by Panorammma, Onyx Top, Reclaimed Metal & Steel, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Fisherman Table is an object created by a hypothetical dialogue between a found material (overused electroplating rods) and a fictional character to whom I attributed the provena...
Onyx, Metal, Nickel, Chrome, Steel
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
Geometric Sculptural Double Bed designed and assembled in Italy by Dario Nasuti
Located in Parma, IT
The Geometric bed, designed by Dario Nasuti, is a work that explores the balance between the meditative minimalism of Oriental tatamis and the geometric audacity of 1970s Italian des...
Laminate
$1,393 / item
Ne600 Mat Lamp by MLK Furniture
Located in Geneve, CH
Ne600 Mat Lamp by MLK Furniture Dimensions: D 20 x W 20 x H 63 cm. Materials: Stainless steel, acrylic. Available in mat, or mat and mirror. Also available in brass, copper, or stai...
Stainless Steel
Postmodern Curtis Jere Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Unique Curtis Jere sculpture of a kissing couple. Black steel sculpture with whimsical sleek lines casting great shadows throughout the day. Matte black finish topped of with gold ba...
Metal
Slice Me Up Sculptural Coffee Table in Plaster by Pietro Franceschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Slice Me Up Sculptural Coffee Table in Plaster by Pietro Franceschini. Dimensions: W 161cm x L 117cm x H 36 cm Materials: plaster. This listing features the Slice Me Up Coffee Table...
Plaster
$3,960 / item
MG106 Dining Chair With Armrest by Malte Gormsen
Located in Geneve, CH
MG106 Dining Chair With Armrest by Malte Gormsen Dimensions: D 58.2 x W 57.2 x H 83 cm. Materials: Smoked oak, natural paper cord. Available in Nature, Raw Nature, Soap, Smoked, and...
Papercord, Oak
Postmodern Italian Washington Table Lamp by Jean Michel Wilmotte, 1980s
By Lumen Center
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern table lamp from the Italian manufacturer Lumen Center Italia based on a design by architect and designer Jean Michel Wilmotte from the 80s. This is the old, original versi...
Metal
$14,593Sale Price / set|30% Off
Sofa "Pianura" M.Bellini for Cassina 70s 4 seats wood and green velvet
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Modular sofa model Pianura made in 1975 by Mario Bellini for Cassina. Light Walnut Wood frame and green velvet upholstery. A sofa with elegant lines and the most natural materials, P...
Velvet, Wood
$5,153 / item
Echo #3 Wall Light by Margaux Leycuras
Located in Geneve, CH
Echo #3 Wall Light by Margaux Leycuras *One of a Kind, Signed and numbered* Dimensions: D 6 x W 56 x H 53 cm. Material: Ceramic, sand stoneware top with a porcelain engobe finish and...
Ceramic, Porcelain, Stoneware, Mirror
Omera Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS
Located in Geneve, CH
Omera Pouf in Solid Beech, Particle Board and HR Foam by POPUS EDITIONS. Dimensions: W 60 x D 40 x H 45 cm. Materials: Solid beech, particle board, and HR foam. Fabric is not inclu...
Foam, Hardwood, Wood
Post Modern Swivel Lounge Chairs - Set of 2
Located in Clarksboro, NJ
This stylish pair of postmodern swivel lounge chairs embodies the bold design aesthetic of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Featuring sculptural curved silhouettes and eye-catching ge...
Metal
$1,705 / item
Quartz and Bronze Wall Light I by Aver
Located in Geneve, CH
Quartz and Bronze Wall Light I by Aver Dimensions: W 18 x D 16 x H 27 cm Materials: Natural rocks, high-quality cut crystals, jewelry chains, hand blown glass, other. Also Available:...
Stone, Crystal, Other
$14,474 / item
XXL Chandelier by Olivia Cognet
Located in Geneve, CH
XXL Chandelier by Olivia Cognet Dimensions: L 100 cm x W 75 cm x H 32 cm Materials: Ceramic. Non electrified. Weight: 46 kg. Each of Olivia’s handmade creations is a unique work of ...
Ceramic
$3,542 / item
Plat Pendant 40/42 by Contain
Located in Geneve, CH
Plat pendant 40/42 by Contain Dimensions: D 42 x H 100 cm (custom length). Materials: Brass structure, opal glass and blown glass from local production. Available in different fin...
Brass
Gufram GUFRAMINI Pratone, 1:8 Scale by Ceretti / Derossi / Rosso
By Gufram Furniture, Riccardo Rosso, Piero Derossi and Giorgio Ceretti
Located in Toronto, ON
Step into the enchanting world of GUFRAMINI, an awe-inspiring collection that distills the magic and timeless appeal of Gufram's most celebrated works into intricate miniature forms....
Foam
One for the Recession Wall Lamp by Ingo Maurer, 1985
By Ingo Maurer
Located in Weesp, NL
Rare Ingo Maurer 1985 wall lamp one for the Recession in great vintage condition as can be seen in the images. This beautiful heart will be shipp...
Metal
$11,248 / item
Josephine 280 Sofa by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Josephine 280 Sofa by Munna Dimensions: D 103 x W 280 x H 83 cm. SH: 42 cm. Materials: Wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Cotton Velvet, ref. Emerald, CV09 upholstery and wild silk,...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of 8 Italian Postmodern Sculptural Pine Dining Chairs, 1970s A bold and sculptural set of eight dining chairs from Italy, crafted in the 1970s in the spirit of Postmodern design...
Pine
$17,141Sale Price / item|20% Off
'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in London, GB
Probably the most iconic of all Ettore Sottsass' designs, the colourful Carlton is half room divider, half bookcase and full size sculptural marvel. Des...
Laminate, Wood
$2,942 / item
Ampla 05 Stoneware Clay Vase by SOIO Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Ampla 05 Stoneware Clay Vase by SOIO Studio Dimensions: Ø 50 x H 20 cm Materials: Stoneware clay, matte glaze. SOIO Studio is a design studio based in Dubai creating sculptural coll...
Clay, Stoneware
1980s Super desk or floor lamp designed by Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano 1981
By Martine Bedin, Memphis Milano
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
post-modern Super lamp designed by Martine Bedin in 1981 for Memphis Milano manufactures in the 1980ies by Memphis Milano, with makers badge on bottom The Super lamp by the design...
Metal
$438Sale Price|35% Off
Postmodern Arrben "Ursula" Italian Black Leather and Chrome Chair
By Arrben
Located in Waxahachie, TX
Postmodern. Italian leather chairs, with chromed steel structure and back and seat in curved metal covered in black leather. 1980s.
Chrome
French Faux Tortoise Shell Lacquer & Brass Coffee Table J.C. Mahey C.1970
Located in London, GB
French Faux Tortoise Shell Lacquer & Brass Coffee Table Designed by Eric Maville and Jean Claude Mahey for Maison Romeo C.1970 A lacquered coffee table, with gilt edges, raised on a black rectangular block base, makers plaque to the side. Known for his French chic...
Brass
No. 21 Green Fringes Dip Dyed Contemporary Art Ceiling Lamp by Sander Bottinga
Located in Geneve, CH
Green charme pendant lamp, Sander Bottinga. Dimensions: H 65 (can be customized) x W 38 x D 25 cm. Hand sculpted in brass, leather, wood and dip dyed colored fringes in viscose. ...
Brass
$280Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Decorative Marble Box circa 1980
By Sergio Asti, Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Postmodern Decorative Marble Box circa 1980.
Marble
$2,200 / item
Marco Zanini Zanzibar side table violet
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Zanzibar side table designed by Marco Zanini for Bieffeplast. Marco Zanini designed 12 side tables for Bieffeplast around the late 80s. This is one of 12 varietions that Bieffeplast ...
Steel
Martha and Beaumont Mood, Flush Mounts, Painted Ceramic, USA, 1970s
By Martha Mood
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of ceramic beige, brown, and orange-painted flush mounts, designed and produced by Martha and Beaumont Mood, San Antonio, Texas, USA, 1970s....
Ceramic
Postmodern Memphis Style Iron, Glass & Plywood Dining Table, USA, 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
Postmodern Memphis style dining table, USA, 1980s. Black powder-coated steel or Iron, seafoam-coloured plywood centre, 20mm thick glass top...
Iron
$6,202 / item
Arco Stool by Gabriela Campos
Located in Geneve, CH
Arco Stool by Gabriela Campos Dimensions: D 45 x W 60 x H 62 cm. Materials: Freijó wood with imbuia finish and hand-painted fabric. The essence of this cap...
Fabric, Wood
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp Lower Version by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in the 1970s re-ed...
Aluminum
$4,074Sale Price|55% Off
oak console bookcase, Charlotte Perriand, 1970s
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Bookcase cabinet of 1970s production attributed to Charlotte Perriand, composed of large 160 cm long oak shelves resting on black metal corners. The 85 cm height and distinctive sha...
Sheet Metal
AB7 Full Size Platform Bed in Solid Maple by Atlas Industries
Located in Geneve, CH
AB7 Full Size Platform Bed in Solid Maple by Atlas Industries. Dimensions: Bed: W 137 x L 193 x H 33 cm Platform: H 20.5 cm. Headboard: W 137 x H 71 x D 5 cm. Materials: Solid Mapl...
Wood, Maple
Set of Twelve Italian Architectural Armchairs in Cypress Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Set of twelve dining chairs, cypress wood, Italy, 1970s This ensemble of large armchairs embrace an impressive architectural design with rounded contours and substantial lines. Whil...
Cypress
Small Rio Sandstone Table Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Rio Sandstone Table Lamp by Harshita Jhamtani Designs Dimensions: D 15.2 x H 17.8 cm Materials: Sandstone. Available in Green Forest marble, Sandstone, Travertine, or White ma...
Sandstone
Meritalia Love Lamp by Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
Created through a process that celebrates imperfection and unconventionality, the luminous objects by Edizioni del Pesce embody Gaetano Pesce's distinctive philosophy. Each luminous ...
Metal
Vintage Custom California Modern Daybed, Solid Wood Slatted Base, LA Modern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A substantial and architecturally refined custom-made daybed designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, California, embodying the clean lines and relaxed sophistication of California ...
Fabric, Wood
Lotuso White Marble Decorative Bowl by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
Lotuso White Marble Decorative Bowl by Simone & Marcel Dimensions: D 31 x W 31 x H 8 cm. Materials: White marble. Different marble and ceramic options available. Custom options available on request. Please contact us. Our mission is to encourage people to make their home the best place to be, to get inspired and to receive friends and family. Designed and manufactured by ourselves, we offer lightings to help people creating distinctive living spaces. Enhancing the authenticity of natural and organic materials using associations and contrasts. Extreme quality behind a facade of ultra-minimalism. We find our materials to the source to ensure we give the best value...
Marble
Philippe Starck Rare "Miss Dorn" Chair for Disform 1982 France/Spain
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Rare “Miss Dorn” tripod chair designed by Philippe Starck in 1982 and manufactured by Disform in 1983. Executed with black lacquered tubular steel frames, the design exemplifies Star...
Metal
$6,870 / item
Lyn High Green Black Cabinet by Pulpo
Located in Geneve, CH
Lyn high green black cabinet by Pulpo. Dimensions: D60 x W45 x H185 cm. Materials: glass; powder coated steel. Also available in different colours. Studio Visser & Meijw...
Steel
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simple lighting sy...
Aluminum
Italian Lounge Chair in White Plywood and Black Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lounge chair, plywood, fabric, Italy, 1970s Italian armchair composed of white lacquered wood. The chair is build up from a square base with rounded edges and three large legs, one ...
Fabric, Plywood
Post Modern Style Pair Bronze Color Blown Glass Table Lamps
By Porta Romana
Located in Brescia, IT
This is a pair of bronze color blown glass table lamps with pure silk hand made lampshades, of contemporary production. It is a magnificent eye catching object, a piece of art for it...
Silk, Blown Glass
Pair of Nightstands by Cain Modern Made in Solid Oak and Bronzed Lucite
By Cain Modern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful pair of nightstands made of solid white oak with bronzed lucite legs and tops. The pieces have beautiful lines and great presence, they are solidly built and crafted local...
Lucite, Oak
$4,508 / item
Metaverso Walnut Dining Table by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Metaverso Walnut Dining Table, 8 Seats, by Morica Design Dimensions: D 100 x W 220 x H 75 cm. Materials: Canaletto walnut, oxidized bronze. Available in 6, 8, or 10 seats. Table wi...
Metal