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.
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
Post Modern Bleached Oak and Tinted Glass Console Table by Lou Hodges c. 1980's
By Lou Hodges
Located in New York, NY
Chic Post Modern console table designed by Lou Hodges, circa 1980's. The table is constructed of solid oak in original bleached finish, with a beveled and tinted glass insert panel t...
Smoked Glass, Oak
1980's Off White Waterfall Laminate Console Table
Located in Redding, CT
1980's Off White Laminate Waterfall Console Table. Classic Post Modern style in excellent condition. Perfect for an entry way or as a credenza. Streamlined and neutral this piece can...
Laminate, Wood
$396Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Italian-Style Black Lacquer Console Table with Wood Inlay
Located in Trenton, NJ
This console table is a compelling example of Postmodern design, characterized by its faceted, geometrically canted tabletop edges and dramatically curved, sculptural legs — a marked...
Wood
Vintage Cream Marble Console Table
Located in Denver, CO
1970’s - 80’s Post Modern Believed to be American-made when similar items were being imported from Italy. Double chamfer table top. Solid marb...
Marble, Stone
$4,850 / item
Empat Arched Console Table Cherry Red
Located in New York, US
Elegant, deep detailing gives the Empat console table a sculptured appearance that makes it an artistic accent as well as a functional table. Its graceful arches add interest without...
Resin, Plywood
Postmodern Black Lacquer Console Table with Brass Banding, Attributed to Century
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
A refined Postmodern console table crafted in a lustrous piano black lacquer finish and accented by a polished brass band that elegantly wraps the apron. The streamlined form feature...
Wood, Lacquer
$1,100Sale Price|50% Off
Post Modern 1980s artistic Painted narrow forced perspective console table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century Post Modern artistic forced perspective design softly painted light pink and off white splatters with narrow console table. Would make a great entry way hallway or sofa t...
Wood, Paint
Soft Futurism Lamina Console in Aluminum by Filippo Andrighetto
Located in Geneve, CH
Soft Futurism Lamina Console in Aluminum by Filippo Andrighetto. Dimensions: W 145 x D 40 x H 83 cm. Materials: Gently brushed aluminium. The Lamina console, crafted from laser-cut ...
Aluminum
Modern Sculptural Console Table in "Hermes" Orange Lacquer
Located in Norwalk, CT
Dynamic form on this cantilevered console. Newly lacquered in high gloss Benjamin Moore Electric Orange (Hermes? orange). The heavy, weighted base makes the table very stable. Excell...
Wood
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
$4,850 / item
Empat Arched Console Table Hunter Green
Located in New York, US
Elegant, deep detailing gives the Empat console table a sculptured appearance that makes it an artistic accent as well as a functional table. Its graceful arches add interest without...
Resin, Plywood
Postmodern steel console table with spiral squiggle design USA 1980s / 1990s
Located in Hastings, GB
Stylish skinny postmodern steel console table with spiral squiggle design. USA 1980s/ 90s. Some wear to surface on right hand side (see video) Dimensions: width 120.5cm, depth 30.5c...
Steel
Monumental Artisan Post-Modern Mahogany Marquetry Inlaid Console Dining Table
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a monumental artisan crafted post-modern mahogany marquetry inlaid console or dining table. The elaborate geometric mixed wood inlay is a blend of walnut, satinwood and mahog...
Mahogany, Satinwood, Walnut
Postmodern 1980s Art Deco Revival Style Console/ Entry Table. Circa 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Postmodern 1980s Art Deco Revival Style Console/ Entry Table. Circa 1980s Features two Art Deco-inspired soft pink columns supporting a 5/8" thick removable glass top. In e...
Glass, Plaster, Wood
$1,380Sale Price|25% Off
Post Modern 1980's Laminated Turquoise Waterfall Console Table by Jeffrey Craig
Located in Toronto, CA
This 1980s turquoise laminated waterfall console table is a striking example of postmodern design by Jeffrey Craig, a distinguished Canadian designer known for his craftsmanship and ...
Laminate, Wood
Tessellated Fossil Stone Console or Altar Table in the Manner of Mailtand Smith
By Karl Springer, Maitland Smith
Located in Peabody, MA
A post modern console of tessellated fossil stone with brass accents, in the manner of Karl Springer or Mailtand Smith, ca. 1980s.
Stone, Brass
$210Sale Price|73% Off
Postmodern Pink and Beige Tessellated Stone Glass Top Console Table
Located in Delray Beach, FL
The Postmodern Pink and Beige Tessellated Stone Glass Top Console Table is a stunning fusion of postmodern design and elegance. Featuring a tessellated stone base in pink and beige, ...
Glass
1980s Post-Modern Waterfall Console Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Make a bold statement with this iconic 1980s post-modern console table. Featuring a classic minimalist waterfall silhouette, this piece beautifully pairs clean, fluid lines with a hi...
Fiberglass, Wood, Lacquer
Pacific Green "Mendi" Hall Table, 2000s
Located in Coronado, CA
A charming and incredibly versatile "hall" table or petite console made by Pacific Green Furniture. The table features 100-year-old palm wood construction with leather accents. The t...
Iron
$1,600 / set
1970s Modern Console Vanity with Mirror
Located in Forney, TX
A vintage Post-Modernist hall console / vanity dressing table and mirror, circa 1970s, having a curved woven cane and brass framed flat mirror plate, abov...
Brass
JMF Style Blackened Iron Console
By JMF
Located in North Miami, FL
49 inch Long classic JMF style heavy iron console table. Showing Industrial metal signs and spots with matte dark wax finish. Not a perfect consistent finish...
Iron
Post Modern Contemporary Wood Steel and Glass Console Table
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
A striking and architecturally inspired modern console table, masterfully designed with a dramatic intersecting X-form base in richly toned hardwood and topped with an expansive beve...
Steel
Cabaret 02 Console Table in Licorice Glossy Varnished Aluminum by CASPAL
Located in Geneve, CH
Cabaret 02 Console Table in Licorice Glossy Varnished Aluminum by CASPAL Dimensions: D 40 x W 180 x H 114 cm. Materials: Varnished aluminum. Available in different color options. P...
Aluminum
Postmodern Pink Lacquered Karl Springer Style Column Console Glass Table
Located in Bensalem, PA
Stunning three piece console table with pink tiered lacquered columns and a 3/4” thick glass top.
Glass, Fiberglass
1980's Post Modern Raspberry Waterfall Console
Located in Redding, CT
1980's Post Modern Raspberry Waterfall Console. Heavy well made console table in a deep rich raspberry color. Hard to find. Use in an entry way or in a dining room as a server.
Laminate, Wood
$6,853Sale Price|33% Off
Contemporary Anodized Aluminium Console by Fredrik Paulsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Fredrik Paulsen’s console table, commissioned by Etage Projects for Salon Art + Design New York 2017, turns the spotlight on a brand new and unique technique that combines anodized a...
Aluminum
C1094 Console Table in Oak And European Walnut Wood by Jörg Pietschmann
Located in Geneve, CH
C1094 Console Table in Oak And European Walnut Wood by Jörg Pietschmann Dimensions: D 40 x W 136 x H 84 cm. Materials: Oak and walnut. In Pietschmann’s sculptures, trees that for ce...
Walnut, Oak
Kaizo Oto for Dia Postmodern Memphis Style Console Table
By Design Institute America, Kaizo Oto
Located in Miami, FL
Steel, brass, chrome and glass console table in the Memphis style by Kaizo Oto for Design Institute of America. Glass is 3/4”.
Steel, Chrome
$2,376 / item
Vintage Medium Console by Pastform
Located in Geneve, CH
Vintage Medium Console by Pastform Dimensions: D 31 x W 120 x H 85 cm. Materials: Stained and varnished wood. Available in different wood color finishes and combinations. Available ...
Wood
C1166 Console Table in Beech And Smoked Oak Wood by Jörg Pietschmann
Located in Geneve, CH
C1166 Console Table in Beech And Smoked Oak Wood by Jörg Pietschmann Dimensions: D 40 x W 154 x H 51 cm. Materials: Beech and smoked oak. In Pietschmann’s sculptures, trees that for...
Oak, Beech
Harrison Van Horn Deep Chocolate Brown Console Table, Raffia & Brass, 1980s
By Karl Springer, Harrison Van Horn, Roger Sprunger
Located in Round Top, TX
Harrison Van Horn "belly" console table in lacquered raffia and brass in deep, dark espresso brown with unlacquered brass trim. Uncommon piece and always desirable in size, quality,...
Brass
Console Table, Mappa Burl Wood, Sculptural Post-Modern Design, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A console table which’s minimalist qualities are clocked by a clasic burl wood veneer. The mappa burl’s patterns grant the object an eccentric elegance while its brutalist structure ...
Wood, Burl
A POST-MODERN Lacquered CONSOLE Table, ALDO TURA, ROCHE & BOBOIS, France 1970
By Roche Bobois
Located in PARIS, FR
An elegant and luxurious console table with 2 trays, of Japanese inspiration, Post-Modern, Memphis, Constructivist, sophisticated geometric structure in lacquered wood, two separate ...
Wood, Lacquer
$1,210 / item
Metropolis Console by Mati Sipiora
Located in Geneve, CH
Metropolis Console by Mati Sipiora Dimensions: D 42 x W 94 x H 90 cm Materials: Steel. Finish: Glossy Powder Coating Paint. Weight: 16 KG Max Capacity: ...
Steel
$1,302 / item
Object 057 Console Table by NG Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 057 console table by NG Design. Dimensions: D 90x W 20 x H 90 cm. Materials: powder coated steel, marble Nero Marquina Also available: all of objects available in different ...
Marble, Steel
$605 / item
Object 015 Console Table by NG Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Object 015 console table by NG Design Dimensions: D75 x W20 x H75 cm Materials: Powder coated steel. Also available: All of objects available in different materials and colors on de...
Steel
Post Modern Pink Plaster Sculptural Console Table, 1980
Located in Chicago, IL
Post Modern Pink Plaster Sculptural Console Table, 1980. Original in beautiful condition.
Plaster
Vintage Italian Wood and Black Lacquer Console with Glass Top
Located in Chicago, IL
An Italian console from the 1980s, where geometry is treated not as a fixed system, but as something to be shifted, offset, and rebalanced. The composition is asymmetrical, built th...
Glass, Wood
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Ming Karl Springer Style Enameled Console Table
Located in Waxahachie, TX
This sculptural Ming-inspired console table embodies bold modernist refinement with dramatic architectural presence. Its continuous waterfall silhouette and softly radiused corners e...
Enamel
$17,648 / item
Sinestesia Console by De Castelli
Located in Geneve, CH
Sinestesia Console by De Castelli Dimensions: W 115 x D 35 x H 92 cm Materials: DeErosion Brass Stainless Steel and Copper versions are also available. Please contact us for any requ...
Brass
A 1970s, lacquered wood, mirrored glass and brass, Italian console table
Located in Oxford, GB
This is a unique piece of furniture designed in the late 1970s for a boutique in Milan . Exeptional quality, the legs are turned wood , lacquered in an eau de nil colour and capped ...
Brass
$42,094 / item
Credenza Console by Studio Boheme
Located in Geneve, CH
Credenza console by Studio Boheme Gardenia collection Dimensions: W 238.7, D 44.9, H 71.4 cm Materials: Birch plywood Knobs: Black powder/brushed br...
Brass
Goatskin Long Chic Lacquered Console Table with Chrome Base Karl Springer Style
Located in Bensalem, PA
Amazing console circa 1980s lacquer over goat skin with chrome surrounds in the manner of Karl Springer
Goatskin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
Two Unique Italian Postmodern Gilt and Copper Cantilevered Consoles / Sofa Table
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Italian consoles or sofa tables in giltwood with copper stretchers and copper side panels. Glass tops are 47.25 x 15.75 x 3/4". The pieces are Postmodern in conception. The...
$6,099 / item
Dolmen Console by Ginger & Jagger
Located in Geneve, CH
Dolmen Console by Ginger & Jagger Dimensions: D 50 x W 160 x H 87 cm. Materials: Lacquer. Finish: Lacquered in Miosotis, in gloss finishing. This product is suitable for custom...
Lacquer
$1,302 / 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
$3,800 / item
Jarvits Arched Console Table in Espresso Walnut
Located in New York, US
The minimal, stylistic arches of Jarvits Consoles give it a sculptured appearance, transforming it into both an artistic accent and a functional table ...
Wood, Walnut
Richard Himmel Post Modern Corner Console/Desk, 1970
Located in San Francisco, US
Designed by Richard Himmel, this corner console doubles as a writing desk, merging sculptural presence with quiet utility. Its angled form is engineered to anchor a room’s corner, tu...
Acrylic, Laminate
Postmodern Ivory Lacquered Walnut Wall Mirror and Console Table, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This set features a walnut frame, with ivory lacquered parts. They might show slight traces of use since they are vintage, such as their original patina, but t...
Mirror, Walnut
Vintage 1980s Postmodern Memphis Pedestal Console Entryway Table
By Gaetano Pesce, Mario Bellini, Kazuhide Takahama, Shiro Kuramata, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Striking vintage console table featuring a bold Postmodern silhouette and dramatic charcoal and light grey geometric pattern throughout. This piece showcases exceptional visual depth...
Wood
$2,627 / item
Bowl Console Table by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Bowl Console Table by Wentz Dimensions: D 45 x W 165 x H 80 cm Materials: Steel, Ceramic, Stainless Steel. Coffee table with steel structure and top with textured electrostatic paint...
Steel, Stainless Steel
$7,840Sale Price|20% Off
Hand Painted Faux Malachite Console / Desk, Alessandro, Baker, 1980's
By Baker Furniture Company, Alessandro Gambrielli
Located in Culver City, CA
This rare desk / console was designed by European designer and artist Alessandro Gambalogna, known simply as “Alessandro,” for Baker Furniture in the 1980s ~ and she is not your stan...
Malachite
$7,870 / item
Butterscotch Foundation Console by Goons
Located in Geneve, CH
Foundation console by Goons Dimensions: W 174 x D 35 x H 120 cm Materials: Birch plywood. Butterscotch finish. Dimensions can be adjusted +/- 10 cm Goons is located in Paris, Franc...
Wood
$16,883 / item
Altus Hall Table by Lost Profile Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Altus Hall Table by Lost Profile Studio Dimensions: W 180 x D 40 x H 90 cm Materials: Brass, Aluminium (substrate under stone), Four Seasons Quart...
Brass, Aluminum, Other
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Tempo Designs Extra Long Laminate Console Table
Located in Medina, OH
Postmodern Tempo Designs Extra Long Laminate Console Table. Unfortunately one side of the table has black imperfections due to movers not using a proper ...
Laminate
Tetris Laguna Oak and Marble Console by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Tetris Laguna Oak and Marble Console by Morica Design Dimensions: D 49 x W 150 x H 75 cm. Materials: Laguna oak, White Carrara marble, metal. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Laguna O...
Marble, Metal
"Chatsworth" Mahogany & Giltwood Console Table by Dessin Fournir, Los Angeles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Console or sofa table designed and manufactured in Los Angeles California by Dessin Fournir. The table is made in a combination of mahogany wood and gold gilding with carved a...
Wood, Giltwood
$2,000
Oto Console Table
By Design Institute America, Kaizo Oto
Located in New York, NY
Iconic Post Modern design console table by Kaizo Oto for the Design Institute America, circa 1980's. The table features a thick shaped glass top which rests on the stylized mixed met...
Steel
Post-Modernist Marble Console Table, Circa 1980, Italy
Located in Girona, Spain
DESCRIPTION: Post-Modernist Marble Console Table, Circa 1980, Italy. Carrera Marble Marble base, top and sides CONDITION: Good condition. Wear consistent with age and use. DIMENSIO...
Carrara Marble