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.
Scandinavian Adjustable Dining Table in Cherry Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining table, cherry wood, Scandinavia, 1980s A size-adjustable dining table where function meets enduring quality. Designed with multiple extension leaves, it effortlessly adapts t...
Cherry
Rare Jean Claude Dresse Mosaic Coffee Table in Hematite
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jean Claude Dresse, coffee table, resin, hematite, lacquered steel, Belgium, 1970s Jean Claude Dresse’s work is typically characterized by brass and resin; his use of hematite is un...
Steel
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Dining Set in Carved Pine
By Giuseppe Rivadossi, Officina Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, unique set of seven dining armchairs with table, solid pine, Italy, 1970s This unique dining ensemble is among the finest works we have en...
Pine
Brutalist Round Coffee Table in Black Stone Look Resin
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cocktail table, resin, Northern-Europe, 1970s. This deep brown robust coffee or cocktail table is from the 1970s. The thick round shaped top is supported by a smaller column with ar...
Resin
Vintage Post Modern Waterfall Glass Coffee Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition This vintage Post Modern waterfall coffee table makes a striking statement through its clean geometry, sculptural silhouette, and all-glass con...
Glass
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 'C10T' Coffee Table in Wood and Crystal Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, coffee table, wood, glass, iron, Italy, 1970s Designed by the Italian duo Nerone and Patuzzi, this sculptural coffee table is a true statement p...
Iron
Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova 'Regolo' Square Dining Table in Pine and Glass
By Poltronova
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova, 'Regolo' dining table, pine, glass, Italy, 1975 This dining table by Gianfranco Fini for Poltronova, introduced in in 1975, is a truly special piece ...
Glass, Pine
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
Brutalist Round Coffee Table in Black Stone Look Resin
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cocktail or coffee table, resin, Northern-Europe, 1970s. A striking example of 1970s design, this deep black coffee or cocktail table embodies a bold yet refined aesthetic. Crafted ...
Resin
Jean Claude Dresse Coffee Table in Brass Inlayed with Agate
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jean Claude Dresse, coffee table, brass, lacquered steel and wood, agate, Belgium, 1970s A luxurious square cocktail table, crafted with high attention for detail which is character...
Agate, Brass, Steel
Unique Armand Jonckers Coffee Table in Green Resin and Copper
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Armand Jonckers, coffee table, resin, copper, wood, metal, Belgium, 1984 Gorgeous, custom-made coffee table by Belgian designer Armand Jockers. Every detail of this sculptural table...
Metal, Copper
Vintage French Post Modern Console Table - Circa 1980s - Maple Entry Table
Located in Decatur, GA
Vintage post modern squiggle leg console table, France circa 1980s. Gorgeous from any angle. Finished on all sides allowing it to float in a room. Very good original condition with m...
Maple
Renato Meneghetti for DDD Design 'Cubo' Folding Game Table Set with Chairs
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Renato Meneghetti for DDD Design, 'Cubo' game table with chairs, brass, felt, metal, wood, Italy, 1970s Designed by Renato Meneghetti circa 197...
Metal, Brass
Ernest 'Igl' Hofmann 'Jet' Corner Desk in Polyurethane
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest 'Igl' Hofmann for Wilhelm Werndl, corner desk, model 'Jet', polyurethane, Germany, 1970/71 Ernest Hofmann, also known by his artist name 'Igl', recently gained an internation...
Plastic
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
Lorenzo Burchiellaro Dining Table in Copper
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Lorenzo Burchiellaro, dining table, copper, wood, Italy, 1960s This dining table, crafted in the 1960s by Italian designer and sculptor Lorenzo Burchiellaro (1933-2017), stands as a...
Copper
Play Time Toy Table Oval, Stone and Onyx
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Rounded pillars of blue calcite, pink marble, caramel onyx and green onyx carry a black marble top to create Play-time Table; An elegant rendition of children’s furniture. A piece m...
Stone, Onyx, Marble
Pierre Chapo 'T35C' Aban Table in Elm
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Chapo, dining table, model 'Aban T35C', solid elm, France, 1970s This table is one of the early editions designed by Pierre Chapo, known for his hallmark use of solid elmwood...
Elm
Seven Salotti Italian Coffee Table in Brown Leather and Black Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Seven Salotti, coffee table, leather, glass, Italy, 1970s The coffee table by Seven Salotti, Italy, 1970s, is defined by its strict geometric clarity: a low, square form with sharp...
Leather, Glass
Willy Rizzo 'TRG' Circular Yellow Coffee Table
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Willy Rizzo, TRG (Tavolo Rotondo Girevole) coffee table, lacquered wood, stainless steel, design 1969 The TRG (Tavolo Rotondo Girevole), designed by Willy Rizzo in 1969, is a master...
Stainless Steel
Pia Manu Coffee Table in Enameled Concrete and Brazilian Quartzite
By Pia Manu
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pia Manu, coffee table, enameled concrete, Brazilian quartzite, Belgium, 1970s This very rare hand-crafted coffee table was made in the 1970s by the Belgian atelier Pia Manu, known ...
Concrete
Post Modern Oak and Tinted Glass Coffee Table att. to Lou Hodges for Mersman
By Mersman, Lou Hodges
Located in New York, NY
Classic mid century, postmodern coffee table design attributed to Lou Hodges, for Mersman, circa 1970's. The table features it's original tinted glass top, which rests in the solid ...
Glass, Oak
Postmodern French Dining Table in Solid Elm
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining table, elm, France, 1970s This striking 1970s French custom-made table is a beautiful expression of craftsmanship and natural materiality. Executed in solid elm wood, the pie...
Elm
Pierre Chapo 'Table à Géométrie Variable' in Solid Oak
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pierre Chapo, 'Table à Géométrie Variable' (TGV) dining table, solid oak, design 1960 "Table à Géométrie Variable" refers to the design’s dynamic configuration and the adaptable nat...
Oak
1970s Chrome and Glass Coffee Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A stunning 1970s chrome and glass coffee table in the style of Milo Baughman and John Mascheroni. Exemplifying the sleek sophistication of mid-century modern design, this piece featu...
Chrome
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia 'Tobio' Dining Table in Red Travertine
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, B&B Italia
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, 'Tobio' dining table, leather, red travertine, Italy, design 1974 Gorgeous dining table designed by the iconic duo Afra and Tobia Scarpa....
Travertine
$1,312Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Glass Top Side Table with Black Sphere Faux Marble Lacquer Base 1980s
Located in Toronto, CA
A sculptural Postmodern pedestal side table in the Memphis style, circa 1980s, featuring a high-gloss black lacquered base with stepped plinth detail and a floating tempered glass to...
Glass, Wood, Lacquer
Pair of 1970s Chrome and Glass Side Tables
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A captivating pair of 1970s chrome and glass side tables in the style of Milo Baughman and John Mascheroni. Showcasing the refined minimalism of sophisticated mid-century modern desi...
Chrome
Postmodern Italian Dining Table in Cherry, Wood and Natural Stone
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining table, cherry, black lacquered wood, natural stone, Italy, 1980s This Postmodern Italian dining table is a refined expression of balance and material contrast. The generous c...
Stone
Postmodern Pluto Desk by Pierre Colleu for Starform and Disney, France 1980s.
By Starform, Disney Studios, Pierre Colleu 1
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
Ernest Igl for Wilhelm Werndl Directors Desk in Marble Look
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernest 'Igl' Hofmann for Wilhelm Werndl, corner desk, model 'Jet', painted polyurethane, Germany, designed in 1970 Ernest Hofmann, also known by his artist name 'Igl', recently gai...
Plastic
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Rare Sculptural Desk in White Fiberglass
By Alberto Rosselli Saporiti, Vittorio Introini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, free-standing desk, fiberglass, Italy, 1969 This admirable free-standing corner desk was designed by the Italian designer Vittorio Introini. Due to i...
Fiberglass
Jean Claude Dresse Coffee Table with Geometric Sculptural Base in Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jean Claude Dresse, coffee table, brass, glass, Belgium, 1970s This captivating coffee table by Jean Claude Dresse is deeply reflective of the design trends that emerged in the 1970...
Brass
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
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Dining Table in Oak
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, dining table, oak, Italy, 1970s Giuseppe Rivadossi once again proves his great eye for materialization and technicality this table is exem...
Oak
Horn Collection Post-Modern Dining Table in Red Polyurethane Plastic 1970s
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Horn Collection, dining table, lacquered polyurethane plastic, Germany, 1970s Created for the Horn collection in the seventies, this well-formed table is made entirely from polyuret...
Plastic
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. C 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern Maitland Smith Style Tessellated Mactan Stone Coffee Table. Circa 1980s Features four independent peach, emerald, and ivory geometric stone bases with built-in slots to ho...
Stone
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
Fisherman Table, with Onyx Table Top
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, Steel, Chrome, Nickel
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
Ultra raro escritorio y silla Bonacina · Negro · Castiglioni
Located in Barcelona, ES
Escritorio Bonacina en acabado negro, pieza poco frecuente posiblemente realizada por Castiglioni, referente del diseño italiano del siglo XX. De líneas limpias y estructura funcion...
Wood
Brutalist Round Dining or Center Table in Black Stone Look Resin
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining or center table, resin, Northern-Europe, 1970s. A striking example of 1970s design, this deep black table embodies a bold yet refined aesthetic. Crafted entirely from resin, ...
Resin
Jean Claude Dresse Coffee Table with Inlay of Marcasite and Stainless Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jean Claude Dresse, coffee table, marcasite, lacquered wood, stainless steel, Belgium, 1970s An extraordinary coffee table designed by Belgian artist Jean Claude Dresse in the 1970s...
Stone, Stainless Steel
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
1970s Sculptural Geometric Dining Table in Expressive Grain Wood and Brass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gagglioli, dining table, Alpi wood veneer, brass, dark brown smoked glass, Rome, Italy, 1970s A strikingly postmodern and angular design, characterized by its bold geometric forms a...
Brass
Organic Post-modern Wooden Steven Chase Side Tables, Pair
By Steven Chase 1
Located in Miami, FL
Organic Post-modern Wooden Steven Chase Side Tables, Pair Offered for sale is a pair of organic Post-modern side tables by Steven Chase The tables have natural wood trunk bases wit...
Metal
Cattelan Italia 'Argo' Oval Dining Table in Travertine
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Cattelan Italia 'Argo' table, travertine, Italy, 1980 Architectural dining table made by Cattelan Italia in 1980. This model 'Argo' dining table shows a slender oval tabletop, beaut...
Travertine
Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper 'Eros' Dining Table in Marquina Marble
By Angelo Mangiarotti, Skipper
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper, dining table ‘Eros’, Marquina marble, 1971 This sculptural table by Angelo Mangiarotti is a skilful example of postmodern design. The table is execut...
Marble
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
Jean Claude Dresse Coffee Table in Dark Resin
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jean Claude Dresse, large coffee table, resin, lacquered steel, Belgium, late 1970s This eccentric coffee table is a masterful creation by Belgian designer Jean Claude Dresse. Every...
Steel
Willy Daro Illuminated Coffee Table in Brass and Agate
By Willy Daro
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Willy Daro, illuminated coffee table, etched brass, agate, lacquered laminated wood, Belgium, 1970s Mesmerizing coffee table by the Belgian artist Willy Daro from the 1970s. The re...
Agate, Brass
Paolo Piva B&B Italia Alanda 1980s Black Steel Square Glass Coffee Table sofa
By Paolo Piva
Located in London, GB
An iconic design by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia, this coffee table made in Italy around the 1980s. This coffee table consists of a geometric black lacquered iron base giving the illus...
Metal
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern low long oval taupe lacquer coffee table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern low long oval taupe lacquer coffee table. Beautiful table with off center oval chrome weighted base. Very heavy and solid coffee table. Very nice light taupe gloss lacque...
Chrome
Klein Blue Silk Matt Lacquer Paint, Klavelle Console By OMER OZTURK
Located in Geneve, CH
Klein Blue Silk Matt Lacquer Paint, Klavelle Console By OMER OZTURK Dimensions: W 150 x D 45 x H 95 cm. Materials: Boucle Fabric Light Brown Natural Oak Wood, Gold Spheres. About: D...
Lacquer
“Calder” Square Coffee Table by Rodolfo Dordoni for Minotti, Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The “Calder” coffee table, designed in 1999 by Rodolfo Dordoni and manufactured in Italy by Minotti, exemplifies Dordoni’s refined approach to modern design, defined by clean lines, ...
Stainless Steel
$14,494 / item
Burgundy Lacquer Paint Rocky Coffee Table By OMER OZTURK
Located in Geneve, CH
Burgundy Lacquer Paint Rocky Coffee Table By OMER OZTURK Dimensions: W 125 x D 60 x H 40 cm. Materials: Burgundy Lacquer Paint. About: Design, in particular the subtlety of quiet lu...
Lacquer
Postmodern Mactan, Glass and Pastor Stone Coffee Table.
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Postmodern Mactan, glass and pastor stone coffee table This coffee table measures: 48 wide x 29 deep x 16 inches high We take our photos in a controlled lighting studio to show as ...
Stone
Post Modern Italian Travertine Console Table
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Crafted in Italy during the 1980s, this Post Modern console table features clean, architectural lines in natural travertine. The elongated to...
Travertine
Lola Classic Dining Table in Solid European Cherry by Standard Practice
Located in Geneve, CH
Lola Classic Dining Table in Solid European Cherry by Standard Practice. Limited Edition. Dimensions: W 80 x D 180 x H 74 cm. Materials: European Cherry (Solid). Sustainability 'Digital Product Passport' included. FSC Certified. The Lola Table, Standard Practice's take on the traditional Italian farmhouse table...
Hardwood
Coffee Table by Piero De Longhi Catalan Italia Travertine Glass and Brass 1980s
Located in London, GB
The Dielle coffee table, is a timeless piece designed in 1984 by Piero De Longhi for Catalan Italia is a sophisticated design. The transparent glass top allows you to fully appreciat...
Travertine, Metal, Brass