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.
1970's Italian Design Travertine Nesting Side Table Set
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage 1970's Italian Design set of 3 Travertine Nesting Side Tables. Made in Italy in the 1970's. Square with rounded edges on each table. All are in good condition, the largest mo...
Travertine
$3,196Sale Price|20% Off
Carved Marble Figure of a Nude Woman Coffee Table Glass Top
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This carved marble figure of a nude woman coffee table with a glass top is a striking example of functional art that blurs the line between scu...
Marble
$5,950 / item
Scrolled Pencil Bamboo Coffee Table, Italy, 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sculptural Italian coffee table from the 1970s composed of tightly wrapped pencil bamboo over a curved wood form. The silhouette curls into wide scrolled legs, creating an open base ...
Bamboo
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern lucite snail spiral glass top coffee table. Base is made of clear polished lucite abstract form. High quality rounded corner glass top coffee or cocktail table. Very clea...
Glass, Plexiglass
$27,690 / item
Green Levanto Marble Rocky Coffee Table By OMER OZTURK
Located in Geneve, CH
Green Levanto Marble Rocky Coffee Table By OMER OZTURK Dimensions: W 125 x D 60 x H 40 cm. Materials: Green Levanto Marble. Can be customized upon request. About: Design, in particu...
Marble
Organic Modern Center Table Catus in Terrazzo Red Marble
Located in Lisbon, PT
Open since 1997 and based in Lisbon, Portugal, a country with a long crafts tradition, Mambo Unlimited Ideas' design team researches for innovation and creativity developments around...
Travertine, Marble, Metal
Ettore Sottsas Ospite Table Zanotta Postmodern, 1980s
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ettore Sottsass's Ospite dining table. Designed in 1984 and produced by Zanotta. Painted brier veneer top and three brass silver legs.
Brass
Red Acrylic Lucite Bench Cocktail Table
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful and substantial high-gloss red opaque acrylic/Lucite bench or cocktail table, in the Modern style or Postmodern period, circa late-20th to early 21st-century. Great as a ...
Acrylic, Resin, Lucite
Bespoke Spruce Wood Console Table with Columns, Italy, circa 1980
Located in Vienna, AT
Bespoke monumental console table from spruce wood, produced circa 1980 Dimensions are 70.5" x 30.7" (height) x 15.35" This bespoke large spruce wood console table from Italy is a true work of art. The formal aspect of the table is highlighted by its resemblance to a portico, with its antique...
Wood, Spruce
Rare Enzo Testa for Bernini Coffee Table in Walnut Briar Burl and Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Enzo Testa for Bernini, coffee table, walnut briar burl, coated steel, rubber, Italy, circa 1980 A rare masterpiece designed by Enzo Testa for Bernini arou...
Walnut, Burl
Cult Stool, Sculptural Stool, Hand-Carved Mexican Ice Onyx Marble, Panorammma
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Cult stool / side table; a hand sculpted stone from an incredibly particular stone; Mexican Ice Onyx, remits to primal sculptural-architectural language while displaying materials in...
Onyx
Travertine Square Cube Post-Modern Side End Pedestal Table
Located in Toronto, ON
Travertine stone square cube table that can be used as a side or end table, it can also serve as a pedestal display. It is made out of travertine stone, circa 1970s, originating from...
Travertine
Handcrafted Design High Pedestal Table Set, 1990's France
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Handcrafted Design High Pedestal Table Plant Stand set of 2. Made in France, 1990's period. Hand formed and woven slender steel base with a marble stone look inlay on the top...
Metal
1980s Waterfall Console Table
Located in Dallas, TX
This vintage 1980s waterfall console table features a continuous curved form that exemplifies late-20th-century postmodern design. Constructed of stainless steel with a striped lamin...
Stainless Steel
Drapery Table made in Italy from Silver Traverte 51" diam designed by Yaniv Chen
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Known for his signature sense of nostalgia, designer Yaniv Chen shares the story behind the Drapery Table—an evocative piece carved in Italy from a single block of travertine. Produc...
Travertine
Black Coal Coffee Table, OSB and a Smoked Glass, Furniture by Arthur Bitsch
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Coal Coffee Table, OSB and a Smoked Glass, Furniture by Arthur Bitsch Dimensions: W 120 x D 65 x H 35.5 cm. Materials: OSB, smoked glass. Weigh...
Smoked Glass
Postmodern Side Table in Beech Plywood by Ekornes Stressless, Norway 1980s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this losting you will find a sleek, playful triangle side table by Ekornes and their Stressless line. Crafted out of beechwood in a lovely warm light wood color. Excellent quality...
Plywood
C Shaped Side Table in Stainless Steel by Veliento
Located in Geneve, CH
C Shaped Side Table in Stainless Steel by Veliento. Dimensions: 40 x 30 x 60 cm Materials: Stainless Steel. All pieces are made to order. Custom f...
Metal, Stainless Steel
Jordi Casablanca Muntañola Dining Table in Solid Oak
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jordi Casablanca Muntañola, dining table, oak, Spain, 1979. Catalan designer Jordi Casablanca Muntañola (1940-2001) designed this table in...
Oak
Table 'Brazil' by Peter Shire, Memphis Milano, 1981
By Peter Shire, Memphis Milano
Located in Berlin, DE
The 'Brazil' table was created in 1981 by designer Peter Shire for the Italian brand Memphis Milano. It stands out with its striking asymmetrical silhouette and bright colors.
Wood
Lacquered Black and Brass Accent End Table Nighstands
Located in Toronto, ON
Gorgeous lacquered black and brass accent tables. Two available, sold/priced indovidually. These beautiful tables that are intended to be nighstands, they can also be used as end tab...
Brass
Michele De Lucchi "Polar" Side Table, Lacquered Wood, Memphis
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
Low coffee table made of lacquered wood and covered with decorative laminate. Another quirky anthropomorphic table by Michele De Lucchi, early Memphis trailblazer (looks a little li...
Laminate, Hardwood, Lacquer
$42,150Sale Price / set|20% Off
Jean Prouve by G-Star Raw for Vitra S.A.M. Tropique Table with matching chairs
By Jean Prouvé
Located in amstelveen, NL
2011 Jean Prouvé by G-Star Raw for Vitra S.A.M. Tropique table with matching standard chairs. This limited edition table was only produced in this version for one year in 2011. Other...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Magnussen Ponte Mactan Stone or Fossil Stone Coffee Table, 1980s
Located in Oud Beijerland, NL
Very nice coffee or side table by Magnussen Ponte, 1980's. The stunning table base is made of Mactan stone or Fossil Stone.
Travertine
$8,120 / item
Colette End Table in Aluminium by Animate Objects
Located in Geneve, CH
Colette End Table in Aluminium by Animate Objects. Dimensions: W 60 x D 60 x H 45 cm. Materials: Aluminium, brass-plated. Named in honor of Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, whose fearless...
Aluminum, Brass
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
1980s Postmodern Travertine Pedestal Base Dining Table
Located in Chicago, IL
Such an elegant table. It’s really hard for me to believe this table is over 40 years old. The previous owner inherited it from her mother and sold it to me bc she runs an in house d...
Travertine, Marble, Soapstone, Metal
Midcentury Italian Post Modern Travertine Marble Rectangular Dining Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A simple modern travertine marble dining table circa 1980s. It features solid slab Travertine construction with thick apron edge. Gorgeous highly grained Italian travertine. Clean re...
Travertine
Verde Alpi Marble Coffee Table, Italy, 1970s
Located in Winston-Salem, NC
Crafted entirely from richly veined Verde Alpi marble, this vintage coffee table pairs monumental proportions with the natural drama of the stone — a thick, geometric floating top re...
Marble
Vintage oval beech wood coffee table, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage beech wood oval shaped two tierr coffee table with inlaid two tone stone and 4 elegant legs. 1980s - Germany Very good condition Signed under the table top with makers ma...
Stone
Papilio 3 Trier Glass Side Table by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta 1990's Italy
Located in Lisboa, PT
A striking example of 1990s Italian postmodern design, this "Papilio" three-tier side table was designed by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta. Named after the Latin word for butterfly, ...
Metal
Postmodern Rnd Tessellated Mactan Stone Side Table 4 Sphere Style Maitland Smith
Located in Topeka, KS
Fabulous postmodern tessellated Mactan rough edge stone round pedestal base side table with 4 polished spheres and a round beveled glass top in th...
Stone
$999Sale Price|23% Off
Postmodern Tangent Coffee Table by Jensen-Lewis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Tangent Cocktail Table. Graceful, timeless, elegant. A sophisticated statement that is at home in any architectural setting, The Tangent will handsomely complement the finest con...
Steel
Black Pedestal Column, Marble, Circa Late-20th Century
Located in New York, NY
A black and white 'Nero Marquina' marble pedestal column or end/side/drinks table, Postmodern design period, circa late-20th century. Piece can be used to support art/sculpture, as a...
Marble
Post Modern Travertine Marble Pedestal Dining Table Made in Italy c. 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Post Modern dining table, made in Italy circa 1970/80's. The table is constructed of travertine marble, and features a large rectangular top which rests on a rectangular ...
Marble
Mario Botta Dining Table ‘Terzo’ with Granite Top
By Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Botta for Alias, dining table model ‘Terzo’, metal, granite, Italy, 1983 The ‘Terzo’ dining table features a long rectangular granite tabletop that consists of three parts an...
Granite, Metal
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Milo Baughman Style Smoked Glass & Bent Chrome Coffee Table
Located in Madison, WI
This minimalist, Post Modern modern table in the manner of Milo Baughman would look great in a Modern or Mid-Century decor. This table is versatile and holds many books or magazines, and has a very sleek aesthetic. It features classic chic bent chrome...
Chrome
$1,750Sale Price|50% Off
Post modern Knoll white laminate racetrack dining table by joe d'urso
By Joe D'Urso, Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Post modern Knoll white laminate racetrack dining table by joe d'urso. Simple design oval conference or dining table with white laminate top and rubber edge molding that sits on 4 st...
Steel
Pucci De Rossi for H Dolin Stuart Signed Battista Occasional Table, 1987
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Pucci De Rossi for H Dolin Stuart Signed Battista Occasional Table, 1987 A delightful postmodern sculptural side table with an interlocking charcoal color metal base with glass top ...
Metal
Play Time Table by Panorammma, Hand-Carved White Onyx, 70cm Diameter
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Rounded pillars of white Mexican onyx carry a white marble top to create Play-time Table; An elegant rendition of children’s furniture. A piece meticulously hand-sculpted from stone...
Stone, Onyx, Marble
Tecton Coffee Table in Red Alabaster by Félix Millory for Monitillo 1980
Located in Geneve, CH
Tecton Coffee Table in Red Alabaster by Félix Millory for Monitillo 1980. Limited Edition of 2 Pieces. Dimensions: W 140 x D 140 x H 35 cm. Materials: Alabaster. Please note that wh...
Alabaster
Pierluigi Molinari Lacquered Wood and Green Felt Game Table for Pozzi 1970
Located in Conversano, IT
If you would like to receive additional photos of this item, please feel free to contact us directly through the 1stDibs messaging system. We will be happy to provide you with furthe...
Wood, Lacquer
$2,200
Blocks Coffee Table
Located in Mérida, MX
The Blocks coffee table was inspired by the construction context in Mexico, a reinterpretation of an authentic multitask table by mexican workers: cast blocks and a multi-material top. These pieces are hand carved by artisans from the region in mexican stones...
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
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
Contemporary Riviera Rectangle center table in Earth lacquered metal for Outdoor
Located in Lisbon, PT
Our newly unveiled collection is meticulously handcrafted in Portugal. Departing from conventional norms, we embrace a palette of unconventional materials, including different marble...
Travertine, Marble, Metal
$3,468 / item
Pina Low Green Black Side Table by Pulpo
Located in Geneve, CH
Pina low green black side table by Pulpo Dimensions: D 44 x H 42 cm Materials: glass; brass and steel Also available in different colours. Sebastian Herkner’s distinctively tall, s...
Brass, Steel
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...
Gilles Derain, bar trolley for Lumen, 1980
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Bar trolley by Gilles Derain in black lacquered iron in two levels, each with a transparent glass pane.
Iron
Italian postmodern round coffee table Lady-Fat by Patricia Urquiola for B&B 2002
By Patricia Urquiola, B&B Italia
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern round coffee table Lady-Fat by Patricia Urquiola for B&B 2002 Coffee table mod. Lady-Fat round in shape. The external ...
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
“Murmansk” Coffee Table by Ettore Sottsass for Rossi e Arcandi, Italy 1980's
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Striking and sculptural “Murmansk” coffee table designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Rossi e Arcandi, Vicenza, Italy. This impressive piece captures Sottsass’s postmodern mast...
Steel, Nickel
$1,736Sale Price|20% Off
Post Modern Fiam Italia Curved Glass Coffee Table
By FIAM, Angelo Cortesi
Located in Chicago, IL
Curved waterfall cocktail table by Angelo Cortesi for FIAM. FIAM being the leading glass furniture manufacturer in the world. Waterfall edges on this 1/2” thick tempered glass coffee table...
Glass
$5,402 / item
Butterscotch Spill Table Mono by Goons
Located in Geneve, CH
Spill Table Mono by Goons Dimensions: W 148 x D 98 x H 32 cm Materials: Birch plywood. Butterscotch finish. Dimensions can be adjusted +/- 10 cm Goons is located in Paris, France. ...
Wood
Piano Desk by Panorammma, Blue Lacquered Wood, Post-Modern Design, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A sleek, blue-polished, sculptural piece conjuring the presence of a grand piano. Piano Desk evokes an intricate fusion of the grace in artistic expression and the discipline of wo...
Wood
$10,950 / item
Paulín Cast Aluminum Coffee Table by OHLA Studio, Mexico
By Ohla Studio
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Striking in form and finish, this sculptural “Paulín” coffee table by OHLA Studio is crafted in cast aluminum, offering a bold reinterpretation of ...
Aluminum
Matek Rooted Coffee Table in Recycled Composite by Project Materia
Located in Geneve, CH
Matek Rooted Coffee Table in Recycled Composite by Project Materia. Designed by Oliver Thygesen. Dimensions: Ø 60 x H 35,5 cm Materials: MATEK™ recycled composite. A coffee table co...
Composite
Giuseppe Rivadossi Dining Table in Oak with Cross Shaped Double Base
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi dining table, oak, Italy, 1968 This exceptional dining table, crafted by Giuseppe Rivadossi in the 1960s, showcases the mastery of Italian woodworking. Made from ...
Oak
Rare Unique Size Maarten Van Severen T88A Aluminium Table, c. 2000
Located in London, GB
A uniquely sized design classic, this T88A table was designed by Maarten van Severen in 1988 and produced by Lensvelt Netherlands circa 2000 as a special private commission. Suita...
Aluminum
Pair of Handcrafted Solid Walnut Nightstands / End Tables by SUM Furniture
Located in London, GB
A Larger version of our architectural American black walnut pillar nightstands / end tables. These Pillar tables are a bold expression of early European modernism with the restraint...
Walnut