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.
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
Original USM Haller Schreibtisch neu lackiert schwarz Design Tisch
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten mehrere USM Haller Schreibtische mit neu lackierter Tischplatte (hier in schwarz) zum Verkauf an. Wir haben mehrere Tische auf Lager, die wir auf Kundenwunsch aufarbeiten ...
Steel
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
Mid century post modern chrome cane glass dining table by DIA
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid century post modern chrome cane glass dining table by DIA. A table well suited as a dining or breakfast kitchen, or game table. A perfect size dining table for a small urban apar...
Chrome
Carlo Forcolini "Apocalypse Now" Table, Alias Italy 1984
By Carlo Forcolini, Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Rare “Apocalypse Now” dining or center table designed by Italian architect and designer Carlo Forcolini, 1984. An exceptional example of Italian postmodern design, the table features...
Metal, Steel, Chrome
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
Maurizio Salvato Rotating Burlwood Coffee Table for Saporiti Italia, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern rotating coffee table with burl wood lacquered tops and powder-coated burgundy colored steel legs by Maurizio Salvato for Saporiti Italia, 1980s. Taller Table Height: 14....
Metal
$3,985 / item
Oak and Walnut J Coffee Table by ONON DETAILS
Located in Geneve, CH
Oak and Walnut J Coffee Table by ONON DETAILS Dimensions: W 70 x D 130 x H 40 cm. Materials: Oak, Walnut. ONON Details furnitures are chosen by famous design brand, domestic and i...
Oak, Walnut
$7,982 / item
Jura Coffee Table by Ah Um Design Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Jura Coffee Table by Ah Um Design Studio Handmade Dimensions: D 118.1 x W 85 x H 33 cm. Materials: Mahogany wood, oil finish, hand-glazed tiles. Available in other wood and tile opt...
Mahogany
$5,495 / item
SSC103-1 Console Table by Stone Stackers
Located in Geneve, CH
SSC103-1 console table by Stone Stackers Limited edition of 5 products. Dimensions: W 92 x D 39 x H 81 cm. Materials: Patagonia and Marquina marbles. Marble Structure: Patagonia ...
Marble
$1,250
Red Side Drinks Table
Located in New York, NY
A red geometric side/drinks table, Postmodern period, circa late-20th century. A chic red resin geometric side drinks table. Hue is a 'Coca-Cola' red. A great statement piece for a l...
Plastic, Resin
$1,220 / 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
Mario Botta Dining Table ‘Terzo’ with Granite Top
By Alias, Mario Botta
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
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
Ibuju Side Table 01 in Colombian Woven Yaré Natural Fiber by Fango Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Ibuju Side Table 01 in Colombian Woven Yaré Natural Fiber by Fango Studio Dimensions: H 40 cm x W 30 cm x L 45 cm. Materials: Colombian woven yaré natural fiber Available in differe...
Natural Fiber
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
$3,463Sale Price|40% Off
Bronze Metal Large Freeform Side Table, Karl Springer Style, 1980s US
By Karl Springer, Silas Seandel
Located in Glasgow, GB
This bronze side table, produced in the United States in the 1980s in the style of Karl Springer, is a sculptural example of postmodern design, defined by its organic silhouette and ...
Bronze
$3,038 / item
Pina High Light Grey Brass Side Table by Pulpo
Located in Geneve, CH
Pina high light grey brass side table by Pulpo Dimensions: D 34 x H 52 cm Materials: glass; brass and steel Also available in different colours. Sebastian Herkner’s distinctively t...
Brass, Steel
$2,788 / item
Volta Side Table 50 by Wentz
Located in Geneve, CH
Volta Side Table 50 by Wentz Dimensions: D 50 x W 50 x H 55 cm Materials: Wood, Plywood, MDF, Veneer, Steel The Volta table references nature in its im...
Steel
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
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Post modern glass Coffee Table with color plexiglass round bases
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique Post modern glass Coffee Table with large color plexiglass round bases. Beautiful 3 base coffee table very colorful large solid joined plexiglass round bases. (1) blue (1) gre...
Glass, Plexiglass
Original USM Haller Schreibtisch weiß Esstisch Design Tisch
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen schönen und sehr gut erhaltenen USM Haller Schreibtisch mit weißer Tischplatte zum Verkauf an. In unseren anderen Anzeigen bieten wir viele weitere USM Haller Schrei...
Steel
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
$615 / 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
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
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
Ondulae Coffee Table in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Ondulae Coffee Table in Stainless Steel by Metalmorphosis Studio Dimensions: D 35 x W 75 x H 50 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. An irregular surface shaped like lived muscle. Tensio...
Stainless Steel
$27,096 / item
Puzzle Table Nero Marquina Venato by Madina Tsarikaeva
Located in Geneve, CH
Puzzle Table Nero Marquina Venato by Madina Tsarikaeva Dimensions: W 160 x D 66 x H 45 cm. Materials: Nero Marquina Marble. Madina Tsarikaeva (1994) From early childhood, Madina ...
Marble
Orange Acrylic Top Desk/ Game Table
Located in North Miami, FL
This waterfall design all acrylic desk or game table has perfect lines and scale, heavy and perfect for any space. The top is a VIVID orange and the side panels are 2 inches thick cl...
Acrylic
Set of 2 Nemo & Dory Side Table by Studio Indigene
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Nemo & Dory Side Table by Studio Indigene Dimensions: Nemo: ⌀ 33 x 54 cm / Dory: ⌀ 41 x 41 cm Materials: Reclaimed Teak Wood. Colors Brown; Natural Wooden Finish Nemo & Dor...
Wood
$1,960Sale Price / set|30% Off
Postmodern Smoked Chrome Glass Cocktail Tables by DIA, '90s, Set of 2
Located in New York, NY
A set of two (2) designer 1990s Post-Modern 'smoked' gray-charcoal chrome round bi-level cocktail/coffee tables with cylindrical legs...
Chrome
Large Bespoke Study Desk with Four Drawers / Customizable
By &New
Located in Leicester, GB
This large burgandy color study desk is made with a powder coated steel frame and a beautiful natural linoleum top made out of linseed oil. This modern minimal desk has four steel dr...
Steel
Postmodern Plaster Coffee Table
Located in West Chester, PA
Plaster postmodern coffee table circa 1970 with column like round legs and rounded corners. Incised design on the top with blue accent.
Plaster
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
Interconnected Form Deep Green and Ivory Marble Coffee Table by Antonio De Marco
Located in Geneve, CH
Necklace Mod 2 Verde Notte And Adria Venato Coffee Table by Antonio De Marco Dimensions: D 120 x W 128 x H 40 cm. Materials: Verde Notte and Adria Venato marbles. Available in diff...
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
$153,789 / item
Vastra Dining Table in Breccia Medicea Marble by Pendhapa
Located in Geneve, CH
Vastra Dining Table in Breccia Medicea Marble by Pendhapa. Dimensions: W 266 x D 118 x H 74 cm. Materials: Breccia Medicea Marble. This listing features our Vastra Dining Table expe...
Marble, Breccia Marble
Vintage postmodern American grasscloth triangle coffee table, 1980s
Located in Hastings, GB
Postmodern grasscloth triangular coffee table, USA 1980s. Made from a heavyweight fiberglass material, with a lacquered grasscloth finish Dimensions: width 104cm, depth 55cm, height...
Grasscloth, Fiberglass
Explore III Calacatta And Bronze Limited Edition Coffee Table by Grzegorz Majka
Located in Geneve, CH
Explore III Calacatta And Bronze Limited Edition Coffee Table by Grzegorz Majka Limited Edition Of 8 Pieces. Dimensions: D 94 x W 180 x H 35,5 cm. Materials: Solid bronze and Calaca...
Marble, Bronze
$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
$17,127 / item
Large Desk, Solid Wood by Sebastiano Zilio
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Desk, Solid Wood by Sebastiano Zilio Dimensions: W 183.6 x D 78 x H 77.3 cm. Materials: Solid Sungkai wood, About: Sebastiano Zilio Italy, 1969 Italian designer and artist S...
Wood
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
Mario Bellini Round 'Il Colonnato' Table in Massive Red Persian Travertine 150cm
By Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Bellini for Cassina, 'Il Colonnato' center or dining table, massive red Persian travertine, Italy, 1977 Designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in 1977, Il Colonnato is a striki...
Travertine
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
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
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
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 marble construction. Clean ready to use condition.
Marble
Contemporary Riviera 2 seat modular coach in lacquered metal for Outdoors
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...
Metal
Kavachi Dining Table in White Marble & Glass by MANTA Handmade Stone Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Kavachi Dining Table in White Marble & Glass by MANTA Handmade Stone Design Limited Edition of 6 Pieces. Dimensions: D 133 x W 258 x H 93 cm. Marble base: D 64 x W 177 x H 78 cm. Gl...
Marble
$12,442 / item
Ut 02 Cowhide and Walnut Sofa by Sing Chan
Located in Geneve, CH
Ut 02 Sofa by Sing Chan Dimensions: W 76 x D 135 x H 67 cm Materials: Cowhide, North American Black Walnut, waxing. Sing Chan ( Chinese: 陈星宇/Xingyu Chen), the founder of SINGCHAN D...
Upholstery, Walnut
$6,204 / 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
Natural Plaster Hand-Sculpted Outdoor Dining Table 360 by Philippe Colette
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural Plaster Hand-Sculpted Outdoor dining table 360 by Philippe Colette Dimensions: L 360 x W 110 cm Customized height, please contact us. 10/12 pers. Materials: Mineral lime ...
Organic Material, Plaster
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
$11,143 / item
Mar Dining Table by Laluz
Located in Geneve, CH
Mar Dining Table by Laluz Dimensions: W 123 x D 240 x H 77 cm Materials: Bronze, Polyurethane. Weight: 150 kg. LaLuz Design is a young, dynamic company that specializes in the produ...
Bronze
Giovanni Offredi Onda Glass Coffee Table for Saporiti ca. 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Classic Post Modern Italian design glass top coffee table designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti. This example is in good original condition, the metal base shows some oxidation, ...
Steel
French Designer, Coffee Table, Metal, Glass, France 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A metal and glass coffee or cocktail table, designed and produced in France, 1970s.
Metal
$4,252 / item
Unique Console Table by Goons
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique console table by Goons Dimensions: W 120 x D 27 x H 74 cm Materials: Wood Dimensions can be adjusted +/- 10 cm Goons is located in Paris, France. All of their designs are ma...
Wood
$15,082 / item
Stainless Steel Pebble Coffee Table by NITUSH AROOSH
Located in Geneve, CH
Stainless Steel Pebble Coffee Table by NITUSH AROOSH Dimensions: W 150 x D 80 x H 40 cm Materials: Stainless Steel (Grade 304) Finish: Antique & Polished Available in different fini...
Stainless Steel
$5,525Sale Price|35% Off
Zwetzich Dining Table by Franco V, Steel, Post-Modern Design, USA
By Franco V
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Experience the pinnacle of luxury dining with the Zwetzich Dining Table. The sleek design, crafted from durable steel, features a paper-thin 3/16" table top and a seamless 12" inset ...
Steel
$1,324 / 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
$859 / item
Tall Manhattan Side Table by Morica Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Tall Manhattan Side Table by Morica Design Dimensions: D 45 x W 45x H 56 cm. Materials: Canaletto walnut, metal. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Laguna Oak, or natural oak wood. Plea...
Wood
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