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.
$40,328 / item
HYDRA 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
HYDRA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Wool, Silk
$20,169 / item
INK 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
INK 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Wool, Silk
$20,169 / item
Illusion 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ILLUSION 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Wool, Silk
$40,328 / item
Ink 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
INK 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Wool, Silk
$40,328 / item
Illusion 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ILLUSION 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us...
Wool, Silk
$20,169 / item
Kaboom 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
KABOOM 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Wool, Silk
$20,169 / item
Joker 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
Joker 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Wool, Silk
$18,404 / item
DIS 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Silk, Wood
$18,404 / item
DIS 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Silk, Wood
$18,404 / item
DIS 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
District 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DISTRICT 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H400 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
DIS 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DIS 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Flex 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLEX 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
FLAMENGO 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLAMENGO 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Floris Magnolia 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLORIS MAGNOLIA 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulia...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Flex 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLEX 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Frantik 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FRANTIK 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Wool, Silk
$20,169 / item
Flow 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLOW 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Frantik 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FRANTIK 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Wool, Silk
$40,328 / item
Flow 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLOW 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Wool, Silk
$40,328 / item
Dexter 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DEXTER 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Dexter 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DEXTER 200 rug by Illulian. Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm. Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50%. Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Futura 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FUTURA 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Wool, Silk
$40,328 / item
Eclipse 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ECLIPSE 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
District 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DISTRICT 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
Ecstasy 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ECSTASY 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us....
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Flair 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLAIR 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Silk, Wood
$18,404 / item
Ecstasy 200 Rug by Illuliar
Located in Geneve, CH
ECSTASY 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Enigma 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
ENIGMA 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Extreme 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
EXTREME 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
FLAIR 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
FLAIR 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Chloe' 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CHLOE' 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Clem Clem Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CLEM CLEM Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histori...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Clem Clem 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CLEM CLEM 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hi...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Blocks 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BLOCKS 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
BRERA 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BRERA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 400 x H 300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histo...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Bliss 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BLISS 400 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
AFRA 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
AFRA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Bahia 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BAHIA 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
CLEM CLEM 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CLEM CLEM 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact u...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Clem Clem 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CLEM CLEM 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hi...
Silk, Wood
$40,328 / item
Concrete 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CONCRETE 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, his...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Convex Circular 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CONVEX circular 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illul...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Convex Rectangular 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CONVEX rectangular 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illu...
Silk, Wood
$36,808 / item
Crack 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CRACK 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, histor...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Concrete 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CONCRETE 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, hist...
Silk, Wood
$18,404 / item
Crack 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
CRACK 200 Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Please contact us. ...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
AZTEC Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
AZTEC rug by Illulian Dimensions: D 300 x H 200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic ...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
BLISS Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BLISS Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes....
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Blocks Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BLOCKS rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and si...
Silk, Wood
$18,404 / item
Afra Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
AFRA Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 80%, Silk 20% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic and...
Silk, Wood
$20,169 / item
Brera Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
BRERA Rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Wool 50%, Silk 50% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic an...
Silk, Wood
Medium Brick Brown Oci Rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Brick brown Oci rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 330 x H 200 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Brick brown, light pink color. Also available in...
Wool
Medium Yellow Gray Oci Rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium yellow gray oci rug triptych by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 330 x H 200 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes Small and Large. Also availabl...
Wool
$5,938 / item
Large Brick Oci Right Rug by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Large brick oci right rug by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 150 x H 280 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes Small and Medium. Also available in colo...
Wool
$17,814 / item
Large Yellow Gray Oci Rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Yellow gray oci rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida. Dimensions: W 450 x H 280 cm. Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes small and medium. Also availa...
Wool
$3,119 / item
Medium Brick Oci Right Rug by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Brick Oci right rug by Seraina Lareida. Dimensions: W 110 x H 200 cm. Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes small an...
Wool
$9,333 / item
Medium Green Oci Rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Green Oci rug Triptych by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 330 x H 200 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes Small and Large. Also available in c...
Wool