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.
$893 / item
Medium Arch Mirror by Saturday Yard Work
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Arch Mirror by Saturday Yard Work Dimensions: W 40 x D 30 x H 2.5 cm Materials: Aluminium. Finish: Semi-reflective polished face / blackened texture. SATURDAY YARD WORK by N...
Aluminum
$2,448 / item
Large Rectangle Mirror by Saturday Yard Work
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Rectangle Mirror by Saturday Yard Work Dimensions: W 90 x D 60 x H 2.5 cm Materials: Aluminium. Finish: Semi-reflective polished face / blackened texture. SATURDAY YARD WORK ...
Aluminum
Itinera Res Lunare II 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Res Lunare II 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, brushed brass, mirror, and wood. Available in different f...
Brass, Iron
Bud III Sculptural Handblown Glass Smoke and Purple Mirror by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Bud III Sculptural Handblown Glass Smoke and Purple Mirror by Homa Dimensions: W 43 x D 31 x H 20 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. Smoke Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary desi...
Glass, Mirror
Bud I Sculptural Handblown Glass Silver, Smoke and Red Mirror by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Bud I Sculptural Handblown Glass Silver, Smoke and Red Mirror by Homa Dimensions: W 40 x D 40 x H 30 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. Smoke Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary d...
Glass, Mirror
Lapis 19 Sculptural Silver Mirror with Handblown Glass by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Lapis 19 Sculptural Silver Mirror with Handblown Glass by Homa Dimensions: W 37 x D 20 x H 39 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based i...
Glass, Mirror
$2,045 / item
Lumi Candle Holder III by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Lumi Candle Holder III by Homa Dimensions: W 25 x D 23 x H 12 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based in Istanbul. The atelier’s tradem...
Glass, Mirror
Line I Contemporary Sculptural Mirror with Silver and Glass by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Line I Contemporary Sculptural Mirror with Silver and Glass by Homa Dimensions: W 100 x D 0.4 x H 150 cm Materials: Silver Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based in Ist...
Mirror
$1,705 / item
Itinera Res III 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Res III 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 90 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Green Guatemala marble, mirror, and wood. Available in different ...
Marble, Iron
$15,344 / item
Fragment Wall Mirror by ROCHE & FRÈRES
Located in Geneve, CH
Fragment Wall Mirror by ROCHE & FRÈRES Limited Edition Of 8 Pieces + 4 A.P. Dimensions: D 1,6 x W 67 x H 173 cm. Materials: Polished and hand-forged stainless steel and silver mirror. Weight: 34 kg. Ice Memory Collection...
Stainless Steel
$10,720 / item
36” Floating Gradient Mirror by Phillip Jividen
Located in Geneve, CH
36” Floating Gradient Mirror by Phillip Jividen Dimensions: Ø 91 x H 3.20 cm Materials: Aluminium, Glass Mirror is customizable in both color and dimensions. Additionally, it is avai...
Aluminum
$1,740 / item
Pixel Pumpkin Orange Wall Mirror by Studio Tonino
Located in Geneve, CH
Pixel Pumpkin Orange Wall Mirror by Studio Tonino Dimensions: D 11 x W 80 x H 80 cm. Materials: Polyethylene and mirror. Weight: 12 kg. Available in different color options. Prices ...
Other
$2,772 / item
Puddle Regular Wall Mirror by Studionudo
Located in Geneve, CH
Puddle Regular Wall Mirror by Studionudo Dimensions: Ø 75 x H 93,5 cm. Materials: Leather and mirror. Different materials and sizes are available. Dimensions may vary. Please contac...
Leather, Mirror
$8,887 / item
Powell Mirror by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Powell Mirror by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 4 x W 85 x H 90 cm. Materials: Bronze mirror, polished brass and estremoz marble. Weight: 27 kg. Diné Bikeya...
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Atlas Itinera Insula III 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Atlas Itinera Insula III 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Green Guatemala marble, antique brass, mirror, and wood...
Marble, Brass
$1,740 / item
Pixel Lime Green Wall Mirror by Studio Tonino
Located in Geneve, CH
Pixel Lime Green Wall Mirror by Studio Tonino Dimensions: D 11 x W 80 x H 80 cm. Materials: Polyethylene and mirror. Weight: 12 kg. Available in different color options. Prices may ...
Other
$7,402 / item
Lunar Large Hand-Sculpted Mirror, Laurene Guarneri
Located in Geneve, CH
Lunar large hand-sculpted mirror, Laurene Guarneri. Limited edition. Handmade. Materials: Sky blue colored mirror, dark blue colored mirror, dar...
Glass, Mirror
$3,236 / item
Janus I 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Janus I 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 5 x Ø 90 cm. Materials: Brushed steel, mirror, brushed brass, crystal fusing hand-painted, and wood. Available in different si...
Crystal, Brass, Steel
Itinera Clepsydra III 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Clepsydra III 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 90 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Green Guatemala marble, antique brass, mirror, and wood. Av...
Marble, Brass
$2,162 / item
Vesuvius 100 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Vesuvius 100 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 100 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, mirror, lava stone, glass fusion handpainted, copper, and wood. Availa...
Stone, Copper, Iron
Narciso Dos Wall Mirror in Grey Quarry Stone & Glass Mirror by Andres Monnier
Located in Geneve, CH
Narciso Dos Wall Mirror in Grey Quarry Stone & Glass Mirror by Andres Monnier Unique Piece Dimensions: D 5 x W 60 x H 160 H cm. Materials: Grey Quarry stone and glass mirror. Availa...
Stone
$533 / item
Snap Table Mirror by DAaZ
Located in Geneve, CH
Snap Table Mirror by DAaZ Dimensions: D 15.5 x W 38 x H 58 cm. Materials: Ash wood, mirror. DAaZ Furniture honors the spirit of adventure. We embrace the escape of the ordinary and...
Mirror, Wood
$1,763 / item
Itinera Eclipsis III 80 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Eclipsis III 80 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 80 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, copper, black leather, mirror, and wood. Available in differ...
Copper
Atlas Itinera Insula I 80 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Atlas Itinera Insula I 80 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 80 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Nero Marquina marble, brushed brass, mirror, and wood. Ava...
Marble, Brass
$4,513 / item
Janus I 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Janus I 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Brushed steel, mirror, brushed brass, crystal fusing hand-painted, and wood. Available in different ...
Crystal, Brass, Steel
$3,406 / item
Vesuvius 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Vesuvius 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, mirror, lava stone, glass fusion handpainted, copper, and wood. Availa...
Stone, Copper, Iron
Itinera Clepsydra III 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Clepsydra III 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Green Guatemala marble, antique brass, mirror, and wood. ...
Marble, Brass
$1,972 / item
Itinera Eclipsis II 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Eclipsis II 90 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 90 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Black Marquinia marble, brushed brass, mirror, and wood. Avai...
Marble, Brass
Itinera Res Lunare V 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project
Located in Geneve, CH
Itinera Res Lunare V 120 Wall Mirror by Atlas Project Dimensions: D 3/5 x Ø 120 cm. Materials: Black powder painted iron, Nero Marquina Marble, mirror, and wood. Available in diffe...
Marble, Iron
$1,092 / item
Tafla O6 Pink Matt Wall Mirror by Zieta
By Zieta
Located in Geneve, CH
Tafla O6 Pink Matt wall mirror by Zieta Dimensions: D6 x W50 x H55 cm Material: Powder-coated carbon steel. Also available in different colors and finishes. Cotton Candy Collectio...
Steel
$6,254 / item
Purdah Large Mirror by INDO-
Located in Geneve, CH
Purdah Large Mirror by INDO- Dimensions: D 10.2 x W 121.9 x H 76.2 cm. Materials: Satin brass, mirrored glass and gold leaf. Each piece is careful...
Brass, Gold Leaf
$5,673 / item
Movimiento Mirror by Joel Escalona
Located in Geneve, CH
Movimietno mirror by Joel Escalona. Limited edition of 9. Dimensions: D 100 x H 100 cm. Materials: steel. Mirror made of electro-painted steel w...
Steel
$730 / item
Small Eclipse Mirror
Located in Geneve, CH
Small eclipse mirror 4 mm faceted mirror on black painted mdf Measures: L70 x H60 x D2 cm Depth: 2 cm / 0.8 inches Weight: 5.7 kg / 12.6 pounds Material: 4 mm faceted mirror on black painted MDF Colours: Silver/Green/Rose The small Eclipse mirror gives reference to the definition of an eclipse; the earth and the moon form a line with the sun. The fan-like shape of the coloured glass set...
Crystal
$13,423 / item
Illusion Wall Mirror by Memoir Essence
Located in Geneve, CH
Illusion Wall Mirror by Memoir Essence Dimensions: D 18 x W 250 x H 150 cm. Materials: Lacquer and aged mirror. Memoir Essence Interiors has been writin...
Mirror, Lacquer
$8,567 / item
Arizona Estremoz Marble Mirror by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Arizona Estremoz Marble Mirror by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 4 x W 84 x H 115 cm. Materials: Estremoz marble, polished nickel, clear mirror. 46 kg. Available in other finishes. In t...
Marble, Nickel
Set Of 5 Vanity Foldable Wall Mirrors by Memoir Essence
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 5 Vanity Foldable Wall Mirrors by Memoir Essence Dimensions: D 18 x W 150 x H 110 cm. Large: D 18 x W 46 x H 75 cm. Small: D 12 x W 35 x H ...
Stainless Steel
$2,633 / item
Cluster Round 62 Mirror by DUISTT
Located in Geneve, CH
Cluster Round 62 Mirror by DUISTT Dimensions: W 62 x D 4 x H 62 cm Materials: Black Iron Structure with Brushed Brass Details Cluster round mirror features a mate black lacquered i...
Brass, Iron
$2,424 / item
Wurstie Mirror by Tero Kuitunen
Located in Geneve, CH
Wurstie mirror by Tero Kuitunen Material: hand built ceramic, glass mirror, wood Dimensions: D 49 x W 49 x H 5 cm Numbered and signed. Ceramic wall mirror, numbered. Open edition. ...
Ceramic, Mirror, Wood
$765 / item
Gio Mirror by Doimo Brasil
Located in Geneve, CH
Gio Mirror by Doimo Brasil Dimensions: D 60 x H 5 cm Materials: Rim: leather, Strap: leather. Also available in D 90 x H 5, D 130 x H 5 cm. Please contact us. With the intentio...
Metal
Scena Elemento Tre Murano Mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk
Located in Geneve, CH
Scena elemento tre murano mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk Dimensions: D 3 x W 30 x H 30 cm Materials: Silvered carved glass, dark gray wood back. Also available in other sizes and d...
Mirror, Wood
Scena Elemento Due Murano Mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk
Located in Geneve, CH
Scena Elemento Due Murano mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk Dimensions: D 3 x W 30 x H 30 cm Materials: silvered carved glass, dark grey wood back. Also available in other designs an...
Mirror, Wood
$15,569 / item
Glass Repeated Mirror II by OS and OOS
By Oskar Peet and Sophie Mensen
Located in Geneve, CH
Glass repeated mirror II by OS and OOS Dimensions: 112 x 152 x 5.5 cm Materials: Rosé glass, nero assoluto marble, champagne metal spacers and bronze mirroring foil. Studio OS a...
Glass
$2,111 / item
Fan Artistic Mirror
Located in Geneve, CH
Fan Mirror Faceted mirror on black painted mdf Measures: L 130 x H 64.6 x D 4 cm. Fan The marvellous Fan and eclipse mirrors are a fantastic addition to our shabby chic Boudoi...
Crystal
Set of 3 Small Scena Elemento Murano Mirrors by Nikolai Kotlarczyk
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Small Scena Elemento Murano mirrors by Nikolai Kotlarczyk Dimensions: D 3 x W 30 x H 30 cm (each). Materials: silvered carved glass, dark gray wood back. Also available ...
Mirror, Wood
$4,907 / item
Mirror Object No.2 by Dechem Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Mirror object No.2 by Dechem Studio. Dimensions: D 53 x H 70 cm. Materials: glass, metal. Axonometric wall mounted mirrors as a symbol of transience...
Metal
$6,381 / item
Dome Mirror by John Vieweg
Located in Geneve, CH
Dome mirror by John Vieweg Dimensions: D 107 x W 107 x H 30.5 cm. Materials: routed plywood. RELIEF refers to both a formal and psychological condition. Historically, reliefs have been made by carving away at natural materials. Thehighkey puts a contemporary spin on this technique by cutting into common industrial products such as plywood and foam. By softening the square edges of these items, their human qualities are revealed. The Glove Couch...
Plywood
$7,649 / item
Small Arizona Estremoz Marble Mirror by InsidherLand
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Arizona Estremoz Marble Mirror by InsidherLand Dimensions: D 4 x W 81 x H 95 cm. Materials: Estremoz marble, polished brass, bronze mirror. 40 kg. Available in other finishes. ...
Marble, Brass
$15,569 / item
Glass Repeated Mirror II, by OS and OOS
By Oskar Peet and Sophie Mensen
Located in Geneve, CH
Glass repeated mirror II, by OS And OOS Dimensions: 112 x 152 x 5.5 cm Materials: Rosé glass, nero assoluto marble, champagne metal spacers and bronze mirroring foil. Studio OS ...
Glass
$1,763 / item
Twilight Decorative Mirror
Located in Geneve, CH
Twilight decorative mirror. Materials: 4 mm faceted mirror on black painted MDF Dimensions: W 55 x H 85 x D 1.2 cm. The marvellous Twilight mirror is a fantastic addition to our...
Mirror
$580 / item
Polaris Mirror
Located in Geneve, CH
Polaris mirror Dimensions: W 42.7 x D 2.2 x H 90 cm Material: 4 mm faceted mirror on black painted MDF Weight: 6 kg Bellatrix & Polaris mirrors f...
Mirror
$15,569 / item
Glass Repeated Mirror II, by OS and OOS
By Oskar Peet and Sophie Mensen
Located in Geneve, CH
Glass repeated mirror II, by OS and OOS Dimensions: 112 x 152 x 5.5 cm Materials: rosé glass, nero assoluto marble, champagne metal spacers and bronze mirroring foil Studio OS a...
Glass
$22,946 / item
Constellation Mirror by Tom Palmer
Located in Geneve, CH
Constellation Mirror by Tom Palmer. Dimensions: D 150 x H 5 cm. Mterials: Glass, Resin. Also available: other sizes and variations available. ...
Glass, Resin
$15,990 / item
Constellation Mirror by Tom Palmer
Located in Geneve, CH
Constellation mirror by Tom Palmer Dimensions: D 120 x H 5 cm Mterials: Glass, Resin Also Available: Other sizes and variations available. T...
Glass, Resin
$12,158 / item
Splendor Wall Mirror by Memoir Essence
Located in Geneve, CH
Splendor Wall Mirror by Memoir Essence Dimensions: D 14 x W 114 x H 220 cm. Materials: Polished stainless steel, high gloss black lacquered finish and clear and aged mirror. Also av...
Stainless Steel
$10,671 / item
Adagio Wall Sculpture by Myriam Hubert
Located in Geneve, CH
Adagio wall sculpture by Myriam Hubert Dimensions: W 75 x H 180 cm. Materials: 'Glass marquetry' with mirror inlays. Intended for residential and hotel ...
Glass
$5,300 / item
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni Designer: ZAVEN. Dimensions: D 5 x W 45 x H 90 cm. Materials: Lacquered wood frame and mirror. Collection / Production: Secondome. Available in...
Mirror, Wood
$4,594 / item
Barbican Mirror No.1 by a Space
Located in Geneve, CH
Barbican Mirror No.1 by A Space Dimensions: D8,89 x H38,1 x W44,45 cm Materials:Misc recycled. The design duo conceived the Barbican Collection over the spring/summer of 2020 wh...
Other
$5,300 / item
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni Designer: ZAVEN. Dimensions: D 5 x W 45 x H 90 cm. Materials: Lacquered wood frame and mirror. Collection / Production: Secondome. Available in...
Mirror, Wood
$5,290 / item
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Panorami Mirror by Secondome Edizioni Designer: ZAVEN. Dimensions: D 5 x W 45 x H 90 cm. Materials: Lacquered wood frame and mirror. Collection / Production: Secondome. Available in...
Mirror, Wood
Large Scena Elemento Due Murano Mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Scena Elemento Due Murano mirror by Nikolai Kotlarczyk Dimensions: D 3 x W 65 x H 60 cm Materials: silvered carved glass, dark gray wood back. Also available in other desi...
Mirror, Wood