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.
$5,142 / item
Elm KKilim 123 Rug by ETHNİCLOOM
Located in Geneve, CH
Elm KKilim 123 Rug by ETHNİCLOOM Dimensions: W 210 x H 290 cm Materials: Wool Weave. The Founder Ethnicloom was founded as a natural continuation of its creator, Elif Gönensay’s l...
Wool
$1,870 / item
Colonnade no.08 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr
Located in Geneve, CH
Colonnade no.08 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr Dimensions: D 85 x H 240 cm (excl fringes) Materials: 85% Wool, 15% cotton Colonnade no.08 & Rug no.17 is a light flat-woven, handmade rug in n...
Wool, Cotton
$13,591 / item
Terrazzo Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Terrazzo Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in D170, D200, D240, W140 x L220, W200 x L200, W170 x L2...
Wool, Silk
$8,284 / item
Quotidiana Corinth Hand Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Quotidiana Corinth hand knotted Rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 5' x H 8' Pile Height: 4 mm Materials: Matka silk, wool. Eskayel hand knotted rugs are woven to order and can be cu...
Wool, Silk
$2,847 / item
Red/Yellow Handwoven Tapestry by Calyah
Located in Geneve, CH
Red/Yellow Handwoven Tapestry by Calyah Unique piece Materials: Tibetan wool and silk. Dimensions: 170 x 65 x 1 cm Colour: red/yellow Also available in gold/orange, white/blue, ...
Wool, Silk
$447 / item
Small Green Rombo Rug by Studio MLR
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Green Rombo rug by Studio MLR Materials: 65% wool, 35% jute. Dimensions: W 90 x L 140 cm Available in 3 sizes: W90 x L140, W170 x L240, W75 x L200 cm. Available in grey, mo...
Wool, Jute
$3,730 / item
Bold Stripe Isthmus Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Bold Stripe Isthmus Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 5' x H 8' Pile Height: 15 mm. Materials: Merino wool, NZ wool. Eskayel hand-knotted rugs are woven to order and ca...
Wool
CF F1 2018 Silk Rug by Caturegli Formica, Post-Modern Design, Italy
Located in Geneve, CH
CF F1 2018 by Caturegli Formica. Dimensions: W 320 x L 230 cm Materials: Silk Carpets as deep information Carpets are very common items. But it has never really been clear if...
Silk
$5,730 / item
Sulblu Nesso Uno Runner Rug by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Sulblu Nesso Uno Runner rug by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 80 x H 345 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Also available in Redwine-lemon, Olive-gold, Gray-blue. Custo...
Wool
$2,259 / item
Colonnade No.02 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr
Located in Geneve, CH
Colonnade no.02 Rug by Cappelen DImyr Dimensions: D100 x H240 Materials: 85% wool, 15% cotton Colonnade no.02 is an homage to the understated bohemian elegance that is the signa...
Wool, Cotton
$10,072 / item
Kotoubia Pausa Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Kotoubia Pausa Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 9' x H 6' Pile Height: 6 mm low pile, 10mm high pile. Materials: 70% Merino wool, 30% silk. Eskayel hand-knotted rugs a...
Wool, Silk
$6,530 / item
No.11 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr
Located in Geneve, CH
No.11 Rug by Cappelen Dimyr Dimensions: D240 x H320 cm Materials: 100% wool no.11 is a heavy, compact and rustic rug in luxury chunky wool woven in a clas...
Wool
$10,872 / item
Adurite Frame Small Rug by Art & Loom
Located in Geneve, CH
Adurite Frame Small Rug by Art & Loom Dimensions: D243.4 x H304.8 cm Materials: New Zealand wool with Chinese silk—(2) pile heights Quality (Knots per Inch): 100 Also available in di...
Wool, Silk
$12,685 / item
Monti Casteloro Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Monti Casteloro Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W170 x L215, W190 x L235, W210 x L245, W243 x L300 cm. Atelier Bowy ...
Wool, Silk
$7,189 / item
Place Denfert-Rochereau Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Place Denfert-Rochereau Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 110 x L 435 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W90 x L360, W100 x L400, W110 x L435 cm. Atelier Bowy C.D. is ded...
Wool, Silk
$12,296 / item
Saverne, Le Dessin #130, Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Saverne, Le Dessin #130, Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in D200, D240, W170 x L215, W190 x L235, W210 x L245, W243 x L300 cm...
Wool, Silk
$4,931 / item
Cuori Rug I by Giulio Brambilla
Located in Geneve, CH
Cuori rug I by Giulio Brambilla Dimensions: D 300 x W 200 x H 0.5 cm Materials: NZ wool, melange yarn Named after the Italian word for “heart“, this rug is part of a refined col...
Wool
$7,319 / item
Bellac, Le Dessin #12, Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Bellac, Le Dessin #12, Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 170 x L 240 cm Materials: Wool, silk. Available in D200, D240, W140 x L220, W170 x L240, W210 x L300, W243 x L350 cm. ...
Wool, Silk
Rectangular Black and Colorful Wool Carpet by Missoni, Italy 1980s
By Missoni
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1980s. Made in wool. Unfortunately the label is no longer attached, but we can guarantee it is by Missoni as we already had one like this. This carpet is vintage, th...
Wool
$8,225 / item
Bevanti Dirty Snow Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Bevanti Dirty Snow Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool. Available in W140 x L220, W170 x L240, W210 x L300, W230 x L300, W243 x L300 cm. Ate...
Wool
$34,983 / item
Cf Gattaca by Caturegli Formica
Located in Geneve, CH
CF GATTACA by Caturegli Formica Dimensions: W 360 x L 290 cm Materials: Wool Produced by Elio Palmisano in 1989-90 for the collection/exhibition Tappeti e Arazzi Biographic...
Wool
$25,629 / item
Richmond 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RICHMOND 200 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D300 x H200 cm Materials: Silk 100% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic and ...
Silk
$41,667 / item
Dash 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DASH 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
$17,897 / item
Diego Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Diego hand-knotted rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 9' x H 12' Pile Height: 30 mm Materials: 100% bamboo silk. Eskayel hand-knotted rugs are woven to ...
Silk
$16,671 / item
Scallop Large Rug by Art & Loom
Located in Geneve, CH
Scallop large rug by Art & Loom Dimensions: D 304.8 x H 426.7 cm Materials: 100% New Zealand wool—loop & cut Quality (Knots per Inch): 80 Also available in different dimensions. ...
Wool
$51,258 / item
Richmond 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
RICHMOND 400 rug by Illulian Dimensions: D400 x H300 cm Materials: Silk 100% Variations available and prices may vary according to materials and sizes. Illulian, historic and...
Silk
$41,667 / item
Spike 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SPIKE 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
$41,667 / item
Memento 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MEMENTO 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...
Wool, Silk
Memento 400 Rug by Illulian, Wool and Silk, Post-Modern Design, Italy
Located in Geneve, CH
MEMENTO 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...
Wool, Silk
BC Erba Grass Rug by Caturegli Formica - Post-Modern Italian Design
Located in Geneve, CH
BC ERBA/grass 1989-1990 by Caturegli Formica Dimensions: W 250 x L 250 cm Materials: Wool Produced by Elio Palmisano in 1989-90 for the collection/exhibition Tappeti e Arazzi ...
Wool
$20,839 / item
Skull & Bones 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SKULL & BONES 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...
Wool, Silk
$41,667 / item
Skull & Bones 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
SKULL & BONES 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. Illul...
Wool, Silk
$20,274 / item
Sky Arc Neutral hand knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Sky Arc Neutral hand knotted Rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 9' x H 15' Pile Height: 4 mm pile, 3mm pile, 2mm loop. Materials: New Zealand woo...
Wool, Silk
$19,062 / item
Biami Black Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Biami black hand-knotted rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D8' x H10' Pile height: 10 mm Materials: 100% Silk Eskayel hand-knotted rugs are woven to order a...
Silk
$13,332 / item
Lurna Calibea Alegra Raw Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Lurna Calibea Alegra Raw Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W170 x L215, W190 x L235, W210 x L245, W243 x L300 cm. Atel...
Wool, Silk
$20,839 / item
Downtown 200 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
DOWNTOWN 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
Rehab 400 Rug by Illulian, Wool and Silk, Post-Modern Design, Italy
Located in Geneve, CH
REHAB 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
$5,559Sale Price|20% Off
New Beni Mrirt Turquoise Moroccan Kilim Rug with a Raised Design, 08'02 x 11'06
Located in Dallas, TX
21162 New Modern Beni Mrirt Moroccan High-Low Rug, 08'02 x 11'06. This stunning hand-knotted wool modern Beni Mrirt Moroccan high-low rug encapsulates the essence of contemporary art...
Wool
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug with Bungalow Craftsman Style
Located in Dallas, TX
50299 vintage Turkish Oushak rug with bungalow craftsman style. This hand knotted wool antique-washed vintage Turkish Oushak rug features an oversized diamond-shaped center medallion...
Wool
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
1970's Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas Carpet with Modern Style
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
53307 Zeki Muren Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 06'02 x 09'01. This hand-knotted wool Zeki Muren distressed vint...
Wool
$10,080Sale Price|20% Off
The Chromatic Grid: A Modern Moroccan Masterpiece of Geometric Expression
By Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, Gunta Stölzl
Located in Dallas, TX
80697 Modern Moroccan Color Block Rug Inspired by Gunta Stolzl, 10'05 x 13'10. Presenting a resplendent testament to artistic audacity and daring creativi...
Wool
$1,994Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal Rug
Located in Dallas, TX
21613 Vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal Rug, 03'11 x 06'03. With its simplicity, boho chic style, incredible detail and texture, this hand knotted wool vintage Berber Moroccan Azilal ru...
Wool
$3,248Sale Price|20% Off
Late 20th Century Vintage Zemmour Moroccan Kilim Runner
Located in Dallas, TX
21714 Vintage Zemmour Moroccan Kilim Runner, 01'03 x 16'01. Full of tiny details and tribal style, this hand-woven wool vintage Zemmour Berber Mo...
Wool
$5,199Sale Price|20% Off
The Modernist Mirage: A Contemporary Moroccan Masterpiece of Bauhaus Geometry
Located in Dallas, TX
53200 New Contemporary Moroccan Rug, 09'11 x 12'04. This striking contemporary Moroccan rug, hand knotted in wool in Turkey, is a confident dialogue between modernist design and artisanal tradition. Drawing clear inspiration from Cubist abstraction and Bauhaus rigor, the composition is unapologetically architectural—an intellectual textile created for interiors where design literacy and connoisseurship quietly command the room. It is not merely decorative; it is a statement of cultivated taste. The sumptuous field unfolds in a hypnotic all-over geometry: disciplined horizontal rows of concentric cubes...
Wool
$1,399Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Berber Moroccan Rug with Color Block Design
Located in Dallas, TX
21066, vintage Berber Rehamna Moroccan rug with color block pattern and Cubist style. Drawing inspiration from Paul Klee, Sonia Delaunay, and Theo van Doesburg, this hand knotted woo...
Wool
$919Sale Price|20% Off
Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug with Postmodern Cubist Style
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
53342, distressed vintage Turkish Sivas rug with Postmodern Cubist style. This hand knotted wool distressed vintage Turkish Sivas rug features an all-over checkered diagonal stripe p...
Wool
$1,512Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug with Abstract Expressionist Postmodern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
77136 vintage Turkish Oushak rug with Abstract Expressionist Postmodern style. This hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug features an abstract expressionist and Post-modern st...
Wool
$12,866 / item
Rock Paper Edge Medium Rug by Art & Loom
Located in Geneve, CH
Rock paper edge medium rug by Art & Loom Dimensions: D 274.3 x H 365.8 cm. Materials: 100% New Zealand wool Quality (knots per inch): 80 Also avail...
Wool
$26,829 / item
Adriatico Tesoro Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Adriatico Tesoro Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel. Dimensions: D10' x H14'. Pile Height: 5 mm. Materials: Merino wool and silk. Eskayel hand-knotted rugs are woven to order and can ...
Wool, Silk
$16,671 / item
Rock Paper Edge Large Rug by Art & Loom
Located in Geneve, CH
Rock paper edge large rug by Art & Loom Dimensions: D304.8 x H426.7 cm Materials: 100% New Zealand wool Quality (Knots per Inch): 80 Also available...
Wool
$8,354 / item
Santa Facile 99 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Santa Facile 99 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W140 x L220, W170 x L240, W200 x L300, W243 x L300 cm. Atelier Bowy C.D. ...
Wool, Silk
Unique Organic Shape Hand-Dyed Blue European Sheepskin Small Rug by Carine Boxy
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Organic Shape Hand-Dyed Blue European Sheepskin Small Rug by Carine Boxy Dimensions: 210 x 130 cm Materials: Naturally dyed sheepskin. Size and color can be customized upon re...
Sheepskin
$7,921 / item
Pink Ever Rug by Paolo Stella
By Paolo Stella
Located in Geneve, CH
Pink ever rug by Paolo Stella. Dimensions: D 200 x W 300cm (Pile heigh: 1.2 - 3 cm) Materials: Viscose, linen Available in other color. “My first memory of a rug is Aladdin’s f...
Linen
$8,354 / item
Santa Boyar 94 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Santa Boyar 94 Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in W140 x L220, W170 x L240, W200 x L300, W243 x L300 cm. Atelier Bowy C.D. i...
Wool, Silk
$17,403 / item
Kotoubia Duomo Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel
Located in Geneve, CH
Kotoubia Duomo Hand-Knotted Rug by Eskayel Dimensions: D 10' x H 8' Pile Height: 6 mm low pile, 10mm high pile. Materials: 30% Merino wool, 70% silk. Eskayel hand-knotted rugs ...
Wool, Silk
$12,685 / item
Monti Caruso Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D.
Located in Geneve, CH
Monti Caruso Edit Rug by Atelier Bowy C.D. Dimensions: W 243 x L 300 cm. Materials: Wool, silk. Available in D170, D200, D240, W140 x L220, W200 x L200, W170 x L240, W200 x L300, W2...
Wool, Silk
$41,667 / item
Madama Butterfly 400 Rug by Illulian
Located in Geneve, CH
MADAMA BUTTERFLY 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 c...
Wool, Silk
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
New Silver Modern Damask Contemporary Rug, 06'10 x 09'08
Located in Dallas, TX
31142 New Silver Lace Modern Gray Damask Rug, 06'10 x 09'08. The hand-knotted wool Silver Lace Modern Damask rug is a stunning example of contemporary craftsmanship blended with the ...
Wool
$23,532 / item
Sottovolto Rug by Seraina Lareida
Located in Geneve, CH
Sottovolto rug by Seraina Lareida Dimensions: W 300 x H 390 cm Materials: 100% New Zeland top-quality wool. Available in sizes: Medium (150 x 200cm), and Large (200 x 260cm). Cus...
Wool
$776 / item
Pink To Be Rug by Paolo Stella
By Paolo Stella
Located in Geneve, CH
Pink To Be rug by Paolo Stella Dimensions: D 60 x W 100 cm (Pile heigh: 1.2 - 3 cm) Materials: viscose, linen Available in other colors. “My first memory of a rug is Aladdin’s ...
Linen