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.
$3,951 / item
Pepino Bench by Owl
Located in Geneve, CH
Pepino bench by Owl Dimensions: L 140 x W 60 x H 46 cm Materials: Plywood base, upholstered La Pepino is a collection of only seating, which consists...
Upholstery, Plywood
$10,270 / item
Slab Bench by Studio Gameiro
Located in Geneve, CH
Slab Bench by Studio Gameiro Dimensions: D 40 x W 130 x H 50 cm. Materials: Mocha sandstone and wood. Different stone options on request. Available in three different finishes: hone...
Stone
$4,161 / item
Freeplan Bench by Goons
Located in Geneve, CH
Freeplan Bench by Goons Dimensions: D 25 x W 120 x H 33 cm. Materials: Wood. Goons is located in Paris, France. All of their designs are made out of wood.
Wood
$7,589 / item
Column Root Wood Bank Bench by Tuğçe Geyik
Located in Geneve, CH
Column Root Wood Bank Bench by Tuğçe Geyik Dimensions: D 45 x W 180 x H 45cm. Materials: Wood. Tuğçe Geyik is an architect and designer based in Istanbul. She studied at Yildiz Tec...
Wood
U-shaped Form Rubber Seat and Burned Steel Small Stool by Arno Declercq
Located in Geneve, CH
Small AD stool 2.0 by Arno Declercq Materials: Patinated steel. Dimensions: W 63 x D 38 x H 69 cm. Arno Declercq Belgian designer and art dealer who makes bespoke objects with pass...
Steel
$3,660 / item
Oleander Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Oleander Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 134 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 20 kg Frame Finishes: Textura ...
Steel
$3,182 / item
Patio Bench by Marta Ayala Herrera
Located in Geneve, CH
Patio Bench by Marta Ayala Herrera Dimensions: D 37 x W 112 x H 50 cm. Materials: MDF and woven bulrush. This piece can be customized in different...
Other
$3,834 / item
RUMBO Bench by Jean-Baptiste Van den Heede
Located in Geneve, CH
RUMBO bench by Jean-Baptiste Van den Heede Dimensions: L 118 x D 31 x H 42 cm Materials: White Beech, Textile. Also available: Other textiles available, The upholstered RUMBO v...
Textile, Beech
$7,414 / item
Segno Leather Bench by Amura Lab
Located in Geneve, CH
Segno Leather Bench by Amura Lab Dimensions: W 180 x D 50 x H 46 cm Materials: FRAME: solid wood and multiply, with metal support. SUSPENSIONS: rubber and polypropylene belts SEATS: ...
Foam, Wood
$5,968 / item
Galore 3 Seater Fresh Peach by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Galore 3 Seater Fresh Peach by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D222 x W83 x H 76 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Powder coated black steel legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring system. Weight...
Steel
$4,663 / item
Mikado Bellini 2040 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Mikado Bellini 2040 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 204 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 30kg Frame Finishes: Textura Pap...
Steel
$2,331 / item
Argil Grey Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 147 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 20 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered (glossy/matte) vers...
Other
$4,464 / item
Small Vivid Blue Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Vivid Blue Curved Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 65 x W 165 x H 42 cm Materials: Mild steel, powder-coated with zinc undercoat. Weight: 42 kg Coco Flip is a Melbourne based...
Steel, Zinc
$18,722 / item
Limited Edition Leather Keeva Bench by Nish Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Limited Edition Leather Keeva Bench by Nish Studio Dimensions: W 52.5 x D 206 x H 84.5cm. Materials: Black Diesel leather + SUEDE N I S H is a Cape Tow...
Leather, Suede
$19,235 / item
Panchina Con Linee Antique Bench by Yukiko Nagai
Located in Geneve, CH
Panchina con Linee antique bench by Yukiko Nagai Dimensions: D 60 x W 164 x H 91 cm Material: Iron , Marble(Biancone, Botticino, Trani, Nero Belgio, etc.) Venetian color glass, Mu...
Stone, Cement, Marble, Iron
$4,593 / item
Large Surfmist Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Surfmist Curved Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 75 x W 200 x H 42 cm Materials: Mild steel, powder-coated with zinc undercoat. Weight: 44 kg Coco Flip is a Melbourne based f...
Steel, Zinc
$5,770 / item
Anniversary Bench by Nick Sugihara
Located in Geneve, CH
Anniversary Bench by Nick Sugihara Dimensions: D 50.8 x W 147.32 x H 40.64 cm. Materials: Ash. Available in cherry, ash, and walnut. Please contact us. Sugihara Fine Furniture is...
Ash
$2,389 / item
Dove Grey Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 38 x W 145 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Prices...
Other
$7,052 / item
Beige Dawn Bench by Duistt
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige Dawn Bench by Duistt Dimensions: W 160 x D 50 x H 45 cm Materials: Duistt Fabric, Fur and Brass The DAWN bench, crafted with great attention to detail, is a statement design p...
Brass
$26,218 / item
Olmo #1 Bench by Imperfettolab
Located in Geneve, CH
Olmo #1 Bench by Imperfettolab Limited Edition 2016 Designer: Verter Turroni Dimensions: W 455 x D 35 x H 47 cm Materials: Fibreglass. Imperfetto Lab Who we are ? We are a ...
Fiberglass
$4,593 / item
Large Vivid Blue Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Vivid Blue Curved Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 75 x W 200 x H 42 cm Materials: Mild steel, powder-coated with zinc undercoat. Weight: 44 kg Coco Flip is a Melbourne based...
Steel, Zinc
$3,205 / item
Milan Bench by Maxime Louis-Courcier
Located in Geneve, CH
Milan Bench by Maxime Louis-Courcier Dimensions: W 105 x D 35 x H 45 cm Materials: White Recycled plastics / Black Recycled plastics, polished finish. Abo...
Plastic
$4,663 / item
Oleander Bellini 2040 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Oleander Bellini 2040 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 204 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 30kg Frame Finishes: Textura P...
Steel
$3,660 / item
Sanguine Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Sanguine Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 134 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 20 kg Frame Finishes: Textura ...
Steel
$4,464 / item
Small Black Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Black Curved Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 65 x W 165 x H 42 cm Materials: Mild steel, powder-coated with zinc undercoat. Weight: 42 kg Coco Flip is a Melbourne based furn...
Steel, Zinc
$3,205 / item
Milky White Wave Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Wave Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 60 x W 160 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered (glossy/matte...
Other
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Forest Green by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater forest green by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D206 x W84 x H 63 cm Material: textile upholstery, wooden frame, powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 kg Also avail...
Steel
Milky White Amélie Panchetta Bench by Italo Pertichini
Located in Geneve, CH
Milky White Amélie Panchetta Bench by Italo Pertichini Dimensions: D 60 x W 108 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 11 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered vers...
Other
$2,331 / item
Jet Black Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 147 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 20 kg. Available in a standard version and ...
Other
$3,462 / item
Foot Walnut Bench by Project 213A
Located in Geneve, CH
Foot Walnut Bench by Project 213A Dimensions: W 140 x D 27 x H 30 cm Materials: Walnut This playful design is part of Project 213A's hand carved wooden "foot series"; inspired by a ...
Walnut
$2,331 / item
Powder Blue Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto
Located in Geneve, CH
Powder Blue Wow Bench by Kazuko Okamoto Dimensions: D 43 x W 147 x H 43 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 20 kg. Available in a standard version an...
Other
$3,205 / item
Pumpkin Orange Wave Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Pumpkin Orange Wave Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 60 x W 160 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered (glossy/ma...
Other
Galore 3 Seater Sprinkles Cappuccino Brown by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Galore 3 seater Sprinkles Cappuccino brown by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D222 x W83 x H 76 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Powder coated black steel legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring ...
Steel
$5,968 / item
Galore 3 Seater Minty Grey by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Galore 3 seater minty grey by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D222 x W83 x H 76 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Powder coated black steel legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring system. Weight:...
Steel
Flame Red Enjoy Bench by Adriana Lohmann And Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Flame Red Enjoy Bench by Adriana Lohmann And Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 36 x W 124 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 42 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 15 kg. Available in differen...
Other
$2,795 / item
Nontando Ottoman by TheUrbanative
Located in Geneve, CH
Nontando ottoman by TheUrbanative Dimensions: W70 x L120 x H53 cm Material: Powder-coated steel frame. Velvet upholstered seat with Quilted fabric. TheUrbanative is a contempora...
Steel
$3,205 / item
Elephant Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne Dimensions: D 92 x W 121 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in different color opt...
Other
Pumpkin Orange Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne
Located in Geneve, CH
Pumpkin Orange Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne Dimensions: D 92 x W 121 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in different color op...
Other
$3,660 / item
Mikado Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Mikado Bellini 1340 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 134 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 20 kg Frame Finishes: Textura Pa...
Steel
$5,339 / item
Cubic Lines Bench by Atelier V&F
Located in Geneve, CH
Cubic Lines Bench by Atelier V&F Limited Edition Of 20+2AP Pieces. Dimensions: D 63 x W 226 x H 33 cm. Materials: Oak. Cubic Pillar, Blocks, and Lines is a continuation of our expl...
Oak
$3,205 / item
Lime Green Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne Dimensions: D 92 x W 121 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in different color option...
Other
$4,919 / item
Perlude Oak Bench Small by Caroline Voet
Located in Geneve, CH
Perlude oak bench small by Caroline Voet Dimensions: 120 x H 43 cm Materials: Natural Oak Also available in seating oak black, seating walnut natural, s...
Oak
Lime Green Enjoy Bench by Adriana Lohmann And Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Lime Green Enjoy Bench by Adriana Lohmann And Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 36 x W 124 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 42 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 15 kg. Available in differe...
Other
$10,771 / item
Heritage Bench by Lee Jung Hoon
Located in Geneve, CH
Heritage Bench by Lee Jung Hoon Dimensions: D 32 x W 200 x H 44.1 cm Materials: Granite, Ash, Stainless Steel. The Heritage series, created by designer...
Granite, Stainless Steel
$1,987 / item
Black Along Birch Sofa by Storängen Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Along birch sofa by Storängen Design Dimensions: D 52 x W 150 x H 87 x SH 45 cm Materials: birch wood. Also available in other colors and with seat cushion. Along can be ...
Birch
$1,247 / item
Puffy Stool M by Phormy
Located in Geneve, CH
PUFFY stool M by Phormy Dimensions: D 44 x W 88 x H 44 cm. Materials: Upholstery, powder coated steel base. Different materials and sizes available. PUFFY is softness and lightness dressed up in ten intriguing modules. Its usage is very wide. It will turn out great as a hallway seat...
Steel
$2,389 / item
Powder Blue Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Powder Blue Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 38 x W 145 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Pric...
Other
$2,389 / item
Sweet Fuchsia Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Sweet Fuchsia Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 38 x W 145 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Pr...
Other
$10,200 / item
Bond Bench by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Bond bench by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 152 x W 35.5 x H 45.7 cm Materials: stainless steel A subtle mix of polished and brushed stainless steel, this bench is about attentio...
Stainless Steel
$4,464 / item
Small Olive Green Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Olive Green Curved Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 65 x W 165 x H 42 cm Materials: Mild steel, powder-coated with zinc undercoat. Weight: 42 kg Coco Flip is a Melbourne base...
Steel, Zinc
$1,282 / item
Argil Grey Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro Dimensions: D 46 x W 115 x H 42 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 8 kg. Available in different color options....
Other
$2,389 / item
Elephant Grey Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano
Located in Geneve, CH
Elephant Grey Amore Bench by Giò Colonna Romano Dimensions: D 38 x W 145 x H 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 18 kg. Available in a standard version and lacquered version. Pr...
Other
$3,205 / item
Dove Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne Dimensions: D 92 x W 121 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in different color options...
Other
$8,335 / item
Matias Bench by Casa Gutiérrez Nájer
Located in Geneve, CH
Matias bench by Casa Gutiérrez Nájer (2014) Dimensions: 162 x 47 x 42h cm Materials: metal Also available: gray Since its opening day back in 2011, Casa Gutiérrez Nájera desi...
Metal
$7,052 / item
Blue Dawn Bench by Duistt
Located in Geneve, CH
Blue Dawn Bench by Duistt Dimensions: W 160 x D 50 x H 45 cm Materials: Duistt Fabric, Fur and Brass The DAWN bench, crafted with great attention to detail, is a statement design pi...
Brass
$4,033 / item
Single Bench by Goons
Located in Geneve, CH
Single bench by Goons Dimensions: W 120 x D 35 x H 43 cm. Materials: Wood. Dimensions can be adjusted +/- 10 cm. Goons is located in Paris, France...
Wood
$2,891 / item
Colbert S Stool by Domkapa
Located in Geneve, CH
Colbert S stool by Domkapa Dimensions: W 129 x D 45 x H 45 cm. Materials: Natural leather (Desna Brandy), black texturized steel. Also available in different materials. Colber...
Steel
$1,282 / item
Malva Green Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro
Located in Geneve, CH
Malva Green Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro Dimensions: D 46 x W 115 x H 42 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 8 kg. Available in different color options...
Other
$1,282 / item
Dove Grey Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro
Located in Geneve, CH
Dove Grey Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro Dimensions: D 46 x W 115 x H 42 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 8 kg. Available in different color options. ...
Other
$3,205 / item
Argil Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne
Located in Geneve, CH
Argil Grey Iron Modular Bench by Sebastian Bergne Dimensions: D 92 x W 121 x H 45 cm. Seat Height: 45 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 25 kg. Available in different color option...
Other