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.
$1,282 / item
Jet Black Atlas Bench by Giorgio Biscaro
Located in Geneve, CH
Jet Black 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. This product is suitable fo...
Other
$4,663 / item
Sanguine Bellini 2040 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Sanguine 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 B...
Steel
$4,464 / item
Small Woodland Grey Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Woodland Grey 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 ba...
Steel, Zinc
$7,181 / item
Values Power Bench by Geke Lensink
Located in Geneve, CH
Values Power Bench by Geke Lensink Dimensions: D40 x W100 x H62 cm Materials: ash wood, rock crystal and crochet wool After graduating from ArtEZ University of the Arts, Geke ...
Rock Crystal
$4,593 / item
Large Woodland Grey Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Woodland Grey 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 ba...
Steel, Zinc
$2,436 / item
Marmoset Bellini 540 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Marmoset Bellini 540 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 54 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 12 kg Frame Finishes: Textura Bl...
Steel
$4,593 / item
Large Pale Eucalypt Curved Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Pale Eucalypt 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 ba...
Steel, Zinc
$2,436 / item
Marmoset Bellini 540 Bench by Coco Flip
Located in Geneve, CH
Marmoset Bellini 540 Bench by Coco Flip Dimensions: D 54 x W 54 x H 52.5 cm Materials: Timber / Upholstered tops, Powder-coated steel frame. Weight: 12 kg Frame Finishes: Textura Pa...
Steel
$10,212 / item
Antropología Bench by Raúl De La Cerda
Located in Geneve, CH
Antropología bench by Raúl de la Cerda Dimensions: D 40 x W 120 x H 40 cm Materials: oak wood, Negro Monterrey marble. Solid holm white oak with negro Monterrey marble bench. ...
Marble
$9,489 / item
Black Layered Oak Wood Bench by Hyungshin Hwang
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Layered oak wood bench by Hyungshin Hwang. Dimensions: D 120 x W 72 x H 39 cm. Materials: ebonized red oak. Layered Series is the main theme and concept of work of Hwang, ...
Oak
$9,536 / item
Movimiento Bench by Joel Escalona
Located in Geneve, CH
Movimiento bench by Joel Escalona Limited Edition of 9 Dimensions: D 40 x W 120 x H 45 cm Materials: oak wood, metal. White oak veneer with meta...
Metal
$7,542 / item
Fried Egg Sofa Dark Ochre by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Fried egg sofa dark ochre by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 186 x W 68 x H 68 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Solid oiled teak Weight: 42 kg Also available in different colours and f...
Upholstery, Teak
$15,388 / item
Panchina Bianca Antique Bench by Yukiko Nagai
Located in Geneve, CH
Panchina Bianca Antique bench by Yukiko Nagai. Dimensions: D55 x W157 x H90 cm. Material: Iron , Marble, Natural stone, Cement, Stucco Weight: 80 kg. A vintage white bench...
Stone, Cement, Marble, Iron
$5,968 / item
Galore 3 Seater Light Steel Blue by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Galore 3 Seater Light Steel Blue by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D222 x W83 x H 76 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Powder coated black steel legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring system. W...
Steel
$9,361 / item
Konik Bench by Olexandr Pinchuk
Located in Geneve, CH
Konik Bench by Olexandr Pinchuk Dimensions: D 55 x W 163.5 x H 78 cm. Materials: Plywood, oak, oil. Olexandr Pinchuk (Ukraine, 1986) Master of Laws, studied at the International La...
Oak, Plywood
$7,134 / item
Caper 3 Seater with Stitches Mint by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater with stitches mint by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 200 x W 84 x H 80 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Wooden frame, Powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 kg Al...
Steel
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Sand by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater Sand 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 available in ...
Steel
$12,636 / item
Alalunga Bench by Secondome Edizioni and Studio F
Located in Geneve, CH
Alalunga Bench by Secondome Edizioni and Studio F Designer: Giulio Iacchetti. Dimensions: D 30 x W 300 x H 43 cm. Materials: Solid woodworm maple wood. Collection / Production: Seco...
Maple
$35,789 / item
Fusion Bench by Secondome Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Fusion Bench by Secondome Edizioni Limited Edition Of 9 pieces + 3 A.P. Designer: Millim Studio. Dimensions: D 45 x W 120 x H 40 cm. Materials: Marquina marble and plexiglass Collec...
Marble
$3,893 / item
Famed Brass Bench by Lagu
Located in Geneve, CH
Famed brass bench by Lagu Designed by Ufuk Ceylan Dimensions: W 150 x D 45 x H 47 cm. Materials: Fabric, Foam, Brass. The Famed bench...harmoniously combi...
Brass
$6,971 / item
Dwell 2 Seater Sheepskin Moonlight by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Dwell 2 seater sheepskin moonlight by Warm Nordic. Dimensions: D137 x W66 x H 73 cm. Material: sheepskin upholstery, solid smoked or white oiled oak legs, wooden frame, foam, sprin...
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Oak
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Blush by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater blush by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 206 x W 84 x H 63 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Wooden frame, Powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 kg Also available ...
Steel
$7,542 / item
Fried Egg Sofa Grey Melange by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Fried egg sofa grey Melange by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D186 x W68 x H 68 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Solid oiled teak Weight: 42 kg Also available i...
Upholstery, Teak
$6,633 / item
Dwell 2 Seater Blush by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Dwell 2 Seater Blush by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D137 x W66 x H 73 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Solid smoked or white oiled oak legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring system. Weight:...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Oak
$4,651 / item
Trasiego Bench by Sebastián Ángeles
Located in Geneve, CH
Trasiego bench by Arturo Verástegui Dimensions: D 160 x W 60 x H 42 cm Materials: oak wood. Natural white oak bench. Sebastián Angeles is an In...
Oak
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Minty Grey by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 Seater Minty Grey 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 availab...
Steel
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Petrol by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater olive by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 206 x W 84 x H 63 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Wooden frame, Powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 kg Also available ...
Steel
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Terracotta by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater terracotta 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 availab...
Steel
$10,515 / item
Optique Bench by Albert Potgieter Designs
Located in Geneve, CH
Optique bench by Albert Potgieter Designs Dimensions: D 55 x W 160 x H 45 cm. SH: 45 cm. Materials: Mahogany wood. The Optique Bench is the flag ship piece of our art furniture ...
Wood
$7,542 / item
Fried Egg Sofa Pale Rose by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Fried Egg Sofa Pale Rose by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D186 x W68 x H 68 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Solid oiled teak Weight: 42 kg Also available in different colours and fini...
Upholstery, Teak
Caper 3 Seater with Stitches Fresh Peach by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater with stitches fresh peach by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D200 x W84 x H 80 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Wooden frame, Powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 k...
Steel
Fried Egg Sofa Soft Violet Plum Fresh Peach by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Fried egg sofa soft violet plum fresh peach by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 186 x W 68 x H 68 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Solid oiled teak Weight: 42 kg Also available in diffe...
Upholstery, Teak
$6,633 / item
Dwell 2 Seater Silk Camel by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Dwell 2 seater silk camel by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D137 x W66 x H 73 cm Material: Leather upholstery, Solid smoked or white oiled oak legs, Wooden frame, foam, spring system. We...
Leather, Upholstery, Foam, Wood, Oak
$5,968 / item
Galore 3 Seater Sprinkles Eggplant by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Galore 3 seater sprinkles eggplant by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D222 x W83 x H 76 cm Material: textile upholstery, powder coated black steel legs, wooden frame, foam, spring system. ...
Steel
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Mosaic Dark Bordeaux by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater Mosaic Dark Bordeaux 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 Al...
Steel
$6,131 / item
Caper 3 Seater Mosaic Spicy Brown by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Caper 3 seater Mosaic spicy brown by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D 206 x W 84 x H 63 cm Material: Textile upholstery, Wooden frame, Powder coated black steel legs. Weight: 55.5 kg Al...
Steel
Brown Linear Carved Oak Steel Contemporary Sculptural Bench by STUDIO SOL LECCIA
Located in Geneve, CH
Numero 7 bench by STUDIO SOL LECCIA Dimensions: W 200 x D 38 x H 34 cm Materials: Carved raw oak, EPDM foam leather, Skin, feet in oiled raw steel. Options: b...
Steel
$3,135 / item
Colbert L Stool by Domkapa
Located in Geneve, CH
Colbert L stool by Domkapa Dimensions: W 154 x D 45 x H 45 cm. Materials: Natural leather (Desna Brandy), black texturized steel. Also available in different materials. Colbert...
Steel
$1,375 / item
Airisto Bench, Natural Ash by Made by Choice
Located in Geneve, CH
Airisto bench/side table natural ash by Made By Choice with Joanna Laajisto Dimensions: W 96cm, D 35cm, H 45 cm Materials: Solid ash Finishes: Natural ash / painted black Also ...
Wood, Ash
$26,264 / item
Lost Space 1-2 Bench by The Shaw
Located in Geneve, CH
Lost Space 1-2 bench by The Shaw Dimensions: D245 x W 90 x H82 cm Materials: Stainless Steel Weight: 150 kg L O S T S P A C E The sun rose and instant...
Stainless Steel
$5,584 / item
Perlude Walnut Natural Small by Caroline Voet
Located in Geneve, CH
Perlude walnut natural small by Caroline Voet Dimensions: 120 x H 43 cm Materials: Walnut natural Also available in oak natural, seating oak black, se...
Walnut
$3,404 / item
Nakki Bench by Mika Tolvanen
Located in Geneve, CH
Nakki bench by Mika Tolvanen. Materials: Foam, Plywood, Elastic Belts, fabric (Harald 3, 0143). Dimensions: D 45 x W 120 x H 46 cm. Also available in different colours and materials. The founders, Mia and Torben Koed, decided to put their 30 years of experience into a new project. It was time for a change and a new challenge. The challenge was to build an ambitious design brand from the ground up with high-quality materials and great attention to the little details. With a drive to create new originals, the WOUD collection is founded upon the idea to look ahead instead of looking back and share the love for honest design. Therefore, we are eager to discover and develop new ideas whether it being in form, function or choice of material. Studio Tolvanen...
Metal
Post-Modern Carved Maple Drum Bench for 4 by John Eric Byers
Located in Geneve, CH
Drum bench for 4 by John Eric Byers Dimensions: D41 x W163 x H41 cm Materials: carved + blackened + maple All works are individually handmade to order. John Eric Byers create...
Other
Small Pausa Burnt Oak Bench by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Pausa burnt oak bench by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte Dimensions: D 20 x W 95 x H 45 cm Materials: burnt oak wood. Available in natural oak version and in 3 sizes. Pausa is...
Oak
Garry Knox Bennett Sculptural "Whistling Bench"
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Genius and whimsical bench designed by the legendary experimentalist designer and maker Garry Knox Bennett. GKB personified a West Coast Spirit using...
Wood
Modular ceramic bench seating by Andrée & Michel Hirlet, France
Located in London, GB
Modular Bench/Loveseat by Andrée & Michel Hirlet Material: Glazed stoneware Dimensions: H 70 x 94 x 55 cm Year: 122025 Rhis new piece results from a limited-edition series based on ...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$10,048 / item
Solid Wood and Cast Metal Tabu Madeira by Studio Orth
Located in Geneve, CH
Solid Wood and Cast Metal Tabu Madeira by Studio Orth Dimensions: W 130 x D 50 x H 38 cm Materials: Solid wood and cast metal. Finishes: Polished Cast Brass or Polished Cast Aluminum...
Metal
Caballito Blanco Long Bench in Leather & Fabric by Oscar Maschera
Located in Geneve, CH
Caballito Blanco Long Bench in Leather & Fabric by Oscar Maschera Dimensions: D 36 x W 140 x H 50 cm. Materials: Leather and fabric. Available in different sizes and materials. ...
Leather, Fabric
Fenestra 180 Rectangular Bench in Warm Brown European Oak by Mokko Amsterdam
Located in Geneve, CH
Fenestra 180 Rectangular Bench in Warm Brown European Oak by Mokko Amsterdam Dimensions: D 45 x W 180 x H 45 cm. Materials: European oak. Available in different material options an...
Oak
$7,694 / item
B2441 Bench in Oak Wood by Jörg Pietschmann
Located in Geneve, CH
B2441 Bench in Oak Wood by Jörg Pietschmann Dimensions: D 20 x W 160 x H 120 cm. Materials: Oak. In Pietschmann’s sculptures, trees that for centuries were part of a landscape and f...
Oak
$8,207 / item
Plane Bench by Temper Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Plane Bench by Temper Studio Dimensions: D 40 x W 180 x H 45 cm. Materials: Wood. The Plane Bench is designed with communal dining and our Plane Table in mind, while also working pe...
Wood
$3,823 / item
Ele Bench by Murubi
Located in Geneve, CH
Ele Bench by Murubi Dimensions: W 120 x D 42 x H 45 cm. Materials: Walnut Wood (natural). Also available in different materials: Ash wood (natural), Teak wood (natural), Walnut woo...
Wood, Walnut
$5,665 / item
Benchy Solid Beech Two Seater Bench by Marco Calhau
Located in Geneve, CH
Benchy Solid Beech Two Seater Bench by Marco Calhau Dimensions: D 60 x W 160 x H 60 cm. Materials: Solid beech timber wood, and upholstery. All pieces are handmade and under order a...
Upholstery, Beech
$10,258 / item
Helios Bench by Emilie Lemardeley
Located in Geneve, CH
Helios Bench by Emilie Lemardeley Dimensions: D 140 x W 40 x H 40 cm Materials: Wood, fabric. Designed as jewellery for the interior, the Lemardeley’s creations reflect French craft...
Fabric, Wood
$2,937 / item
Mellow 140 Bench by Munna
Located in Geneve, CH
Mellow 140 Bench by Munna Dimensions: D 50 x W 140 x H 53 cm. SH: 53 cm. Materials: Wood, foam, and upholstery. Finish: Cotton Velvet upholstery. Available in all Munna fabrics exce...
Upholstery, Foam, Wood
$5,665 / item
Copper Brown Lazy-O Bench by Somaschini
Located in Geneve, CH
Copper Brown Lazy-O Bench by Somaschini Dimensions: W 180 x D 40 x H 45 cm Materials: Lightened mdf monolithic structure. S55-02 Copper brown Argilla finish. Bench in N.151 Copper b...
Copper
$3,450 / item
MG103 Bench, Leather, by Malte Gormsen
Located in Geneve, CH
MG103 Bench, Leather, by Malte Gormsen Dimensions: D 40 x W 80 x H 46 cm. Materials: Dark Nature oak, blackened metal, leather. Available in Nature, Raw Nature, Light Nature, Grey N...
Metal
$1,328 / item
Layout Bench by Studio Super Sunday
Located in Geneve, CH
Layout Bedside Table by Studio Super Sunday Dimensions: D 33 x W 101,6 x H 45,7 cm. Materials: Ash. Available in six different finishes. Prices may vary. Please contact us. We are ...
Ash
$2,203 / item
Bock Bench 90 by Frau Caze
Located in Geneve, CH
Bock Bench 90 by Frau Caze Dimensions: D 41 x W 90 x H 75 cm. Materials: Oiled oak. Available in 53, 90, or 120cm width. Please contact us. Standing Bench Bock achieves a new way o...
Oak
$1,923 / item
Bock Bench 53 by Frau Caze
Located in Geneve, CH
Bock Bench 53 by Frau Caze Dimensions: D 41 x W 53 x H 75 cm. Materials: Oiled oak. Available in 53, 90, or 120cm width. Please contact us. Standing Bench Bock achieves a new way o...
Oak