Postmodern Design
Design by Joseph Dirand | Photography by Adrien Dirand Photo Courtesy of Architectural Digest
Postmodern design
It began with architecture in the 1960s and translated into furniture and interiors in the 1970s. Although it’s bold shapes are probably most associated with the boldness of the 1980s.
Over recent years, mid-century modern has far and away been the prevailing choice when it comes to interiors but, as it has been said many times over, style is cyclical. There will always be a recurrence of past designs. People are now trading the clean, hard lines of mid-century modern for the soft curves and graphic shapes of postmodernism, and the change feels fresh. Some are calling this iteration “New Postmodernism.”
Let’s take a look at some of the most common elements of this resurgence of postmodernism:
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SHAPE
Smooth, structural, sculptural. Postmodern pieces give a room an art museum vibe. Whether it be a vase, a light fixture, a chair- the bold structure draws attention, but the shape always remains soft and smooth.
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Photo Courtesy of Architectural Digest
Design by Mario Milana
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Design by Sarah Sherman Samuel
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TEXTURE
Boucle fabric, which was quite popular in the 1980s and 1990s, is making a major comeback, and it compliments the soft, round shapes of postmodern furniture.
Texture, however, is not limited to fabrics. Fixtures or furniture surfaces can display a stylized sense of texture through repetition. Fluted accents are a great example of this.
Image from Instagram Kristen Giorgi
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Design by freadman white and anon studio
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PATTERN
The Memphis Design was created by the Memphis Group (an Italian design and architecture collective based in Milan, Italy) in 1981, and had a major impact on the style of the 1980s. Think bold, colorful, geometric shapes.
Those bold patterns are resurfacing today, but modernized by a softer color palette.
Cubist style elements, made popular by Piet Mondrian, are also resurfacing in subtler ways.
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Revisiting previous design movements is a great opportunity to assess what elements worked best and to incorporate those elements in your current space. If it feels intimidating, start small. Adding a fluted side table or a sculptural lamp or vase can make an impactful difference in a room.
