The Impact of Postmodern Design on Today's Interiors

What the Flamingo is Postmodern Design?

Postmodern design, much like the hairstyle of a certain 80s pop star, beguiles and confounds in equal measure. It is an aesthetic philosophy that can be as slippery as a greased eel in a field of banana skins.

The word "postmodern" was first coined in the 1970s as a reaction to the rigid rules of modernism, a movement characterized by a strict adherence to minimalism, clean lines, and functionality. Postmodern design trampled all over those rules, gleefully dancing on the grave of the modernist principles it aimed to supplant.

It's a movement that's been described as a bit like throwing a party for all the weird and wonderful outcasts of the design world, and then letting them run riot with the decorations. Forget the geometric shapes and muted colors of modernism, postmodern design is all about playfulness, color, and a healthy dose of kitsch.

Invasion of the Memphis Group

The Memphis Group, a collective of Italian designers led by the late Ettore Sottsass, can be credited with pushing postmodern design into the mainstream. Their work was the sartorial equivalent of wearing a patterned suit with clashing socks and a bow-tie. Memphis designers made it their mission to challenge the status quo, and in doing so, they created some of the most memorable and divisive pieces in the history of design.

Think bold colors, playful patterns, and squiggly shapes. Think chairs that look like they were designed by someone who had just eaten a sizable chunk of Roald Dahl's giant peach. Think lamps that could double as the headgear of a Martian dignitary. This was the wild, wacky, and wonderful world of the Memphis Group.

How Postmodern Design Still Haunts Our Interiors Today

Now, don't be alarmed, but postmodern design is all around us. It's in the curvaceous sofas we squirm our rears into, the geometric wallpaper we glue to our walls, and the coffee tables that resemble abstract sculptures. It's an enduring aesthetic that's managed to charm and irritate in equal measure for almost half a century. Here are some ways that the ghost of postmodern design continues to haunt our interiors:

The Revival of Kitsch

Postmodern design is often accused of being kitschy, but in the hands of the right designer, kitsch can be elevated to an art form. Take, for example, the work of contemporary British designer Abigail Ahern, who has built a career on her love of all things kitsch. Her designs are stuffed full of oversized animal lamps, plush velvet armchairs, and a menagerie of eccentric ornaments. Ahern's interiors seem to have been lifted straight from the pages of a Lewis Carroll novel, and they are all the better for it.

The Playful Approach to Function

One of the key elements of postmodern design is its willingness to play with form and function. This can be seen in the work of Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, whose "Knotted Chair" looks like it's been fashioned from a tangle of rope. In reality, it's made of carbon fiber and resin-infused aramid cord. This playful approach to furniture design has given us pieces that delight and confound in equal measure.

The Continued Legacy of the Memphis Group

Although the Memphis Group disbanded in the late 1980s, their influence can still be felt in the work of designers such as Peter Shire and Nathalie Du Pasquier. Both former members of the group, their work is instantly recognizable for its bold patterns, vibrant colors, and playful forms.

And it's not just these designers who are keeping the spirit of the Memphis Group alive. Interior designers are increasingly looking to the postmodern era for inspiration, with companies such as IKEA, H&M Home, and Habitat all offering up their own homages to the style.

The Unapologetic Use of Color

Postmodern design is unapologetic in its use of color, and this is nowhere more evident than in the work of Mexican architect Ricardo Bofill. His designs are an explosion of color and form that leave the viewer feeling as though they've been sucked into a kaleidoscopic vortex. Bofill's work is a testament to the power of color, and its continued popularity shows that there's still an appetite for interiors that defy convention.

Postmodern Design: An Aesthetic That Refuses to Die

Like a tenacious houseplant that refuses to wither, postmodern design continues to thrive in today's interiors. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to surprise, delight, and challenge our expectations of what design should be. It's a movement that reminds us that interiors should be as varied, interesting, and downright peculiar as the people who inhabit them.

So the next time you find yourself in a room filled with squiggly furniture, clashing patterns, and an oversized flamingo-shaped lamp, take a moment to appreciate the impact that postmodern design has had on our interiors. It's a movement that's managed to carve out its very own, wonderfully bizarre niche in the world of design, and for that, we should all be grateful.

Article kindly provided by designerviews.org