4 min readAfter years of cool neutrals and extreme minimalism, homeowners and renters are yearning for warmth, clean lines, and beautiful functionality—and midcentury modern design has once again found itself in the spotlight. Midcentury modern style has become highly covetable to the masses. You can’t scroll on Facebook Marketplace as a designophile without seeing someone trying to sell a piece of furniture they swear is of the era (whether it actually is or isn’t, though, is a topic for another day).
Still, designers and other experts are finding that people want more—more color, more personality, more whimsy. Reminiscent of when this beloved style first emerged in the mid-20th century, designers are seeing postmodernism as the playful, eclectic answer to midcentury modern’s warm and functional minimalism. “A revival of postmodernism is coming back in full force, with a more elegant take on what was once only flashy,” explains Samah Nawar of Nawar Designs.
Postmodernism first became popular in the 1970s and remained so well throughout the ‘80s. While it’s known for being very flashy and funky, with animal motifs and bright colors, it’s showing up now in moodier, slightly subdued ways. Interested in learning more about this fun style and how you can incorporate it into your home? Read on, and we’ll tell you.
The Difference Between Postmodern and Midcentury Modern Design
One of the most obvious differences between midcentury modern and postmodern design is when they originated. As the name suggests, midcentury modern popped up in the middle of the 20th century, around 1945 to the early 1950s. It’s characterized by clean lines, natural and industrial materials, low-profile furnishings, and a futuristic-looking aesthetic.
A lot of the furniture pieces focused on utility in some way, too, like coffee tables with convenient lift-tops, storage ottomans, and pieces that could transform from one thing to another, like a bed that can be flipped upside down to be a table. Designer Juliana Ghani describes the era as modest and restrained, with no unnecessary embellishments. Colors were often highly contrasting, with black, white, and a pop of some lighter hue at the forefront.
Postmodernism, on the other hand, is funkier and more playful, almost surreal, using lots of curved lines and organic shapes in bolder hues. It doesn’t follow as strict guidelines as midcentury modern, mixing materials and opting for larger patterns than the era before. “Postmodernism has a lot of big, chunky furniture pieces instead of the more airy and compact ones which were introduced by the midcentury era,” Nawar explains.
One of the pillars of postmodernism is standing out, possibly by layering a vibrant hue over a neutral palette or creating a focal point with one bold piece of art. It brings the fun to a beautiful design.
Why Postmodern Design is Having a Moment
While one can credit most design resurgences on the cyclical nature of trends, postmodernism wouldn’t be gaining popularity if people weren’t craving whimsy. Ghani describes the shift in terms of pop culture: the love of clean, functional midcentury modern coincides with the “clean girl” aesthetic, clean eating, bare makeup, and minimal, quiet luxury dressing reminiscent of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
“People and culture may be moving away from that—people want to party again,” Ghani says. “They want a little sign of life, a little fun. I think people are craving a time that was free, vibrant, and lax like the ‘70s and ‘80s.”
It’s also shifting at a time when people who were born in the ‘80s and early ‘90s are entering the housing market. These homeowners, Nawar explains, have seen how styles have shifted from neutral palettes and basic interiors to what it is now, and they’re “craving homes which can perfectly balance their sleek and modern aesthetic with a touch of nostalgia and a touch of whimsy.”
How to Integrate Postmodernism Into Your Home
Because postmodernism leans into funk, there are a myriad of ways to infuse the style into your home without it feeling out of place. Like with much of design, introducing a postmodern element is all about balance. Ghani explains that surrounding a piece from this era with complementary items can help pull things back a bit. If you found a set of sculptural postmodern-inspired chairs, for example, pair them with a simpler table so it doesn’t feel like it’s taking over. “Let the postmodern pieces be the main character and anchor with understated pieces so they really stand out,” she adds.
Dip your toes in by incorporating one fun postmodern design choice into your home. There are a lot of elements from the era that are already popular today—chrome, burlwood, swan motifs, animal print—so finding these pieces shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. As Nawar and Ghani both say, mixing these types of finishes and patterns with more mature and sophisticated items is how postmodernism has evolved in today’s world of interiors.
“This balance of harmonizing straight lines and elegant pieces with a funky component is the best way to create spaces that are full of personality,” Nawar adds. Character, eclecticism, and playfulness—these perfectly describe this design era, and as people are yearning for these characteristics today, postmodernism is becoming all the more relevant.
