It’s the ’80s, and We’re Rich!
Life is BUT a dream these days, in every sense of the word, and dropping fictional thousands of dollars on 1stdibs has been my own personal computer-simulated creation. 1stdibs feels very mysterious—who buys the $38,00 Cartier panther ring?—but maybe if you read The New York Times’ style section a lot, it isn’t. At first, the site felt stuffy, like an icy, upscale antiques store, but then I found that it’s a wonderland for the sort of ephemeral, wild ‘n’ warm ’80s furniture that looks like it shouldn’t physically exist.
There are boxing glove chairs, ’90s Taco Bell-esque sculptures, flying carpet chairs, and a lot of Memphis! “The trendy, tasteless yet entertaining lifestyle of Bette Midler’s Beverly Hills matron” is how a 1989 Times story described the home of Sam and Barbara Stone, aka Midler and Danny DeVito, in Ruthless People. Give us trendy, give us tasteless, give us entertainment!
”We are all sure that Memphis furniture will soon go out of style,” the original Memphis catalog said. Picture this: You’ve just pulled up to your glass-block home in your Ferrari Testarossa. In between bites of pasta salad, you’re looking through catalogs to redecorate. And enjoy 1stdibs’ sumptuous yet restrained descriptions!
Sofas:
1. Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Sectional White Leatherette Sofa / $16,500 / 1980
“The sectional layout and the clean Minimalist aesthetic result in a very versatile piece that can be used in both modern spaces but will also go very well in interiors with a Hollywood Regency feel to it.”
2. Tawayara ‘Boxing Ring’ Seating Unit by Masanori Umeda / $55,000 / Mid-1980s
“The Tawaraya boxing ring bed/seating area was the brainchild of Masanori Umeda — a testament to his remembrances of the lack of space often afforded city dwellers from his native Japan.”
3. Limited Edition Bocca Sofa by Studio 65 for Gufram / $14,900 / 1986
“The original design was created in the early 1970s Italy by Studio 65 who used Salvador Dalí’s Mae West lips sculpture as inspiration however it was noted that Studio 65 envisioned Marilyn Monroe’s lips instead of Mae West when designing the Bocca sofa.”
4. Dark Blue Italian Leather Sofa in the Manner of De Sede / $3,499 / 1980s
“This luxurious Italian leather armchair challenges the eye. It does appear to be black, but in the right light one can notice that the leather is actually a deep blue color.”
Chairs:
5. Bone Air Chair by Memphis Milano Designer Peter Shire / $18,850 / 1983
“In communication with Peter, we know that the arm was a more dramatic gradation of color, but has faded to a softer ton over the years. Our provenance is from Peter Shire himself so there is no mistaking its authenticity.”
6. Arcadia Chairs by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia / $1324.83 per chair / 1980s
“Set of four Arcadia chairs designed by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia in the 1980s. The chairs have a round backrest and black metal armrests and are completely covered with a hot pink pleather.”
7. Pair of ‘Westside’ Armchairs by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll / $10,500 per set / 1983
“Iconic Ettore Sottsass ‘Westside’ chairs, blue and green wool upholstery.”
8. Boxing Glove Armchair De Sede / $38,530.52 / 1989
“Armchair boxing glove De Sede in natural genuine black and white leather.”
9. Gucci Limited Edition Armchair Black Leather / $21,727.24 / 1988
“Made in Italy.”
10. 1980s Cantilevered Postmodern Wire Mesh Armchair and Ottoman / $2,400 per set / 1980
“Freely swinging design in black lacquered steel wire, black lacquered steel seat, removable cover in black leather.”
11. Pair of 1980s Spiral Chairs / $3,600 per set / 1980s
“Sculptural, sexy, pair of lounge chairs in the manner of Louis Durot.”
12. Charles Hollis Jones Postmodern Memphis Inspired Lounge Chair / $3,562.50 / 1985
“At the time, acrylic and plastic were not commonly used as a material for upscale furniture and art, but Jones began creating pieces for showrooms, such as Hudson-Rissman.”
13. Lucrezia Armchair by Marco Zanini for Memphis Milano / $1,325 / 1984
14. Rosenthal Memphis Club Chair / $3,800 / 1970s
“Postmodern diamond shaped leather chair, Rosenthal, Germany 1980s.”
15. Flying Carpet Lounge Chair by Simon Desanta for Rosenthal / $3,312.08 / 1987
“Rare lounge chair flying carpet by Simon Desanta, fabrics by Dorothy Hafner 1986.”
Tables:
16. Axel Larsson Dressing Table by Bodafors / $4,850 / 1940s
“Exceptional Scandinavian craftsmanship, in very good vintage condition. Can be restored to absolute perfection when desired.”
17. Sun and Moon Coffee Table by Bohinc Studio Duplex Exclusive / $18,225 / 2020
“From the Lunar collection, this table has discs echoing planetary forms that are bisected and overlaid to create surface patterns and structural elements.”
Lamps/Art:
18. Peter Shire Elyssian Heights Floor Lamp / $7,900 / 1988
“The light source is in the center of the fan shaped shade and provides even illumination without ever being in direct view.”
19. Vintage Pink Neon Dairy Sign in Hanging Lucite Box / $2,400 / 1980s
“ALL original and vintage in perfect working condition.”
20. Living tower in purple fabric by Verner Panton for Vitra / $14,904.36 /
“Like the Living Tower, Verner Panton wanted to make people open there eyes to colors, shapes and a completely new way of designing their interior.”
21. Victoria Ceramic Flower Vase by Marco Zannini / $2,500 / Early 1980s
22. Shiro Kuramata Pink Vase / $900 / 2010s
“Acrylic block which pink is inside and glass tube.”
23. Carrot Ceramic Flower Vase / $900 /
“As the principal pattern designer for Memphis products in the early 1980s, [Nathalie Du Pasquier] helped ignite the overarching power of the movement’s message at that fervent time. Reportedly (W Magazine interview), this is Ms. Sofia Coppola’s favourite piece from the collections.”
24. 1980s Memphis Style Pottery Vase / $750 / 1980s
25. Set of Four Vintage Coastal Scallop Seashell Shaped Plates / $55 per set / 1980s
“Porcelain made 1980s, France.”
