Memphis Interior Design: The Carnival Eternal
The first time I encountered Memphis design, the visual impact was unforgettable. The chaotic geometric shapes, bold color combinations, and playful forms felt like a visual feast, completely overturning traditional aesthetic concepts. With its rebellious, humorous, and vibrant style, Memphis's design continues to influence our lives today.
Origin of the Style
After the end of World War I, the unusual forms, vibrant colors, and intricate decorations of early 20th-century architecture, furniture, and textiles gradually lost their appeal. From the late 1920s to the early 1930s, France's Bauhaus School of Architecture and modern design emerged, offering cold geometric forms and minimalist, non-color aesthetics to meet this demand. This "steel and glass" aesthetic dominated Italian and Western design in the following decades.
However, by the mid-20th century, the orderly and strict modernist style began to feel monotonous. In 1966, American architect Robert Venturi proposed an opposing view to modernism's "less is more" mantra—"less is a bore." He argued that architecture should embrace complexity, contradiction, symbolism, and historical context, a perspective seen as an early declaration of postmodernism and injected new vitality into the design world.
The origins of modern design can be traced back to England during the Industrial Revolution, pioneered by William Morris and Christopher Dresser, and further developed by Germany's Bauhaus school. However, it was Italy in the 1960s that truly redefined modern design. Unlike the rationality and simplicity emphasized by German design, Italian design added emotion and fun to modernity with high-quality materials, shiny plastics, and saturated colors. This shift in design philosophy laid the foundation for the rise of postmodernism.
Italian designer Ettore Sottsass was a key pioneer of postmodernist design. Since the 1960s, he has shown a strong interest in designs that expressed "counter-mainstream culture." He was deeply influenced by Eastern mysticism, pop art, the British Arts and Crafts movement, and various European decorative styles. Sottsass believed that design was an expression of lifestyle, and as such, it should not be bound by rigid rules but should be full of possibilities and spontaneous inspiration. This philosophy led him to break away from traditional design models, creating works with unique forms and symbolic meanings, ultimately contributing to the birth of the Memphis Group.
In the fall of 1981, the Memphis Group held its first exhibition during the Milan Furniture Fair. The venue was located outside the fairgrounds at the "Arc 74" showroom. Forty pieces were showcased, captivating large crowds with their vibrant colors, strong decorative elements, and unusual shapes. With their playful and joyful style, these pieces completely shattered the constraints of functionalism and modern design, offering designers a fresh perspective and marking the beginning of a new chapter in postmodernist design.
The Memphis Group's exhibition was not only a disruption of modernist design but also a rethinking of the essence of design. Through bold colors, exaggerated forms, and a spirit of humor, it redefined the relationship between design and life, injecting infinite possibilities and vitality into postmodernist design.
Striking Colors
The Memphis style eliminates the neutral tones and conservative color schemes commonly found in traditional design. It favors bright, playful, high-saturation hues, which are often combined in highly contrasting ways to create a strong visual impact, infusing spaces with energy and vibrancy.
Memphis style tends to favor the use of high-saturation colors, such as bright yellow, pink, sky blue, green, and orange. These vivid colors are eye-catching and can instantly grab attention. Walls, furniture, or decorative pieces might feature solid blocks of color, forming bold visual focal points.
It also combines strongly contrasting colors, such as pink with green, yellow with purple, and blue with orange. This bold color pairing breaks the traditional rules of color harmony, creating a visual effect full of tension and playfulness. This contrast is not only evident in large blocks of color but also in details, such as geometric patterns or the partial color schemes of furniture.
Although the Memphis style is known for its vibrant colors, black and white are also frequently used as base or background colors to accentuate the brightness of other hues. Black-and-white stripes or checkerboard patterns can create a stark contrast with brightly colored furniture or decor, enhancing the overall visual impact of the design.
Geometric Patterns and Irregular Shapes
Designers widely use abstract geometric shapes such as wavy lines, zigzags, circles, and squares to break traditional symmetry and order through irregular arrangements and exaggerated proportions, creating a free-spirited visual effect. In wall design, geometric patterned wallpapers or murals (such as wavy lines, zigzags, or circles) can break monotony and create a strong visual impact. On the floor, geometric-patterned rugs or tiles can serve as visual focal points.
When it comes to furniture, sofas, chairs, or cushions with geometric patterns add playfulness to the space, while geometric art, sculptures, or light fixtures further enrich the sense of depth. Additionally, irregularly shaped furniture—such as round sofas, triangular coffee tables, or uniquely designed lighting (like spherical chandeliers or wavy floor lamps)—breaks away from traditional layouts, enhancing the artistic feel of the space.
Wavy lines are one of the most iconic elements of the Memphis style. They not only appear in patterns but also integrate into furniture design, injecting playfulness and energy into spaces. The "bacteria print" designed by Sottsass in 1978 remains a classic Memphis pattern to this day. Additionally, his 1966 design of the Ultrafragola mirror, with its curved outline resembling long wavy hair, and its flesh-toned lighting and soft form, subtly hint at a sexual metaphor.
Curves
In terms of composition, Memphi's design breaks away from horizontal and vertical lines, instead using wave-like curves, curved surfaces, straight lines, and combinations of flat planes. In furniture design, curved shapes such as arched sofas, round coffee tables, and wavy-backed chairs break the rigidity of traditional straight lines, bringing movement and playfulness to the space. Walls and ceilings are enhanced with curved structures like arch partitions, wavy decorations, or arches, which increase the flow and artistic feel of the space.
Lighting design is also full of creativity, with spiral chandeliers, spherical lampshades, and other curved elements not only providing illumination but also becoming visual focal points. Decorative items such as rugs, cushions, and sculptures often feature curved patterns or curved forms, further strengthening the style's uniqueness and vibrancy.
Pseudo-3D Effect
The pseudo-3D effect is a design technique that creates a sense of depth through visual illusion. First, color contrast is one of the key methods to achieve this effect. By using high-contrast color overlays and interwoven patterns, a visual sense of layering is created. This strong color contrast makes flat patterns appear like raised or recessed three-dimensional structures, breaking the traditional flatness and giving the space more dynamic effects.
Repeated, interwoven geometric shapes (such as squares, circles, triangles, etc.), combined with principles of perspective, create a sense of spatial depth. Gradient geometric patterns or slanted lines can simulate a three-dimensional effect, allowing viewers to perceive the proximity and layered changes within the patterns.
Incorporating perspective lines or shadow effects in the design makes flat patterns appear like three-dimensional objects. Diagonal or radial lines can simulate depth, while shadow effects highlight the "raised" or "recessed" aspects of objects, further enhancing the sense of depth.
The combination of irregular shapes and geometric patterns breaks traditional flatness, creating dynamic three-dimensional visual effects. Seemingly randomly stacked color blocks or shapes can form a displaced three-dimensional effect, making the space feel lively and artistic.
Diverse Materials
The Memphis style is experimental and disruptive in its material choices, breaking the conventional perceptions of materials in traditional design. It does not adhere to the hierarchy of materials based on their cost but instead transforms inexpensive materials into works of art through creative design, giving spaces unique visual effects and emotional expression. One of the most representative innovations is the use of terrazzo, a material commonly used for flooring, which was cleverly applied to make tables and light fixtures, showcasing an unexpected aesthetic.
Laminated plastic is one of the signature materials of the Memphis style. It is cost-effective yet presents rich visual layers through vibrant colors and geometric patterns. The surfaces of furniture often feature high-saturation monochrome or collage designs, injecting energy and playfulness into the space. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is also widely used due to its ease of processing and versatility, allowing for complex geometric shapes and a variety of textures through veneering or spray painting.
In addition, the use of metals (such as aluminum and brass) and glass further enhances the modern feel of the design. Mirrored and colored glass, through their reflective and translucent effects, create dynamic spatial layers; metal materials are often used for furniture frames or decorative details, adding a rugged industrial touch. The Memphis style is also skilled at mixing different materials, such as the combination of plastic with wood and metal with glass, breaking traditional boundaries, and creating designs that are both humorous and artistically expressive.
Playfulness
The Memphis style not only seeks visual impact but also infuses spaces with energy through its unique sense of humor and playful spirit. Designers create a lighthearted atmosphere with exaggerated shapes, whimsical details, and unexpected elements. For example, animal-shaped chairs, decor with exaggerated expressions, wavy sofas, spherical chairs, and irregularly shaped tables all showcase the designers' boundless imagination. These pieces not only break the rigid stereotypes of traditional design but also combine practicality with artistry, adding unique personality and charm to the space. With its playful side, the Memphis style allows people to experience the allure and creativity of design with a knowing smile.
Classic Piece
Carlton Bookcase - Ettore Sottsass, 1981
Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) was an Italian architect and designer, and a core figure behind the Memphis style. His design philosophy broke free from the constraints of modernism, emphasizing the artistry and emotional expression of design.
The Carlton Bookcase is an iconic piece from the 1980s Memphis Group and one of Sottsass' most recognizable designs. It revolutionized the form of traditional furniture, blurring the boundaries of function—it can serve as a bookshelf, a storage unit, or even a space divider. Made from medium-density fiberboard and inexpensive laminated plastic, it showcases a bold artistic sensibility through its vibrant colors and the random combination of solid and void elements, resembling a three-dimensional painting or sculpture. Yet beneath its seemingly haphazard appearance lies a strict logical structure, composed of real and implied equilateral triangles. The Carlton Bookcase not only challenges the functionalist design principles but also stands as a classic symbol of postmodern furniture design.
Tawaraya Boxing Ring Bed - Masanori Umeda, 1981
Masanori Umeda is a renowned Japanese designer and one of the three Japanese members of the Memphis Group. His works blend Eastern and Western cultural elements, combining functionality with artistry.
The Tawaraya Boxing Ring Bed, named after a traditional Kyoto inn, is Masanori Umeda's most famous piece. This wooden bed features black-and-white borders, vibrant ropes, and lacquered lighting fixtures. The center is adorned with tatami flooring, five-colored silk cushions, and a wooden tray. The design recreates a mid-20th-century Japanese family living scene, evoking a tranquil atmosphere with the fresh scent of tatami. Breaking the boundaries of "form and function," it combines Eastern and Western cultures, offering both artistic and practical value. The Tawaraya Boxing Ring Bed has become a quintessential piece of postmodern design.
“Ginza Robot” Cabinet - Masanori Umeda, 1982
The “Ginza Robot” Cabinet, one of the representative works of the postmodern Memphis movement, was designed by Masanori Umeda in 1982. Its inspiration came from the image of robots in Japanese science fiction novels, and it was named after Tokyo's fashionable shopping district, Ginza, aiming to showcase Japanese pop culture. This cabinet is made from laminated particleboard and features geometric totems on its surface, serving as both a celebration and a critique of the consumer culture of the 1980s. Its exaggerated angles and patchwork design reflect the era's subversion of rapidly changing styles and the cohesiveness of traditional forms.
Bel Air Chair - Peter Shire, 1982
California designer and ceramicist Peter Shire created several famous furniture pieces for the Memphis Group. His style is a fusion of many cultures, including Los Angeles surf and hot rod culture, Art Deco, as well as influences from mid-century space-age architecture and the popular culture of Southern California in the 1950s.
The iconic Bel Air Chair is a perfect example of his work. The chair makes extensive use of geometric elements, creating a strong visual impact, while its asymmetric outline and contrasting colors make it a quintessential representation of Memphis aesthetics. The chair’s asymmetric backrest is based on a shark fin and uses a quarter-circle to form its shape, while the contrasting, bold armrests are strikingly different: one side is cylindrical, and the other curls outward from the seat. The best part of the design is the bright orange beach plastic ball used as the traditional chair legs, radiating a distinctly California vibe.
Pierre Table, Palace Chair - George J. Sowden, 1981
George J. Sowden is a British designer and architect known for blending industrial design with art. His works are characterized by clean geometric shapes and functionality while maintaining the playful spirit of Memphis style. His creations span various fields, including furniture, lighting, tableware, and electronics, often carrying a futuristic and technological feel.
Both the Pierre Table and Palace Chair showcase typical Memphis style. The table features square wooden legs with red, yellow, and blue striped paint, and the tabletop is adorned with gray and white V-shaped zigzag stripes. By contrasting colors and exaggerated patterns, the table injects life into the otherwise rigorous contours. Whether for home or dining spaces, it adds a “Memphis” charm to any room.
The Palace Chair also exudes design flair, with its blue legs, green armrests, and yellow top of the backrest contrasting sharply with the black seat. The strict geometric outline is complemented by bright colors, highlighting both personality and elegance. Not only is it comfortable and practical for use as a dining chair or side chair, but it also features a unique Memphis/Milan metal identification tag at the base, making it a classic for design enthusiasts to collect.
Plaza Vanity - Michael Graves, 1981
Michael Graves was one of the most prominent American postmodern architects and designers, blending classical and modern elements in his work, which is highly characteristic of postmodernism. His notable architectural works include the Portland City Hall, among many others, and he also designed numerous household items.
The Plaza Vanity was the first piece he designed after joining the Memphis group, quickly becoming one of the group's classic works. Unlike other Memphis designs, it incorporates elements of Art Deco and old Hollywood style, resembling a “miniature architectural landscape.” The design features a flared base supporting two textured legs, each containing three drawers. A brass-framed round mirror is set into a castle-like structure, and two spherical glass lights emit a soft glow, with the upper light spots evoking the night sky over Manhattan. Despite its luxurious appearance, the vanity is made from inexpensive materials, such as medium-density fiberboard with maple veneer, mirrored glass, and paint, reflecting the Memphis style's subversion of traditional concepts of luxury. Graves cleverly combined architectural inspiration with furniture design, creating a piece that is both artistic and functional, making it an icon of postmodern design.
First Chair - Michele De Lucchi, 1983
Michele De Lucchi is a renowned Italian architect and designer, and a core member of the Memphis Group. His works often combine geometric shapes and asymmetric structures, balancing both functionality and artistry.
The First Chair stands out with its simple geometric form and vibrant colors. The chair features a wooden structure, with the backrest and seat composed of two rectangular planes intersecting at right angles, resulting in clean, sharp lines. The legs are designed with an incline, adding a dynamic feel to the piece. In terms of color, First Chair typically presents in high-saturation solid colors such as red, yellow, or blue, creating a strong visual impact. Despite its minimalist form, the clever combination of geometric shapes and colors gives the chair a strong artistic and playful character. First Chair is not just a piece of furniture, but a challenge to traditional design rules, embodying the Memphis style's philosophy of "form follows emotion," making it one of the iconic works of postmodern design.
Arizona Carpet - Nathalie Du Pasquier, 1983
Nathalie Du Pasquier is a French artist and designer, one of the few female members of the Memphis Group. She created many iconic patterns and textiles for Memphis, known for their vivid colors, unique shapes, and playful character.
The design of the Arizona carpet was inspired by Nathalie Du Pasquier's deep impression of local weaving techniques during her travels in Africa. She combined traditional African craftsmanship with Memphis style to create this unique rug. The Arizona carpet is renowned for its three-dimensional design, which transforms into flat pattern visual effects, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship, vibrant colors, and luxurious forms.
Super Lamp - Martine Bedin, 1981
Martine Bedin, a founding member of the Memphis Design Group, became well-known for her work within the organization. Her iconic Super Lamp originated from a student idea, which Ettore Sottsass discovered in her sketchbook. Excited by the design, he supported Bedin in bringing this whimsical, wheel-based lamp to life, making it a standout piece of the movement.
The Super Lamp is playful in design and has been described as “like a little dog you can carry around” or “a fashionable car.” Made of fiberglass, it is adorned with six colorful lightbulb sockets on its edges, with exposed bulbs that extend from the curved back, resembling the armor of a Stegosaurus. The body consists of two bright blue semi-circular parts, and the base is fitted with wheels for easy movement. The Super Lamp, with its bold form and vibrant colors, garnered widespread attention and became a classic of Memphis design, with the prototype now housed in the V&A Museum.
Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass, 1981
The Tahiti Lamp features a lampshade shaped like a bird’s head, with the base resembling the bird's body, creating a playful and humorous design. It uses vibrant colors, typically dominated by red, yellow, and blue, showcasing the signature visual impact of Memphis style. The connecting rod between the lampshade and base is adjustable, adding to the lamp's functionality and interactivity.
The Tahiti Lamp breaks away from traditional lighting designs, blending artistry and practicality to create a piece that is both decorative and functional. It remains a classic in design history, beloved by collectors and design enthusiasts alike.
Treetops Lamp by Ettore Sottsass, 1981
The Treetops Lamp is a reflection of Ettore Sottsass's forward-thinking design philosophy and one of the most iconic lighting fixtures of the Memphis style. Inspired by the shape of trees, the lamp's column is made up of multiple stacked colorful cylinders, resembling a tree trunk growing upwards. The top extends with asymmetrical lamp arms that resemble branches, giving the piece a dynamic and playful feel.
The lamp uses high-saturation color combinations such as red, yellow, and blue, paired with black or white lampshades to create a striking visual impact. This lamp is not only a classic representation of Memphis style but also an important piece in the history of postmodern design, still highly admired by design enthusiasts and collectors today.
Ettore Sottsass once described the Memphis group by saying, "What we pursue is not to invent a consistent style, but to expand the visual vocabulary of contemporary design by drawing on contemporary folk culture, ancient cultures, and religious cultures."
As he said, although Memphis only lasted for 7 years from its inception to dissolution, they created some of the most beautiful and extraordinary works by observing the world and society in their unique way. At the same time, they provided people with a different perspective and a new source of inspiration for furniture design.