GRAPHĒ: 15 Colorful Must-Haves for the Memphis Design Lover

15 Colorful Must-Haves for the Memphis Design Lover

In a reaction against minimalism, the Memphis movement transformed cheap, affordable materials into vibrant furnishings and daring decor.

Custom built-in furniture is found throughout the home, such as this piece in the living room. The Tahiti lamp, an abstracted and geometric bird shape, was designed for the 1981 Memphis collection, and the Olivetti Valentine typewriter turned a piece of office equipment into a fashion accessory.

Formed by designer Ettore Sottsass and a group of young designers in Milan in 1982, the Memphis movement stretched the creative limits of the design industry—introducing colors, patterns, and shapes in wacky, exuberant ways. Today, the hallmarks of Memphis design—think squiggles, geometry, and unrestrained color—are back in full force. Bring some color and pattern into your life with the Memphis-inspired pieces below.

Some projects speak for themselves and need no explanation, because they embody the history and thinking of their day. Thus the 1959 Compasso d'Oro was awarded to to the Olivetti Elea 9003 computer. This was not just a prize for its brilliant designer–who went on to win two more during his career–but a tribute to an era and its aspirations. Ettore Sottsass, accent on the ‘a’, was a shining and revolutionary talent, a man of his time as well as a trailblazer. An artist, even if he preferred the definition of architect. Although Sottsass was certainly much more than a simple designer of objects and buildings. Over the course of his long life he gave us unforgettable objects like the Olivetti Valentine typewriter and the colorful Casablanca sideboard, but he was also and above all a tireless cultural animator who contributed, via his passion and his inexhaustible creativity, to the modernization of Italy and to the history of international design. Photo Courtesy of Yoox

Pillow from Dusen Dusen. Embroidered multi-colored Dash print. Back zip closure. Non-embroidered natural canvas back. Photo Courtesy of Dusen Dusen

An area rug that is as soft and colorful as your favorite sweater. In fact, Patricia Urquiola was directly inspired by hand-knitted sweaters in her design of the Mangas Original collection. The Gan Rugs Mangas Original Largas Rug is one of the largest and most colorful pieces. It is an oversized, undulating runner made with a variety of hand loomed wool yarns.When Gandia Blasco moved into the realm of outdoor furniture at the end of the 1980s, Gan Rugs was born to carry on the brand's original focus on indoor furniture, area rugs and other home decor. Then as now, the company focuses on craftsmanship, innovative design and imagining all the living spaces that rugs can create. Based in Spain, Gan Rugs employs skilled artisans in India to bring their designs to life. Photo Courtesy of Lumens

Bright, cozy yellow. Photo Courtesy of Backdrop

Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981, this exuberant lamp features a bright, pivoting ducklike head mounted on a confetti-patterned base. Photo Courtesy of Nordstrom

The life and work of the designer Ettore Sottsass is more relevant than ever, with global exhibitions and renewed collector interest in the Memphis movement. Now available in a new format, this book, packed with beautiful images taken from the extensive Sottsass archives and including drawings and sketches from the designer's countless sketchbooks, explores his entire career from the 1940s to the 2000s, covering everything from his architectural projects and product design to his jewelry, sculpture, and graphics. Photo Courtesy of Phaidon Publisher: Phaidon Press

Designed in 2018 by Nathalie du Pasquier, this tiered ceramic sculpture adds a decorative geometric accent to any shelf or table. Photo Courtesy of Nordstrom

Working from his studio located about an hour south of Amsterdam, Dutch designer Lex Pott takes an experimental approach to his design projects. Stone, wood and metal are his materials of choice, the last being the inspiration for his Perforated Tray (2017), designed for the Danish design company HAY. Constructed of thin aluminum with hundreds of tiny perforations, it features an eye-catching textural look and slightly raised sides for keeping items in place. Made in China. Photo Courtesy of Design Within Reach

What is most captivating about Nathalie Du Pasquier is the confidence with which she transitions from design to painting. Or, perhaps such a dichotomy isn’t entirely correct, given that her work isn’t based on any form of "transition" but rather a stylistic code: a common denominator that pervades every expressive form. The presence of structure, of a solid yet lightweight construction: this is the common factor, the distinctive feature that allows bright colors and joyful decorum to grasp hold of a concrete architectural conceptuality, despite the fact that Nathalie isn’t actually an architect. Amongst the founding members of the legendary Memphis group, headed by Ettore Sottsass in the eighties, Nathalie Du Pasquier contributed to the world of design with the production of furniture, objects and fabrics inspired by her passion for Africa, with animal-print textures, totemic shapes, and almost ritualistic geometric embellishments. Exotic fascination and rigorous formality gave the exuberant creations of Memphis a touch of essential artistic depth. Photo Courtesy of Yoox

Snake Blocks are a classic toy reinvented in wood and elastic designed by Clara von Zweigbergk. Twist and turn the colorful blocks to create endless forms, serpentine shapes and geometric patterns, including a sphere, a swan, a dog and a fish. Composed of 24 painted wooden triangles with an elastic band throughout. Photo Courtesy of Areaware

The Graphics Mug Set by Iittala pairs the black and white illustrations of the Shaped/Shifted mug by Christopher DeLorenzo, USA with the colorful illustration by Merjin Hos, Netherlands Distortion mug. Both using shapes from nature creating a perfect pairing. Each mug comes in it's own matching gift box. From humble beginnings as a small glass factory, today Iittala offers a wide variety of modern Scandinavian housewares that demonstrate the company's commitment to design quality and product longevity. Based in Helsinki, Finland, Iittala continues to make cookware, tableware and other home accessories that are both lovely and useful, based primarily on the forward-thinking philosophies of design icons Kaj Franck and Alvar Aalto. Photo Courtesy of Lumens

Featuring a unique graphic sensuality, the Rabari 1 Rug from Nanimarquina offers exceptional beauty and outstanding design. Texturally and visually diverse, this rug employs an exciting variety of different color and patterns against a white backdrop. The Rabari 1 Rug is hand-knotted and hand-woven in India using Sumak techniques for an unmatched quality and authenticity. Photo Courtesy of Nanimarquina

Designed by Shiro Kuramata for Memphis in 1983, the Kyoto is an iconic side table that is a perfect representation of the designer's principles. The minimalist compositional harmony, with a touch of the unexpected and subversive, are expressed through the linear shape on the one hand and the industrial materials and surface decoration on the other. Photo Courtesy of Yoox

Material research primarily determines all of Hella Jongerius’ designs. Her extensive portfolio includes single pieces exhibited at galleries, mass-produced items sold at retail stores, design of airliner interiors and even the redesign of the North Delegates’ Lounge at UN Headquarters in New York. Jongerius was just beginning her career when she was approached by Maharam to work on a project for its 100th anniversary. Today, she works as Maharam’s design director, and many of her textiles are found in the permanent collections at the Art Institute Chicago, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and MoMA. Jongerius has a very clear idea of what makes a successful rug: "There are three components that have to make music together: interesting yarns, great construction and the right technique to give the pattern dazzling oxygen." Starting life as a color test swatch for another one of her rugs, Jongerius’ Multitone Rug (2014) demonstrates her genius eye for color. When asked why her colors look so beautiful together, she replies, "That’s the secret of the color-cooking chef." Multitone’s rich texture comes from its flat handwoven basket construction – what she calls "the archetype of weaving." Made in India. Photo Courtesy of Design Within Reach

Renowned Italian modernist Enzo Mari presents his bold, graphic interpretation of an iconic form. Part of the Nature Series, "Due La Pera" is silkscreened and unframed. Each poster comes with two PVC bars for wall-mounting. Printed in Italy. Photo Courtesy of Amazon

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Related Reading:

Thank Sottsass for the Most Memphis House Imaginable

Memphis Is Back: A New Pop-Up and Exhibit Storms Into Seattle

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