The Bold 80s Design You'd Be Lucky To Find At The Thrift Store

Going through items at a thrift store can feel like a journey through time and a treasure hunt, rediscovering decor from bygone eras that might be worth even more now. Vintage looks come back with modern twists all the time, and there's a popular 80s interior design trend that is back in style and would be a very lucky find at your local thrift store. It's one of the most recognizable designs of the 1980s: Memphis design, filled with bold, brightly colored geometric shapes. 

The style didn't originate in the Tennessee city of the same name, but in Milan, Italy, from a company called the Memphis Group (also known as Memphis Milano). In 1980, architect and designer Ettore Sottsass came up with the look, along with 22 other fellow designers, during a brainstorming session where they discussed their dislike of bland minimalist styles and their desire to go bolder with colors, shapes, and patterns. Three months later, the group reunited with sketches filled with the bright, clashing colors and bold, oversized shapes that would become iconic in the 1980s.

It's easy to recognize the colorful, vivid, and nostalgic patterns of Memphis design if it can be found at your local thrift store. The hallmarks of Memphis design include trendy 80s colors, like dazzling red, hot pink, and radiant yellow, in the form of repeated zigzags, stripes, and triangles, applied to furniture and decor in exaggerated or geometrical shapes. Back in the 1980s, Memphis design gave way to uniquely shaped armchairs, couches, bookcases, and more, made by the Memphis Group itself or by other designers in the iconic style.

These days, Memphis design pieces from the Memphis Group cost as much as $18,000, and it's unlikely you'll find a gem of that caliber in the thrift store. Other items made in the style (but not by the Milan designers), however, might be found secondhand, like an Alessi metallic triangle-shaped tea kettle, the ever-popular wavy mirrors, and unique Feltman Langer geometric-shaped mugs for a bargain. And when you do happen upon a lucky Memphis design find in the thrift store, there are lots of modern ways you can incorporate Memphis design into your space.