International Style Furniture
The International Style, a modernist movement within architecture and furniture design that was given its name by American architect Philip Johnson and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, was born during the 1920s and ’30s. It gained steam initially in Europe and then in the United States as a response to the first World War. Building projects associated with the movement, as well as vintage International Style chairs, tables and other furnishings, are minimal and pared back.
Pioneers of the International Style — architect Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus colleagues Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, De Stijl advocate and Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud and visionary designer Le Corbusier — stripped away decorative elements and placed considerable value on functionality and clean lines, integrating the use of industrial materials like steel, concrete and large sheets of glass in their work. Quite aptly, this mode of design and architectural style coincided with an era now known as the Machine Age and became a global symbol of modernism. The primary motive of its practitioners was to address the changing needs of a rapidly industrializing society, especially the demand for office complexes and apartments in large cities, through economical, technologically advanced, yet aesthetically pleasing designs for furniture and buildings.
“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep,” said Le Corbusier of the philosophy behind his practical modernist architecture.
The International Style’s designers and architects were inspired by the advantages afforded them by the era’s new technology and industrial machinery as well as state-of-the-art materials. Le Corbusier was fond of framing his buildings in steel but reinforced concrete made far more economic sense. He is probably most admired for the iconic private homes and commercial buildings that he designed or codesigned with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, which are spread across the world, from New York City to Paris to Chandigarh, India. Today, Breuer’s Wassily Lounge chair; the elegant LC series created by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand; and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich, are emblems of progressive modernist design and all make prominent use of tubular steel. Vintage originals are the prized cornerstone of collections.
“The International Style is probably the first fundamentally original and widely distributed style since the Gothic,” posited Johnson in the book that accompanied “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition,” an architectural show he cocurated with Hitchcock that featured the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Richard Neutra and others. While the term “International Style” had previously been circulating in Europe, when the show opened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, it yielded a much broader application of this important style of design.
Find International Style furniture on 1stDibs.
2010s Philippine International Style Furniture
Leather
1980s German Vintage International Style Furniture
Alabaster, Metal, Gold, Gold Plate
1950s German Vintage International Style Furniture
Brass
2010s German International Style Furniture
Crystal
1980s Mexican Vintage International Style Furniture
Metal
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Turkestan International Style Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Swedish International Style Furniture
Steel
20th Century British International Style Furniture
Paper
1950s Kenyan Vintage International Style Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage International Style Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Italian International Style Furniture
Marble, Metal
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Leather
2010s Belgian International Style Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Steel
1960s German Vintage International Style Furniture
Iron
1980s Vintage International Style Furniture
Crystal
1940s Spanish Vintage International Style Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian International Style Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
1960s Italian Vintage International Style Furniture
Resin
2010s Indian International Style Furniture
Wood, Teak
1970s Swedish Vintage International Style Furniture
Art Glass
Late 20th Century North American International Style Furniture
Chrome
1970s American Vintage International Style Furniture
Marble, Aluminum
1960s Vintage International Style Furniture
Iron
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Leather
2010s American International Style Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian International Style Furniture
Cement
2010s Indian International Style Furniture
Metal
2010s Brazilian International Style Furniture
Stainless Steel
1920s American Vintage International Style Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Austrian International Style Furniture
Cut Glass
1980s Vintage International Style Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Austrian International Style Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Marble
2010s Spanish International Style Furniture
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage International Style Furniture
Metal
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Mexican International Style Furniture
Art Glass
2010s Italian International Style Furniture
Metal
1950s French Vintage International Style Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century French International Style Furniture
Glass
2010s Philippine International Style Furniture
Reeded Glass, Wood, Wenge
1950s French Vintage International Style Furniture
Stainless Steel
1940s Spanish Vintage International Style Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century American Antique International Style Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Brazilian International Style Furniture
Wood
1960s Zimbabwean Vintage International Style Furniture
Stone
Late 20th Century French International Style Furniture
Enamel, Gold Leaf
1950s Brazilian Vintage International Style Furniture
Concrete
19th Century English Antique International Style Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 19th Century German Antique International Style Furniture
Hardwood, Paper
19th Century Indian Antique International Style Furniture
Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage International Style Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century American International Style Furniture
Wrought Iron
1950s Brazilian Vintage International Style Furniture
Cement
1950s Italian Vintage International Style Furniture
Murano Glass
1950s Italian Vintage International Style Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Turkish International Style Furniture
Cotton, Silk
1850s European Antique International Style Furniture
Gold, Silver





