Modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Danish Antique Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Faux Leather
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture
Limestone
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
1990s German Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Mirror
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Concrete
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1960s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Teak
1990s German Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s European Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Maple, Burl
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood





