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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Leather, Wood, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Teak, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Lacquer
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1990s Polish Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Composition
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay
2010s European Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century Modern Furniture
Fabric, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Jute
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Leather, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
2010s European Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Plexiglass
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Acrylic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Maple, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Wood, Trimming
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Maple, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Foam, Hardwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass





