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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak, Walnut
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
1930s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Canvas
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine, Stone
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1950s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
2010s South American Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Acrylic, Ash, Cotton, Linen, Faux Fur, Wood
Late 20th Century Persian Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Irish Modern Furniture
Fur, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Coating
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Upholstery
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
1990s German Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Concrete
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Brass
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass





