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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Brass
1950s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Velvet, Faux Bamboo
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Earthenware, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
2010s Australian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
2010s South American Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Stone, Marble, Travertine, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Leather, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1910s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Velvet, Faux Bamboo
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Jute
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Oak





