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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Marble
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
1990s Japanese Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Iron, Steel
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Korean Modern Furniture
Acrylic
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Chrome
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Central American Modern Furniture
Crystal
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Teak
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Elm
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Wood, Walnut
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Marble, Stainless Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Marble
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Ash, Cherry, Walnut, Oak
1990s Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1980s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Argentine Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx














