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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Fiberglass, Paint
2010s American Modern Furniture
Mohair, Walnut
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Faux Leather, Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s New Zealand Modern Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century German Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Textile, Beech
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Korean Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wool, Polyester
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Porcelain
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Marble
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Sheepskin, Wood, Oak
2010s Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Lacquer
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
2010s Modern Furniture
Copper
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Furniture
Travertine, Bronze, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Cane
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Dutch Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass
2010s German Modern Furniture
Chrome











