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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Wood
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Walnut
1990s American Modern Furniture
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Asian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Synthetic, Wicker, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Marble, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
Early 2000s Chinese Modern Furniture
Acrylic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
2010s American Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s American Modern Furniture
Glass, Oak
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Gold Plate
2010s South American Modern Furniture
Stone, Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Gold, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Zebra Wood
20th Century Japanese Modern Furniture
Paper
1940s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s Chinese Modern Furniture
Plastic
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1980s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Cut Glass, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Cherry
2010s American Modern Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Metal, Gold Leaf
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Furniture
Chrome, Steel
20th Century Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Chrome
20th Century Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Silk





