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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood, Alpaca, Mohair, Linen, Velvet, Oak, Walnut, Lacquer
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Onyx
1930s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Nickel
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Afghan Modern Furniture
Wool
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine, Stone
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Gold Plate, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Gold, Brass
20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Suede, Oak
2010s Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1980s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Art Glass
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak, Walnut
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx, Marble





