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Modern Furniture

MODERN STYLE

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chaircrafted 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.

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Style: Modern
Period: 20th Century
Retro Modern Tessellated Stone Coffee Table
Located in Trenton, NJ
This vintage 1980s coffee table is a sculptural showpiece that embodies the elegance and bold experimentation of postmodern design. Its base, a solid wedge-shaped pedestal crafted fr...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture

Materials

Stone

Poliedri Chandelier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian modern chandelier with smoky brown polyhedron / polyhedral shaped Murano glass, mounted on white enameled metal frame, in the style of Venini and Carlo Scarpa / Made in Italy...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

5.6x9.8 Ft Handmade Vintage Turkish Rug Over-Dyed in Green for Modern Interiors
Located in Spring Valley, NY
Our over-dyed rugs are all hand-knotted vintage pieces that are recreated in our workshop to cater to a wider range of interior design choices from modern to coastal, from industrial...
Category

20th Century Turkish Modern Furniture

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Vintage Signed BVLGARI Sterling Silver Quatrefoil Cup or Bowl with Gilt Interior
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed Italian designer cup. By BVLGARI. In sterling silver with a gilt interior. In a quatrefoil form. Marked to the exterior near the rim. Simply a wonderful cup! Date...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Vintage Laboratory Microscope, German, Scientific Instrument, Carl Zeiss Jena
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage laboratory microscope. A German, enamelled metal scientific instrument by Carl Zeiss Jena, dating to the late 20th century, circa ...
Category

Late 20th Century German Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Whimsical 1960s Los Castillo Bee Pitcher with Malachite Silver Inlay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A delightfully charming 1960s Los Castillo silver-plated pitcher that feels as if it fluttered straight out of a magical Taxco garden. Crafted in brass and richly silver plated, this...
Category

1960s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Malachite, Silver Plate, Brass

Modernist Italian sideboard
Located in Haaltert, BE
Modernist Italian sideboard, made in the 1920s. Containing 3 slide doors with a graphic design, inside you can find 3 layers. This sideboard has some wear and signs of aging but in g...
Category

1920s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Wood

Vintage Elsa Peretti for Tiffany Co. Sterling Silver Padova Magnifying Glass
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine silver magnifying glass. In sterling silver. Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. In the Padova pattern. Marked to one side of the handle for Tiffany & Co. / © Elsa ...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Tavolo Tondo Tulip di Eero Saarinen per Knoll
Located in Milano, IT
Iconico tavolo da pranzo modello 'Tulip' con piano tondo in laminato e base in base in fusione di alluminio. Buone condizioni.
Category

1990s American Modern Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Italian Marble Ashtray Catchall, Large
Located in New York, NY
A substantial and relatively large Italian black and white marble catchall ashtray in the Modern style Postmodern period, circa late-20th century, 1970s, Italy. Piece has a polished ...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Marble

Vintage Oil Painting Framed of Serene Landscape Fields
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
As found in Europe, this very serene landscape of a field of lush greenery has been painted in oil. There is a small house in the background and soothing clouds above. A simple and r...
Category

Early 20th Century European Modern Furniture

Materials

Paint

French Modern Brass Glass Bar Cart with Mirrored Bottom Shelf, Circa 1970s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
French Modern Brass Glass Bar Cart with Mirrored Bottom Shelf, circa 1970s A sophisticated and versatile French Modern three-tier bar cart in brass with a refined architectura...
Category

20th Century French Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Dunhill S-Type Gold Plated "Rollagas" Lighter, Circa 1970
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original S Type "Rollagas" pocket lighter by Dunhill of England, circa 1970, with a serial number of C80994. The lighter features a 14kt 20 microns gold plate and a mixed surface tex...
Category

1970s English Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal, Gold

10 Colefax Fowler " Tulip and Butterfly " 11 Inch Dinner Plates
Located in Huntington, NY
A Set of 10 Colefax & Fowler 11 Inch Dinner Plates, absolutely gorgeous from Colefax and Fowler. The plates are in very good condition, having mostly being used for display. They ar...
Category

Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture

Materials

Earthenware

Broken Pediment Mirror by John Hutton for Donghia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Broken pediment mirror by John Hutton for Donghia in custom size and black gloss finish with gilt details. Gorgeous color combination with black and gold. Add some classic architectu...
Category

1990s American Modern Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Wood

German Goebel Artis Orbis Porcelain Vase - Gustav Klimt The Kiss
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Decorative cushion shaped porcelain vase transfer-printed with permission from the Gustav Klimt Foundation with Klimt's Iconic motif ' Der Kuss' from 1908. Manufactured by Goebel in ...
Category

Late 20th Century German Modern Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Koi Glass Repousse Vase in the Style Of Lalique
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautiful Vase with Swimming Koi in the style of Lalique. The lavender opalescent glass with three dimensional fish makes a wonderful statement. The vase can stand alone as a de...
Category

20th Century Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Wayne Benter Jung, Fashion Sketch of Josephine Baker, Post WWII
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Wayne Benter Jung, Fashion Sketch of Josephine Baker, Post WWII Gouache and ink on paper, 7.5" x 9.5" (sight), silver lacquered frame 11" x 9", circa late 1940s This vibrant fashion illustration represents Josephine Baker, the American-born dancer, singer, and actress whose international fame made her one of the most recognizable icons of the 20th century. Although often associated with her Parisian rise during the 1920s Jazz Age, Baker continued to embody glamour and modernity well into the 1940s and beyond, performing throughout wartime Europe, assisting the French Resistance, and reinventing her stage image for postwar audiences. The sketch, executed by Wayne Benter Jung (1919–2003), reflects this later phase of Baker’s career. Jung, a Wisconsin-born artist who studied at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee and served in WWII, turned to fashion and theatrical design during his early postwar years. His work often balanced fine art, interior decoration, and fashion, situating him within the larger mid-century American dialogue between commercial design and artistic practice. Fashion Analysis The gown depicted here is emblematic of late 1940s fashion sensibilities: Silhouette: The tightly belted waist and elongated column form anticipate the couture revolution inaugurated by Christian Dior’s New Look...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture

Materials

Paper, Lacquer

2 Ralph Lauren Modern Glass Hurricane Bronze Library Buffet Table Lamps
Located in Dayton, OH
Pair of Ralph Lauren Lighting Modern Table Lamps. The minimalist design features a glass cylinder accented with Bronze finished metal rims and pe...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Barovier e Toso Fanali Veneziani Murano Glass Lantern
Located in Montclair, NY
This lamp by famed Italian Glass house Barovier Toso is part of their luxury 'Fanali Veneziani' collection that pays homage to the history of the city of Venice and the lantern...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Mario Bellini Modular Sofa by C&B 1970
Located in Cascina, Pisa
The Camaleonda sofa is one of the most iconic creations by Mario Bellini, designed in 1970 for the company B&B Italia. This sofa exemplifies how design can be functional, modular, an...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Dessin Fournir Gerard Norton Walnut Four-Poster Canopy King-Size Bed
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Dessin Fournir Gerard Norton Walnut Four-Poster Canopy King-Size Bed This canopy bed measures: 83 wide x 90.5 deep x 90.25 inches high We take our photos in a controlled lighting s...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Modern Glass Brass Double Pedestal Dining Table Attributed to Pace Collection
Located in Topeka, KS
Magnificent vintage Modern all glass double pedestal dining table with ¾ inch rectangle glass top & brushed brass V shaped channels attributed to The Pace Collection. This piece has ...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture

Materials

Brass

Amber Resin Fractal in the style of Francois Godebski, ca 1970s
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Amber Resin Fractal in the style of Francois Godebski, ca 1970s Very cool resin sphere in an amber color, unsigned, but certainly has all the hallmarks of Francois Godebski sculptur...
Category

1970s Unknown Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Resin

Barovier Toso Flush Mount Murano Glass Gold and Ice Flowers Basket, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A hand blown Italian flush mount chandelier featuring overlapping crystal flowers, gold with 23-carat gold leaf fleck inclusions, mounted on a basket frame. The fixture requires two ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Gucci Monumental 1970s Club Chairs in New Black Cowhides and Chocolate Shearling
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Inspired by the black and tan interiors of chic and fast Italian and German sports cars our shop clad these monumental sized Gucci lounge chairs in soft and cascading long haired bla...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Cowhide, Hide, Upholstery

Pair of Mies van der Rohe for Knoll MR 30/5 Lounge Chairs
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare pair of Mies van Der Rohe for Knoll MR 30/5 lounge chairs constructed from tubular chromed steel frames and with their original brown saddle lea...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Steel

Wonderful Vaughan Oakley Alabaster Nickel Semi Flush Ceiling Light Demo Fixture
Located in Roslyn, NY
A Wonderful Floor Model Vaughan Oakley Alabaster Semi Flush Ceiling Light Fixture With Polished Nickel. This Was The Floor Sample, So It Does Have Minor Wear And On The Inner Lip A ...
Category

20th Century Modern Furniture

Materials

Alabaster, Nickel

Usm Haller sideboard
Located in Athens, Attiki
USM Haller sideboard by Fritz Haller & Paul Schärer. USM takes its initials in 1885 from its founder, Ulrich Schärer, and Münsingen, the Swiss village where he was born. Once the ne...
Category

1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Vintage Blown Clear Glass 2 Pce. Champagne/Wine Cooler with Removable Collar
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A unique vintage blown clear glass champagne/wine cooler with a removable collar. Originally merchandised by Colony Glass Company (now defunct) and hand made in Europe. The edges ...
Category

1980s Czech Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Spanish Modernist Stool By Casa Buades Barcelona, Plated Metal, Leather, c. 1930
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist stool designed and manufactured by Casa Buades Barcelona, c. 1930
Category

1930s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal, Chrome

After Roy Lichtenstein "Thinking of Him"
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
After Roy Lichtenstein Thinking of Him Published by New York Graphic Society 24"x 30" print 26" x 32" black lacquer frame.
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass, Lacquer, Paper

Andy Warhol Flowers (Leo Castelli Gallery Mailer, 1964)
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper, published in conjunction with an exhibition—Warhol’s breakout “Flowers” show—held at New York's Leo Castelli Gallery from November 21-Decem...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Paper

1980s 22 Brass Plated Wall Sconces, USA
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Elegant brass plated wall sconces that where dismantle from a chic hotel. See picture with fixture mounted on mirror Well made with prime quality ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Brass

1980s 22 Brass Plated Wall Sconces, USA
1980s 22 Brass Plated Wall Sconces, USA
$695 Sale Price / item
53% Off
5.8x9.6 Ft Modern Handmade Turkish Rug. Vintage Orange Carpet for Living Room
Located in Spring Valley, NY
Our overdyed rugs are all hand-knotted vintage Turkish rugs, carefully restored and reimagined in our workshop to suit a wide range of interior design styles — from modern and minima...
Category

1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Italian Designer, Wall Mirror, Brass, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass wall mirror designed and produced in Italy, 1940s.
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Brass

Karl Springer Pair of "Free Form Coffee Tables" in Polished Brass 1980s
Located in New York, NY
Iconic pair of “Free Form Coffee Tables” in seamlessly welded and polished brass with thick black glass tops by Karl Springer, American 1980's. The craftsmanship of these tables is a...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Brass

Roche Bobois Attributed Pink and Grey Marble Dining Table, circa 1980s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An incredibly stylish grey and pink veined dining table attributed to Roche Bobois, circa 1980s, featuring a large oval top with gorgeous and exotic veining sitting on top of an oval...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Marble

A Pair Of Three Seat Rattan Sofas
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A pair of three seat rattan sofas with an interesting design. As a bonus-a side table with glass top and floor lamp are included. Sofas sold w...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Rattan

A Pair Of Three Seat Rattan Sofas
A Pair Of Three Seat Rattan Sofas
$1,750 Sale Price / set
30% Off
Estate Authorized Picasso from Marina Picasso Collection 248/500
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Estate Authorized Pablo Picasso Lithograph, 248/500. Estate seal and Arches paper seals to corners. Originally sold through Richard Norton Gallery...
Category

1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Paper

Set of two rare Gerald Summers high back chairs, UK 1936
Located in London, GB
A trained engineer, Gerald Summers (1899–1967) soon turned his sights to the emerging production of plywood furniture. He became a highly regarded designer and was asked to furnish H...
Category

1930s British Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Plywood

Staccato Brutalist Dresser and Mirror by Lane
Located in San Francisco, CA
Nine-drawer dresser with matching wall mirror from Lane’s Staccato collection. Three-dimensional mosaic relief front in various wood veneers. Heat-stamped Lane mark inside drawer wit...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Wood

DWR Cubitec Modular Shelving System by Doron Lachisch
Located in Philadelphia, PA
DWR Cubitec Modular Shelving System by Doron Lachisch. 15 Cube Structure with doors. Can be set up in many configurations, with or without doors. Overall in pretty nice shape. Ha...
Category

1990s Chinese Modern Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Clavichord, 20th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Clavichord housed in a veneered walnut case of simple rectangular form. Numbered "284" on the inside. The instrument is currently un-tuned but remains in playable condition. A charmi...
Category

20th Century Modern Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Gucci Hallmarked Silver Plated Demitasse / Coffee Serving Spoons Set 12 Vintage
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Gucci Hallmarked Silver Plated Demitasse Serving Spoons Set 12 Vintage This lovely set of 12 small signed Italian Gucci demitasse spoons have the the classic horse bit design. They ...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Karl Springer Style Mirror
Located in Houston, TX
Vintage Karl Springer style white oak bull nose wood mirror with brass detailing.
Category

20th Century Modern Furniture

Materials

Brass

Ron Arad “Size Ten” Sculptural Lounge Chairs for Moroso, Italy, 1990s
Located in Almelo, NL
Ron Arad “Size Ten” Sculptural Lounge Chairs for Moroso, Italy, 1990s These sculptural “Size Ten” lounge chairs, designed by Ron Arad for Moroso in the early 1990s, exemplify the de...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Steel

Miniature Vintage Italian Sterling Silver Dentist s Chair by La Medusa Oro
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine, whimsical Italian silver sculpture. By La Medusa Oro. In sterling silver and mounted atop a wooden plinth. In the form of a dentist's chair complete with an instrument tra...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Ceramic coffee table "Shogun" by Roger Capron, France, 1960 s
Located in Paris, FR
Small Shogun coffee table by Roger Capron Ceramic top and wood feet - rare with this material 1960's
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Wood

Toshiyuki Kita Italian Floor Lamp "Tomo" by Luci, 1985
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Fantastic lamp by Toshiyuki Kita "Tomo" This lamp was designed in 1985 for Luci Italia, Italy It is a "T" lamp in steel with a fusion base. The turning on / off is regulated by a ...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Iron

Warren Platner Walnut and Leather Floating Case Sofa for Lehigh Leopold, c. 1970
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptionally rare and highly sought-after collectors piece (with celebrity provenance) is a Warren Platner Executive Leather Case Sofa designed for Lehigh Leopold in circa 1970, and features a floating Walnut case with deep brown tufted leather upholstery and cushions, over a polished steel pedestal base. When comparing to the Milo Baughman case sofa, which is very popular and in-demand, this Warren Platner sofa...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Waterford “Lismore” Round Cut Crystal Table Lamp-Customized Shade, Brass Base
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
“Lismore” pattern cut crystal round shaped lamp marked Waterford on the socket. It has an off white shade with customized trim by Blanche Fields of Boston. The brass base is marke...
Category

1980s Irish Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Charles Hollis Jones Lucite / Glass Display Cabinet
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A two door Lucite display cabinet with lighted top and bottom panels having four glass shelves . The lower kick and upper top are in a chromed L...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass, Lucite

Romeo Rega Brass, Chrome and Crystal Centerpiece Catchall Vide Poche, circa 1970
Located in Atlanta, GA
Renowned Italian designer Romeo Rega designed this stunning modernist brass and chrome catchall or tray. The piece was meticulously crafted in Italy circa 1970. This rare catchall sh...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Metal, Brass, Chrome

Beautiful Baccarat Clear Crystal Vase, France
Located in Rijssen, NL
A heavy crystal masterpiece of beautiful proportions, this vase crystallize the extraordinary know-how of the Baccarat craftsmen. The different cuts in the vase make the shape of a t...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Crystal

Guido Galbiati, Italy, Modernist Silver Plate Cocktail Shaker
Located in Atlanta, GA
This modernist three-sectioned cocktail shaker was crafted by the renowned silversmith Guido Galbiati Argenteria in Italy, circa 1960. The superb modernist design showcases a geometr...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal, Silver Plate

Barbara Barry for Baker Furniture Dark Mahogany Two-Tier Center Table
Located in South Bend, IN
An elegant modern mahogany two-tier game table or center table By Barbara Barry for Baker Furniture USA, Circa 1990s Dark mahogany, with scalloped edge and single drawer. ...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture

Materials

Mahogany

Poltrona Willow di Charles Rennie Mackintosh per Cassina Anni 80
Located in Milano, IT
Poltrona/Trono disegnata nel 1904 e prodotta da Cassina a partire dagli anni '70 con struttura in legno di frassino tinto, seduta con cuscino in espanso e rivestimento in tessuto.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Ash

Abstract Sculpture in Decorated Porcelain Stoneware Guglielmo Gusella, 1980s
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Abstract sculpture in decorated porcelain stoneware Guglielmo Gusella, 1980s.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Sculptural Polished Bronze Dining Table by Fred Brouard, circa 1979
Located in Miami, FL
Signed and numbered by the artist. Fred Brouard was renowned in his time for bringing unique curves, striking finishes, and bold designs to the fore of late 20th century furnishin...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, lighting, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Rug Kilim, Schumacher, Vistosi, and Kartell. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.

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