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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver
1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
20th Century Chinese Modern Furniture
Jade
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Leather, Oak
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Nickel
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Rattan
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1980s Hungarian Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Resin, Wood
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1920s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Beech, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Rattan, Wood
1990s American Modern Furniture
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Swiss Modern Furniture
Linen, Paper
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Fiberglass
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
Early 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Clay
1990s American Modern Furniture
Maple
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Modern Furniture
Chrome
1970s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery
1990s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Resin
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Foam
Late 20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Unknown Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Dutch Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Aluminum
1940s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1960s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
1930s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century French Modern Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Travertine
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
1990s American Modern Furniture
Paper





