Karma Living
2010s Danish Post-Modern Western European Rugs
Bamboo
2010s Danish Post-Modern Western European Rugs
Bamboo
2010s Danish Post-Modern Western European Rugs
Bamboo
2010s Danish Post-Modern Western European Rugs
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Art Deco More Carpets
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Central Asian Rugs
Wool, Silk, Hemp
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Stools
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Shelves
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Sofas
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s Chinese Modern Lounge Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Chinese Modern Sofas
Other
2010s Chinese Modern Lounge Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Benches
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Lounge Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Lounge Chairs
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Shelves
Fiberglass
20th Century French Art Nouveau Bottles
Art Glass
2010s Chinese Modern Benches
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Table Lamps
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Shelves
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Stools
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Stools
Fiberglass
Early 20th Century French Country Animal Sculptures
Iron
2010s Chinese Modern Shelves
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Shelves
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Vases
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Vases
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Abstract Sculptures
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Vases
Fiberglass
Vintage 1910s Austrian Modern Armchairs
Bentwood
2010s Chinese Modern Abstract Sculptures
Fiberglass
20th Century French Tribal Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
20th Century French Tribal Figurative Sculptures
Plaster
2010s Lebanese Modern Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Lebanese Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Pillows and Throws
Jute, Cotton
2010s German Bauhaus Chandeliers and Pendants
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Boxes
Amethyst
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Busts
Natural Fiber
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
2010s Chinese Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Fiberglass
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A Close Look at 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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
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Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design
From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Eileen Gray’s Deco Designs Launched Modernism. That Was Just the Beginning
Decades after her death, appreciation for the legendary designer and architect's work continues to flourish.
Harvey Probber Was the Godfather of Modern Modular Seating
The forward-thinking designer is finally getting his due.
20 Artfully Crafted Mirrors to Frame Your Reflection
In "Object Permanence 4," on view at the 1stdibs Gallery, Emma Holland Denvir and Leah Ring have brought together pieces that range from polished to playful.
Roberto Burle Marx’s Bold Brazilian Landscape Design Comes to New York
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.