Small Nobsa Rug By Sebastian Herkner
2010s Colombian Modern North and South American Rugs
Wool
2010s German Modern North and South American Rugs
Wool
2010s Colombian Modern North and South American Rugs
Wool
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
Wool
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
Wool
2010s German Modern Quilts and Blankets
Wool
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Cord, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Benches
Velvet, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights an...
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Benches
Rattan, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Benches
Leather, Wood, Oak
2010s Brazilian Other Benches
Upholstery, Cord, Wood, Hardwood
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Benches
Wood, Cedar
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary German Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 1860s French Tables
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
2010s Organic Modern Benches
Wood, Teak, Reclaimed Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Enamel, Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Recent Sales
2010s German Modern North and South American Rugs
Wool
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
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.