Brazilian Benches
More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Steel
2010s Brazilian Benches
Linen, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Bronze
2010s International Style Brazilian Benches
Wood, Plywood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Linen, Hardwood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Linen, Hardwood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Linen, Hardwood
2010s Modern Brazilian Benches
Bouclé, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Wicker, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Organic Modern Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Benches
Leather
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Benches
Leather
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Benches
Steel
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Benches
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Benches
Foam, Wood, Plywood
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Benches
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Organic Modern Brazilian Benches
Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Hardwood, Reclaimed Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
1950s Vintage Brazilian Benches
Upholstery, Jacaranda
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Metal
2010s Organic Modern Brazilian Benches
Wood
1960s Vintage Brazilian Benches
Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
19th Century Mid-Century Modern Antique Brazilian Benches
Leather, Hardwood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Fabric
2010s Modern Brazilian Benches
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Benches
Metal
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Benches
Formica, Wood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Benches
Steel
2010s Other Brazilian Benches
Upholstery, Cord, Wood, Hardwood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Benches
Wood
19th Century Rustic Antique Brazilian Benches
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Fabric, Hardwood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
19th Century Rustic Antique Brazilian Benches
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
2010s International Style Brazilian Benches
Wood
2010s Brazilian Benches
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Benches
Wood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Benches
Cane, Hardwood, Lacquer
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Benches
Iron
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Benches
Metal
2010s Brazilian Benches
Fabric
2010s Modern Brazilian Benches
Metal, Brass
2010s Brazilian Benches
Iron
2010s Other Brazilian Benches
Hardwood
2010s Other Brazilian Benches
Hardwood