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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Travertine, Metal
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Travertine, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin, Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Mirror, Resin
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Steel
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton, Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Foil
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Furniture
Polystyrene
Mid-20th Century English Modern Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s European Modern Furniture
Epoxy Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Modern Furniture
Leather, Teak
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Modern Furniture
Hardwood, Oak
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Concrete
2010s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Furniture
Fabric
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Furniture
Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plastic
Late 20th Century German Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Chrome
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Plastic
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Oak, Walnut
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Nylon, Epoxy Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Wood, Cedar
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Canvas, Linen, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Stoneware
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century Persian Modern Furniture
Wool
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Modern Furniture
Cowhide
Late 20th Century Cuban Modern Furniture
Giltwood, Paper
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Concrete
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Gold