$3,046
H 27.17 in W 16.54 in D 12.21 in
Art Nouveau Etagere, Side Table, Fruitwood with Nice Inlays, France, Around 1910
Located in Greven, DE
Fine antique etagere France (?) Fruitwood Art Nouveau around 1910 Dimensions: H x W x D: 69
Fruitwood
$3,464
H 56 in W 27.5 in D 13 in
Rare Jugendstil or Art Nouveau Etagere Table / Stand with Glass Display Cabinet
Located in Lisse, NL
Stylish and practical Art Nouveau table with built-in display cabinet. This multi-layer and
Glass, Wood
libreria etagere art nouveau originale thonet anni 20
By Thonet
Located in taranto, IT
splendida e rara etagere originale degli anni 20 di Thonet, realizzata in legno nella migliore
Wood
Victorian Rosewood Etagere with Beveled Mirrors, Art Nouveau, 1890
Located in Phoenix, AZ
and Art Nouveau. The piece uses multiple beveled mirrors to create depth and to reflect light. The
Rosewood
$9,259
H 37 in W 47.2 in D 22.5 in
Unique Art Nouveau / Jugendstil Oakwood Open Shelf Etagere, Sideboard, Buffet
Located in Lisse, NL
Pure Art Nouveau and good size, three shelf side table. This early and good size, Arts & Crafts
Bronze
French Art Nouveau Walnut Three Tier Table
Located in Queens, NY
French Art Nouveau walnut three tier etagere table with oval top and shelves and carved floral trim
Walnut
Small Bookshelves or Étagères, 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Pair of bookshelves or étagères from the 19th century. Each features two open shelves, a drawer
Wood
Émile Gallé "Papillon" Étagère Wall Shelf
By Émile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
19th century. The Tiger Moth, admired by Art Nouveau artists for its striking animal print, adds a
Fruitwood, Mahogany, Walnut
$2,490 / set
H 45.28 in W 22.84 in D 15.36 in
Early 20th Century Federal Style Mahogany Corner Etagere with Drawer
Located in Miami, FL
An early 20th century two-tier Art Nouveau corner shelf with one drawer
Wood
$2,200
H 23 in W 27 in D 12 in
Solid Mahogany Organic Shape Oval Beveled Glass Staggered 4-Tier Étagère Shelf
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Solid mahogany pre Art Nouveau style decorative étagère.
Mahogany
$3,010
H 61.03 in W 25.6 in D 13.78 in
Italian liberty walnut wood with ground mirrors showcase or étagère, 1900s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian liberty walnut wood with ground mirrors showcase or étagère, 1900s. Italian liberty walnut
Mirror, Walnut
$2,974
H 50.4 in W 39.38 in D 16.93 in
Late 19th Century Bookcase Étagère by Fratelli Mora Milano in Walnut Wax-Polish
By Fratelli Mora
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Art Nouveau bookcase étagère by Fratelli Mora Milano in walnut restored and polished to wax, 1880
Walnut
French Art Nouveau Two-Tiered Fruitwood Étagère
Located in 3 Oaks, MI
Very elegant lines and details on this Art Nouveau fruitwood two-tiered étagère. Graceful bowed
Handmade blue ceramic etagere, stand tray or jewellery holder
Located in Münster, DE
The handmade ceramic etagere is part of an entire etagere series from CortoMagDelft and can be used
Metal, Copper
Unavailable
H 76 in W 25 in D 12 in
European Ètagerè Asian Style with Carved Dragon Figure, circa 1900
Located in Redding, CA
Art Nouveau in taste this wonderful cabinet reminds me of something you would see in the Hearst
Wood
Art Nouveau Étagère by, Emile Gallé
By Émile Gallé
Located in Englewood, NJ
French Art Nouveau étagère by Emile Gallé, featuring inlaid fruitwood marquetry depicting flying
Bronze
Emile Gallé French Art Nouveau Etagere
By Émile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Nouveau etagere by Emile Gallé with dragonflies in marquetry on the shelves and back
Beautiful Art Nouveau Etagere Beech/ Nutwood, Austria, circa 1905
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
With more then 110 years of age this beautiful Art Nouveau etagere is coming from Vienna/ Austria
Beech, Nutwood
c.1890 French Walnut Art Nouveau Etagere
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Unbelievable circa 1890 hand-carved French walnut Art Nouveau etagere, Graceful and flowing lines
Sold
H 35.8 in W 22.8 in D 10.6 in
Art Nouveau Etagere/ Side Table by D.G. Fischel, Bohemia, circa 1905
By D. G. Fischell
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
This super rare Art Nouveau etagere or side table was made by the famous manufacture of D.G
Beech
Emile Gallé French Art Nouveau Étagerè
By Émile Gallé
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Nouveau walnut “Étagerè aux Libellules.” Both the inlay and the structural elements of
Majorelle French Art Nouveau Étagère or Cabinet
By Louis Majorelle
Located in New York, NY
A French Art Nouveau two-door étagère or cabinet with two display areas by Louis Majorelle
French Art Nouveau Etagere by, Emile Galle
By Émile Gallé
Located in Englewood, NJ
French Art Nouveau Bamboo Étagère by, Emile Gallé Rare French Art Nouveau carved
Wood
A Rare French Art Nouveau étagère by, Louis Majorelle
By Louis Majorelle
Located in Englewood, NJ
A fine and rare French Art Nouveau carved wood and exotic wood marquetry étagère by, Louis
Wood, Glass
Sold
H 43.31 in W 26.58 in D 18.12 in
Thonet Vienna Art Nouveau Étagère No 31 Book Shelf, Mahogany Stained, circa 1900
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegantly shaped etagere with four large storage levels, the straight uprights slightly flared in
Beech
Sold
H 47.25 in W 33.47 in D 15.75 in
Thonet Vienna Art Nouveau Étagère No 32, Book Shelf, Mahogany Stained, Ca 1900
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegantly shaped etagere with five storage levels, four curved uprights with console elements carry
Beech
Art Nouveau Corner Shelves French Oak Étagère
Located in Labrit, Landes
French Art Nouveau étagère, Corner shelve from a pharmacy (meuble de métier) Dimensions between
Oak
Antique Art Nouveau Carved Mahogany Reticulated Étagère, circa 1900
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Art Nouveau étagère offers mahogany construction with upper display over beveled mirror
Glass, Wood, Mahogany
Sold
H 41.54 in W 13.39 in D 11.11 in
Art Nouveau / Jugendstil Etagere, Ebonized Wood, Brass, Austria circa 1910
Located in Regensburg, DE
Rare small Jugendstil / Art Nouveau etagere or shelf from Austria around 1900-1920. Multiple
Brass
English Art Nouveau Walnut Étagère or Bookcase with Leaded Glass Doors
Located in Milford, NH
A fine two part English Art Nouveau étagère or bookcase, its upper case featuring a radial carved
Glass, Walnut
Antique American Art Nouveau Small Mirrored Étagère with Curio Cabinet
Located in Doylestown, PA
American Art Nouveau étagère with a dark walnut finish, circa 1910's. A petite étagère with a slim
Brass
Sold
H 48.43 in W 26.77 in D 12.99 in
Art Nouveau Mahogany Display Cabinet/ Etagere With Painted Flowers, FR ca. 1900
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Superb Art Nouveau display cabinet or etagere made out of fine mahogany in France around 1900. The
Brass
Signed Louis Majorelle French Marquetry Etagere Music Cabinet, 1900
By Louis Majorelle
Located in Dallas, TX
Louis Majorelle Art Nouveau etagere-music cabinet. With marquetry on sides, center and front
Wood
Petit Oak Art Nouveau Shelf / Étagère
Located in Darmstadt, DE
The small shelf dates from the Art Nouveau period and was made of oakwood. The shelf is in a good
Oak
Art Nouveau Style Brass & Glass Etagere
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Art Nouveau style decorative brass and curved glass shelf etegere. Stamped "SIEGEL PARIS."
Glass
Thonet Art Nouveau Vienna Etagère or Bookshelf, circa 1905
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Thonet Art Nouveau Vienna Etagère or Bookshelf made circa 1905 - 1910 beech wood and dark
Beech, Mahogany
Sold
H 90.56 in W 82.29 in D 21.26 in
Art Nouveau French Wroughtiron, Gild Bronze Bookcase, Etagére, Shelves
By French House & Garden
Located in Valladolid, ES
Exceptional French ÉTAGÈRE, SXIX-PP SXX, Art nouveau, in gilt bronze and wrought iron. Divided into
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Pair Custom Art Nouveau Inspired Aluminum Etageres
Located in Chicago, IL
Elegant art nouveau inspired polished aluminum etageres with three-eighths inch thick polished edge
Aluminum
Sold
H 28.15 in W 33.46 in D 17.72 in
Art Nouveau Bentwood Etagere/ Side Table/ Flower Pedestal, Austria ca. 1905
By Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Fantastic designed, rare Art Nouveau bentwood etagere/ side table/ flower pedestal from the very
Beech, Bentwood
Sold
H 47.24 in W 33.46 in D 15.35 in
Thonet Art Nouveau Shelves Side Table Étagère Bentwood Vienna Made, circa 1900
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Nouveau set of shelves / étagère / side table made, circa 1900 Manufactory: Thonet
Bentwood
Sold
H 14.18 in Dm 10.63 in
Viennese Silver & Glass Art Nouveau Table Étagère by Würbel & Czokally, Ca. 1900
By Wurbel & Szokally
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent original Viennese Art Nouveau centerpiece: Two-tiered, silver table étagère on a large
Silver
Sold
H 54 in W 26.5 in D 12.5 in
French Art Nouveau Tortoiseshell Bamboo & Lacquer Chinoiserie Bookcase Etagere
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
French Art Nouveau Tortoiseshell Bamboo & Lacquer Chinoiserie Bookcase and Etagere also has at the
Bamboo, Lacquer
Sold
H 26.78 in W 26.58 in D 7.68 in
Mahogany Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts Hanging Shelf Étagère by K.P.C. de Bazel
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Magnificent and rare Art Nouveau Arts & Crafts hanging shelf étagère. Design by K.P.C. de Bazel
Mahogany
Sold
H 48.032 in W 13.78 in D 14.173 in
Art Nouveau Bentwood Etagere/ Pedestal/ Plant Stand by Thonet, AT, ca. 1906
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
elegant designed Art Nouveau pedestal an absolute timeless look and would fit to many interior styles. It
Bentwood
Sold
H 48.032 in W 13.78 in D 14.173 in
Art Nouveau Bentwood Etagere/ Pedestal/ Plant Stand by Thonet, AT, ca. 1906
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
elegant designed Art Nouveau pedestal an absolute timeless look and would fit to many interior styles. It
Bentwood
French Wrought Iron Pair of Etageres
Located in Atlanta, GA
in the Art Nouveau style. Each side has three original hand cut glass shelves held by dramatically
Wrought Iron
Sold
H 58.67 in W 22.45 in D 14.18 in
Exceptional Art Nouveau Cabinet by Louis Majorelle 1900 French Antique Nancy
By Louis Majorelle
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Exquisite & breathtaking! This French antique Art Nouveau cabinet / etagere by Louis Majorelle 1900
Walnut
Antique Mahogany Corner Etagere Plant Table 5 Levels 144cm
Located in Poperinge, BE
Antique etagère, corner rack or plant table of high quality, made of mahogany, it has 5 shelves of
Mahogany
Viennese Etagere Shelf Thonet Nr.41, circa 1904
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet Company. In the production program was included in the year 1904. Original state.
Beech, Bentwood
Viennese Etagere Shelf Thonet Nr.41, circa 1904
By Michael Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet Company. In the production program was included in the year 1904. Newly restored.
Beech, Bentwood
Sold
H 61.03 in W 25.6 in D 13.78 in
Italian Liberty Walnut Étagère with Showcase, Late 1800-Early 1900
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian liberty walnut étagère with showcase, late 1800-early 1900. Liberty etagere in walnut
Mirror, Walnut
Viennese Secession Etagere, Shelf, Thonet Nr.41, circa 1904
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. In the production program was included in the year 1904. Marked with paper label "Thonet". Original very good condition.
Bentwood
Viennese Étagère, Shelf, Gebrüder Thonet Nr.2, circa 1895
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. In the production program was included in the year 1895. Marked with paper label "Thonet". Newly restored.
Beech, Bentwood
Viennese Étagère, Shelf, Gebrüder Thonet Nr.2, circa 1895
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. In the production program was included in the year 1895. Marked with paper label "Thonet". Newly restored.
Beech, Bentwood
Victorian Art Nouveau Mirrored Hand Painted Étagère
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Hand painted cherubs with flowers on all the shelves decorate this piece from the Art Nouveau
Mirror, Hardwood
Sold
H 28.35 in W 11.42 in D 11.42 in
French Art Nouveau Plant Table Etagere Artificial Bronze Antique circa 1900
Located in Poperinge, BE
French Art Nouveau plant table, 3-tiered etagere, originally made to be used by a fireplace or
Metal
Sold
H 33.08 in W 22.84 in D 7.88 in
Thonet Vienna Art Nouveau Wall Étagère No 51, Book Shelf, Mahogany stained, 1903
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegantly shaped etagere with four large storage levels, the straight uprights slightly flared in
Beech
Sold
H 37 in W 17.5 in D 12.8 in
Art Nouveau Style Etagere Stand / Side Table in the Manner of Louis Majorelle
By Louis Majorelle
Located in Lisse, NL
Beautiful and practical Art Nouveau style table. This fine looking and remarkable condition
Teak
Sold
H 37.4 in W 15.75 in D 12 in
Art Nouveau Style Etagere Stand / Side Table in the Manner of Louis Majorelle
By Louis Majorelle
Located in Lisse, NL
Beautiful and practical Art Nouveau style table. This fine looking and remarkable condition table
Mahogany
Sold
H 48.82 in W 18.9 in D 14.18 in
Étagère bookcase, magazine or correspondence holder, original Art Nouveau. c. 1910
Located in Torino, IT
Étagère libreria, porta riviste o corrispondenza, originale Liberty. Legno di noce. PERIODO
Wood
Tiffany Studios Jeweled Feather Table Lamp.
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Jeweled Feather Table Lamp. New York, Circa 1910 Base signed TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 584, Height 22 Inches Shade signed TIFFANY STUDIOS NEW YORK 1439, Diameter 16....
Bronze
Art Nouveau Wall Cabinet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art nouveau carved wall cabinet in excellent original condition.
Wood
Émile Gallé small Cameo vase, Art Nouveau, ca 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Delft, NL
Émile Gallé small Cameo vase, Art Nouveau, ca 1900 Émile Gallé (Nancy, 1846 –1904) was a French glassmaker and furniture designer Émile Gallé 20 cm high footed Cameo vase made in...
Glass
$7,049
H 68.51 in W 53.15 in D 4.34 in
Magnificent Art Nouveau Sideboard, Signed. French, early 20th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Magnificent Art Nouveau sideboard, signed. French, early 20th century, Mahogany and other woods. Decorated with marquetry, with two drawers and two doors decorated with marquetry, ...
Wood
$957Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.82 in W 23.63 in D 3.55 in
Art Nouveau wall shelf with poppies, France, circa 1900
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Superb wall shelf. Art Nouveau. France, circa 1900 In carved, stained and pyrographed wood. Asymmetrical openwork structure decorated with floral motifs (poppies). 2 small tablets....
Wood
New Haven Clock Co. Art Nouveau Style Table Clock
By New Haven Clock Company
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This is an Art Nouveau Style Table Clock. It depicts a small balloon shape clock mounted in copper color metal. A standing young nymph is adorning the front of the case while holding...
Bronze
$5,900
H 7.25 in W 3.5 in D 3.5 in
Art Nouveau Gres Bijou Butterfly & Spiderweb Semiramis Vase by RStK Amphora
By Reissner Stellmacher & Kessel
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Earthenware, Glass
$920Sale Price / item|26% Off
H 37.01 in W 17.72 in D 18.9 in
Art Nouveau Chair, Walnut Wood, Restored Upholstery, Germany, 1900
Located in Hannover, DE
An Art Nouveau chair whose shape and design perfectly reflect this art period. Finely crafted walnut wood covered with a dark, fine glaze. This chair has been artfully restored and r...
Wood, Nutwood
Art Deco Luxury Vanity Console in Walnut, Ebony and Marble
Located in Antwerp, BE
High-end walnut and ebony vanity table This eclectic and exuberant piece shows a beautiful form with stunning details such as the hand carved claw feet and flower motives Th...
Marble
$17,921
H 59.06 in W 37.41 in D 19.69 in
Rare Italian Liberty Style/Art Nouveau Commode with Painted Wood Inlays
Located in Milano, IT
Rare commode in the style of Louis Majorelle with front and sides inlaid in painted wood. Two doors on the front that hide a cabinet with open compartments and small drawers in light...
Wood
$4,659
H 19.69 in W 13 in D 5.52 in
Art Nouveau Table Clock by Christian Ferdinand Morawe, Gustav Becker Clockwork
Located in Berlin, DE
Art Nouveau table clock, Gustav Becker clockwork, designed by Christian Ferdinand Morawe This exquisite table clock comes from the Art Nouveau era and is characterized by its artis...
Mahogany
Late 19th French Art Nouveau Walnut Cabinet
Located in Miami, FL
The Vertiko made from walnut with brass fittings, a mirror with facet cut, with typical Art Nouveau ornamentations. In good restored condition with the original glasses and mirror.
Mirror, Walnut
Jugendstil etagere by Thonet Debrecen
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Jugendstil etagere by Thonet Debrecen in very nice original condition.
Beech, Bentwood
Wooden armchairs by Studio Glustin
By Glustin Creation
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
Superb pair of armchairs in beech wood upholstered with a bouclette fabric. Creation by Studio Glustin. France, 2023
Fabric, Beech
$8,238
H 29.73 in W 26.97 in D 19.49 in
Original French Art Nouveau Marquetry Table ''Japonisme'' by Emile Galle 1900
By Émile Gallé
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Very rare original Emile Galle ''plate 66 Japonisme'' side table in Art Nouveau style. This beautiful side table was created by Emile Galle in 1900, during the art nouveau period. ...
Walnut, Fruitwood, Rosewood
Louis Majorelle "Les Pins" Carved Mahogany Armchair
By Louis Majorelle
Located in New York, NY
This hand-carved wooden armchair, named "Le Pins," embodies the Art Nouveau style of Louis Majorelle, featuring intricate carvings of pine needles and pinecones. Reflecting Majorelle...
Upholstery, Mahogany
In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.
Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.
Art Nouveau furniture was a style of furniture that emerged at the end of the 19th century and was characterized by its complex curved lines. The curved details in the furniture were typically carved by hand and finished with lacquer. The unmistakable gloss that is associated with Art Nouveau comes from the thick coat of varnish applied to the furniture as the final step of the production process.
The main difference between Art Nouveau and Art Deco is that the former is detailed and ornate, and the latter is sharp and geometrical. When the movement started at the end of the 19th century, Art Nouveau was heavily influenced by nature and the curved lines of flowers. Art Deco, which became popular in the beginning of the 20th century, was inspired by the geometric abstraction of cubism.
The Art Nouveau design movement used such materials as cast iron and steel, ceramic and glass. This style of architecture, design, art and jewelry was characterized by its use of long, sinuous lines that are reflected in nature.