Basa Drinks Cabinet

The International Style, a modernist movement within architecture and furniture design that was given its name by American architect Philip Johnson and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, was born during the 1920s and ’30s. It gained steam initially in Europe and then in the United States as a response to the first World War. Building projects associated with the movement, as well as vintage International Style chairs, tables and other furnishings, are minimal and pared back. 

Pioneers of the International Style — architect Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus colleagues Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, De Stijl advocate and Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud and visionary designer Le Corbusier — stripped away decorative elements and placed considerable value on functionality and clean lines, integrating the use of industrial materials like steel, concrete and large sheets of glass in their work. Quite aptly, this mode of design and architectural style coincided with an era now known as the Machine Age and became a global symbol of modernism. The primary motive of its practitioners was to address the changing needs of a rapidly industrializing society, especially the demand for office complexes and apartments in large cities, through economical, technologically advanced, yet aesthetically pleasing designs for furniture and buildings. 

“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep,” said Le Corbusier of the philosophy behind his practical modernist architecture. 

The International Style’s designers and architects were inspired by the advantages afforded them by the era’s new technology and industrial machinery as well as state-of-the-art materials. Le Corbusier was fond of framing his buildings in steel but reinforced concrete made far more economic sense. He is probably most admired for the iconic private homes and commercial buildings that he designed or codesigned with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, which are spread across the world, from New York City to Paris to Chandigarh, India. Today, Breuer’s Wassily Lounge chair; the elegant LC series created by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand; and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich, are emblems of progressive modernist design and all make prominent use of tubular steel. Vintage originals are the prized cornerstone of collections.

“The International Style is probably the first fundamentally original and widely distributed style since the Gothic,” posited Johnson in the book that accompanied “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition,” an architectural show he cocurated with Hitchcock that featured the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Richard Neutra and others. While the term “International Style” had previously been circulating in Europe, when the show opened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, it yielded a much broader application of this important style of design. 

Find International Style furniture on 1stDibs.

In any kitchen, dining room or other area of your home, antique and vintage cupboards can help you organize your space as well as support your endeavors to show off your prized collectibles and decorative objects.

Cupboards have long been staples in interior design as reliable and versatile case pieces, which have been a vital part of the home for centuries. Cupboards appeared in the Middle Ages and by the 17th century had eclipsed the chest in popularity as a piece of furniture for storage. New techniques in woodworking allowed furniture manufacturers to build pieces that were more complex than simple chests.

Early cupboards were often tall and were typically used to store linens. By the 18th century, there was more variety in the available shapes and sizes, with some pieces combining a chest of drawers with a tall cabinet.

Cupboards became large and heavy as their importance as furniture grew, frequently making them the biggest piece in a home. They could involve decorative elements like columns and cornices. Over the years, more features were added by furniture makers, such as glass panels for displaying items like porcelain ware.

Besides keeping the room tidy, a cupboard can set the tone through its size. Antique and vintage cupboards are built to last, and, with centuries of design choices, these structures are easy to match with existing furniture.

On 1stDibs, find a range of options for your home including new and custom cupboards, mid-century modern cupboards and original creations, like the weave quilt cupboards by Jim Rose. Contemporary cupboards with unexpected shapes and colors can add an element of surprise to a room. They also provide versatile storage while creating a modern effect.