Black White Columns Kelly Wearstler

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.

Antique and vintage columns and pedestals can make a statement in your home with their timeless beauty. They have a rich architectural history, from ancient Egyptian columns adorned with lotus capitals to the stylized Corinthian columns of Greece. Today, they can add refinement to your spaces, both indoors and out.

The options for pedestals and columns are endless. Influenced by everything from ancient ruins to European palaces, columns and pedestals include contemporary designs and distressed pieces. There are modern designs from all over the world, such as Pakistani, Italian and French examples. Other designs draw on architectural heritage, like those created in the Louis XIV style, which references Greece and Rome and evokes the decadence of Versailles through gold and vivid colors.

The materials used in columns and pedestals can vary widely. Marble and gilt pedestals add elegance, while patina brass columns offer sophistication. An upcycled item such as an industrial press can become a column, while certain mid-century barstools can be repurposed as pedestals.

Whether elaborate Victorian or Art Deco designs, pedestals and columns can be the base for another piece of art, adding height or accenting a sculpture. One or several can display ferns or other plants with trailing vines. Some pedestals come with planters for this purpose.

On their own, these elements can provide character and a touch of antiquity to one’s decor. Columns and pedestals made of stone, wood and rattan are among those available on 1stDibs. Browse hundreds of columns and pedestals to find one for your space.