Blackout Curtain
2010s Italian Modern Curtains and Valances
Brass
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Rococo Pillows and Throws
Metallic Thread
2010s Japanese Minimalist Screens and Room Dividers
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Curtains and Valances
Textile
20th Century French Louis XVI Curtains and Valances
Fabric, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Wood, Silk, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary American Spanish Colonial Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Curtains and Valances
Metal
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Beech, Fruitwood
Late 20th Century European Other Curtains and Valances
Silk
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Brocade, Teak
Antique 1870s French Napoleon III Sofas
Brocade, Beech
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Curtains and Valances
Cotton
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Textile, Beech
Antique Late 19th Century American Federal Curtains and Valances
Brass
Antique Early 1800s French Empire Curtains and Valances
Textile
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Charles X Curtains and Valances
Fruitwood
A Close Look at 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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Materials: brass Furniture
Whether burnished or lacquered, antique, new and vintage brass furniture can elevate a room.
From traditional spaces that use brass as an accent — by way of brass dining chairs or brass pendant lights — to contemporary rooms that embrace bold brass decor, there are many ways to incorporate the golden-hued metal.
“I find mixed metals to be a very updated approach, as opposed to the old days, when it was all shiny brass of dulled-out silver tones,” says interior designer Drew McGukin. “I especially love working with brass and blackened steel for added warmth and tonality. To me, aged brass is complementary across many design styles and can trend contemporary or traditional when pushed either way.”
He proves his point in a San Francisco entryway, where a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above a limited-edition table and stools by Kelly Wearstler — also an enthusiast of juxtapositions — all providing bronze accents. The walls were hand-painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga and the ombré stair runner is by DMc.
West Coast designer Catherine Kwong chose a sleek brass and lacquered-parchment credenza by Scala Luxury to fit this San Francisco apartment. “The design of this sideboard is reminiscent of work by French modernist Jean Prouvé. The brass font imbues the space with warmth and the round ‘portholes’ provide an arresting geometric element.”
Find antique, new and vintage brass tables, case pieces and other furnishings now on 1stDibs.