The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Roy McMakin Brutalist Douglas Fir Round Dining Table with Lazy Susan
By Roy McMakin
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Extra-large round dining table made by Roy McMakin for Big Leaf Manufacturing, Seattle, dated May 1998 and stamped with the maker's mark on the underside. Constructed from solid Doug...
Fir
Brutalist Torch‑Cut Sunburst Coffee Table Mid-Century Modern Silas Seandel Style
By Adrian Pearsall, Paul Evans, Daniel Gluck, Silas Seandel, Tom Greene
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Rare Mid‑Century Modern Brutalist torch‑cut mixed‑metal sunburst cocktail table in the style of Paul Evans, Silas Seandel, Curtis Jere, Tom Greene, Adrian Pearsall, and Daniel Gluck....
Metal
Brutalist Octagonal Side Table, Charles Dudouyt style. France c.1930s
Located in Bristol, GB
French solid oak brutalist side table in the style of Charles Dudouyt, dating from the 1930-40s. Octagonal top on a very chunky turned wood base. The wood has great patina and depth...
Oak
Large Brutalist Coffee Table, Solid Dark Brown European Oak, Taes by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Taes coffee table draws inspiration from the majestic sloping-sided architectural platforms, historically used for religious, ceremonial and defensive purposes. In stacked form, ...
Oak, Walnut
Large Light Oak Oval Dining Table, Solid European Oak Wood, Aperta by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Aperta is inspired by the mystery and attraction of light and space breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures. The objects feature a precise slit, creating a sense of...
Oak, Walnut
Lothar Klute, signed table set “Halboval-Quadrat”, 1990
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
This “semi-oval-square” combination was available in three different sizes. The one offered here is one of the largest models. It is estimated that about 100 of these models were pro...
Bronze
Chain Link Floor Ashtray Drinks Table / Side Table in Wrought Iron and Brass
Located in Barcelona, ES
French chain design drinks side table / floor ashtray, wrought iron, brass France 1950s-1960s. This brutalist floor ashtray, side table or stand features an sculptural construction w...
Iron, Wrought Iron, Brass, Metal
Cathedra Ι Black Cast Stone Coffee Table by Alentes, Handcrafted in Greece
Located in PALEA FOKEA, ATTIKI
The Cathedra I low Table is the first piece in a family of three tables inspired by the quiet gravity of archetypal architecture and ceremonial forms. Its character is defined by int...
Cast Stone
Henning Kjærnulf Style Brutalist Round Coffee Table of Solid Oak 1970s
By Axel Einar Hjorth, Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Henning Kjærnulf style round coffee table of heavy solid oak. Brutalist style with carved legs and wavy table rim. Handcrafted by a Danish cabinetmaker in the 1970s. Measurements: D...
Oak
Light Oak Oval Dining Table, Solid European Oak, Aperta Capsule by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Aperta is inspired by the mystery and attraction of light and space breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures. The objects feature a precise slit, creating a sense of...
Oak, Walnut
Giacometti Design Coffee Table
Located in Greenwich, CT
Glass topped coffee table with a textured and bronzed iron sled shaped base with four central tie bars hooked to a circular center plate. After a version of Diego Giacometti's Table...
Iron
Round French Oak Brutalist Dining Table with Hand Gouged Tabletop, C. 1940
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This striking 1940s brutalist dining table is masterfully crafted from substantial, solid oak. Its monumental pedestal base showcases the raw architectural forms and heavy geometry c...
Oak
Scalloped Monolithic Coffee Table, High-Gloss Walnut Root-Soft Brutalist Design
By JLC
Located in New York, NY
Crafted as a sculptural statement piece, this monolithic coffee table explores the intersection of organic form and architectural mass. Its distinctive scalloped perimeter creates a ...
Wood
Chain Link Drinks Table / End or Side Table in Gilt Iron and Wood, Spain 1940s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish gilt wrought iron chain link drink side table with wooden top, Spain, 1940s. Beautiful hand forged iron occasional table with chain link stem standing on a four footed base ...
Iron, Wrought Iron
Roger Capron Sculptural Ceramic Coffee Table, Vallauris, France, 1970s
Located in Almelo, NL
Roger Capron Sculptural Ceramic Coffee Table, Vallauris, France, 1970s An exceptional ceramic and wood coffee table by Roger Capron, created in Vallauris, France, during the 1970s. ...
Ceramic, Beech
Mid-Century French Brutalist Tile Table, Red Ceramic, Twisted Iron Frame
Located in Los Angeles, CA
French table combines Brutalist metalwork with artisan tile craftsmanship from the Mid-Century period. The frame employs traditional barley-twist ironwork, where each leg is hand-for...
Wrought Iron
Peninsula Large Biomorphic Coffee Table Set in High-Gloss Oxblood Red Lacquer
Located in New York, NY
The Peninsula Coffee Table Set is defined by a pair of large-scale biomorphic forms composed with a sculptural, architectural sensibility. Designed as a two-part composition rather t...
Wood, Lacquer
Lothar Klute, Centertable, 2001
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Centertable by Lothar Klute, featuring a custom-fitted glass top and a frame made of forged bronze. The table has eight forged legs that converge in the center to form a forged bas...
Bronze
$15,588 / item
NONO Elefante Table 48, Luxurious Solid Wood Finish
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Table 48, Luxurious Solid Wood Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch N...
Hardwood
Rotunda Dining Table Featuring Upholstered Pedestal Base
Located in New York, NY
The Rotunda Dining Table explores the relationship between planar clarity and sculptural mass. A circular top, defined by its restrained thickness and precise edge profile, rests in ...
Upholstery, Wood
In Stock - STOR Dining Table Stained Solid Ash - 123"x49"
Located in Calgary, AB
Oversized turned legs and exposed joinery make a bold statement. The exposed end-grain joint is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, a detail that visibly confirms solid wood ...
Ash
Set Of Three Paul Kingma Coffee Table For C, Kneip 1989.
By Paul Kingma
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set of Three Paul Kingma Coffee Table for C.Kneip 1989
Stone
Custom Sculptural Scalloped Coffee Table in High-Gloss Walnut Root Veneer
By JLC
Located in New York, NY
This sculptural coffee table is defined by a low, architectural profile and a rhythmically carved perimeter of concave arches. The faceted border creates a strong play of light and s...
Wood
Biosca Spanish Dining Table in Stained Pine
By BIOSCA
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Biosca, dining table, stained pine, iron, Spain, 1960s Outstanding Spanish dining table that is executed by Biosca in an architectural way. The two bases feature a geometrical carve...
Iron
Abecedario Collection, Letter "L" Side Table in Concrete Popsicle Cement Color
Located in Rome, Lazio
Coffee Table L is the latest addition to the Abecedario Collection presented on the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2023. A new grapheme that marks the evolution of this line and allows Forma&Cemento to continue with the drafting of a real concrete alphabet. Each coffee table is made through the extrusion of a two-dimensional shape into which the concrete is poured. Each unique and recognizable "sign" materializes in a piece of furniture full of meaning. Forma&Cemento products are handcrafted in high performance cement mortar. Our production process is completely artisanal and for this reason each piece is unique and no two are alike. To preserve the beauty of our concrete and highlight its peculiar characteristics, we use colored pigments that are poured directly into the cement mix. Any imperfections on the surface such as color variations, porosity, fine cracks and granulations of different colors are characteristics of the material and of the craftsmanship, for this reason they are not to be considered defects. Design: Studio Salaris.
Concrete
Abecedario Collection - letter "H" Side Table in Concrete Mou Cement Color
Located in Rome, Lazio
Coffee Table H is the latest addition to the Abecedario Collection presented on the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2023. A new grapheme that marks the evolution of this line and allows Forma&Cemento to continue with the drafting of a real concrete alphabet. Each coffee table is made through the extrusion of a two-dimensional shape into which the concrete is poured. Each unique and recognizable "sign" materializes in a piece of furniture full of meaning. Forma&Cemento products are handcrafted in high performance cement mortar! Our production process is completely artisanal and for this reason each piece is unique and no two are alike. To preserve the beauty of our concrete and highlight its peculiar characteristics, we use colored pigments that are poured directly into the cement mix. Any imperfections on the surface such as color variations, porosity, fine cracks and granulations of different colors are characteristics of the material and of the craftsmanship, for this reason they are not to be considered defects. Design: Studio Salaris...
Concrete
Lothar Klute Bronze Brutalist and Molded Glass Oversized Coffee Table
By Lothar Klute
Located in North Miami, FL
This RARE and outstanding large coffee table measuring 43 inches in diameter and weighing over 200 lbs from the thick molded glass plateau. This is a SIGNED piece from 1983. VERY b...
Bronze
Concrete Side Table "G" Abecedario Collection Green Color by Forma&Cemento
Located in Rome, Lazio
Coffee table G is part of the Abecedario Collection; it marks the beginning of a language in cement that will create a concrete alphabet made up by tables and ...
Concrete
Monumental Heavy Coffee Table, Slate, Wood and Concrete, 1960s Dutch
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Offered is this beautiful rare Brutalist octagonal shaped slate coffee or cocktail table, made in the 1960s. A "mosaic" of different sizes slate stone in beautiful autumn colors embe...
Slate, Concrete
Paul Evans Brutalist Studio Work Modern Glass Top Coffee Table C. 1960's
By Paul Evans
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 16 in W: 42 in D: 20 in Few furniture designers captured the bold spirit of the American Studio Craft movement quite like Paul Evans, whose sculptural creations hav...
Metal
Sculptural Coffee Table, Rustic, Burnt Black Wood, Carved, Handmade, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Carved from solid hardwood, this coffee table is one of the most architecturally ambitious pieces in the Logniture collection. The surface is not flat but rises across three distinct...
Wood, Oak
De Puydt Heavy Brutalist Oak Trestle Table or Desk in Dark Stained Oak
By De Puydt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century, Belgian manufacturer De Puydt attributed, stunning Brutalist dining table or desk with trestle base. Beautiful, solid dark oak with striking, carved, grooved, textural t...
Oak
Organic Brutalist Large Tree Root Coffee Table, 1970s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant Organic Brutalist large tree root coffee table. Striking French design from the 1970s. The coffee table is formed from a substantial natural root wood slab! Beau...
Walnut
Paul Evans Patchwork & Slate Hanging Console & Mirror Set, USA 1960's
By Paul Evans
Located in Buffalo, NY
Matched Console & Mirror set by Paul Evans in patinated Copper, Brass, and steel riveted patchwork. Slate top on the console. Retains original iron mounting bracket (see photos).Phot...
Slate, Brass, Copper, Cut Steel
Danish Modern Round Pine Dining Table with Extension Leaves, Denmark, 1970s
Located in Odense, DK
A charming Danish Modern round dining table crafted in solid pine, produced in Denmark during the 1970s. The table features a clean and functional design with warm natural tones and ...
Pine
Pair of Post Modern Brutalist Iron Base Glass Top Coffee Tables c. 1980/90's
By Mastercraft
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Brutalist style verdigris finish metal based, tempered glass top coffee tables, in excellent, original, clean and ready to use condition. Circa 1970's reminiscent of the work...
Iron
Danish Handcrafted Kjærnulf Style Brutalist Coffee Table of Solid Oak 1940
By Henning Kjærnulf, Axel Einar Hjorth
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Danish brutalist style coffee table of solid oak with rosette wood work decoration. Handcrafted by a Danish cabinetmaker in the 1970s. The fine natural surface and patina with a wa...
Oak
Japanese Antique Rustic Coffee Table 1860s-1900s / Wabi Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Very old rustic style coffee table made in Japan. This piece dates to the Meiji period (1860s–1900s) and is carved from a massive single block of zelkova wood, a material long prized...
Wood
Brutalist Console, Solid European Dark Brown Oak, Sculptural, Fenestra by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Walnut
French Terracotta Tiles & Chestnut Top & Wrought Iron Coffee Table, circa 1960
Located in Labrit, Landes
French terracotta top and wrought iron coffee table. The terracotta tiles are framed in a chesnut structure. Feet of wrought iron and chesnut. This small coffee table can also be use...
Wrought Iron
Freestanding Desk in Oak by Henning Kjærnulf, Danish Mid Century Modern, 1950s
Located in Odense, DK
An elegant freestanding writing desk designed by Danish designer Henning Kjærnulf in the 1950s. Crafted in rich oak, the piece showcases a tactile warmth through its finely grained s...
Brass
Vintage Rustic Brutalist Mid-Century Dining Table from Oak
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
A characterful vintage dining table in the Brutalist style, crafted from solid light oak. Expertly made using traditional mortise-and-tenon joints, giving it a solid and authentic ap...
Oak
$29,500 / item
James de Wulf Outdoor Concrete Pool Table
Located in Paia, HI
The classic James de Wulf Concrete Billiards Table is a staple to any game room. The regulation sized table is constructed of concrete reinforced with carbon fiber. It features a smo...
Concrete
Mid 20th Century Brutalist sculptural slate cast iron table
Located in London, GB
Mid 20th Century Brutalist sculptural slate cast iron table A Highly decorative hand crafted Brutalist wrought iron slate table, from the South of France. It is constructed from a s...
Stone, Slate, Wrought Iron
$27,750 / item
James de Wulf Special Edition Solid Base Pool Table
Located in Paia, HI
A special re-edition of the Classic James de Wulf pool table, this one features a pair of solid concrete legs with a raw edge detail. The cast-concrete tabletop...
Concrete
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
1960s Brutalist Cocktail Table by Don Drumm, Cast Aluminum & Glass
By Don Drumm
Located in Portland, OR
Fabulous one of a kind cocktail table by Don Drumm. The sculptural element is cast aluminum in a brutalist-style sun motif. Square glass top, (3/4” thickness) floats above the sculpt...
Aluminum, Steel
$12,300 / item
James de Wulf Concrete Backgammon Coffee Table
Located in Paia, HI
Concrete Backgammon Game Table by James de Wulf. Each table is made custom for indoor and outdoor living areas. The table is sealed and waxed for a unique luster. Table will devel...
Concrete
A Beautiful Slate and Oak Coffee Table by Carl Straub, Circa 1960’s
By Carl Straub
Located in Hastings, GB
A Beautiful Slate and Oak Coffee Table by Carl Straub, Circa 1960’s This beautiful oak and slate contrasting table, not only has an elegance but also a playful use of weight and bal...
Slate
Rustic Oak Vintage Brutalist Dining Table
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Vintage brutalist dining table made of solid oak, crafted in an authentic way with mortise and tenon joints. Robust and characterful design with a timeless appearance. The heavy qual...
Oak
1970's Posborg & Meyhoff for Sibast Møbler Rosewood Executive Desk Suite
By Sibast, Posborg & Meyhoff
Located in Utrecht, NL
Striking modular executive desk suite, designed by Danish designers Posborg & Meyhoff and masterfully manufactured by Sibast Møbler in Denmark during the 1970s. A quintessential ...
Steel
Vintage Rustic Brutalist Mid-Century Coffee Table from Oak
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
This small, square coffee table from the 1960s is crafted in the Brutalist style and made of heavy oak. The tabletop features a decorative wood grain, which gives the furniture a war...
Oak
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No10 Console Table – Soft-Edged Wood Sculpture, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No10 Console Table – Soft-Edged Wood Sculpture, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table se...
Hardwood
French Brutalist Elm Dining Table Or Center Table By Atelier Marolles
Located in Houston, TX
French Brutalist Elm Dining Table Or Center Table By Atelier Marolles. Outstanding large French Brutalist table by Atelier Marolles. This large table can be used as a dining table, c...
Elm
$3,221Sale Price|25% Off
Brutalist Heirloom Coffee Table by Weiman Carved Pedestal Base Ivory Marble Top
By Weiman
Located in Topeka, KS
Fantastic vintage Brutalist Heirloom coffee table by Weiman composed of a carved and blackened cylindrical pedestal base and a round ivory marble top, made in Italy. Beautiful condit...
Marble
French Brutalist Side Table, Mid-Century Modern, Solid Wood, Single Top
Located in Hasselt, VLI
Solid wood - Brutalist center or side table - Circa 1950 France. Fully handmade with amazing carved details. The top is made out of one solid tree trunk. Lovely patina and color. ...
Wood
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a...
Hardwood
Wrought iron coffee table in the style of Lothar Klute Coffee table in the style
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Coffee table in artfully forged iron with a bronze patina. Glass top specially cast and machined for this table.
Wrought Iron
Square Oak Dining Table in Solid Dark Brown European Oak - Aperta by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by light breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures, Aperta features a precise slit, creating a sense of lightness to its solid form. The Aperta Square Tabl...
Oak, Walnut
Solace No39 Console Table – Carved Details, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No39 Console Table – Carved Details, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, desig...
Hardwood
Vintage Rustic Farmhouse Mid-Century Brutalist Oak Dining Table
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Vintage Brutalist dining table made of solid oak, crafted in an authentic manner. Robust and characterful design with a timeless appearance. The heavy quality and artisanal finish ma...
Oak