$14,000 / item
Blue Smoke Leather and Blackened Steel Three-Piece Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Encounter Cognac Leather and Blackened Steel Three-Piece Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
2010s Stephen Kenn Inheritance Three Seat Sofa in Cognac Leather
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an Inheritance Sofa, originally designed by Stephen Kenn in 2011.
Brass
$8,000 / item
Black Canvas and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$11,000 / item
Natural Canvas and Polished Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,500 / item
Pebbled Taupe Leather & Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,000 / item
Waxed Navy Leather & Antique Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,000 / item
Cream Leather and Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Waxed Cognac Leather & Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,500 / item
Grey Nubuck Leather and Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$15,500 / item
Black Bison Leather and Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,000 / item
Grey Waxed Leather Sofa with Charcoal Powdercoat
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,500 / item
Waxed Cognac Leather and Marbled Rust Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,000 / item
Cognac Brown Leather and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$11,000 / item
Teal Leather and Light Antique Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,000 / item
Waxed Moss Leather and Antique Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,000 / item
Obsidian Black Leather and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,500 / item
Walnut Brown Leather and Antique Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,000 / item
Natural Nubuck Leather and Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$15,500 / item
Blue Leather and Polished Black Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,000 / item
Black Wool and White Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$9,500 / item
Natural Canvas and Antique Copper Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,000 / item
Black Wool and Antique Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
Black Wool and Polished Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
Black Wool and Polished Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
Heathered Beige Wool and Polished Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,000 / item
Faribault Grey Wool and Antique Nickel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,000 / item
Faribault Grey Wool and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$8,000 / item
Olive Twill Canvas and Marbled Rust Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$8,000 / item
Desert Tan Heavy Canvas and Marbled Rust Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$8,000 / item
Dark Olive Heavy Canvas and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Canvas
Natural Canvas and Polished Brass Sofa with Tonal Belting
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Natural Canvas and Marbled Rust Sofa with Tonal Belting
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Dark Olive Heavy Canvas and Blackened Steel Sofa with Natural Leather Belts
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Canvas
$11,000 / item
Olive Canvas & Tarnished Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$14,200 / item
Vintage Japanese Boro & Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,000 / item
Vintage Military Canvas and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,000 / item
Military Canvas and Blackened Steel Sofa V2
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
US Mailbag Canvas & Polished Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
Vintage Military Canvas and Polished Brass Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Copper
$10,000 / item
Vintage Military Canvas and Marbled Rust Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Vintage Military Canvas and Antique Copper Three-Piece Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Vintage Military Canvas and Antique Brass Three Piece Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Brass
$13,500 / item
Brown Bison Leather and Blackened Steel Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Conceived in 2011, this sofa design was the first piece in The Inheritance Collection by Stephen Kenn.
Steel
Potomac Tan Leather and Blackened Steel Sofa with Ottoman
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Conceived in 2011, the Inheritance Sofa design was the first piece in The Inheritance collection by Stephen Kenn.
Steel
$10,500 / item
US Mailbag & Antique Nickel Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$1,200 / item
Antique Copper & Marbled Rust Wing Table
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unique table was designed specifically to pair with the Inheritance Sofa, Two Seat Sofa, or Armchair by Stephen Kenn.
Metal, Steel, Copper
$1,600 / item
White Marble & Antique Nickel Wing Table
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unique table was designed specifically to pair with the Inheritance sofa, two seat sofa, or armchair by Stephen Kenn.
Marble, Steel, Metal
$1,600 / item
Black Marble & Polished Brass Wing Table
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unique table was designed specifically to pair with the Inheritance sofa, two seat sofa, or armchair by Stephen Kenn.
Marble, Metal, Steel
$8,500 / item
Grey Wool & Marbled Rust Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$12,900 / item
Granite Leather & Blackened Steel Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$11,500 / item
Tan Leather & Antique Brass Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$6,500 / item
Black Canvas & Blackened Steel Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$8,500 / item
Black Wool and Blackened Steel Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,000 / item
Tan Wool and Antique Nickel Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,900 / item
Olive Leather and Antique Brass Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$11,500 / item
Potomac Leather and Antique Nickel Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$10,400 / item
Potomac Leather and Blackened Steel Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$13,500 / item
Indigo Leather and Antique Brass Two Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
$8,500 / item
Grey Wool and Blackened Steel Two-Seat Sofa
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Two Seat Sofa by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique.
Steel
Federico Munari Italy Sofa Velvet and Polished Solid Brass Curved 1950
By Federico Munari
Located in Valladolid, ES
It has been purchased in Milan Italy, In an inheritance. This curved sofa is perfect to make any room unique and curated!!!
Brass
Favoring used materials that wear well and tell a story, Canadian artist and furniture designer Stephen Kenn aims “to create products worthy of repair.” For instance, making comfortable pillows out of vintage, military-issued shelter halves is one way in which Kenn’s pieces facilitate a conversation as rich as the history that inspires them.
Kenn is a passionate designer and entrepreneur. In his early 20s, Kenn set up shop in Los Angeles and co-created two denim companies before selling them to investors. Kenn then focused on constructing men’s travel luggage through his third company. Once again, he went on to sell the company to investors. He shifted to making industrial-style furniture to match his loft apartment. Kenn took apart a vintage sofa and armchair to discover their inner workings and repurposed them into his designs. Through this experimentation, his fourth business, Stephen Kenn Furniture, was born. His wife, Beks Opperman, handled the business end while Kenn advanced his creative process.
Kenn had access to a large array of military fabrics, which became central to his Inheritance Collection. Along with repurposing the fabrics, Kenn welded rusted steel frames covered in a protective coating. Replica “mule belts,” originally used for pack mules in World War II, complemented the tarnished metal and supported the backs of his sofas.
In 2019, Kenn partially opened his downtown Los Angeles loft to the public as an experiential showroom that holds a collection of his work and favorite items from the past. It is open for community events and overnight stays and houses a popular neighborhood coffee shop.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Stephen Kenn’s seating, tables and more.
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.
Vintage couches and antique sofas have anchored living rooms for generations. The pieces most sought after today carry the deep-buttoned tufting of a Chesterfield or the low, sculptural ease of mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency design.
Styles to Know
Rolled arms and tufted backs point to Mid-Century Modern or Hollywood Regency pieces, while tight backs and turned legs skew more traditional. Velvet is enjoying a renewed moment across most of these silhouettes; see our velvet chesterfield sofa trend report for examples. A mid-century modern coffee table within reach and a vintage mirror nearby round out the seating area.
How to Choose the Right Vintage Sofa
A sofa's frame and upholstery history can be difficult to judge from photographs alone. Ask a seller for more information when a listing doesn't show the fabric or joinery clearly, and confirm whether the upholstery is original or has been redone. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and the 1stDibs Promise stands behind every purchase.