Seletti Pillow

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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

Today, vintage pillows and throws are staples in interior decorating, especially in living rooms, bedrooms and guest rooms.

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then decorative pillows are the windows to the design aesthetic of one’s dreams. “They can be showpieces that are the last, final touch to an interior, like a jewel,” says Irish cushion designer Katie Larmour.

The use of pillows dates back thousands of years. However, the earliest examples were not the soft pillows of today as Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians used headrests made of stone. Softer pillows became popular with the Romans and Greeks.

Contemporary, designer and vintage pillows and throws can tie in design elements from all parts of a room to contribute to a more cohesive aesthetic. Whether they incorporate the colors of the room’s curtains or rug, echo the room’s paint color or act as an accent on their own, pillows and throws fill up a space and create a cozy and put-together appearance.

There are throws and pillows to complement any design style. Whether seeking out intricately patterned mid-century modern pillows, simple designs or tribal-style wool pillows, 1stDibs has something for every home or collection.