Uneven Bookshelf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Vases
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Corner Cupboards
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Credenzas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cabinets
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Bookcases
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Credenzas
Steel
2010s American Modern Credenzas
Leather, Walnut
2010s American Modern Credenzas
Leather, Walnut
People Also Browsed
2010s American Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
2010s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Composition
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Mirror, Wood
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Dry Bars
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Dining Room Tables
Marble, Onyx, Statuary Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Brass
Vintage 1980s Italian Sofas
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Wood
2010s Canadian Modern Cabinets
Ash, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Wood, Ebony, Velvet
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Oak, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Organic Modern Center Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Metal
Recent Sales
2010s American Modern Credenzas
Leather, Walnut
2010s American Modern Credenzas
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century American Rustic Bookcases
Wicker
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.
Finding the Right storage-case-pieces for You
Of all the antique and vintage case pieces and storage cabinets that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items.
In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior.
Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time.
Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of storage case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room.
In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.
A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard made of colored glass and metals, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.