Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.
Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.
Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.
Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.
Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
Rare Original Gerrit Rietveld “tz77” Coffee Table for ‘t Spectrum, 1968. Signed.
By Gerrit Rietveld, 't Spectrum
Located in Beerse, VAN
Rare and original Gerrit Rietveld "tz77" coffee table for 't Spectrum, 1968. This table is a beautiful example of a typical Rietveld design due to its "simplicity", use of straight ...
Wood
Italian Bauhaus Solid Wood Crate Table by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1980s
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Bauhaus solid wood crate table by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1980s Crate series table, with top formed by parallel solid wood boards and with cro...
Wood
Gerrit Rietveld Low Crate Table for Metz & Co., Circa 1935
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Skokie, IL
Offered is an attractive Gerrit Rietveld Lage ‘Krattafel’, Low ‘Crate Table’ Metz&Co Amsterdam, The Hague from 1935. Provenance: Estate of Laura Ziskin. Materials: Unpainted spru...
Brass
Gerrit Rietveld Crate Table, Lacquered Wood & Glass, Mid-Century 1950
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Crate table design in the style of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Metz & Co, manufactured in Holland, circa 1950. Lacquered wood and glass top. In good original condition, preserving a beautifull patina. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld ( 24 June 1888–25 June 1964) was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. One of the principal members of the Dutch artistic movement called De Stijl, Rietveld is famous for his red and blue chair and for the Rietveld Schröder House, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1934 Rietveld designed a first series of crate furniture, consisting of an armchair, a small bookcase and a small table. These were items for which the appearance was largely dictated by the application of standard lumber size planks for different parts of the furniture. The choice of using standardized Industrial products was motivated by Rietveld’s aim to make furniture production more efficient. The furniture is almost completely built from firewood planks with a width of, circa 15 cm. A constantly recurring, distinctive wide chink is left between the planks. Dry joints connect the components with brass screws, which are left visible. At this time this type of wood and construction method was used for packing crates...
Wood
Crate Side Table by Gerrit Rietveld, Netherlands, 1930s
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Antwerp, BE
Brown crate side table by Gerrit Rietveld, crafted circa 1935 in the Netherlands, this table is a testament to Rietveld's avant-garde approach to furniture design. As a pioneering figure in the De Stijl movement, Rietveld revolutionized the concept of traditional craftsmanship with his radical creations. Constructed from standard lumber size planks, they showcase Rietveld's belief in the inherent strength and durability of packing materials. Despite facing criticism for their departure from conventional workmanship, Rietveld remained true to his dedication to functionality and simplicity. This side table offers a chance to own the enduring legacy of the De Stijl movement. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888–1964) was more than a furniture designer: he was an architectural maverick and a leading figure in the Dutch artistic movement De Stijl. His contributions to modern design transcend boundaries, shaping the landscape of 20th-century aesthetics. Rietveld's philosophy emphasized the purity of form and the integration of art into everyday life. Through his innovative use of materials and geometric abstraction, he challenged conventional norms and redefined the essence of design. His legacy lives on through timeless creations like the Black Crate...
Wood
$13,500
H 27.76 in W 98.43 in D 38.59 in
Frank Lloyd Wright “608 Taliesin” Dining Table for Cassina, 1917
By Cassina, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Frank Lloyd Wright “608 Taliesin” dining table for Cassina, cherry, Italy, 1917. This dining table was designed for the Kansas governor and stat...
Cherry
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Rare "Odyssey" Coffee Table 1960s (Signed)
By Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Important and mesmerizing "Odyssey” Coffee Table in patinated and engraved bronze and pewter with vibrant hand-painted enamels and gold and copper leaf atop a Greek column pedestal b...
Bronze, Enamel, Pewter, Gold Leaf
Bauhaus Side Table by Marcel Breuer, Czechoslovakia, 1930s
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Praha, CZ
This Bauhaus side table, attributed to Marcel Breuer and produced in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s, represents an iconic example of early modernist furniture design. The piece comb...
Steel, Chrome
Side table by Svend Thoresen & Torgny Roloff, Sweden, c. 1930s
By NK (Nordiska Kompaniet)
Located in Eskilstuna, SE
An elegant Swedish Grace table in dark-stained oak, designed for Nordiska Kompaniet during the 1930s. Svend A. Thoresen, a Danish interior architect active in Stockholm, worked at N...
Oak
Swedish Designer, Side Table, Birch, Sweden, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A dark-stained birch side table designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1930s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 28.625"H x 31.75"W x 17.875"D All items ship from High Point, North Carolina.
Birch
$11,400Sale Price|24% Off
H 15.25 in Dm 58 in
Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin Rosewood Lazy Susan Rotating Coffee Table, 1968
By Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This newly restored rotating Lazy-Susan cocktail table was designed by Milo Baughman and produced by Thayer Coggin in crica 1968. Featuring a stunning Rosewood top with vivid grain a...
Rosewood, Formica
Mid-Century Modern Glass Top Coffee Table
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A beautiful vintage modern propeller shaped metal base and a thick round glass top is sure to make an impression in any modern interior. An elegant design that boasts a tripod base w...
Metal
$5,500
H 14.18 in W 27.56 in D 39.38 in
Rare Sculptual Form 'MBR 03' Coffee Table by Michel Boyer for Rouve, Paris, 1968
By Michel Boyer, Rouve
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Beautiful minimalist sculptural form ' MBR 03' coffee table designed in 1968 by French master designer Michel Boyer for Rouve, Paris. Michel Boyer designed a small series of 'MBR' white laminate tables with varying overall dimensions and proportions of inset storage compartments but all based on the same theme. These tables were produced in small numbers in 1968 by the high end Avant Garde manuacturer Rouve who were based in Rue Bonaparte in Paris. Please see copy of original Rouve advert (image 2) which documents this exact model, the 'MBR 03'. The table is high quality and extremely heavy for its dimensions, finished in elegant white laminate with elegant detailing such as the rounded corners and inset storage compartments, for bottles, plants, magazines etc which add greatly to the overall sculptural form. The white minimalist form is supported on a hardwood plinth and clearly shows influences from the 'Groupe de Recherche d'art Visuel' artists based in Paris who were creating experimental works in both kinetic and op art during the same period as well as the scene eminating out of the 'Galerie Rene Denise' who were exhibiting these key 1960s artworks One of Michel Boyer's most famous interior design projects was for the interior of the Rothschild bank in Paris in 1970, please see image 6, where he installed a number of his white laminate 'MBR' tables alongside a series of dramatic wall hung 'Espaces chromatiques carrés' kinetic cubic light sculptures by the artist Gregorio Vardanega...
Laminate, Wood, Hardwood
Mid-century coffee table 1950s
Located in Vittoria, IT
1950s rationalist style grade coffee table in excellent perfect condition
Metal
Art Deco side table, Poland, 1930s.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Art Deco side table, Poland, 1930s. Very good condition, professionally restored. Wood: walnut Dimensions: height 71 cm, width 72 cm, depth 39 cm
Walnut
$1,551Sale Price|59% Off
H 19.69 in W 33.47 in D 18.9 in
Mid-Century Italian Coffee Table with Marble Top, 'circa 1950s'
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
Mid-century Italian coffee table with marble top in the style of Ico Parisi (1950s). A tan with white highlights, rectangular (with curved ends) marble top sits upon a very stylish b...
Marble
Bodil Kjaer Rare Low Square Coffee Table, circa 1959
By Bodil Kjaer
Located in New York, NY
Bodil Kjaer (1932 Denmark - 1960), rare, low, square rosewood coffee table with chromed steel frame, circa 1959. The square rosewood top on two chromed steel U-form legs.
Chrome
A Gerrit Rietveld desk, manufactured by Cassina, 1970s
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in EVERDINGEN, NL
A vintage Rietveld crate desk by Cassina, 1970s. While an original 1930s desk by Gerrit Rietveld is extremely hard to come by, a Cassina one is also a rare find. There weren't that many made and they haven't been available as a re-edition for a long time. The desk is in very good condition regarding its age, with small signs of the time and a lovely patina on the wood. It has a drawer on both sides, fully functional. The pictures show how well the desk combines with a Rietveld L40 tube lamp and a v.d. Groenekan Zig Zag, as well as enhancing the impression of size and scale. The Groenekan is one of the provenanced set we've also listed on 1st Dibs. It is possible to purchase one instead of set of two. The iconic crate desk, designed in 1934 by Dutch architect and furniture designer Gerrit T. Rietveld as part of the crate furniture series – initially made of inexpensive planks of pine, which were joined by screws. Rietveld had drawn inspiration from the crates used to move furniture for transportation, a construction of which he described as ‘good carpentry […] that gets straight to the point’. Aesthetics and an egalitarian spirit were of equal importance to Rietveld in this design. He recognized that industrializing the production process and allowing buyers to assemble their own furniture were ways of making good design affordable. Accordingly, the Crate furniture could be ordered preassembled or in do-it-yourself kits. Initially, items for the Crate series...
Cherry
Schroeder One Low Table by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, Italy
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Naples, FL
Wooden low table with top in beechwood black finish and red, white, blue and yellow lacquered parts.
Wood
Sold
H 27.56 in W 47.25 in D 23.63 in
Crate Desk for Cassina by Gerrit Rietveld, Designed in 1930s, the Netherlands
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Hellouw, NL
Nice "Crate" desk by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina. Despite the fact that this desk's design dates back to 1934, we believe it to be a 1970s Cassina edition. Ash wood makes up this des...
Ash
Sold
H 23.63 in W 47.25 in L 23.63 in
Crate Desk by Gerrit Rietveld, Designed in 1930s The Netherlands
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Hellouw, NL
Nice Gerrit Rietveld 'Crate' desk'. This desk is designed in 1934, however, we think this is a Cassina edition from the 1970s. This desk is made out of ash wood and has a colorless l...
Wood, Ash, Lacquer
Vintage Gerrit Rietveld Schroder End Table
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An amazing end table by the dutch Modernist Gerrit Rietveld. In great vintage condition.
Wood
Modernist Rietveld Schroeder 1 Side Table by Cassina, 1970s
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Renens, CH
Schroeder 1 side table, specifically designed by Rietveld for the Schroeder house in Utrecht during the 1920s. Gerrit Rietveld’s designs, together with the red & blue chair, count...
Wood
Sold
H 28.35 in W 39.38 in D 23.63 in
Italian Beech Wood Crate Chair and Desk by G. Rietveld for Cassina, 1934
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian beech wood Crate chair and desk by G. Rietveld for Cassina, 1934 Beech wood Crate chair and desk. Iconic products of the De Stijl movement. ...
Beech
Sold
H 28.35 in W 39.38 in D 23.63 in
Italian Mid-Century Beech Wood Crate Desk by G. T. Rietveld for Cassina, 1934
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century beech wood crate desk by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Cassina, 1934. Beech wood Crate desk. Iconic products of the De Stijl movement. D...
Beech
Gerrit Rietveld Schroeder 1 Side Table
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Weesp, NL
Schroeder 1 side table by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina. This beautiful asymmetrical creation by architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld was especially designed for the Schroeder house in Utrecht the Netherlands with the geometric cubist form of De Stijl design from the 1920s. This table is produced by Cassina, Italy and numbered 01544. The table is in great condition without any damage what so ever. The table will be shipped overseas in a custom made wooden crate. Cost of transport to the US crate included is Euro 450. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, born in Utrecht on 24 June 1888, seems possessed of two personalities, each so distinct that one might take his work to be that of more than one artist. The first personality is that seen in the craftsman cabinet...
Laminate, Wood
Gerrit Rietveld Schroeder 1 Side Table by Cassina
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Weesp, NL
Schroeder 1 side table by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina. This beautiful asymmetrical creation by architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld was especially designed for the Schroeder house in Utrecht the Netherlands with the geometric cubist form of De Stijl design from the 1920s. This table is produced by Cassina, Italy and numbered 01639. The table is in great condition without any damage what so ever. The table will be shipped overseas in a custom made wooden crate. Cost of transport to the US crate included is Euro 450. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, born in Utrecht on 24 June 1888, seems possessed of two personalities, each so distinct that one might take his work to be that of more than one artist. The first personality is that seen in the craftsman cabinet...
Laminate, Wood
Gerrit Rietveld Coffee Table, circa 1930
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Unique coffee table designed and made by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, designed for Gabriel Smit, poet, writer and reporter. At the time of his marriage, Gabriel Smit furnished his interio...
Pine
Gerrit Rietveld Coffee Table, circa 1930
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Unique coffee table designed and made by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, designed for Gabriel Smit, poet, writer and reporter. At the time of his marriage, Gabriel Smit furnished his interio...
Wood