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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture
Wood, Leather, Fabric
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood
Early 2000s Danish Modern Furniture
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Linen, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble, Granite, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Linen
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold, Metal, Enamel
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Velvet
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Velvet
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Sheepskin, Cotton, Faux Fur
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Walnut, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Nickel
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1980s Finnish Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
Early 2000s Czech Modern Furniture
Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Teak
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
1990s Modern Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Sheepskin, Fabric, Wool, Mohair, Bouclé, Velvet, Faux Fur, Ash
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn, Wool
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century English Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Teak
1990s European Modern Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Elm
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple