The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Door Handle with Amphora Ceramic Tile, Belgian Modernist Design, 1960s
Located in Herentals, BE
An elegant and collectible door handle by Sobinco, featuring a ceramic tile attributed to Amphora, Belgium, circa 1960. The design combines a geometric brass frame with a vibrant tur...
Aluminum
Brutalist Rectangular Bronze Door Handles, European, Circa 1970
Located in London, GB
Set of two rectangular horizontal Brutalist bronze door handles with abstract relief and irregular textures, European 1970's. Their relief with original patina is expressive and will...
Bronze
Large Lateral Brutalist Push & Pull Copper Door Handle, 1960s
Located in Steinheim am Albuch, BW
Large lateral mid century copper push & pull door handle with strong brutalist relief which creates a stunning detail to any door. There is a key hole for the installation of a lock cylinder. Originally mounted on a front door sometimes in the 1960s as an decorative oversized door handle...
Copper
Brutalist Bronze Door Furniture Set with Tree Bark Pattern
Located in London, GB
A large and impressive Brutalist bronze door handle with tree bark design, together with matching keyhole plate and letterbox cover. European, se...
Bronze
1970s Brutalist Solid Bronze Cast Door Handle Germany
By Paul Evans
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Bronze Brutalist Door Handle Germany stamped by maker Door handle 5.75 h x 5.75 w x 2.25 h Fitting Keyhole Cover 2.25 x 2.25 x .5 d Original preow...
Bronze
Full Width Aluminium Push-Pull Door Handle in Brutalist Style
Located in London, GB
A large aluminium door handle in brutalist style, dating from the 1970s. Found in Germany. The handle comprises a panel to fit across the full width of the door, with a large raised...
Aluminum
Architectural Bronze Square Push and Pull Door Handle and Letterbox
Located in London, GB
Square push and pull door handle and matching letter box with rhythmic relief resembling the waves of sound; Their original patina brings ou...
Bronze
Robert Sonneman "Cityscape" Brutalist Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Modernist sheet steel and brass fixture, by Robert Sonneman. Large and impressive.
Mid Century Modern Brutalist Artisan Hammered Brass Door Knocker One of a Kind
By Tom Greene
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Mid Century Modern Brutalist Artisan Hammered Brass Door Knocker One of a Kind Fantastic Artisan Hand Made, Hammered Brass Modernist, One-of-a-Kind, Focal Door Knocker. At 5" Lon...
Brass
Double pair of Bronze Door Handles, Bel and Key Hole with Organic Relief
Located in London, GB
Double pair of bronze door handles with matching letterbox in strong relief like a crater in a landscape. They . These architectural pieces are made in the 1960-70's by sand cast in ...
Bronze
Handmade Sculptural Iron, Copper, Bronze 4 Piece Railings, by Larry Griffis Sr.
Located in Buffalo, NY
Handmade sculptural iron, copper, bronze 4 piece railings, by Larry Griffis Jr. Stunning artistic railings originally commissioned for downtown Buffalo N...
Bronze, Copper, Iron
Pair of Bronze Square Door Handles for Push & Pull with Organic Relief
Located in London, GB
Rectangular pair of push and pull bronze door handles with organic expressionist relief for double doors or a single door on both sides. They are works of art for your doors. These d...
Bronze
$2,868Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Vintage Brutalist Belgian Metal & Ceramik Entry Door Pull Handle
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This pair of original door handles was designed and made by the Belgian artist Juliette Belarti during the 1960s. The geometric frame is made of aluminum and the center is filled wit...
Aluminum
Brutalist Pair of Bronze Square Push Pull Door Handles with Flower Relief
Located in London, GB
Pair of push and pull bronze door handles with organic expressionist flower relief for double doors or a single door on both sides. They are works of art for your doors. These door h...
Bronze
$1,247Sale Price|33% Off
In
Located in Malibu, CA
Antique chain sculpture that defies gravity. The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined to describe this style trend that emerged in the...
Iron
Pair of Round Bronze Relief Door Handles with Oval Grip
Located in London, GB
Pair of sculptural round push and pull door handles with an articulated oval hole make a good grip. They are very decorative and give doors an outstanding character and are produced ...
Bronze
Brutalist Bronze Square Push Pull Door Handles with Embossed Relief
Located in London, GB
Brutalist pair of bronze relief with subtile geometric pattern with repetition of embossed rectangles is made in the 1960-70's. They are a work of art, made for doors of cast bronze ...
Bronze
Brutalist Bronze and Glass Push Pull Door Handle, Circa 1960, Europe
Located in London, GB
Solid cast bronze and glass relief are in perfect condition. The bronze has a strong patina due to the textured surface and its age. The circle of clear glass has insertions of small pieces of metal. The handle can be applied inside or outside on a single door. It can also be used cupboard...
Bronze
Brutalist Bronze Door Handles, Sculptural Design, Circa 1970, Europe
Located in London, GB
Pairs sculptural of Brutalist square push and pull bronze door handles with intense abstract relief and original patina are for double doors or on a single door on both sides. These ...
Bronze
Two Pair of French Brutalist Cast Bronze Door Pulls
Located in Hanover, MA
Two pair of heavy cast bronze and nickel plated architectural door pulls shaped like the gores of a terrestrial globe. Price listed is per pair.
Bronze, Nickel
Brutalist Pair of Bronze Square Push Pull Door Handles with Geometric Relief
Located in London, GB
Brutalist pair of bronze relief with strong relief and geometric pattern with repetition of squares is made in the 1960-70's. These heavy pieces, made of cast bronze are in perfect c...
Bronze
Architectural Pair of Square Bronze Push Pull Door Handles with Nature Relief
Located in London, GB
Set of two square Brutalist bronze door handles with forest vegetation textures European 1970's. Their relief with original dark patina will give real personality to a house. These i...
Bronze
Architectural Pairs of Bronze Square Push Pull Door Handles with Letterbox
Located in London, GB
Two sets of square pairs of push and pull bronze door handles with rounded edges and matching letterbox. They have an expressionist relief of poppy flowers. They are designed for dou...
Bronze
Set of Four Bronze Door Handles, Bell and Key Plate in Organic Relief, 1970s
Located in London, GB
Double pair of bronze door handles, bel and unused name plate with strong relief of organic lines is made in the 1960-70's. These architectural pieces are made of cast bronze. They a...
Bronze
Square Bronze Push Pull Door Handles pair with Subtle Relief
Located in London, GB
Brutalist pair of square bronze push & pull door handles with subtle relief are made in the 1960-70's. These pieces are made of cast bronze and are in perfect condition. The bronze i...
Bronze
Architectural Pair of Bronze Square Push Pull Door Handles with Letterbox
Located in London, GB
Square pair of push and pull bronze door handles with rounded edges and matching letterbox have an expressionist relief of poppy flowers. They are designed for double doors or a sing...
Bronze
Double Pair of Round Bronze Brutalist Door Handles
Located in London, GB
Pair of sculptural round push and pull door handles with an articulated oval hole make a good grip. They have a subtle relief surface which makes them very decorative and give doors ...
Bronze
Large Heavy French Mid Century Brass Door Knocker
Located in Ross, CA
Large heavy brass door knocker with cube detail and round door plate and knocker cube. The screws can be cut for a more narrow door.
Brass
Round Bronze Brutalist Door Handle in the style of Ado Chale
By Ado Chale
Located in London, GB
A luxurious and sculptural round push–pull door handle, European, 1970s, in the style of Ado Chale. The design evokes the organic texture of a cross-section of wood, reinterpreted th...
Bronze
Modernist Sculptural Copper Wall Plate Signed Bolba H
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Brutalist/modernist sculptural copper wall plate signed Bolba H.
Copper
Round Push Pull Door Knobs in Acrylic and Brass for Architectural Projects
Located in London, GB
Double pair of clear perspex and brass round door knobs, European 1970's. These identical door handles can be applied inside or outside on a pair of ...
Brass
Ceramic Square Art Tiles with Multi Color Bright Glazes 1960s
Located in London, GB
Art tiles, set of four, each unique in glaze in dramatic colors and explosive patterns. The translucent glazes are applied thick so that they create a crackling effect. These glazes ...
Ceramic
Pair of Square Bronze Push and Pull Door Handles for Double Doors
Located in London, GB
The art relief on the cast bronze door handles are like the surface crust of the moon. It is as if asteroids and meteorites collide with the ce...
Bronze
Set of 4 Arts and Crafts Gothic Candle Stands This is a Set of 4
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Set of 4 Arts and Crafts Gothic Candle Stands This is a Set of 4 Superbly Hand Forged Iron 5ft Floor Standing Cathedral Candle Sticks These wonderful pieces were designed by Harri...
Iron