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.
Mid-Century French Brutalist Hand-Forged Iron Seven-Light Candelabrum
Located in Dallas, TX
Sculptural in form and expressive in its craftsmanship, this mid-century French candelabrum was individually hand-forged from iron in the bold Brutalist tradition. Seven gracefully r...
Wrought Iron
Sculptural Acer Candle Holder R:2 - Solid Walnut - by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
$365Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Candle Holder R:2 - Solid Black Oak - by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, Black Finish, 1960s Design
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century Mode...
Metal
$252Sale Price|20% Off
Sculptural Solid Oak Wooden Candle Holder R:2
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The surrealism inspired Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Designed by Aad Bos and hand crafted in Amsterdam from solid oak wood and s...
Steel
Sermon Verdigris LE Candlelabra, by Aristotelis Barakos, Patinated
Located in Athens, GR
Sermon Verdigris is a limited-edition brass candleholder by Studio Aristotelis Barakos. It is a meticulously finished object that exudes an antique allure, its surface transitioning from deep black to timeless verdigris green, echoing ancient sculptures discovered in the bottom of the sea. Sermon Verdigris is the latest edition of the Sermon candleholder — already available in brushed brass and black patinated brass. Inspired by the austere lines of Brutalist architecture, Sermon's three symmetrical tubes manifest a solemn, ritualistic aura. The term 'verdigris' finds its origins in historical art, known since ancient times as a pigment that has been used by famous painters like Giotto and Raphael. Technically speaking, verdigris is a patina that develops naturally on copper and bronze surfaces when they are exposed to the elements. It has a characteristic green colour and functions as a protective layer that develops gradually over the years. Each Sermon Verdigris candleholder is unique thanks to its handmade patina. To achieve this, Studio Aristotelis Barakos worked closely with artisans in a long process of experimentation and testing. It was essential, out of the countless possibilities, to find the type of patina that would suit the object and accentuate its character. The patina chosen for Sermon Verdigris gives the impression that the candleholder is an ancient artefact, forgotten perhaps for centuries inside the hull of a sunken ship. The candleholder's robust form matches the rough verdigris patina, which includes patches of rust and other imperfections that only add to the object's brutalist aesthetics. Sermon Verdigris is handmade in Greece...
Brass
Mid Century Candelabra by Don Drumm
Located in Redding, CT
Mid Century Candelabra by Don Drumm. Classic Sculptural Brutalist style.. Holds four candles. Perfect for that collector. Don Drumm was bo...
Aluminum
X-Large, Vintage Rami Zamir Torch Cut Hand Forged Brutalist Copper Menorah Israe
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
X-Large Vintage Rami Zamir Torch Cut Hand Forged Brutalist Copper Menorah Israel The menorah is raised upon curled tubular copper posts, affixed to an ...
Copper
$2,200 / set
Solid Aluminum Brutalist Candelabras
By Paul Evans
Located in Chicago, IL
Brutalist candelabras, in the style of Paul Evans. Striated texture, black patinated impressions, six candle wells, beveled angle edges with archi...
Aluminum
Brutalist Candle Holder, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage brutalist torch cut metal candle holder with 6 arms. Beautiful and timeless piece which is very decorative. The Brut design is very attractive. Very good condition ...
Metal
Rare Mid-Century Brutalist Bronze Candelabra
Located in APELDOORN, NL
This exceptionally rare and attractive bronze candelabra is a striking example of Mid-Century Modern design. It features a highly unusual organic shape with textured branches that ri...
Bronze
Brutalist Candle Holder R:2 - Solid Dark Brown Oak - Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
$2,250 / set
Vintage Boho Forged Iron Candelabras - Set of 2
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking pair of vintage forged iron candelabras is a masterful example of mid-century artisanal metalwork. Each piece features a charming, hand-sculpted figure of a boy holding...
Iron
White brutalist tree candle holder “tree of life” 1970s.
Located in Landgraaf, NL
White brutalist tree candle holder “tree of life” 1970s. White brutalist tree candle holder “tree of life” 1970s. This striking brutalist candle holder, dating from the 1970s, is crafted from wrought iron and finished in white. Its sculptural form resembles a tree, with organically shaped branches rising from a sturdy central trunk. Often referred to as a “Tree of Life” candle holder...
Wrought Iron
$402Sale Price|20% Off
Sculptural Solid Walnut Candle Holder - Acer R:2 by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
Paul Evans Style Brutalist Candleholder, 1970s
Located in London, GB
Paul Evans style Brutalist candleholder, 1970s.
Bronze
Brutalist Solid Walnut Acer Candle Holder R:2 - by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
Tall Brutalist Black / Gold Ceramic Candle Light Candelabra, Norway, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Painted black and gold ceramic candle light candelabra, made in Norway, 1960s.
Ceramic
Brutalist Candle Holder R:2 - Solid Dark Brown Oak - by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:2 features architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed by Aad Bos and crafted...
Steel
Brutalist Candle Holder R:4 - Solid Black Oak - by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:4 features a rhythmic sequence of architectural cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Made out of solid wood and steel, showing signs of handcraft. Designed...
Steel
Brutalist Menorah Candelabra Cast Aluminium & Brass David Marshall Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The candelabra was created by David Marshall, from sand cast aluminium and brass. We use recycled materials all our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain. It is certified authentic by the Artist David Marshall with his signature. He is insipired by nature and the landscaps making useful art with cast brass and alumium materials. We also make bespoke designs for clients, like signage for condominums,private homes, Hotels & Restaurants , awards for Charity...
Brass, Aluminum
Brutalist Bronze Candelabra or Menorah by Daniel Gluck, California, 1970's
By Daniel Gluck
Located in Austin, TX
Solid bronze menorah candelabra for nine candles. Extraordinary piece of Brutalist design by California artist, Daniel Gluck. 1970's.
Bronze
Sculptural Solid Oak Wooden Candle Holder R:4
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Acer candle holder R:4 features a rhythmic architectural interplay of cubic volumes and semi arched voids. Designed by Aad Bos and hand crafted by our carpenters from solid oak o...
Steel
Mid-20th Century Israeli Shabbat Candlesticks by David Palombo
Located in New York, NY
Shabbat candle holder crafted in brutalist style by David Palombo. David Palombo (1920-1966) was a sculptor and painter born in Turkey and im...
Iron
Puzzle Candelabra G047 solid cast brass and alumium designed by David Marshall
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Candelabra was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast brass and aluminium. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycl...
Aluminum, Brass
Menorah G046 two Coloured Gold Silver Handmade in Spain Tabletop Candlestick
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Menorah was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. We can engrave this piece with your Initials or Logo, makes a beautiful W...
Aluminum, Brass
Mid-20th Century Israeli Shabbat Candle Holder by David Palombo
Located in New York, NY
Shabbat candle holder crafted in brutalist style by David Palombo. Made for two candles, this uniquely shaped holder appears to be almost anthrop...
Iron
Mid-20th Century Israeli Brutalist Iron Candlesticks by David Palombo
Located in New York, NY
Hand forged, iron Shabbat candlesticks in the style known as "Brutalism," David Palombo, Jerusalem, Israel, circa 1955. David Palombo (1920-1966) was a sculptor and painter born ...
Iron
G073 Original Candelholder by David Marshall Handrafted Cast brass / aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
A striking and sculptural piece , The Tronco G073 Candleholder is an original design by renowned artist and designer David Marshall. Crafted entirely by hand in our workshop, piece ...
Aluminum, Brass
G067 Candelabra Sinuoso, Gold and Silver coloured Brass and Aluminium Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Candelabra was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycled materials....
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
$386 / item
Pyramid Candelabra II
Located in Benahavis, AN
The Candelabra was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminium and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycle...
Aluminum, Brass
Classic Menorah G018 9arms Solid Cast Brass and Aluminum Handmade in Spain
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Menorah was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from ...
Aluminum, Brass
Candelabra Sinuoso 4 Velas made of solid Brass and Aluminium Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The " Candelabro Sinuoso " was created by David Marshall in 1997, Scottish Artist living in Spain, the candlestick is produced from sand cast aluminium and brass. All our pieces are...
Brass, Metal, Aluminum
Paar brutalistische Messing-Kerzenleuchter
Located in Aachen, DE
Ein seltenes Paar brutalistischer 4-flammiger Kerzenleuchter, floral gestaltet. Das Design imitiert stilistisch Iris-Blumen oder Blätter. Hier wurden typische Elemente des Jugendst...
Brass