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.
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Sculpture by Klara Sever for Austin Productions, 1970's
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Sculpture by Klara Sever for Austin Productions, 1970's.
Plaster
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional infor...
Ceramic
French Vintage Massive Plaster Bust of a Woman
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A monumental French vintage bust of an anonymous young woman in larger-than-life scale, her unforgettable likeness rendered in plaster that has been pigmented and faux-finished to ap...
Plaster
$374Sale Price|24% Off
Brutalist Style Midcentury Chain Candlestick
Located in London, GB
A large metal candlestick, blacksmith made in the form of a chain. Well-formed and stylish. Brutalist, Belgium, circa 1970s. Dimensions: 51 height x 21 diameter in cm.
Metal
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Barnacle Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Imbue your interior with the raw, elemental energy of the 1970s studio pottery movement with this extraordinary vintage cluster vase. A striking example of Brutalist design, this han...
Pottery
Brutalist abstract wrought iron sculpture from the 1970s
By François Thévenin
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Interesting artisanal French work from the 1970s Wrought and welded iron sculpture This highly decorative piece is in the same vein as other designers such as Sido and Francois Theve...
Iron
Large Brutalist Abstract Sculpture by Charles Bound, c.1980
Located in Surbiton, GB
Wood fired stoneware vessel by Charles Bound (b. 1939). Dimensions (cm, approx): Height: 24.
Stoneware
Vintage Boho Metallic Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Presenting a truly unique Vintage Boho Metallic Studio Pottery Vase, an arresting piece that embodies the raw beauty and expressive freedom of mid-century artisan ceramics. This vase...
Pottery
Glazed Brutalist Stoneware Dish by Jørgen Mogensen for Royal Copenhagen, 1960s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Dish or bowl by the danish ceramist Jørgen Mogensen. Stoneware with earthy brown sung glazes and with geometric relief featuring mythological entities/birds. Jørgen Mogensen was insp...
Stoneware
Matthew Hilton Postmodern Aluminum Swan Candlesticks, Pair
By SCP, Matthew Hilton
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous pair of Postmodern or Brutalist aluminum "swan" candlesticks By Matthew Hilton for SCP England (signed to base) England, Circa 1980s Measures: A - 6"W x 2.75"D x 14.75...
Aluminum
Vintage Ceramic Bottle Vase, PV Stamp, Wabi Sabi Brutalist Style
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Vintage Ceramic Bottle vase "PV" stamp Wabi Sabi Style - Decoration - Brutalist Measures : Ø 10,5cm H:21cm Material : Ceramic
Ceramic
$3,780 / item
Minimalist Column Planter, APOLLO IV by SIRAK
By SIRAK
Located in Los Angeles, CA
APOLLO IV by Sirak Minimalist Column Planter With its minimalist column design, APOLLO takes inspiration from the finely finished stonework seen in Greek temples constructed in his ...
Concrete
Brutalist German Vase from Bareuther Waldsassen, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist German Vase from Bareuther Waldsassen, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additiona...
Ceramic
Arnaldo Pomodoro Wood and Bronze Decorative Box for Edizioni Ars D Milan 1980
Located in Conversano, IT
Stunning box designed by Arnaldo Pomodoro for Edizioni Ars D, Milan, commissioned by Ciga Hotels in the early 1980s. This highly limited edition consists of only 520 pieces, each cra...
Bronze
Vintage Monumental Bronze Abstract Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This monumental bronze sculpture is a tour de force of late 20th-century abstract art. Its biomorphic, intertwining forms evoke the organic modernism of masters like Henry Moore and ...
Bronze
Claudio Capotondi Abstract Bronze Table Sculpture, 1995
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Modern handcrafted Claudio Capotondi Brutalist Cast Bronze Table Sculpture on Black Marble Base. Featuring a rectangular form (12H x 12W x 2.25D) with double flared cast Bronze desig...
Marble, Bronze
Richard Bitterman Brutalist Bud Vase or Sculpture
Located in Buffalo, NY
Handcrafted Brutalist bud vase or sculpture, 1960s, brass, stee. Plastic test tube, signed R. Bitterman.
Brass, Steel
Vintage Boho Abstract Figurative Cast Metal Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This powerful vintage sculpture captures a fluid, dynamic human form in motion, executed with the rough texture and expressive technique characteristic of Brutalist or Abstract Expre...
Iron
Mid Century Clay Head Sculpture on Wood Base
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Mid Century clay bust of a man. Brutalist and unique on a wooden base. Expressive and abstract.
Clay, Wood
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase by Melitta Teubner, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase by Melitta Teubner, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Material...
Ceramic
Candelabra Cobra G022 Cast Brass Gold coloured made in Spain by David Marshall
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Candelabre 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. ...
Brass
Harlequin, American Cubist Modernist Welded Metal Sculpture, ca. 1970s
Located in New York, NY
About sculpture This figurative sculpture of a Harlequin standing in a relaxed pose is unusual not only in the choice of materials; but, most importantly, due to the unusual combina...
Metal
$19,200Sale Price|20% Off
Important Peter Voulkos 'Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware, Surface Drawing
Located in Chicago, IL
Important Peter Voulkos 'Untitled Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware with Surface Drawing Dimensions: 5¼ D × 21 W× 20 H in Signed: Voulkos 81, to reverse Catalog: Registered under...
Clay
Large Brutalist Black Ceramic Vase Signed Studio Piece, 1970s
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This large sculptural ceramic vase is a powerful testament to the brutalist aesthetic that swept through decorative arts and studio pottery in the 1960s and 1970s. Deliberately movin...
Ceramic
$172Sale Price|43% Off
Mdina Art Glass Vase, Bark Texture, Tortoiseshell Effect, Malta, 1970s
By Mdina
Located in Glasgow, GB
This Mdina art glass vase, handcrafted in Malta in the 1970s, features a bark-textured surface with a distinctive tortoiseshell effect, reflecting the studio’s experimental approach ...
Art Glass
Vintage Plaster Head Sculpture on Wood Base
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Exuding an air of quiet contemplation, this vintage plaster head sculpture is a striking example of Mid-Century artistic expression. The piece features a serene facial expression wit...
Plaster, Wood
Brutalist Abstract Sculptural in Grogged Stoneware by Jo Rowland – circa 1970
By Jo Rowland
Located in leucate, FR
A masterful sculptural work blending architectural rigor with telluric expression. This exceptional grogged stoneware (grès chamotté) sculpture is an original work by the artist Jo ...
Stoneware
Brutalist Candlestick Holder Done in Brass and Nickel, Italy, 1970s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a rare Brutalist three-arm candlestick holder done in bronze and chrome. It features sculptural form, with thick bronze sticks curved in symmetrical dir...
Brass, Nickel
Decorative Solide Bronze Rock Shaped Vide Poche by Monique Gerber - France 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Iconic solid bronze trinket tray by Monique Gerber. France, 1970s. Shaped like a rock. Large model no. 517 in the catalogue of the publisher L'Art du Bronze. Patina on all surfaces....
Bronze
Trapeze Clock D013 handmade in cast brass & aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Trapeze Clock Tray was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass.Makes a beautiful Wedding or Company Gift. Handmade, mounted and...
Aluminum, Brass
Brutalist stippled abstract sculpture in Carrara marble by Anna Mizak
Located in London, GB
Biomorphic abstract sculpture in stippled Carrara marble, on honed plinth. Anna Mizak was born in 1939 in Poland. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and later at the R...
Carrara Marble
Danish Artist Peder E. Madsen Brutalist Primeval Sword-Fish Skeleton in Bronze
Located in Esbjerg, DK
The Danish artist and Sculptor Peder Evald Madsen was born in 1951 and died last year in his home. These pieces came from his own collection and were sold at auction in 2024. A parti...
Bronze
Metal rooster sculpture, signed, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Metal rooster sculpture, France, 1970s, with an expressive and decorative style. Made of hammered metal, this piece is distinguished by its slender and stylized forms, giving the roo...
Metal
Brutalist Sculptural Ceramic Vase, American Studio Pottery
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage Americal art studio pottery vase features bold, sculptural form with dynamic geometric contour, decorated with textural, Brutalist sgraffito relief pattern and complex glaze ...
Ceramic, Pottery
"Prince", Contemporary Sculptural piece in Cast Brass by Estudio Orth
By Estúdio Orth
Located in Sao Paulo, BR
Produced in São Paulo, Brazil. This contemporary sculpture in cast brass was meticulously handmade by master artisans one piece at a time. It is therefore quite difficult, if not impossible to make identical items. The brass casting is produced by formation of a mold from a mixture of sand and the liquid alloy of copper and zinc. The projects are based on a contemporary appropriation of traditional methods from Brazilian artisans and reinterpreted through the integration of new forms and noble materials. An aesthetic infused with “beauty of imperfection" is obtained by the expressive potential of each material, generating works that recall nature and rationality. Estúdio Orth...
Brass
NONO Elefante Buffet 15, Solid Wood, Understated Design Detail
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Buffet 15, Solid Oak, Understated Design Detail ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist ...
Hardwood
Octagonal Card Tray E006 Silver and Gold Desk Tray Handmade in Spain
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Card Tray 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 ...
Aluminum, Brass
Scrap Metal Art of a Tank c1970
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
Metal Art of a Tank c1970 Introducing a stunning piece of artisan craftsmanship that transcends mere decoration: a handmade scrap metal tank from the 1970s, skill-fully assembled fro...
Steel
Dutch Brutalist carved wood sculpture of womans figure, height 95cm, 1970s
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Dutch Brutalist wood sculpture of womans figure, carved by Koos van Vlijmen, 1970s The sculpture has a height of 95 cm. Koos van Vlijmen was a painter, sculptor, and graphic artist...
Fruitwood
Vintage Brutalist Abstract Wood Tissue Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage Brutalist tissue box transforms an everyday object into a bold sculptural statement, reflecting the experimental design ethos of the mid-20th century. Crafted from solid...
Horn, Wood
V-Vessel, High-Reflective Ceramic Vase by Alexey Krupinin
Located in Topanga, CA
V-Vessel is a handcrafted ceramic piece by Alexey Krupinin, blending sharp angular geometry with a highly reflective glazed finish and subtle surface variation. The artist is drawn t...
Ceramic
Decorative Box in olive wood, brown color, brutalist style, France circa 1950
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Box in olive wood, free-form. With a lid that turns and can be removed from the base of the box. The shape of this box is free and sinuous, which makes it very original and rare. The...
Wood, Olive
Still Stand Abstract Wood Sculpture, Chainsaw Carved, Walnut, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Carved from a single piece of wood, this tall abstract sculpture is a masterwork of organic fluidity. Its design features an undulating, vertical silhouette that flows with a sense o...
Walnut
Sculpture of a head in wood, France, 1960
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
A wooden sculpture of a head, France, 1960s, with an expressive and profoundly organic character. Carved from a solid block of wood, this piece reveals a face with soft, introspectiv...
Wood
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Blue Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Ceramic
Basket Fruit Tray Cast Brass Gold A008 Handmade in Spain
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Fruit Bowl was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast brass. We can engrave this piece with your Initials or Logo, makes a beautiful Wedding or Company Gif...
Brass
1970s Austin Production "Dress up Girl" Brutalist Sculpture.
By Edgar Degas, Austin Productions
Located in Miami, FL
1970s Austin Production "Dress Up Girl" Brutalist Sculpture. Features a molded sculpture of a girl in a dress inspired by Degas' "Little Ballerina" sculpture. Molded in resin, pati...
Resin
Primitive Carved Sitting Woman Sculpture
Located in Haaltert, BE
Primitive Carved Sitting Woman Sculpture
Wood
Vintage Boho Studio Pottery Weed Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the essence of handcrafted artistry with this striking vintage studio pottery weed vase. Its elegant, teardrop silhouette and richly textured, almost primal surface, bearing ...
Pottery, Stoneware
Klaus Lehmann, Brutalist German Studio Pottery Cube Art Sculpture No. 255 78
Located in Hamburg, DE
Klaus Lehmann, Postmodern Brutalist German Studio Pottery Cube Art Sculpture No. 255 78, 1978, Ceramic & Metal
Metal
David Marshall Sculpture Brutalist Clock, Scotland 1970s
Located in Naples, IT
Brutalist sculptural clock made by David Marshall, scottish artist active in Spain since the 1970s. The work is a typical example of his style, characterized by the combination of r...
Aluminum, Brass
Brutalist Murano Art Glass Vases by Costantini, Italy, 1970s
By Constantini
Located in Valencia, VC
A Pair of Brutalist Murano Art Glass Vases Attributed to Costantini A striking pair of Brutalist Murano art glass vases distinguished by their sculptural organicist form and sophist...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Mid-Century Brutalist German Floor Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Floor Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am sure that it is compl...
Ceramic
Margaret Lovell ''DIAMOND RELIEF'' BRUTALIST SCULPTURE C.1968
Located in Stourbridge, West Midlands
Margaret Lovell DIPFA(Lond), FRBS, RWA ''Diamond Relief'' C.1968. Bronze mounted to a wooden base. This is a limited edition sculpture and number 3 of 4 and a unique version. Please ...
Bronze
Mid-Century Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist tripod candle holder handmade from wrought iron. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century Modern Period: 1960s Item Type: Vinta...
Wrought Iron
Rolf Palm Höganäs Stoneware Vase, Sweden 1970s Brutalist
Located in Stockholm, SE
A striking rectangular stoneware vase designed by Swedish ceramicist Rolf Palm for Höganäs Keramik, circa 1970. This sculptural piece exemplifies Scandinavian studio pottery at its f...
Stoneware
Beautiful Metal Crane Flamingo Figure Smokers set Brutalist Era, Germany, 1960s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A large Figurine made of wrought iron for Holding Cigarettes, Matchsticks and Smoking Accessories. Made of metal with a nice patina and rusty parts. Typically made in Germany in the 1960s, as a statement piece on a cupboard or credenza. Also nice for a mens room.
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Studio Pottery Bull Sculpture in Green Glaze Signed
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This unusual mid-century modern studio pottery sculpture depicts a stylised bull rendered in a bold, abstract form. Handcrafted in ceramic, the piece features a beautifully mottled g...
Ceramic, Pottery
Brutalist Sculpture Figure Religious Theme After Adam Stempka
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, this brutalist sculpture is a one-of-one. The figure is hand-welded from hundreds of individual steel rods, which are woven, twisted, and tensioned to create ...
Wire
Small Trapeze Candelabra reference G039 in cast brass and aluminium
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 wor...
Brass, Aluminum