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.
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Wrought Iron, Spain 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish Sunburst Mirror, Wrought Iron, Silver Patinated ____________________________________________________________________________ Hand forged iron round mirror with scrolled detai...
Wrought Iron, Iron
Brutalist Oval Sunburst Mirror, Gilt Wrought Iron, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gilt Oval Eyelash Mirror in Wrought Iron Wrought Iron Oval Sunburst Mirror with Scroll Ended Rays and Brutalist Design, France, 1950-1960. Eye-catching hand forged sunburst iron mirr...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Huge Gilt Wrought Iron Sunburst Starburst Mirror, Style of Poillerat (49 in)
Located in Barcelona, ES
Huge Sunburst mirror in the manner of Gilbert Poillerat, Gilt Wrought Iron. France, 1940s. Rare find due to its size ( 49 in diameter) This oversized wall mirror has an eye-catching sunburst design with alternating rays in two sizes surrounding a central rectangular smoked golden glass. Entirely made by hand in iron in the manner of Gilbert Poillerat. Terrific aged patina and original gold leaf gilding. This monumental sunburst mirror will add a luxury but strong accent wherever you place it. To be used as wall mirror or console mirror Place it alone or as a part of a large sunburst mirror wall composition. Overall Measures: 125 cm diameter x 9 cm H // 49,21 in diameter x 3,54 in H Glass measures: 36,5 cm H x 25,5 cm W // 14,37 in H x 10,03 in W We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirorrs: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stDibs marketplace. We invite you to check "more from this seller and all from this seller" to enjoy the whole collection listed. French XL Sunburst Mirror // Gilbert Poillerat Sunburst Mirror...
Iron, Gold Leaf, Wrought Iron
$2,165Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Patinated Metal
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gilt Patinated Iron Sunburst Mirror Sunburst Mirror with Bronze Gilt Patina and Brutalist Design, Spain, 1950s This sunburst mirror was entirely made by hand. It has a frame with alternating rays in two sizes with cut endings. A twisted iron rope surrounds de mirror glass. It has a terrific aged original patina in bronze-gilt color. Unusual design. It can be used as wall or console mirror placed alone but also interesting as a part of a sunburst mirrors wall composition. Overall measures: 51 cm diameter x 5 cm H Glass measures: 28 cm diameter We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirrors: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stdibs marketplace. We invite you to enjoy the whole collection checking "more from this seller" and "all from this seller" Gilt Iron Mirror // Gilt Brutalist...
Metal, Iron
$2,021Sale Price|20% Off
Hearts Framed Sunburst Mirror in Red Wrought Iron, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Colorful Hearts Framed Sunburst Mirror Patinated in Red, Wrought Iron, Spain, 1950-1960. This Sunburst Mirror features a hand forged iron frame with alternating hearts and sun beams....
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
French Brutalist Sunburst Oval Mirror in Silvered Wrought Iron, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Wrought Iron Oval Sunburst Mirror with Scroll Details and Brutalist Design, Spain, 1950-1960. Eye-catching hand forged iron mirror with scroll decorations, fleur-de-lis accents and o...
Wrought Iron, Iron
Large Spanish Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Metal, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Brutalist Starburst Sunburst Wall Mirror, Wrought Gilt Iron, Spain, 1950s The frame is entirely made by hand. Finished in gold leaf. Gorgeous gilding and terrific patina. This starbu...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
$2,502Sale Price|20% Off
French Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Iron, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Starburst sunburst mirror, gold leaf, gilt iron. France, 1950s. Large size. This gilt metal sunburst miror has alternating rays in two sizes surrounding the central sphere. This Brut...
Metal, Iron, Gold Leaf
Walnut Brutalist-Style Sunburst Mirror
Located in Norwalk, CT
Wonderful size on this piece. Brutalist-style layers of solid walnut surround a center bulls-eye mirror. Quality construction. Warm natural oiled finish. Solid back. Measure: 48" dia...
Walnut
20th Century Brutalist Sunburst Mirror
Located in Hastings, GB
A 20th century hand crafted French metal sunburst mirror, in the brutalist fashion, of incredible large proportions with welded decorative flourishes, finished in an off white / gilt...
Steel, Iron
$2,358Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Metal, Spain 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gold Leaf Gilt Iron Sunburst Mirror Eye-catching Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Iron and Brutalist Design, Spain, 1950s This sunburst mirror was entirely made by hand. It has a frame with alternating leaves in two sizes accented by pointed curly rays or spikes. A loop iron decorative detail surrounds de mirror glass. It has a nice patina and gold leaf gilding. Rare design. It can be used as wall mirror placed alone or as a part of a sunburst mirrors wall composition. Overall measures: 62 cm diameter x 12 cm H // 24,40 in diameter x 4,72 in H Glass measures: 16,5 cm diameter // 6,49 in We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirrors: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stdibs marketplace. We invite you to enjoy the whole collection checking "more from this seller" and "all from this seller" Gilt Iron Mirror // Gilt Brutalist...
Metal, Iron, Gold Leaf
Spanish Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Metal, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gilt metal leafed sunburst mirror, Spain, 1940s-1950s. This handcrafted Brutalist wall mirror features two layers of alternating leaves in different sizes surrounding a central roun...
Metal, Iron, Gold Leaf
Large Spanish Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Wrought Iron, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Outstanding Large Eyelash Sunburst Mirror, Wrought Gilt Iron, Spain, 1950s The frame is entirely made by hand with alternating hand-hammered curved and straight rays in eyelash shape...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
Sunburst Mirror 1970's Feathered Copper Italian
Located in Hastings, GB
A beautiful large sunburst mirror, the hand worked feathered copper rays alternating in size around the oval mirror plate, which is original to the mirror. Dating to the early 1970'...
Copper
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror with Double Layered Jagged Frame in Gilt Wrought Iron
Located in Barcelona, ES
One of a Kind Brutalist Sunburst Wall Mirror, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf __________________________________________________________ Double Layered Large Sunburst Mirror with Jagged Desi...
Iron, Gold Leaf, Wrought Iron
$1,530Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror with Nails Detail in Gilt Iron, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mini sized sunburst mirror, gilt iron, gold leaf. Brutalist spanish gilt iron sunburst mirrors with nails ornamentation. Spain, 1950s This small sunburst mirror will be eye-catching placed alone or as a part of a sunburst mirror wall composition. Choose other sunburst mirrors in different sizes from our shop to create a beautiful wall decoration. Terrific aged patina. Original gold leaf gilding. Antique glass showing marks of the pass of time. Measures: Overall diameter: 19 cm // 7,48 in diameter Glass diameter: 11 cm // 4,33 in We are specialists in wall mirrors and sunburst mirrors. A curated selection of mirrors...
Gold Leaf, Metal, Iron
Sensational Large Brutalist Starburst Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
American, mid-20th century. A Brutalist style polychromed steel wall-hanging starburst mirror, with a central, round mirrored panel, bordered with shaped wire scrolls, surrounded by ...
Metal
Sunburst Mirror in Wrought Iron, Brutalist Period, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Wrought Iron Sunburst Mirror with Scroll Details and Brutalist Design, Spain, 1950-1960. Eye-catching hand forged iron mirror with scroll decorations, fleur-de-lis accents and round ...
Iron, Wrought Iron
French Sunburst Starburst Mirror in Gilt Iron, Gilbert Poillerat Style
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sunburst starburst mirror in the manner of Gilbert Poillerat, Gilt Wrought Iron. France, 1940s. This wall mirror has an eye-catching starburst design. Entirely made by hand in wroug...
Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
$2,579Sale Price|20% Off
Spanish Silvered Flower Sunburst Oval Mirror in Wrought Iron, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large Silvered Oval Mirror, Wrought Iron Wrought Iron Oval Sunburst Mirror with Scroll Details and Brutalist Design, Spain, 1950-1960. Eye-catching hand forged iron mirror with scrol...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Brutalist Wall Hanging Mirror with Rings Frame in Wrought Copper, Italy 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
One of a Kind Hanging Mirror in Copper with Rings Frame. Brutalist Period, Italy, 1950s Eye-catching hand forged copper mirror framed by rings and hanging from a copper round links c...
Metal, Copper
Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Wrought Iron, 1940s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sunburst mirror in hand forged iron and gilt patina. Spain, 1940s-1950s. This sunburst mirror features a frame made of hand forged spikes and ...
Metal, Wrought Iron, Iron
Sunburst Eyelash Perforated Brutalist Mirror in Gilt Iron, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
French Brutalist gilt metal sunburst mirror, 1950-1960. Unusual brutalist perforated iron sunburst mirror with eyelash rays surrounding the glass. This sunburst mirror has perforatio...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Brutalist Gold Spanish Sunburst Nail Head Mirror
Located in Hastings, GB
1950's Spanish sunburst brutalist mirror, hammered gilt iron with nail decoration. Width 36 cm x Height 36 cm x Depth 17.5 cm
Iron
1970s Brutalist Torch Cut Steel Sunburst Mirror
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Super-cool torch-cut steel sunburst mirror in the Brutalist style. An unusual find, the cut steel has been gilded, then surfaced with a whitewash, which was then rubbed through to t...
Cut Steel
Pair of Brutalist Sunburst Mirrors in Wrought Iron, Spain 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Two hand forged iron round mirrors framed with scrolled details and crest, Spain, 1950s. These eye-catching mirrors were entirely made by hand. Brutalist design and a very heavy cons...
Iron, Wrought Iron
French Sunburst Starburst Mirror in Gilt Iron in the Style of Gilbert Poillerat
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sunburst starburst mirror in Gilt Wrought Iron. France, 1940s. In the manner of Gilbert Poillerat. This stunning wall mirror has an eye-catching starburst design. Entirely made by h...
Iron, Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf
Mid-Century French Brutalist Wood Mirror
Located in Austin, TX
Mid-Century French Brutalist Wood Mirror. H / 24.8 inches.
Mirror, Wood
Starburst Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Iron with Chain Link Motif, Spain 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Brutalist Starburst Sunburst Mirror with Chain Links Details, Wrought Gilt Iron, Spain, 1950s Rare find. This starburst mirror was manufactured at the Mid-Century Modern period and c...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Spanish Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Gilt Wrought Iron, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gilt Sunburst Starburst Mirror in Hand Forged Iron ____________________________________________________________________________ One of a kind wrought iron gold leaf gilded sunburst m...
Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf, Iron, Metal
Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Silver Patinated Wrought Iron, Eyelash Design, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eyelash Scrollwork Sunburst Mirror / Wall Mirror in Wrought Iron, Spain, 1950s ___________________________________________________________ Eye-catching double layered round sunburst ...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
Spanish Brutalist Sunburst Mirror in Parcel Gilt Iron, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Parcel-Gilt Iron Sunburst Mirror Sunburst Mirror in Wrought Iron and Brutalist Design. Spain, 1950s This sunburst mirror was entirely made by hand. It has a frame with alternating iron thin rays in two sizes A double layered twisted iron rope surrounds de mirror glass. It has a terrific aged original patina retaining rests of its original gilding. It will a nice brutalist addition to any comtemporary, midcentury or industrial decoration. Place it alone or as a part of a sunburst mirrors wall compositon. Overall measures: 60 cm diameter x 4 cm H // Glass measures: 17 cm diameter We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirrors: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stdibs marketplace. We invite you to enjoy the whole collection checking "more from this seller" and "all from this seller" Gilt Iron Mirror // Gilt Brutalist...
Metal, Iron
Parcel Gilt Sunburst Mirror in the Style of Gilbert Poillerat
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sunburst mirror in the manner of Gilbert Poillerat, Parcel-Gilt Wrought Iron, France 1940s. This sunburst wall mirror has an eye-catching sunburst design with iron rays surrounding a central glass. Entirely made by hand in wrought iron. The frame is heavily adorned by the hammer marks thorough. Terrific aged patina retaining some rests of its original gold leaf gilding. It will add a luxury but strong accent wherever you place it. Place it alone or as a part of a sunburst mirrors wall composition. Overall Measures: 76 cm // 29,92 in diameter Glass : 45cm // 17,71 in diameter We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirorrs: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stDibs marketplace. French Sunburst Mirror // Gilbert Poillerat Sunburst Mirror...
Metal, Gold Leaf, Wrought Iron, Iron
Midcentury Brutalist Torch Cut Mixed Metal Convex Mirror
By Tony Melendy, Curtis Jeré
Located in Houston, TX
Midcentury Brutalist torch cut mixed metal convex mirror. This stunning Brutalist convex mirror or sunburst mirror was executed in mixed metals in a very interesting design. Our mid ...
Metal
Sunburst Flower Mirror in Wrought Iron
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish sunburst flower wall mirror with hearts design, wrought iron, Spain, 1950s. Black wrought iron frame featuring hearts with scrolled details and gilt accents. Beautiful to b...
Wrought Iron, Iron
$4,667Sale Price|33% Off
Unique Brutalist Mirror Made of Painted Wood, Rope & Old Iron Nails, Signed Arbo
By Arbo
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This unique amazing Brutalist mirror is made of painted wood, rope & old iron nails. This is a fantastic work of art made of hundreds of oak pieces representing a large sunburst mirr...
Steel
Convex Sunburst Mirror in the Style of Gilbert Poillerat, Parcel Gilt Iron, 40s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sunburst mirror in the manner of Gilbert Poillerat, Parcel-Gilt Wrought Iron. France, 1940s. This sunburst wall mirror has an eye-catching sunburst design with curly rays surrounding a central convex glass. Entirely made by hand in wrought iron. Terrific aged patina retaining some rests of its original gold leaf gilding. It will add a luxury but strong accent wherever you place it. Place it alone or as a part of a sunburst mirrors wall composition. Measures: 50 cm diameter // 19,68 in diameter Glass : 13 cm diameter // 5,11 in diameter We are specialists in mirrors and sunburst mirorrs: A curated selection is avaliable at our 1stDibs marketplace. French Sunburst Convex Mirror // Gilbert Poillerat Sunburst Mirror...
Metal, Iron, Gold Leaf, Wrought Iron
Blackened Brutalist Starburst Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
American, mid-20th century. Blackened Brutalist style polychromed steel wall-hanging starburst mirror, with a central, round mirrored panel, bordered with shaped wire scrolls, surrou...
Metal
Starburst Sunburst Wall Mirror / Light Fixture in Gilt Metal
Located in Barcelona, ES
Rare handcrafted parcel-gilt iron sunburst / starburst shaped wall mirror, Spain, 1940s-1950s. This Brutalist mirror has two layers of rays in different sizes with jagged pointed edg...
Metal, Gold Leaf, Iron
One Pair of Gilt Metal Brutalist Mirrors, Great Usable Scale, Priced Per Mirror
Located in Buchanan, MI
One pair of gilt metal Brutalist mirrors. Great usable scale. Priced per mirror. Great condition.
Metal