Modern Furniture Design

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 The Modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 principles 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, and the Eames’s 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 designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

Contemporary Bed, Velvet, Handmade in Italy

By Midsummer Milano

Tulip has the rounded shapes of a Classic but contemporary bed. It is classic because it carries a hint of capitonnè from the ancient tradition of upholstering. The tufting is create...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Materials

Velvet

Modern Beds and Bed Frames

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Bed, Velvet, Handmade in Italy

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Leather Bed, Handmade in Italy, Customizable

2010s Canadian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Walnut High Back Bed by MSJ Furniture Studio

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Bed, Pure Cotton, Handmade in Italy

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Leather Bed, Handmade in Italy, Customizable

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Bed, Handmade in Italy, Customizable

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Ben Soleimani Ridley King Sized Bed

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Contemporary Bed, Pure Cashmere, Handmade in Italy, Customizable

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Nube Italia Chloe Bed in Gray by Marco Corti

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Ligne Roset Custom Dauphin Beige Leather Nador Sleep Platform Queen Bed

2010s Austrian Modern Sofas

Wittmann Denise 6000 Sofabed

21st Century and Contemporary Christmas Island Modern Beds and Bed Frames

PCH King Canopy Bed

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Etro Bombay Large Bed in Wood and Red Paisley

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Etro Bombay Bed in Wood and Dark Paisley

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Etro Bombay Bed in Wood and Dark Paisley

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Etro Bombay Extra Large Bed in Wood and Red Paisley

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Beds and Bed Frames

DS-1155 Tapered Leather Bed Frame and Headboard by De Sede

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Bun Van Bed with Blue Exterior and Dark Wooden Doors

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Fantasy Air Balloon Sofa in White Wood w/ Side Drawers & Gold Rim

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Sky B Plane Bed in Yellow W/ Gray Luggage Steps & Drawers

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Fantasy Air Balloon Bed in White Wood with Side Drawers and Gold Details

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Little Mermaid Bed in Ivory with Shell Cover

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Kings & Queens Castle Bed in White Wood with Gold Details

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Sky One Plane Bed in Blue and White with Gray Luggage Steps

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Teepee Room in Mocha Faux Leather with Wood Base

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Sleeping Muse Queen Size Walnut Bed by Ceccotti

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Jasper Morrison Bed in Fir and Poplar Plywood and Metal Frame for Cappellini

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Rodolfo Dordoni Cuba 25 Two-Seat Sofa-Bed in Fabric or Leather for Cappellini

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

A. G. Fronzoni Large Fronzoni '64 Bed in Metal and Wood for Cappellini

2010s Portuguese Modern Children's Furniture

Mint Velvet Green Cradle by Royal Stranger

21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Catalina King Bed in White and Gold by Badgley Mischka Home

21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Casablanca Poster Queen Bed with Gold Leaf Frame by Badgley Mischka Home

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Horizon Double Bed, by Michele de Lucchi from Memphis Milano

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Black Walnut Perri Bed Queen-sized with Sustainable Live-edge Slab Headboard

2010s American Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Amuneal’s Murphy Bed in Silvered Walnut and Warm Brass

2010s American Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Modern Solid Claro Walnut and Stainless Steel King Sized Shear Bed

2010s Spanish Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Modern Urunday King Headboard with Brass Details

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Arc Bed by Tretiak Works, Contemporary Handmade Walnut Queen Bed

2010s Canadian Modern Beds and Bed Frames

Walnut High Back Bed by MSJ Furniture Studio with Attached Bedside Lamps

2010s American Modern Beds and Bed Frames