Brazilian Furniture
More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Jacaranda
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Metal
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Soapstone
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Glass, Rosewood
1960s Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Rosewood
1970s Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Furniture
Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Other Brazilian Furniture
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Other
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s Brazilian Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Other
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Fur, Hide, Leather
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Fur, Hide, Leather
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Organic Modern Brazilian Furniture
Clay
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Jacaranda
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Metal
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Glass, Hardwood
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Wool
2010s Brazilian Furniture
Linen, Hardwood
2010s Art Deco Brazilian Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Metal, Other
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Rosewood, Silk, Cane
2010s Organic Modern Brazilian Furniture
Aluminum
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Lucite
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Lucite
1960s Organic Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Driftwood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Rose Quartz
Late 20th Century Primitive Brazilian Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Mirror, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Organic Modern Brazilian Furniture
Fabric, Hardwood
1970s Organic Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Natural Fiber
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Furniture
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Wood, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Furniture
Cotton, Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Furniture
Stone, Crystal, Other
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Acrylic, Wood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Furniture
Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Other
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Art Deco Brazilian Furniture
Crystal, Quartz, Metal, Other
2010s Modern Brazilian Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Brazilian Furniture
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Bohemian Brazilian Furniture
Wool, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Organic Modern Brazilian Furniture
Amethyst, Gold Leaf
2010s Brazilian Furniture
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Furniture
Hardwood