Modern Benches
MODERN STYLE
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 principals 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 — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames 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 furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Number in Set: Set of 12 or more
Triple Rectangle Bench in Solid Brass and Antique Finish
By Cain Modern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful and modern bench executed in solid brass and manufactured by Cain Modern as part of the Triple rectangle line.
The bench is very modern and it can be customized both in si...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Brass
Claste Paradise Lost Bench in Glass and Belvedere Black Marble with Cushion
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The strong horizontal line created by the marble slab of this bench is accentuated by the cantilevered shelf which is separated from the seat by a ver...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Benches
Materials
Marble
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Brown & Dark Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in White and Dark Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Brown and Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Brown and Dark Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Green and Dark Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Footstool, Black Smoke Steel and Black Saddle Leather, HUG COLLECTION.
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
HUG Footstool Black Smoke Steel and Vegetable Tanned Black Saddle Leather
The HUG footstool is designed and conceived with a light aesthetic, the slight oscillation of the steel rod...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Benches
Materials
Steel, Brass
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Green and Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Red and Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Emeco, Jasper Morrison
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi Three-Seat Bench in Green & Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Red and Dark Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Gray and Ash with High Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Kings Bench by Fratelli Boffi
Located in Milan, IT
This elegant bench is an ideal addition to a dining table, where it will add extra seating and an elegant texture, but it can also make a functional and sophisticated piece for an en...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Benches
Materials
Brass
Triple Rectangle Bench in Stainless Steel by Cain Modern
By Cain Modern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful and modern bench executed in stainless steel and manufactured by Cain Modern as part of the Triple rectangle line.
The bench is very modern and it can be customized both i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Stainless Steel
Emeco Alfi Three-Seat Bench in Sand & Dark Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi Collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Gray and Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Emeco Alfi 3-Seat Bench in Red and Ash with Low Back by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Emeco
Located in Hanover, PA
Emeco and Morrison together, designed and engineered The Alfi collection with the conviction that what you don't see is as important as what you do see. Alfi reflects Emeco and Morri...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Awaiting H Bench Printed Velvet and Brass
Located in Roma, IT
This bench is part of the awaiting collection, presented by Secondome during Milan Fuorisalone 2016. It's a series of items born from the encounter between the printed silk and cotto...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Benches
Materials
Brass
Wood Bench with Concrete Base
By Johnny Poux
Located in kingston, NY
Dovetail Bench
The details of this wood and concrete bench are timeless and singular. The wood seat is created from two planks that are connected by ...
Category
2010s American Modern Benches
Materials
Concrete, Bronze
Bench or Coffee Table, LINK by Reda Amalou, 2016, White Lacquer
Located in Paris, FR
Contemporary coffee table or bench in glossy lacquer or wood essence .
The bench, table and stool are the three pieces of furniture that make up the Link collection. Arranged separa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Benches
Materials
Wood, Oak, Walnut
Ionic Steel Bench, Designed by Laurie Beckerman in 2014
Located in New York, NY
It's inspired by the capital of an ionic column. Instead of the look of dense stone, I wanted to extract the lines of the form to create a light, spacious and resilient bench in whic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Steel
Footstool Brass Steel and Dark Brown Saddle Leather, Hug Collection
Located in Alcoy, Alicante
HUG Footstool Aged Brass Steel and Vegetable Tanned Dark Brown Saddle Leather
The HUG footstool is designed and conceived with a light aesthetic,...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Benches
Materials
Brass, Steel
Emeco Run 4-Seat Bench in Aluminum and Walnut by Sam Hecht & Kim Colin
Located in Hanover, PA
Run is a collection of tables, benches and shelves by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, designers of the simple and no-nonsense. Run effortlessly finds balance in both indoor and outdoor land...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Aluminum
Emeco Run 4-Seat Bench in Clear Adonized Aluminum by Sam Hecht & Kim Colin
Located in Hanover, PA
Run is a collection of tables, benches and shelves by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, designers of the simple and no-nonsense. Run effortlessly finds balance in both indoor and outdoor land...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Aluminum
Awaiting M Bench Printed Velvet and Brass
Located in Roma, IT
This bench is part of the awaiting collection, presented by Secondome during Milan Fuorisalone 2016. It's a series of items born from the encounter between the printed silk and cotto...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Benches
Materials
Brass
Custom Mongolian Fur Bench with Twisted Lucite Legs
By Venfield
Located in New York, NY
Custom Mongolian fur bench with twisted Lucite legs. Customization is available in different sizes and colors.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Fur, Lucite
Carol Egan, Sculptural Hand-Carved Bench, United States, 2012
By Carol Egan
Located in New York, NY
This sculptural hand-carved bench is part of a line of contemporary furniture designed by blending digital technology with fine traditional craftsmanship. Carved of American Walnut, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Walnut
Contemporary Bench Featuring a Small Cushion
Located in New York, NY
This bench expresses harmony through its special details. Featuring a small cushion that can be adjusted or even removed, this seating design has the rig...
Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Benches
Materials
Stainless Steel
Jacobean Style Small Grey Painted Bench
Located in Westwood, NJ
A modern Jacobean single bench constructed of acacia and finished in pale grey paint with a fine rush seat is perfect at the foot of a bed.
Dimensions: 38" W x 16" D x 25.25" H
Sea...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Benches
Materials
Wood
Carol Egan, Sculptural Hand-Carved Bench, United States, 2013
By Carol Egan
Located in New York, NY
This sculptural hand-carved bench is part of a line of contemporary furniture designed by blending digital technology with fine traditional craftsmanship. Carved of mahogany, the sto...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Benches
Materials
Walnut
Modern benches for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern benches for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage benches created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern benches made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original benches, popular names associated with this style include Marie Burgos Design, Emeco, Jasper Morrison, and Stephen Kenn. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for benches differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $350 and tops out at $96,000 while the average work can sell for $4,139.
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