Modern Chairs
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Ukrainian Modern Chairs
Textile, Foam, Plywood
2010s Spanish Modern Chairs
Wood
2010s Mexican Modern Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Leather, Fabric, Faux Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Chairs
Epoxy Resin
2010s American Modern Chairs
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Fabric, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Metal, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Chairs
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Hardwood, Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Laminate
1930s British Vintage Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Plastic
2010s German Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s Spanish Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s American Modern Chairs
Oak
2010s Argentine Modern Chairs
Sheepskin, Wood
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Walnut, Velvet, Linen, Bouclé, Mohair, Leather, Oak, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Bouclé, Ash
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Elm
2010s Mexican Modern Chairs
Gold Leaf
2010s American Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood
20th Century American Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chairs
Steel
1990s Italian Modern Chairs
Leather, Bamboo
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Marble, Carrara Marble
2010s Spanish Modern Chairs
Plywood
2010s Philippine Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s American Modern Chairs
Leather, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Chairs
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s British Modern Chairs
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Chairs
Plastic
Mid-20th Century French Modern Chairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Modern Chairs
Birch, Pine
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Foam
2010s English Modern Chairs
Wool
2010s Ukrainian Modern Chairs
Ash, Plywood, Foam, Textile
Early 20th Century Ivorian Modern Chairs
Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Chairs
Aluminum
2010s Spanish Modern Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Chairs
Steel, Metal
20th Century American Modern Chairs
Wood, Upholstery
2010s Moroccan Modern Chairs
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Chairs
Hide, Ash
2010s Ukrainian Modern Chairs
Metal
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Velvet
2010s Mexican Modern Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Brass