Modern Sofas
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Fabric
1970s French Vintage Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Elm
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sofas
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
2010s Modern Sofas
Leather
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Chrome
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Velvet, Hardwood, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Sofas
Chenille, Wood
20th Century French Modern Sofas
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Linen, Wood, Walnut
2010s American Modern Sofas
Ultrasuede
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Damask, Silk, Upholstery, Wood, Trimming, Feathers
Late 20th Century Swiss Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam
2010s American Modern Sofas
Mahogany
1970s Brazilian Vintage Modern Sofas
Suede, Rosewood
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Velvet
1970s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
1980s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric
1970s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Aluminum
2010s German Modern Sofas
Steel, Chrome
1960s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Steel, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Sofas
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Oak
2010s American Modern Sofas
Aluminum
1980s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric
1940s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric
1970s Dutch Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s American Modern Sofas
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Oak
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Textile, Ash
2010s American Modern Sofas
Wood, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Alpaca, Linen
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sofas
Chrome
2010s Swedish Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric
Early 2000s Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric
1980s French Vintage Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Steel, Stainless Steel
1960s Norwegian Vintage Modern Sofas
Faux Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood