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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1980s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s Asian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Rope
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sofas
Leather
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Feathers, Trimming, Wood, Upholstery, Silk, Damask
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé
Early 20th Century Danish Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s American Modern Sofas
Linen, Maple, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sofas
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Sofas
Velvet
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Sofas
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Oak, Walnut
2010s Ukrainian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Sofas
Textile
2010s Asian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Rattan, Teak, Synthetic
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s Moroccan Modern Sofas
Wool, Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Brass
2010s North American Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Other
2010s Portuguese Modern Sofas
Cork
Late 20th Century Fijian Modern Sofas
Leather, Palmwood
20th Century Italian Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Chrome
1970s Unknown Vintage Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Plastic
1980s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Bouclé
2010s German Modern Sofas
Beech, Maple, Fabric, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Pewter, Steel, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Velvet, Hardwood, Maple
Late 20th Century Swiss Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Sofas
Velvet, Poplar
2010s American Modern Sofas
Hardwood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Chrome
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
Early 2000s Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Plastic
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Textile, Walnut
2010s American Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Brass
Early 2000s American Modern Sofas
Suede
Late 20th Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Metal, Wire
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather