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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Bouclé
1980s North American Vintage Modern Sofas
Linen
2010s Swiss Modern Sofas
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Sofas
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Silk, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Sofas
Linen, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Sofas
Fabric, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Upholstery
1990s Norwegian Modern Sofas
Linen, Pine
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Velvet, Foam, Hardwood
20th Century Modern Sofas
Cotton, Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Sheepskin, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Fabric, Faux Leather, Foam, Wood, Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Sofas
Foam, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Sheepskin
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sofas
Leather, Suede
2010s European Modern Sofas
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sofas
Beech
2010s American Modern Sofas
Cowhide, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Stainless Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Sofas
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Sheepskin
2010s American Modern Sofas
Pine
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Wood, Fabric, Foam
2010s Mexican Modern Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery
2010s American Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Sofas
Bouclé
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s American Modern Sofas
Hardwood
2010s British Modern Sofas
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Fabric, Beech
2010s American Modern Sofas
Faux Fur, Foam, Wood, Beech, Plywood
2010s American Modern Sofas
Wool, Felt
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé
1970s French Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather
1980s Danish Vintage Modern Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Brass, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Brass
1970s North American Vintage Modern Sofas
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Sofas
Oak, Walnut, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Foam, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Wool, Bouclé, Cotton, Oak
Mid-20th Century Swiss Modern Sofas
Leather
Late 20th Century Danish Modern Sofas
Leather, Mahogany
2010s American Modern Sofas
Maple