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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Italian Modern Sofas
Nickel
2010s Mexican Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric, Wood, Oak, Walnut
2010s American Modern Sofas
Linen, Maple, Trimming
2010s South African Modern Sofas
Leather, Upholstery, Foam
2010s Egyptian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
2010s Turkish Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Leather, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Leather
1990s Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sofas
Textile
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s American Modern Sofas
Mohair
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Leather, Wood, Velvet, Cotton, Bouclé
2010s English Modern Sofas
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Modern Sofas
Polyester
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Iron
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Cotton
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s American Modern Sofas
Cotton, Foam, Maple
2010s American Modern Sofas
Leather, Bouclé
2010s Turkish Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Hardwood, Foam, Upholstery
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Linen
1950s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Rattan
1970s Vintage Modern Sofas
Chrome
2010s French Modern Sofas
Wool, Oak
1980s American Vintage Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Fiberglass
2010s South African Modern Sofas
Leather, Upholstery, Nylon, Walnut
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s South African Modern Sofas
Fabric, Walnut, Ceramic
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s French Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s American Modern Sofas
Cotton, Faux Leather, Foam, Maple
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Fabric, Plastic
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Velvet, Oak
2010s Spanish Modern Sofas
Upholstery
2010s South African Modern Sofas
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Sofas
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Steel
2010s Asian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Rope
2010s Italian Modern Sofas
Steel
Early 20th Century Danish Modern Sofas
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s Belgian Modern Sofas
Linen
2010s French Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam, Plywood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Sofas
Chrome
2010s French Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s French Modern Sofas
Fabric
Early 2000s Italian Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s French Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam, Plywood
Late 20th Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
2010s French Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam, Plywood