Modern Stools
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Stools
Resin
2010s Italian Modern Stools
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Stools
Concrete
2010s South African Modern Stools
Bouclé, Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Steel
2010s European Modern Stools
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Stools
Steel
2010s South African Modern Stools
Upholstery, Oak
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Ceramic, Earthenware, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Silk, Velvet, Wood, Lacquer, Trimming
Early 2000s American Modern Stools
Walnut
2010s Modern Stools
Copper
2010s Argentine Modern Stools
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Stools
Mahogany
2010s American Modern Stools
Cedar
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Stools
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Stools
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Stools
Walnut, Velvet
2010s American Modern Stools
Iron
1950s American Vintage Modern Stools
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Stools
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Stools
Resin
Late 20th Century American Modern Stools
Chrome
20th Century American Modern Stools
Textile, Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Marble, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Stools
Metal
2010s Turkish Modern Stools
Metal
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Stools
Wood
2010s American Modern Stools
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Stools
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Stools
Oak
2010s Portuguese Modern Stools
Fabric, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Stools
Metal, Steel
2010s American Modern Stools
Leather, Walnut, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Stools
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Leather
2010s Portuguese Modern Stools
Leather, Fabric, Rattan, Wood
2010s American Modern Stools
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Stools
Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Wood, Cedar
2010s Portuguese Modern Stools
Wood, Lacquer, Velvet, Rattan
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Steel
1980s American Vintage Modern Stools
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Plastic
2010s American Modern Stools
Steel, Chrome
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Stools
Stainless Steel
2010s European Modern Stools
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Stools
Ceramic, Stoneware
2010s Brazilian Modern Stools
Faux Leather, Hardwood
2010s Spanish Modern Stools
Aluminum, Silver, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Stools
Brass, Metal
1970s British Vintage Modern Stools
Metal
2010s Brazilian Modern Stools
Upholstery, Teak, Fabric, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Stools
Steel, Metal, Brass, Nickel
1970s American Vintage Modern Stools
Leather, Walnut








