Modern Seating
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Brazilian Modern Seating
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Seating
Fabric, Wood
1970s Canadian Vintage Modern Seating
Chrome
2010s Ukrainian Modern Seating
Sheepskin, Ash, Faux Fur, Velvet, Bouclé, Wool, Fabric
2010s European Modern Seating
Leather, Rattan, Wood
Late 20th Century Modern Seating
Faux Leather, Lucite
1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Seating
Leather
2010s Portuguese Modern Seating
Brass
2010s Moroccan Modern Seating
Velvet, Walnut
2010s Spanish Modern Seating
Velvet
2010s Philippine Modern Seating
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Hungarian Modern Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Seating
Steel
2010s French Modern Seating
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Seating
Fabric, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Seating
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Seating
Velvet, Wood
2010s Ukrainian Modern Seating
Fabric, Wool
1960s Brazilian Vintage Modern Seating
Upholstery, Hardwood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Seating
Leather
2010s Spanish Modern Seating
Brass, Steel
1970s German Vintage Modern Seating
Leather, Upholstery, Plastic, Polystyrene, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Seating
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Seating
Textile
2010s American Modern Seating
Steel
2010s American Modern Seating
Wood
Late 20th Century Austrian Modern Seating
Beech
1990s Italian Modern Seating
Leather
2010s American Modern Seating
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Seating
Aluminum
Early 2000s Danish Modern Seating
Leather, Foam, Oak, Lacquer
2010s Swiss Modern Seating
Metal
Early 2000s Danish Modern Seating
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Seating
Steel
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Seating
Leather, Fiberglass
2010s Italian Modern Seating
Marble
20th Century Modern Seating
Upholstery, Ultrasuede, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Seating
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Seating
Plastic
Early 2000s Dutch Modern Seating
Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Seating
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Seating
Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Seating
Leather, Fabric, Jacquard, Velvet
2010s Italian Modern Seating
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Seating
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Seating
Fabric, Wood, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Seating
Brass
Early 2000s American Modern Seating
Aluminum
1990s Italian Modern Seating
Leather, Bamboo
2010s European Modern Seating
Velvet, Cane, Walnut, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Seating
Leather
Late 20th Century American Modern Seating
Chrome
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Seating
Metal
2010s European Modern Seating
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Seating
Walnut
2010s Australian Modern Seating
Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Early 2000s American Modern Seating
Steel
Late 20th Century French Modern Seating
Wool, Oak
2010s Portuguese Modern Seating
Wood, Ash
Modern seating for sale on 1stDibs.
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