Modern Bookcases
MODERN STYLE
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
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Item Ships From: Europe
Style: Modern
Juno Book Shelves in Walnut Structure with Glass Door by E-GGS
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Juno is a container of stories. It is the attempt to reawaken the romantic side of the house, lost in the contemporary frenzy. It is the will to revive the concept of the glass cabin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Opinion Ciatti Ptolomeo Wall Large Bookcase
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ptolomeo Wall is the wall version of the Original Ptolomeo and could be defined as the ""column of knowledge”. A stack of levitating books or a ground-air column (floor-ceiling) for ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel
Spino Stand Alone Bookshelf / Coat Hanger in Hand Treated Iron by Mario Milana
By Mario Milana
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The structure of the Spino is created from a laser-cut bent iron sheet. The iron itself is hand treated with a special oxidized finish, and is available in matte or glossy finish. Wh...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Iron
DeCastelli Large Babele Tower Bookcase in Brass by Martinelli Venezia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Aspirations of higher knowledge find three-dimensional representation in the striking verticality of this tower bookcase, stripped of all non-essential ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
DeCastelli Existence Five-Tier Bookcase in Brass by Michele De Lucchi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“Why should bookcases always be straight, long, vertical, right-angle planes to keep nothing but books perfectly straight and composed? [...] And don’t we like to keep a few small ob...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
DeCastelli Small Babele Tower Bookcase in Copper by Martinelli Venezia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Aspirations of higher knowledge find three-dimensional representation in the striking verticality of this tower bookcase, stripped of all non-essential ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Copper
Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Desyo Bookcase Sycomoro Wood
By Carpanelli
Located in Desio, IT
Bookcase without back. Its peculiarity is the doors that slide horizontally along the entire length of the compartment, closing the compartment that you prefer. The processing of the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Steel Room Divider Shelving - Customisable
By &New
Located in Leicester, GB
Modern freestanding shelves unit for books, objects and plants. The shelves are designed to look delicate and airy but strong. The straight back d...
Category
2010s British Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel
Rustic Modular Chestnut Bookcase
Located in Milan, IT
Perfect for embellishing a bare wall in any rustic-chic decor, this modular bookcase is a showcase of cabinetry mastery. The minimal details allow the chestnut's rich grain to take c...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
DeCastelli Yoroi Cabinet in Stainless Steel by Alessandro Masturzo
By DeCastelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Like the hard metal sheets that identify the armour of a samurai, the scales on the skin of this piece define its appearance. A dynamic shape, taking on the evocative strength of Art Deco furnishings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Stainless Steel
DeCastelli Yoroi Cabinet in Stainless Steel by Alesandro Masturzo
By DeCastelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Like the hard metal sheets that identify the armour of a samurai, the scales on the skin of this piece define its appearance. A dynamic shape, taking on the evocative strength of Art Deco furnishings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Stainless Steel
21st Century by Pelizzari Studio Wood Black Lacquered Bookcase Etched Brass Skin
Located in Brescia, IT
The etched brass skin that surrounds this bookcase, called Folio, interprets the play of full and empty spaces of the initial volume, allowing the internal wooden elements to configu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Modern Bookcase Room Divider - Minimal Steel Metal Shelving
By &New
Located in Leicester, GB
Modern freestanding shelves unit for books and plants. The shelves are designed to look delicate and airy but strong. The straight back design sit...
Category
2010s British Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel
DeCastelli Tako Cabinet in Brass by Filippo Pisan
By DeCastelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clean volumes for a console with quite simple lines, emphasising the nobility of the metals that clad the large faces of the drawers. Available both in a h...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Iron
Nordic Modular Bookcase by Erika Gambella
Located in Milan, IT
Designed by Erika Gambella, this modular bookcase flaunts a clean and functional shape typical of Nordic design. Furnished with eight internal drawers and six wooden shelves, it is h...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
21st Century by Pelizzari Studio Makassar Ebony Bookcase Etched Brass Legs
Located in Brescia, IT
Much more than just an expositor, the bookcase, called Reflection, get nearer to the new daily habits. With researched functionality they provide continuity with the contemporary lif...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Into the Woods Bookcase, Walnut and Brass, Insidherland by Joana Santos Barbosa
Located in Maia, Porto
A long walk through a Swedish forest beneath intertwined branches of huge trees, was the inspiration of the dazzling Into the Woods bookcase.
T...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Modern Daniele Papuli for Dilmos Bookshelf Storage Handmade Paper
Located in Milan, IT
Totem sculpture of angular shape with support on the ground, made with strips of selected paper for weight and color for Dilmos Milnao. The Totem is equipped with an internal, laminated lamellar structure with three shelves. Metria is a single vertical element which in composition with several elements, it becomes a modular partition wall...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Paper
Into The Woods Bookcase, White and Brass, InsidherLand by Joana Santos Barbosa
Located in Maia, Porto
A long walk through a Swedish forest beneath intertwined branches of huge trees, was the inspiration of the dazzling Into the Woods bookcase.
T...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Corner cupboard, shelf, open shelf unit, coffe table height 138xØ46cm
Located in Meolo, Venezia
Tables on one or more levels, furnish ironically without remaining unnoticed. Ideal companions for public and private environments and contexts.
The structure is a curved metal roun...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
NOBRE Bookcase in Glossy Ebony Makassar and Antique Brass Trims
Located in Frazão, Porto
The versatile Nobre bookcase can be used on the wall or as a room separator. Made of solid wood with metal details in Stainless Steel or Antique Brass. ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass, Stainless Steel
Opinion Ciatti La Gabbia Shelving Unit
Located in Brooklyn, NY
La Gabbia, Lapo Ciatti's storage cabinet is a sculptural element of scenic impact made of metal and aluminum, embellished with 24 glossy studs. La Gabbia is a practical organizer equ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Aluminum, Metal
Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Mistral Bookcase Composition
By Carpanelli
Located in Desio, IT
Bookcase composition with bifacial shelves. The shelves are in Sycomoro dark frisè wood.
The original metal part is the supporting element for the realization of the bookcase and it...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Nendo Medium Drop Bookcase Matte Mud Lacquered Metal Structure for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Nendo
Located in New York, NY
An ingenious challenge against the force of gravity, the drop, by Nendo, is a two-sided column bookshelf offered in 3 different heights. The drop bookshelves are made of matte lacque...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Italian Contemporary Design Black Marble and Oak Wood Wardrobe
By DD Dimore
Located in Brescia, IT
This gorgeous wardrobe is entirely hand made in every part by a team of master Italian craftsmans.
The structure is realized in dark brown colored oak. The sliding doors are finishe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Marble
Italian Contemporary Design Black Marble and Oak Wood Wardrobe
By DD Dimore
Located in Brescia, IT
This gorgeous wardrobe is entirely hand made in every part by a team of master Italian craftsmans.
The structure is realized in dark brown colored oak. The sliding doors are finishe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Marble
Knots and Tubes Shelve in Marble
Located in London, GB
'Knots and Tubes' celebrates construction and functions like a scaffolding system for the living room or the office. It makes all its connections visible to create a visual depth. Each piece can be extended in all direction to fit any need. It is easily mountable and survives every move to be reassembled in the next place.
Sideboard P...
Category
2010s Portuguese Modern Bookcases
Materials
Marble, Steel
Contemporary Bookcase B, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves
By SEM, Giacomo Moor
Located in Brooklyn, NY
SEM Pivot Contemporary collection, bookcase B, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered containers...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal, Brass
Contemporary Bookcase C, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves
By SEM, Giacomo Moor
Located in Brooklyn, NY
SEM Pivot collection, bookcase C, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass, Metal
Cosette Contemporary Book Shelf in Metal and Marble
Located in London, GB
The geometric pattern becomes substance in space through the metal wire; an off-scale plot that is revealed in the relationship between Cosette and the observer according to his posi...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Marble, Metal
Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Casablanca cabinet designed in 1981 for Memphis by Ettore Sottsass, in wood and plastic laminated colors. This is an unlimited edition with a number...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood, Plastic
Frame Bookcase
By Ghidini 1961
Located in Milan, IT
A clean and essential design of strong geometrical value, this striking bookcase will make a bold and stately addition to any contemporary decor. Featuring two vertical supports and ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Bookshelf Polished Ebony Finish Back and Side Insert Leather and Bronzed Mirror
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Sicis is delighted to welcome you at ‘Home’.
The classically inspired extent in contemporary plays an eclectic style, elegant and refined. Interiors express personality.
A constant...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Leather, Mirror, Ebony
Isabella Costantini, Italy, Duilio Low Bookcase with Two Doors
Located in Ascoli Piceno, IT
Designed by IC and beautifully crafted by Italian artisans, the Duilio bookcase features an open compartment with two large shelves embraced by ribbed do...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Nendo Large Drop Bookcases in Anthracite Matte Lacquered Metal for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in New York, NY
An ingenious challenge against the force of gravity, the Drop, by Nendo, is a two-sided column bookshelf offered in 3 different heights. The Drop bookshelves are made of matte lacque...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
21st Century Modern Étagère With Copper Structure And Back-painted Glass Shelves
Located in Milan, IT
An essential but rich étagère featuring 3 columns made of copper tubing, each one supporting 4 circular shelves made of back-painted glass. Each colum...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Copper
Contemporary Shakespeare Bookshelf in Aluminium by Altreforme
By Elena Cutolo
Located in Calolziocorte (Lecco) Italy, IT
Crossword-shaped bookcase to facilitate books searching. Tribute to Sylvia Beach and to her library.
Pricing excludes VAT.
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Aluminum
Bookshelf Structure Wood Ebony Veneered Back in Vetrite with Strip Led
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Sicis is delighted to welcome you at ‘Home’.
The classically inspired extent in contemporary plays an eclectic style, elegant and refined. Interiors express personality.
A constant...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood, Ebony, Glass
Millerighe Bookcase
By Da A
Located in Milan, IT
Superbly crafted of white-lacquered steel, this bookcase will make a bold statement in both an indoor or outdoor area. Available in a wide variety of smooth finishes, this piece is m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel
Nendo Medium Drop Bookcase Matte Lacquered Laser-Cut Sheet Metal for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in New York, NY
An ingenious challenge against the force of gravity, the Drop, by Nendo, is a two-sided column bookshelf offered in 3 different heights. The Drop bookshelves are made of Matte lacque...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Deframe Bookcase
By Da A
Located in Milan, IT
Striking and contemporary, this bookcase is composed of various metal sheets of different textures juxtaposed and welded in an eclectic geometric composition. Featuring a rectangular...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Deframe Large Bookcase
By Da A
Located in Milan, IT
This bookcase is a striking modern sculpture that will make a bold statement in any contemporary interior. Crafted of metal sheets with different textures, obtained with detailed laser-cut work, and welded together in a unique geometric composition, this piece features five long shelves...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Rossana Orlandi Aqua Shelf B in Mirrored Silver by Francesco Messina for Cypraea
Located in Milan, IT
Designed by Francesco Maria Messina
The collection is characterized by the use of two materials and two textures that are brought together to create a dialogue, mirroring the rela...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mauritian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Aluminum
Contemporary Bookcase A, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves
By Giacomo Moor, SEM
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sem Pivot collection, Bookcase A, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal, Brass
Gold Contemporary Modular Bookshelf of, 24-Karat Gold-Plated
By Paolo Rizzo, SEM
Located in Brooklyn, NY
SEM Gold collection, modular bookshelf of interlocking steel elements plated in 24-karat polished yellow gold. Elements measurement: (35/30/25/18 cm)...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel, Gold
Newsletter Wall Bookcase
By Da A
Located in Milan, IT
A splendid piece of sculptural allure, this indoor-outdoor wall bookcase is composed of an elegant series of round shelves of decreasing diameter exquisitely crafted of steel. Boasti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Nendo Large Drop Bookcases Matte Lacquered Laser-Cut Sheet Metal for Cappellini
By Nendo, Cappellini
Located in New York, NY
An ingenious challenge against the force of gravity, the Drop, by Nendo, is a two-sided column bookshelf offered in 3 different heights. The Drop bookshelves are made of matte lacque...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Tempium Large Bookcase by Ferdinando Meccani
Located in Milan, IT
The Tempium large bookcase by Ferdinando Meccani features a walnut briar frame, supporting an array of pear wood shelves and units. The two larger cupboards open to reveal two adjust...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Ghidini 1961 Frame Book Case in Bolivar Wood by Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Stefano Giovannoni designs frame for Ghidini1961, a new collection composed of sofas, armchairs, dining and coffee tables, bookshelves and cabinets. Everything starts from a simple e...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Tree Life Walnut Wood Bookcase
Located in Milan, IT
A magnificent modern piece of skillful, traditional craftsmanship, this striking bookcase is entirely crafted of Canaletto walnut wood, showcasing its natural dark hue. The piece is ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal
Bookshelf Structure Wood Ebony Veneered Back in Vetrite with Strip Led
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Sicis is delighted to welcome you at ‘Home’.
The classically inspired extent in contemporary plays an eclectic style, elegant and refined. Interiors express personality.
A constant...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood, Glass, Ebony
Tempium Small Bookcase by Ferdinando Meccani
Located in Milan, IT
This multi-purpose storage unit by Ferdinando Meccani boasts a walnut briar frame. The design features two large cupboards, one small cupboard, and a selection of shelves, all crafte...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Newsletter Floor Bookcase
By Da A
Located in Milan, IT
A contemporary sculpture that functions as a bookcase, this striking piece boasts a unique composition entirely made of steel using traditional techniques. Composed of a rectangular ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Steel
Tree Life Eucalyptus Wood Bookcase
Located in Milan, IT
A striking piece of functional decor that will infuse any living room with refined sophistication, this splendid bookcase is the result of masterful craftsmanship combined with modern design. Fashioned of eucalyptus wood...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Metal, Brass
Contemporary Cioccolata Bookshelf in Aluminium by Altreforme
By Aziz Sariyer
Located in Calolziocorte (Lecco) Italy, IT
Cioccolata is a bookcase whose taste is refined, sweet and incredibly unique. It envelopes in its symmetric folds the magic pages of a good book, the scent of the most beautiful flow...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Aluminum
Hamilton Media Unit by Daytona
By Daytona
Located in Milan, IT
An idea of lightness and natural grace is the leitmotif in this piece, created to seem almost suspended. Its design features a rectangular floating structure in wood with a myrtle burl veneer and brushed gloss finish. The upholstered open compartment reveals a single shelf and has a front panel covered in grosgrain design leather (in Clayton Lumiere 1639) with a single handle in burnished brass. This is a stream-lined media unit...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Rossana Orlandi Aqua Shelf C in Mirrored Gold by Francesco Messina for Cypraea
Located in Milan, IT
Designed by Francesco Maria Messina
The collection is characterized by the use of two materials and two textures that are brought together to create a dialogue, mirroring the rela...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mauritian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Aluminum
Envelope Bookcase
By Zanaboni
Located in Milan, IT
Bold and sophisticated this bookcase will be a striking addition to a contemporary home. Either against a wall, or used as superb room divider, this piece of functional decor will ma...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Materials
Wood
Modern bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern bookcases for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage bookcases created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, more furniture and collectibles, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern bookcases made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Denmark pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original bookcases, popular names associated with this style include DeCastelli, Kartell, Souda, and Danese Milano. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for bookcases differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $120 and tops out at $96,530 while the average work can sell for $3,910.
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