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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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chaircrafted 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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Style: Modern
21st Century Modern Bookshelf with Agglomerated Wood Top Ethrio Made in Italy
Located in Sant'Elena, IT
This is a very flexible shelving system that can suit any type of space. With a simple shifting in the assembling of the shelves, a variety of possible configurations is available, d...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

Baleri Italia Mac Gee Bookshelf in White Steel by Philippe Starck
Located in Milan, IT
Mac Gee is the essence of a bookshelf. Philippe Starck cleaned and cleaned the structure to only keep the square root, the skeleton of a bookshelf. Therefore avoiding styles, the tim...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

Connect Bookcase or Shelf Customizable in Blackened Steel and Polished Bronze
Located in Vancouver, BC
The Connect bookcase is designed to express the process by which each piece is created, with visible construction and fastening details that are integral to the final piece. Traditional joinery techniques are used in conjunction with mass manufacturing technology to create this unique metal cabinetry...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Bronze, Steel

Contemporary Leather Bookcase Scala by Stephane Parmentier for Giobagnara
Located in Warsaw, PL
Leather bookcase by Stephane Parmentier for Giobagnara. The object presented in the image has following finish: F09 Brown Nappa Le...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Leather, Wood

Matassa Large Bookcase in Black Iron Rebar, by Luigi Semeraro
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Matassa bookshelf with structure in iron rebar is varnished in white or black, with shelves in flamed oak, Canaletto walnut or lacquered in black or white. Available in two different heights and sizes. Here you are shown the Matassa bookcases in black iron rebar, in the large size. Luigi Semeraro, born in Varese in 1978, product and interior designer, graduated at Design University, Politecnico di Milano. During the training, he enriches his academic and professional experiences in Italy and abroad, ranging from product to graphic design. He begins his career as a designer, realizing with a team the project “Piu YIU”, Chinese temporary restaurant, presented at the Dining Contest of “Salon Satellite” in 2004, in collaboration with Sawaya and Moroni...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Iron

Danese Milano Bincan Leggio Book Stand A3 in White by Naoto Fukasawa
Located in Hicksville, NY
Bincan leggio is part of the Bincan collection, which was designed for the work place and can be adapted to any environment whether internal or external, public or private. The lecte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Milonga Bookcase in Lacquered Iron with Flamed Oak Shelves by Paolo Cappello
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Milonga is a bookcase with long legs, set with a delicate cadence between spaces. Either as a partition between rooms or, more traditionally, against a wall, this is an indispensable piece for organizing your home library. As well as being technical, Milonga is bold and distinctive, and plays on the colours of the tubes and the layout of the shelves. Indeed, it is the sequence of the shelves that gives the bookcase its sense of movement, echoing the rhythm of the lines printed in the exercise books of our childhood. Bookshelf with structure in iron rebar lacquered in the listed colours. Shelves in flamed oak...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Iron

21st Century Modern Steel White Bookshelves Wave Made in Italy
Located in Sant'Elena, IT
The Wave series is the result of a gesture, a natural movement that gives birth to sinuous and minimal forms without neglecting the functionality of the object. It consists of wall s...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

Contemporary Bookcase Onyx Top Floor to Ceiling Storage Unit Brass Bookshelf
Located in Milan, IT
Bookcase 01 Floor to ceiling bookcase featuring 3 back-painted glass doors colored in red tones, onyx or marble top, lacquered wooden interior and brass shelving. Each of the three ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Onyx, Brass

Contemporary Bookcase Floor to Ceiling Storage Unit Brass Marble Bookshelf
Located in Milan, IT
Bookcase 01 Floor to ceiling bookcase featuring 3 back-painted glass doors colored in neutral tones, marble or onyx top, lacquered wooden interior and brass shelving. Each of the th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Carrara Marble, Brass

Molteni&C MHC.2 Bookcase with 3 Shelves in American Walnut by Yasuhito Itoh
Located in New York, NY
MHC.1 Three Shelves Bookcase in American Walnut by Yasuhito Itoh. Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C. An eye-catching piece, the MHC.1 3-shelf bookshelf...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Walnut

Large Dassi Mahogany Wall Unit Bookcase, 4 doors, Part of Unique Living Room 1940
Located in Rome, IT
Important wall unit bookcase and bar, cabinet, 1940. Executed by Dassi and attributed to Ico Parisi Unique living room Stunning details "grissinato mahogany wood" Part of unique living room designed to commission Mahogany, maple wood, brass details this wall unit consist in two units Measures: H 168cm, 295 x 39 cm. top unit: shelves, two large doors...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass

Modular Chestnut Bookcase
Located in Milan, IT
This meticulously handcrafted modern bookcase showcases the warmth of solid chestnut wood grain, here offered in a nontoxic, walnut stain variant enhanced with beeswax. Concealed lev...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Wood

Solid Stained Oak Verticale Shelving Unit by Design Frères
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Solid stained red oak verticale shelving unit by Design Frères. Comes in 3 easy to transport and assemble elements.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Bookcases

Materials

Oak

DeCastelli Celato 45 Cabinet in Brass by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

Contemporary Clay Bookshelves by Maarten Baas
Located in Warsaw, PL
These vibrant Bookshelves are from Maarten Baas’s iconic ‘Clay’ collection launched in 2006. The idiosyncratic childishness of this collection is created through Baas’s individual ha...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Modern by Carpanelli Bookcase
Located in Desio, IT
"Gae" modular bookcase is inspired by the volumes of Piazza Gae Aulenti in Milan. The materials used for the compositions are precious woods such as light Tay, Dark Tay, Canaletto Wa...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Leather, Wood

DeCastelli Cahier Cabinet in Copper by Zanellato/Bortotto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The fire enamelling on copper is a technique that has a strong link with metal and with the territory, in particular with the figure of Paolo De Poli and his works, which firstly int...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Copper

21st Century Carpanese Home Italia Bookshelf Modern, Aida 120
Located in Sanguinetto, IT
Precious bookshelf that is more than a piece of furniture that serves you, it is a true piece of art. Realized only with the best materials, it is perfect for every luxury environme...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Marble, Metal

21st Century Carpanese Home Italia Bookshelf Modern, Aida 220
Located in Sanguinetto, IT
Precious bookshelf that is more than a piece of furniture that serves you, it is a true piece of art. Realized only with the best materials, it is perfect for every luxury environme...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Marble, Metal

Modern Hobart Bookcase, Walnut Veneer, Handmade in Portugal by Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Hobart Bookcase, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Hobart modern bookcase was born to mimic the natural ebb...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass

Amorph Flux bookcase, shelves, Lacquered Red Facing Left and Right
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Flux shelf is a sculptural art furniture piece designed by Amorph. Flux could be fitted in modern office or home as a featured contemporary piece...
Category

2010s American Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

Orizaba Two Sided Bookcase Module A, Wood and Aluminium, Contemporary Design
Located in Mexico City, MX
This two siede bookshelf stands out for its sleek design. It was conceived as a compound of modular pieces that can be assembled in different variation...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Thin Book Ends in Contemporary Bronze and Steel in various Patinas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Thin bookends explore a miniature variation of Kin & Company’s iconic Thin Chair. Beautifully paired with books, plants, or small accessories, the Thin ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass, Steel

Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Desyo Bookcase in Canaletta Walnut
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

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Oak, Walnut

DeCastelli Celato 80 Cabinet in Brass by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

BIS Bookshelf in Cherry Tree Veneer and Brown Glass
Located in London, GB
The BIS project for MOB seeks to be installed as a sort of island in space, accentuating its semi-translucent composition and operability on both sides of the furniture. In some way this "screen" modifies the space, divides it and conditions its use, allowing to dispose objects or not, on both sides of the furniture. Thanks to the use of reflective glasses as separators; the objects and the traffic can be observed from the opposite side. Its modular, basic and simple way, together with the use of transparency, try to connect conceptually with the use of the oriental screen...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

Danese Milano Bincan Leggio Book Stand A4 in Black by Naoto Fukasawa
Located in Hicksville, NY
Bincan leggio is part of the Bincan collection, which was designed for the work place and can be adapted to any environment whether internal or external, public or private. The lecte...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Italian Modern Square Bookcase in Glass and Aluminum
Located in Boston, MA
The Sixty bookcase, designed by Giuseppe Bavuso, is a bookcase with a sleek design characterized by the invisible round joints connecting its structure and shelves. Structure made ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Aluminum

Four Shelves 'Verticale' Polished Oak Shelving Unit
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Four shelves 'Verticale' polished oak shelving unit. Highest quality solid oak construction. Comes in 2 parts connected with dowels, for easy ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Bookcases

Materials

Oak

DeCastelli Celato 45 Cabinet in Stainless Steel by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

DeCastelli Celato 130 Cabinet in Brass by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

DeCastelli Nami Modular Bookcase in Striped DeLabré Brass by Andrea Parisio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modular bookcase characterized by a sinuous course that also makes it a separate self-standing, if positioned in the center of the room to configure the spaces. In the “C“ compositio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass

Apollo Console, Bookshelf, Black Aluminium Frame, Oxidised Brass by Lara Bohinc
Located in Holland, AMSTERDAM
The Apollo console is a playful expression of loops and semi-circular arcs in galvanised steel metalwork, which combine to form a light and versatile st...
Category

2010s Portuguese Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass, Metal

Six Shelves 'Verticale' Polished Oak Shelving Unit
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Six shelves 'Verticale' polished oak shelving unit. Highest quality solid oak construction. Comes in 3 parts connected with dowels, for easy shipping, installation and moving.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Bookcases

Materials

Oak

DeCastelli Nippon Bookcase in Stainless Steel by Alberto Nason
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Nippon is a 'display case', a piece of furniture designed to hold books, objects and accessories. According to the needs of the space where it will be used, it can become a bookcase, display cabinet, a notice board...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

DeCastelli Existence Wall Four-Tier Bookcase in Stainless Steel
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

Stainless Steel

Danese Milano Gran Livorno Black Wall Bookcase in Metal by Marco Ferreri
Located in Hicksville, NY
Black Gran Livorno is a small, freestanding bookcase. It is the evolution of the Livorno bookcase, and maintains the same structural principals and minimal form. The piece is made of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Danese Milano Gran Livorno Self Standing Black Metal Bookcase by Marco Ferreri
Located in Hicksville, NY
Black Gran Livorno self standing is a freestanding bookcase. The piece consists of two shelving units leaning against one another back-to-back and lends itself to be used not only as...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Mettitutto One Way Cabinet by Stefano Boeri Architetti
Located in Milan, IT
This rotating open cabinet in satin-finished Canaletto walnut is a versatile piece capable of elevating any modern decor with its elegant allure. It offers a whimsical design where a...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Leather

Gritti Bookcase, by Andrea Branzi for Memphis Milano Collection
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Gritti bookcase in plastic laminate, wood, metal and glass. Designed in 1981, by Andrea Branzi. Andrea Branzi, architect and designer, born in Florence,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

DeCastelli Existence Wall 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

Steel Room Divider, Minimal Metal Shelving - Customisable
By &New
Located in Leicester, GB
Modern freestanding shelf unit for books, objects, and plants. The shelves are designed to look delicate and airy but strong. The straight-back design sits neatly against a wall or can be free-standing to create a room division. The clean lines look great against period details as well as in modern spaces and the compact proportions compliment modern living. The shelves can stand together to create larger shelving...
Category

2010s British Modern Bookcases

Materials

Steel

DeCastelli Celato 220 Cabinet in Copper by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Brass

DeCastelli Existence Three-Tier Bookcase in Stainless Steel 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

Stainless Steel

Contemporary "Beloved One" Walnut and Leather Bookcase
Located in Milano, IT
A small bookcase, precious as a treasure chest, to contain the most beloved books, the memories and the objects of our life. A frame in Canaletto walnut, crystal shelves and a leathe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Crystal

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

"Mare" Boockcase in Aluminum and Natural Teak Wood
Located in Centro, RS
The Mare bookcase is Inspired by the movement of the sea waves coming and going from the waves. The bookcase brings in its design the lightness and elegance of the tubes and perforated aluminum sheet. The shelves and organizing boxes...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Aluminum

DeCastelli Cahier Cabinet in Stainless Steel by Zanellato/Bortotto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The fire enamelling on copper is a technique that has a strong link with metal and with the territory, in particular with the figure of Paolo De Poli and his works, which firstly int...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

Muller Van Severen, Bookshelf model "Wire C #1", Belgium, 2017
Located in Barcelona, ES
Muller Van Severen Bookshelf model “Wire C #1” Manufactured by Muller Van Severen Produced for Side Gallery Stainless steel Measurements 120 cm x 35 cm x 180 H cm 47.24 in...
Category

2010s Belgian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

Bones Bookcase by Matteo Zorzenoni
Located in Milan, IT
Defined by soft lines and visual lightness, the Bones Bookcase is carefully crafted of solid wood with a glossy cerulean lacquered finish that creates superb visual impact in a moder...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Wood

Modern Bookcase Cabinet The Peabody Collection
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Designer: Lawrence Peabody Manufacturer: Craft Associates Furniture Period/Model: Mid-Century Modern Specs: Black walnut, Claro walnut veneer This Lawrence Peabody modern bookcase ...
Category

2010s American Modern Bookcases

Materials

Walnut

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

DeCastelli Celato 160 Cabinet in Stainless Steel by R & D De Castelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Celato is a reference to what is concealed to keep a memory intact; it’s an archetype in which beauty is revealed in stages. A monolithic appearance makes Celato a contemporary menhi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases

Materials

Stainless Steel

Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Desyo Bookcase Sycomoro Wood
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

Orizaba Two Sided Bookcase Module C, Wood and Aluminium, Contemporary Design
Located in Mexico City, MX
This two sided bookshelf stands out for its sleek design. This bookshelf was conceived as a compound of modular pieces that can be assembled in differe...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Bookcases

Materials

Metal

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

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 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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