Modern Desks
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Portuguese Modern Desks
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks
Onyx, Brass
1930s French Vintage Modern Desks
Nickel
2010s Portuguese Modern Desks
Oak, Lacquer
Late 20th Century American Modern Desks
Faux Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century American Modern Desks
Hardwood, Paint
2010s American Modern Desks
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Desks
Metal, Chrome
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Laminate, Mahogany
2010s American Modern Desks
Art Glass, Oak
1980s British Vintage Modern Desks
Elm
Early 2000s American Modern Desks
Hardwood, Cherry
1960s American Vintage Modern Desks
Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Desks
Wood
1960s American Vintage Modern Desks
Steel, Chrome
20th Century French Modern Desks
Brass, Wrought Iron
2010s Italian Modern Desks
Marble, Brass
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Desks
Teak
1930s American Vintage Modern Desks
Aluminum, Zinc
Early 2000s German Modern Desks
Aluminum
Early 2000s American Modern Desks
Hardwood, Cherry
1980s Danish Vintage Modern Desks
Oak
1970s French Vintage Modern Desks
Aluminum, Steel
1950s American Vintage Modern Desks
Aluminum, Steel
1980s American Vintage Modern Desks
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Brass
1970s Danish Vintage Modern Desks
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Modern Desks
Oak
1960s American Vintage Modern Desks
Steel
2010s Indian Modern Desks
Marble
2010s Danish Modern Desks
Stainless Steel
2010s Danish Modern Desks
Stainless Steel
1970s American Vintage Modern Desks
Aluminum
20th Century British Modern Desks
Maple
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Brass, Iron
1970s American Vintage Modern Desks
Enamel, Steel
Early 2000s Swiss Modern Desks
Aluminum
1950s American Vintage Modern Desks
Steel, Iron
Early 2000s American Modern Desks
Metal
1940s American Vintage Modern Desks
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Steel, Chrome
1950s American Vintage Modern Desks
Aluminum, Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Maple, Teak
20th Century American Modern Desks
Wood
20th Century American Modern Desks
Wood
2010s Brazilian Modern Desks
Metal
20th Century Unknown Modern Desks
Glass
2010s Danish Modern Desks
Stainless Steel
2010s European Modern Desks
Wood, Oak, Lacquer, Paper
2010s Italian Modern Desks
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Desks
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks
Onyx, Marble
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Desks
Walnut
2010s Italian Modern Desks
Leather, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Modern Desks
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Desks
Metal, Brass