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Modern Shelves

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Set of 3 Strut Shelves from Souda, 52in, Black and Walnut, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Price on this configuration includes 3 52" shelves & 6 brackets. This shelving system is really easy to customize: we offer multiple wood finishes, bracket finishes, and we can adjus...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal, Steel

California Modern Cerused Oak Modular Bookcase Room Divider by Lou Hodges, 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This 157.5 inch wide pink cerused oak modular wall bookcase, which is finished on the back so can also be used as a floating room divider, is by Lou Hodges and was designed and produ...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Oak

Natural Walnut "Climb" Shelving System, Bashko Trybek
Located in Geneve, CH
Natural Walnut "Climb" shelving system, Bashko Trybek Dimensions: 135 L x 27 W x 185 H cm Materials: Walnut Boards, Black Wires Different finishes, colors and sizes are available ...
Category

2010s Polish Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

Ghidini 1961 Legs Bookshelves in Crystal and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Bookshelves in crystal and brass. The designer imagines a turning point in the use of such a precious finishes such as polished brass: from the idea of almost a unique object in its...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Crystal

Modern Six Tier Etagere
Located in Westwood, NJ
Modern Six Tier Etagere, built from hardwood solids with beveled, ebonized, posts and rails. The shelves feature flat-cut paldao with a light transparent ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Yusu Shelving and Storage Unit IV
By LAGU
Located in İSTANBUL, TR
Yusu Shelf and Storage Unit offers a solution where you can easily display and store your products. Yusu, made of durable beech plywood, offers customizable dimensions to suit your l...
Category

2010s Turkish Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Soft Shelves Green by Manon Ritaly
Located in Geneve, CH
Soft shelves green by Manon Ritaly Dimensions: 100 x 65 x 30cm Materials: Steel, fabric, foam, ceramic Manon Ritaly, Designer, visual artist, dream...
Category

2010s French Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

Capanna Solid Wood Library, Walnut in Hand-Made Natural Finish, Contemporary
Located in Cadeglioppi de Oppeano, VR
Capanna is a wall bookcase equipped with shelves and support floors and made of precious canaletto walnut finished with acrylic. The Italian artisan tradition is reinterpreted in a c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Walnut

Set of 4 Strut Shelves from Souda, 84in, Black, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Price on this configuration includes 4 84" Shelves & 12 Brackets. This shelving system is really easy to customize: we offer multiple wood finishes, bracket finishes, and we can adju...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal, Steel

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 Shelves

Materials

Brass, Metal

Tapparelle Sideboard, Mustard Yellow by Colé Italia
Located in Geneve, CH
Tapparelle sideboard, mustard yellow by Colé Italia with Emmanuel Gallina Dimensions: H.75 D.50 W.160 cm Materials: Container with legs and “tapparella” sliding shutter in solid oak....
Category

2010s Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Oak

Modern Hobart Bookcase, American Oak, Bronze, Handmade in Portugal by Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Hobart Bookcase, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Hobart bookcase captures the natural ebb and flow of lif...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Late 20th Century Mahogany Hanging Wall Shelf
Located in Germantown, MD
Late 20th century Mahogany Hanging Wall Shelf in very good Condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Modern Shelves

Materials

Mahogany

Vodo console, in oak and metal, by Accardi Buccheri for Medulum
Located in Meolo, Venezia
Vodo is a collection made up of folded sheet metal structures and solid wood shelves fixed by a joint. Whether it is our bench, stool, console or bookcase, Vodo will be perfect for a...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Sheet Metal

Mirth Shelveing/Room Divider in Polished Concrete by Neal Aronowitz
Located in Portland, OR
The extraordinary and playful Mirth Shelving/Room Divider is a harmonious blend of functionality and artistic expression. Crafted from concrete, finished to an impeccably high smooth...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Cement

e15 Customizable Arie Shelf by Arik Levy
Located in New York, NY
With its striking concept, shelf Arie is an ideal storage solution. A multitude of seamless combinations are possible without apparent visual repetitions. In- and outside corners can...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Cornisa Shelfs by Lluís Clotet & Oscar Tusquets
Located in Geneve, CH
Cornisa Shelfs by Lluís Clotet & Oscar Tusquets Dimension: D 26 x W 250 x H 6 cm Having been in our catalogue for nearly 50 years, the Cornisa shelving is one our most functional d...
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Shelves

Materials

Aluminum

Grounded Collection Leather-Wrapped Shelf
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Conceived while in lockdown in 2020, the Grounded Collection from Stephen Kenn is a mediation on being grounded in peaceful creative work, while enduring forced isolation from commun...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Cast Stone, Steel

Yellow Primitive Bookshelf by Studio Nucleo, Made in Italy
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
The Primitive bookshelf was one of the strongest and most iconic products designed by Studio Nucleo. Initially made as a limited-edition product, t...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Contemporary Bookcase C, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves
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 Shelves

Materials

Metal, Brass

Karl Springer styled Lucite / Bamboo / Glass Etagere
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very well crafted Etagere with clear Lucite posts straddled by hardened bamboo pieces woven to each corner making for nice detailed construction . Five glass shelves that include t...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Shelves

Materials

Bamboo, Glass, Lucite

Contemporary Asymmetrical Bookcase with Teak Wall Panel and Aluminum Shelving
Located in Chicago, IL
Bookcase unit to be horizontally or vertically positioned. Shelves in aluminium varnished folded sheet metal. Back panel in teak wood. Designed by Giuseppe Vigano for Tisettanta ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Aluminum

21st Century Matteo Zorzenoni Bones Bookcase Blue Lacquered Wood Bones Scapin
Located in Tezze sul Brenta, IT
Bones bookcase, Colorama Collection Design by Matteo Zorzenoni for Scapin Collezioni Soft lines and visual lightness are the key traits that dist...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Ash, Wood

Soft Shelves Black by Manon Ritaly
Located in Geneve, CH
Soft shelves black by Manon Ritaly Dimensions: 180 x 170 x 30 cm Materials: Steel, fabric, foam, ceramic Manon Ritaly, Designer - Visual artist, dr...
Category

2010s French Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

Contemporary Minimal Sculptural Metal Black and Copper Corner Shelves
Located in Chicago, IL
This contemporary sculptural set of four metal minimal corner shelves are perfect for any space be it a living room, office, or bathroom. These Minimalist shelves, whether installed...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Shelves

Materials

Copper, Steel

Maya Travertine Marble Shelve Contemporary Design Marble Made in Spain Meddel
Located in VALVERDE DEL MAJANO, CL
Maya Travertine Marble Shelve Contemporary Design Marble Made in Spain Meddel The Maya shelving unit, designed by renowned Spanish designer Joaquín Moll, is a stunning example of con...
Category

2010s Spanish Modern Shelves

Materials

Crystal, Marble, Travertine

Gaetano Pesce Luigi (o mi amate voi?) 902 Shelf in Lacquered Wood by Bernini 80s
Located in Montecatini Terme, IT
The Luigi 902 (O mi amate voi?) shelf, with a lacquered wood frame and a metal base, was designed by Gaetano Pesce and produced by Bernini in 1981. The Luigi 902 is a free-standing shelf with a double frame in wood and metal and two tilting shelves that can be blocked in a horizontal position through a screws system placed directly on the frame. When the shelves are down the bookcase functions like a screen or a divider The base of the wooden structure has a metal reinforcement to ensure balance and stability. Gaetano Pesce is a prominent contemporary Italian designer and architect known for his bold experimentation with materials and color. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with some of Italy's leading design companies, including Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia. Born in 1939 in La Spezia, near Genoa, Pesce enrolled at the University of Venice in 1959 to study architecture and graduated in 1965. During the final years of his studies, he also participated in courses at the Venice College of Industrial Design, where he was influenced by distinguished faculty members like Ernesto Nathan Rogers and Mario Bellini. Encouraged by their teachings to embrace innovation in modern design, Pesce became involved with an avant-garde architectural collective called “Gruppo N,” which drew inspiration from the streamlined aesthetics of the Bauhaus. These diverse inspirations equipped Pesce to embrace contemporary materials and explore the forms they enabled. His designs range from small decorative objects to large architectural spaces and reflect deep contemplation of the modern era. Notable works include his iconic La Mamma chair...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Italian modern black shiny plastic shelf by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black shiny plastic shelf by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s Glossy black plastic shelf with geometric profile. The shelf is not central to the structure, so it can ...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Plastic

Vodo bench, in oak and colored metal, by Accardi Buccheri for Medulum
Located in Meolo, Venezia
Vodo is a line of furniture redefining internal landscapes. Objects made of bent sheets of metal, recalling voids like windows opened towards inhabited spaces, sculptures that become a bench, a bookcase, a bedside table or a console. Elementary forms inspired by architectural shapes...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Sheet Metal

Dragon Shelf by Daniel Nikolovski
Located in Geneve, CH
Dragon shelf by Daniel Nikolovski Dimensions: W 80 x D 28 x H 125 cm Materials: Massive walnut Also available in oak. The Dragon Series is a mini collect...
Category

2010s Macedonian Modern Shelves

Materials

Walnut

Moooi Oblique Small Cupboard/Wall Shelf in Grass Green Lacquered Beech
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oblique is a cupboard slash a wall shelf. Make this the mood board of your lifestyle. Display all your favorite publications, company magazines, booklets, guides or photos in the chi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Shelves

Materials

Beech

Kartell Sound Rack Modular Bookcase in Blue by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Multi-shaped and multi-purpose shelving system, stackable and modular, offering the possibility of creating a variety of geometric and chromatic compositions. This accessory can play the dual role as both container and room divider. It is a go...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Resin

Capanna Solid Wood Library, Walnut in Hand-Made Natural Finish, Contemporary
Located in Cadeglioppi de Oppeano, VR
Capanna is a wall bookcase equipped with shelves and support floors and made of precious canaletto walnut finished with acrylic. The Italian artisan tradition is reinterpreted in a c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Walnut

Copernico Bookshelf in Oak
Located in San Pedro Garza García, N.L.
Part of the Cosmos Series, this bookshelf features ingenious joinery and finely crafted radial shelves made from solid wood. Its sculptural design offers the perfect space to house b...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Shelves

Materials

Hardwood

Cityscape wall unit with display shelf Paul Evans
Located in Atlanta, GA
A custom made large wall unit by Paul Evans Studio for Directional. It consists of four portals with cityscape brass and chrome patchwork that support eight smoke glass shelves and a...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Cheba bookcase, in lacquered metal snd plywood, by Accardi Buccheri for Medulum
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 Shelves

Materials

Metal

alvar aalto 111 shelf
Located in Tomi, Nagano
1940' alvar aalto design 111 shelf. This is made in Hedemora for export to abroad aalto furnitures during WW2.
Category

1940s Finnish Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Birch

Pink Primitive Bookshelf by Studio Nucleo, Made in Italy
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
The Primitive bookshelf was one of the strongest and most iconic products designed by Studio Nucleo. Initially made as a limited-edition product, t...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Gun Metal, Stainless, Glass Etagere Shelves or Room Divider
Located in Miami, FL
Gun Metal, Stainless, Glass Etagere Shelves or Room Divider Offered for sale is a fine-quality gun metal, stainless steel, and glass etagere shelving unit that can be used as a room...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal, Stainless Steel

Wall-Mounted Tidal Shelf in Red Powder-Coated Aluminum by Jonathan Nesci
Located in Columbus, IN
The wall-mounted, tidal shelf is formed out of 1/4 inch thick, powder-coated aluminum. Each shelf has a welded U-channel to the reverse of the shelf and ea...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Aluminum

Yusu Shelving and Storage Unit II
By LAGU
Located in İSTANBUL, TR
Yusu Shelf and Storage Unit offers a solution where you can easily display and store your products. Yusu, made of durable beech plywood, offers customizable dimensions to suit your l...
Category

2010s Turkish Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Paul Evans Cityscape Wall Unit in Chrome & Glass
Located in Greensboro, NC
An exceptional “Cityscape” wall unit by Paul Evans. Four wall mounted supports with attached desk and single drawer & smoked glass shelving. Good vintage condition with some signs...
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Chrome

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 Shelves

Materials

Bronze, Steel

Kartell Sound Rack Modular Bookcase in Smoke by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Multi-shaped and multi-purpose shelving system, stackable and modular, offering the possibility of creating a variety of geometric and chromatic compositions. This accessory can play the dual role as both container and room divider. It is a go...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Shelves

Materials

Resin

Contemporary Bookcase B, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves
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 Shelves

Materials

Metal, Brass

Moooi Oblique Big Cupboard/Wall Shelf in Ruby Red Lacquered Beech
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oblique is a cupboard slash a wall shelf. Make this the mood board of your lifestyle. Display all your favorite publications, company magazines, booklets, guides or photos in the chi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Shelves

Materials

Beech

Pair of Modern Stainless Steel and Brass Bookshelf Stands Italy, 1970's
Located in North York, ON
Pair of Modern stainless steel and brass bookshelf stands Italy 1970's. In the style of Romeo Rega. All original in good condition, wear consistent wit...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass, Stainless Steel

Amuneal's 2 Bay Collector's Brass Shelving Unit+Oxidized Oak Adjustable Shelves
Located in New York, NY
This two-bay version of Amuneal’s collector’s shelving unit features solid machined brass fittings and posts in a warm brass finish. The unit mounts to the floor and to the wall to s...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Pedestal Table by Kristina Dam Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Pedestal table by Kristina Dam Studio Materials: Black powder-coated steel. Also available in different colors. Dimensions: 28 x 28 x H 102cm. ...
Category

2010s Danish Modern Shelves

Materials

Steel

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 Shelves

Materials

Brass

Interconnected Rectangular Prisms, Stainless Steel Shelf with Stone by Lee Sisan
Located in Geneve, CH
Proportions of stone shelf by Lee Sisan, 2020 Dimensions: W 36 x D 28 x H 80 cm Materials: Stainless steel, natural stone Each piece is made to o...
Category

2010s South Korean Modern Shelves

Materials

Stone, Steel

Modern Peter Protzman for Herman Miller Zebra Wood and Chrome Tubular Wall Unit
Located in Toledo, OH
Mid-Century Modern Peter Protzman for Herman Miller zebra wood and chrome wall /shelf unit. Part of the Tubular Collection circa 1970-1971. Tw...
Category

1970s North American Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Chrome

Moooi Oblique Big Cupboard/Wall Shelf in Curry Lacquered Beech
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oblique is a cupboard slash a wall shelf. Make this the mood board of your lifestyle. Display all your favorite publications, company magazines, booklets, guides or photos in the chi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Shelves

Materials

Beech

Modern Herringbone Oak Bookcase, Light
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Modern herringbone parquetry bookcase in our light oak Dusk finish with three veneered shelves and a herringbone parquetry design on the bottom drawer. It sits on tapered legs with...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Shelves

Materials

Oak

Modern Rustic Oak Etagere, Light
Located in Westwood, NJ
A modern rustic-style light oak etagere with five oak-crafted display shelves firmly supported by a crossed "X" stretcher at its back. It is secured with a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Perforated Small Low Storage Box, Birch Wood Perforated Box by Erik Olovsson
Located in Stockholm, SE
Wooden storage box made in holed solid birch wood. Large holes creates a distinct graphic look and allows light to flow through. The boxes are light and easy to hold. They work both ...
Category

2010s Swedish Modern Shelves

Materials

Birch

Top Part, Stack Floor Shelf by Kristina Dam Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Top Part - Stack floor shelf by Kristina Dam Studio. Materials: Solid oak & walnut with oil treatment. Dimensions: 25 x 100 x H 46cm. Add extra storag...
Category

2010s Danish Modern Shelves

Materials

Oak, Walnut

Italian Modern Black Wood Convex Shape Wall Bookcase Joe Colombo Style, 1980s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black wood convex shape wall bookcase in the style of Joe Colombo 1980s. Bookcase in black wood, composed of 3 long vertical shelves a...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Shelves

Materials

Wood

Unique Happy Hour Liquor Cabinet by Ekin Varon
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique happy hour liquor cabinet by Ekin Varon Dimensions: L 203.2 x W 50.8 x H 88.9 cm Materials: Exterior, Gray Natural Mulled Leather, Terracotta, Sage Green Interior: Walnut Veneer Hardware: Brass, Blackened Brass Custom materials, sizing and finishes available as item is made to order. This wine & liquor credenza is made for people who love their wine and their whiskey and are always excited to host happy hours at their home. The top lid opens to reveal an icebox for your Moet. The doors open up to reveal four interior shelves, one drawer, racks for hanging wine glasses, and a twenty-five-bottle wine storage rack, providing you with ample storage space for your spirits, glassware, and other bar items...
Category

2010s American Modern Shelves

Materials

Brass

Contemporary Half Moon Etagere
Located in Westwood, NJ
A contemporary-style half-moon etagere with a light and airy design. The tall frame has been given a high polished gold finish and surrounds each of the six...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Shelves

Materials

Metal

Modern shelves for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern shelves 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 shelves created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, wall decorations, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern shelves made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original shelves, popular names associated with this style include Marcel Wanders, Moooi, Souda, and Casey Lurie. 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 shelves differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11 and tops out at $88,764 while the average work can sell for $3,091.

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