The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Wooden Zodiac Libra Wall Plaque Relief Brutalist Midcentury, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful wooden wall plaque relief sign, made in the Brutalist style in Germany in the 1970s. This is a wonderful Zodiac sign. This can be used as a Wall decoration or as a decorati...
Plywood
$70,000
James Bearden "Ant Bench"
Located in New York, NY
"Ant Bench," a one-of-a-kind tour-de-force by American artist James Bearden. The blackened steel hand-welded and textured substructure and grille were created around a long and slend...
Steel
Pair of Longobard Blue & Amethyst Hammered Murano Glass and Wrought Iron Sconces
By Longobard
Located in New York, NY
Known for it's unique design vision and distinctive style combining artistic expression with functionality, Longobard is in a class by itself. Greatly influenced by the culture of Germanic inhabitants who populated the Verona region around 600-700 A.D., their creations are something out of the middle ages with their heavy wrought iron frames, hammered glass and occassional mythological motifs. Yet it's this historical craftsmanship and its use of raw materials that makes these modern and exemplary of the emerging Brutalist movement of the early 70's. This pair of Blue and Amethyst...
Wrought Iron
“Vestiges Side Table” Marble Stone Brutalist Minimalist Coffee Table
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
The Vestiges Side Table is a sculptural piece carved entirely from exclusive marble sourced in southern Spain. Defined by its monolithic form and hand-f...
Marble
1960's Lysgaard Møbler Danish Modern Coffee Table
Located in Sarasota, FL
A Danish tile top coffee table by Lysgaard Møbler circa 1960. Made of rosewood, inset with two identical, opposing, square ceramic tiles d...
Ceramic, Rosewood
$753Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Design in Style Slate Tile Inlay Coffee Table, Belgium 1970's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Brutalist Design Style Slate Tile inlay Coffee Table, made in Belgium 1970's. Dark stained oak wooden frame, and dark stained beech base. Mix of sla...
Slate
Set of 2 Mid-Century Brutalist Bookends, Copper Metal, Vintage, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Bookends, 1960s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Copper Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century...
Metal
$95Sale Price|40% Off
Brutalist Spanish tripod stool 1960
Located in Herentals, BE
Primitive Brutalist Spanish solid tripod stool with hand carving from the 60s. This beautiful handmade stool breathes craftsmanship and tradition. With its robust wooden structure an...
Wood
$10,097Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 2 21st Century Phoenix Bedside Table Brass by Porus Studio
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
The capital city of Arizona, Phoenix, is located in the central region. Usually known for its year-round sun, desert beauty, and world-class resorts. Blending Portuguese Craftsmanshi...
Brass
"Bollo 870" wall lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, Italy 1970s
By Flos, Tobia Scarpa
Located in modena, Emilia-Romagna
"Bollo" is a wall lamp by architect-designer Tobia Scarpa in the year 1978 and produced by Flos. It features a cream and black painted metal body and stand and a transparent prismati...
Metal
Bow Fronted Oak Bar Cabinet, Spain, 1950s
Located in Kaštel Sućurac, HR
Spanish workshop, bow fronted cabinet, carved solid oak, Spain, 1950s. The whole front curves in a shallow bow, and across that curve runs a dense grid of small rectangular panels ra...
Iron
Vintage Brutalist Style Sculpted Round Table in Aged Oak, 140cm
Located in Burlăceni, Cahul District
Authentic Vintage Contemporary Brutalist Style Sculpted Round Table in Aged Oak – Ideal for Modern Interiors Experience the perfect fusion of contemporary design, vintage charm, and...
Oak
Brutalist Oak Sideboard Attributed to Henning Kjærnulf, Denmark, 1960s
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Oak sideboard attributed to Danish designer Henning Kjærnulf, crafted in Denmark during the 1960s. Executed in a distinctive Brutalist style, the piece features beautiful details inc...
Oak
Coffee table in the Cathedral form by Silas Seandel
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This attractive and sought after Cathedral form is one of the most known of Silas Seandel designs. Composed of hand-welded metal elements arranged in a highly architectural, abstrac...
Metal
Pair Danish Henning Kjaernulf oak chairs, 1960’s, Handmade all original
By José Zanine Caldas, Axel Einar Hjorth, Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Forest, BE
Lovely pair of 2 similar oak chairs by Danish designer Henning Kjaernulf. They are from the 1960’s and made out of massive wood. They were cleaned and waxed and the seats are complet...
Hardwood, Wool, Oak
Set of 4 Brutalist White Wash Reclaimed Wood Collage Tiles by Peter Glassford
Located in San Antonio, TX
A sculptural White Wash collage tile set, part of the Brutal Nature collection by Peter Glassford, handcrafted from reclaimed wood fragments and assembled into a richly textured, one...
Wood
$22,846 / item
Contemporary Brutalist Cabinet in Solid Oak, Brown
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Contemporary Brutalist cabinet made of solid oak Dimensions: 180 x 80 x 45 cm Unique piece made to order. Founded by artist Denis Mi...
Oak
Mobichalet Brutalist Table with Chair and Stool in Oak
By Mobichalet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mobichalet, set of table, chair, and stool, oak, beech, Belgium, 1950s This rustic set will come forward nicely in a relaxing atmosphere, like a patio or a studio space. The brutali...
Beech, Oak
Danish Brutalist Oak Sideboard, 1960s
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Low Brutalist sideboard in oak, produced in Denmark during the 1960s. The piece combines a solid, sculptural design with clean lines and an understated Scandinavian aesthetic. Featu...
Oak
$1,473 / item
1 of the 3 Brass Wall Sconces by Holm Sorensen, 1960
Located in Rijssen, NL
1 of the 3 beautiful brass wall sconces by Holm Sorensen, manufactured in Denmark during the 1960s. Please note that the price is for one piece, three pieces available. Cleaned and...
Brass
$247Sale Price|63% Off
Solid pine Danish armchair by Rainer Daumiller for Hirtshals Sawmill
By Rainer Daumiller, Hirtshals Sawmill
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Pine wood armchair by the Danish architect Rainer Daumiller, produced by Hirtshals Sawmill during the 1970s. Solid pine wood structure with smooth rounded woodwork and sculpted seats...
Pine
German Brutalist Highboard in Oak, Gerhard Bartels, 1970s
By Bartels
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
German Brutalist Highboard in Oak with Ceramic Circle-in-Square Doors, attributed to Gerhard Bartels, 1970s A striking Brutalist highboard in natural oak, attributed to the German d...
Oak
Set of 2 Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholders, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholders, 1960s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Metal
Architectural Square Design Oak Lounge Chair, Belgium 1950's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Architectural Square Brutalist Design Oak Lounge Chair. Made in Belgium, 1950's / 60's period. Solid Oak constructed armchair with open slat back. Refitted with high quality ...
Fabric, Oak
Pair Rare French Mid-Century Modern Craftsman Floor Lamps, Jean Charles Moreux
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of rare and poetic French Mid-Century Modern Craftsman floor lamps, handmade from roots of trees and, hewn together into an organic, naturalist sculptural form. These unique, dramatic works express a reverence for nature while using the language of organic modernism. They are in the style of French surrealists Jean-Charles Moreux and Bolette Natanson...
Twig, Hardwood
$7,560Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Wabi Sabi Dining Table, France, 19th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
Farmhouse table from 19th-century France, exuding rustic charm with its beautiful patina and showcasing a rich history. The two drawers make this table highly practical, serving as b...
Wood
Tom Aslström & Hans Ehrlich Brutalist Mid Century Swedish Chandelier Murano
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Swedish designers wrought iron brutalist chandelier. Housing one light. Will be rewired with certified UL US sockets for the USA and appropriate sockets for all other countries. Orig...
Wrought Iron
Window Clock D002 Brass and Aluminium Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Desk Clock was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain fro...
Aluminum, Brass
Large Sunburst Light Fixture in Gilt Metal with Milk Glass Globe, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Brutalist gilt metal sunburst ceiling flush mount with milk glass globe shade. Spain, 1960s. This gilt iron sunburst light fixture with opaline globe shade was manufactured in Spain...
Metal, Iron
$167Sale Price|41% Off
Brutalist Icelandic Lava Vase by Glit HF, 1970s
By Glit
Located in Esbjerg, DK
HF Gilt is a renowned Icelandic ceramic pottery studio. The clay used in this piece is made from pumice stone collected from Icelandic volcanos. The ...
Lava
Brutalist Crucible Pot Planter
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Vintage crucible, repurposed as unique planter or pot, carries the marks of their industrial past while offering a striking blend of function and history. Made from heavy-duty refrac...
Ceramic
Solid Wood, Sculptural Side Table, Contemporary Design, Handmade, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Unique functional sculpture carved from a single piece of wood in the shape of a side table, stool, night table or even pedestal. Each piece in our production is carved by artists wi...
Wood
1 of 2 Sunburst Crown Light Fixtures in Gilt Iron, Spain 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of Sunburst crown flush mounts, gilt iron, frosted glass, Spain, 1950s. Priced individually. Beautiful hand-hammered sunburst crown shape leafed flush mount ceiling light fixtur...
Metal, Gold Leaf, Iron
Mid Century Danish Brutalist Henning Kjaernulf Oak Loveseat
Located in Lutz, FL
Vintage Danish Brutalist Henning Kjaernulf Style 2 seat sofa or loveseat. Light cream wool upholstery with traditional Scandinavian stripes at center of cushions in green, brown and ...
Fabric, Wool, Oak
Brutalist Abstract Wall Sculpture in the Style of Curtis Jere
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this large diameter wall sculpture in the style of C. Jere, circa 1960.
Metal
NONO Elefante Table 28, Joel Escalona Design, Refined Curves
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Table 28, Joel Escalona Design, Refined Curves ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist T...
Hardwood
Brutalist Ethnic Sweet Bowl Handmade in Spain Aluminium Brass
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Sweet Bowl was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycled materials. Certified authentic by the Artist David Marshall with his signature. The Artist is inspired by nature and land scape...
Aluminum, Brass
Set of Six Victor Courtray Attributed Dining Chairs in Oak and Rush, 1950s
Located in The Hague, NL
This striking set of six dining chairs was produced in the Northern Basque region around the city of Biarritz in the 1950s. The design is attributed to Victor Courtray. The chairs a...
Rush, Oak
Brutalist slate stone coffee table, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Brutalist slate and natural stone top coffee table mounted an an equally beautiful stone base. Good condition. 1980s - Germany Height: 48cm Width x depth: 70cm Ref.: 25090808 *A...
Stone
Beautiful Italian vintage armchair from the mid-century period, executed in a di
Located in RIDDERKERK, NL
Beautiful Italian vintage armchair from the mid-century period, executed in a distinctive Brutalist design. The armchair features a beautiful wooden frame with a strong, characterist...
Fabric, Wood
A Pair of French Heavy Oak Brutalist style Open Arm Chairs, C. 1960.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A striking example of mid-century European craftsmanship, this pair of lounge chairs embodies the bold, sculptural character of the Brutalist aesthetic. Constructed from solid oak, t...
Leather, Upholstery, Oak
Brutalist Sculptural Stool, Carved, Solid Wood, Oak, Black, Rustic, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Carved from solid hardwood, this one-of-a-kind chair is a celebration of raw, elemental form. Its design features a heavy seat and an irregular, upright backrest. The piece balances ...
Wood, Oak
Handsome Adrian Pearsall Brutalist Goop Sofa Tufted Chesterfield Mid-Century Mod
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Handsome Adrian Pearsall all original Brutalist Goop designed sofa. Black vinyl leather tufted Chesterfield upholstery in amazing vintage condition. The sculpted sides have a brutali...
Faux Leather, Resin
Contemporary Brutalist Style Massive Bench in Solid Oak and Linseed Oil
By Sóha, Denis Milovanov
Located in Paris, IDF
Massive bench made of solid oak (+ linseed oil) (Outdoor use OK) Measures: 300 x 70 x 35 cm SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design a...
Oak
$2,200 / set
James Bearden Module Trio
Located in New York, NY
Group of three small abstract sculptures, titled Module Trio, of blackened steel, fused and dyed bronze, and glass enamel. Made in 2019 by Am...
Bronze, Enamel, Steel
$542Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Italian Steel Vase in the Style of Luciano Frigerio, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Sculptural vase from the 70s in a brutalist style. The structure of the vase develops on two levels. The first level is a parallelepiped with a quadrangular section; It has a smoo...
Steel
Vintage Handcarved Dark Wooden Candleholder with Brutalist Italian Design, 1960s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
This vintage wooden candleholder from 1960s Italy is a striking example of handcarved Brutalist design. Crafted from dark wood with strong sculptural lines, it combines raw texture w...
Wood
Abstract Brutalist Bird Sculpture, Welded Bronze on Concrete Base, C 1960s-70s
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A compelling example of mid-century Brutalist metalwork, this hand-worked bronze sculpture depicts an abstracted bird form with remarkable economy of means. The composition balances ...
Concrete, Bronze
Maison Jansen Gilt Metal Flower Table Lamp 1970'S France
Located in Hastings, GB
A beautiful 1970's Maison Jansen Paris, burnished gilt metal table lamp, modelled as flowers and petals, on black square bases. The lamp take a single e14 small screw in bulb. Heigh...
Brass
Midcentury Brutalist and Sculptural Massive Lamp 50s, France, Années 50
Located in Paris, FR
Sculpture Design Massive Lamp. . Brutalist style. . "Sculptura" is an assembly of architectural elements & Light. Sculptura is an architectural elements assemblage from the 1950’s combined with light to form an unique sculpture. . Each piece is unique and made with vintage architectural elements...
Metal, Stainless Steel
Brutalist Vintage Steel Fish Sculpture 1960's in the Manner of Fantoni
Located in Wilton, CT
Large vintage Brutalist steel sculpture of fishes fashioned from old pliers and a sheet metal snip. In the manner of Marcello Fantoni. The steel has been drizzled with solder to give...
Steel
Henning Kjærnulf brutalist dining chairs set in Oak and Sheepskin, Denmark 1960s
By EG Kvaliteet, Henning Kjærnulf
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Sculptural set of 6 Brutalist dining chairs, designed by Henning Kjærnulf and manufactured by EG Kvalitetsmøbel, Denmark, 1960s. Light signs of wear, consistent with age and use. The...
Sheepskin, Foam, Oak
Brutalist Extendable Round Dining Table, 1960s
Located in BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, FR
Vintage Brutalist Extendable Round Dining Table, 1960s–70s, crafted from solid elm with a walnut-toned finish. The sculpted tabletop showcases striking grain patterns and softly cur...
Elm
Solid brutalist cedar coffee table from the 1970s
Located in LYON, FR
Maison Lecan presents this solid cedar coffee table from the 1970s, cut directly from the tree. The slab top with generously rounded edges and free-form contours rests on a full trun...
Cedar
$164Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Terracotta Vase, Tenmoku Glaze, 1970s UK
Located in Glasgow, GB
A Brutalist studio pottery vase, hand-built in terracotta, dating to circa 1970s, United Kingdom. Rectangular in form, the vase is decorated with applied circular rings layered alon...
Terracotta
Large Seafoam Green Vintage Modernist Biomorphic Studio Pottery Sculpture Vase
Located in Lutz, FL
Large vintage modernist sculpture or vase by Joanna Price c.1980’s. Triple stem sculpture with Freeform biomorphic shape, open center and various holes around the body, done in a sea...
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
1 of the 2 Heinz Goll 3 Armed Brass Candleholders, Austria 1970
Located in Rijssen, NL
One of the two Heinz Goll three armed candleholders, Austria 1970 These vintage Heinz Goll candle holders are an example of Brutalist design. Manufactured in Austria during the earl...
Brass
$18,382 / item
Sculpted Dining Table in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size L'
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Dining table of solid oak (+ linseed oil) (Outdoor use OK) SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design and decorative objects in solid oak in an authentic style. Insp...
Oak
Stoneware desk lamp by Svend Aage Holm Sorensen, 1950s, Denmark
By Svend Aage Holm Sørensen, Holm Sørensen
Located in Værløse, DK
A rare stoneware desk lamp by Svend Aage Holm Sørensen stoneware made in the in the 1950s. It is truly perfect piece. * A stoneware desk lams with blue glaze...
Ceramic
Brutalist Style Hand-carved Solid Oak Wood and Glass Mirror Italian Bar Cabinet
Located in Madrid, ES
Exquisite Hand-Carved Oak Bar Cabinet with Glass Shelves Enhance your home with the sophisticated charm of this hand-carved oak bar cabinet. Designed with two hinged doors, this piec...
Oak, Glass