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.
$423Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Sculptural and Brutalist Candlesticks Made in Brass and Copper, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
A pair of sculptural candlesticks probably made in Italy between the 60s and 70s. The irregular texture created like a bas-relief by small and irregular signs engraved in the surfac...
Brass, Copper, Aluminum
$1,412Sale Price / set|20% Off
Coral Branches Iron Wall Sculpture, Handmade, Red Glazed, 62cm Tall
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Coral branches iron wall sculptures, completely handmade by a Tuscan sculptor more than 20 years ago. The large coral branche may be used as a candle holde...
Wrought Iron
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No44 Console Table – Bold Contours, Sculptural Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No44 Console Table – Bold Contours, Sculptural Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table seri...
Hardwood
Éva Bod Ceramic Bowl, Black and Yellow Textured Glaze, 1970s
Located in Alap, HU
Hungarian Studio Ceramic Bowl by Éva Bod A ceramic bowl by Hungarian ceramic artist Éva Bod, finished with a textured black and yellow glaze on the exterior and a smooth yellow glaz...
Ceramic
$1,203Sale Price|30% Off
Mid Century Italian Brutalist Copper Magazine Rack / Newspaper Stand C.1970
Located in London, GB
Mid Century Italian Brutalist Copper Magazine Rack / Newspaper Stand C.1970 in very good condition commensurate with age.
Copper
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Bowl
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Celebrate the art of the handmade with this charming vintage studio pottery bowl. Hand-thrown from gritty stoneware clay, this piece perfectly embodies the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic, findi...
Pottery
Set of 8 Brutalist Satin Black Reclaimed Wood Collage Tiles by Peter Glassford
Located in San Antonio, TX
A sculptural Satin Black collage tile set, part of the Brutal Nature collection by Peter Glassford, handcrafted from reclaimed wood fragments and assembled into a richly textured, on...
Wood
Large Midcentury Modernist Steel Chandelier with 48-Light Bulbs, Berlin, 1960s
Located in Almelo, NL
Midcentury modernist extreme large chandelier with 48-light bulbs. The fixture is made of metal with a steel-brass patina. Therefore an interesting color is visible on the metal. 48 large light bulbs...
Steel
Classic Wrought Iron Chain Motif Table Lamp, France 1960's
Located in New York, NY
A wrought iron table lamp made of welded chain links on a half-round base. Shade not included. Also available, floor lamp version of same.
Wrought Iron
Set of 2 (large) Brutalist White Wash Reclaimed Wood Collage Tiles by Peter
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
Clam Small Side Table in Eclipse, handcrafted by VAVA Objects
By VAVA Objects
Located in Saltsjöbaden, SE
The artisanal process of creating our Clam Side Table gives each piece an individual soul and patina, as the temperature, humidity and hands at work all contribute to its distinctive...
Fiberglass
$800Sale Price / set|20% Off
2 Mid Century Modern Brutalist Cabinet Vanity Desk Drawer Knob Door Pull Handle
By Paul Evans
Located in Wayne, NJ
Pair of Mid Century Modern Paul Evans style Brutalist Cabinet Vanity Desk Drawer Knobs Door Pulls Handles. Can be used on various pieces. The depth with the current screws is approx...
Metal
Early Peter Voulkus Ceramic Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
Early Peter Voulkus ceramic vase early 1960'd [unsigned].
Ceramic
Large Wrought Iron Hammered Fireplace Tool Set : H 127cm
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Large Wrought Iron Hammered Fireplace Tool Set : H 127cm Fireplace set - Vintage Measures : 36x41cm H : 127cm Weigth : ~ 15kg Materials : Wrought Iron Wear consistent with age and use
Iron
Iron and Glass Brutalist Coffee Table Style of Ilana Goor
By Ilana Goor
Located in New York, NY
Iron and glass Brutalist coffee table style of Ilana Goor. The base is iron with a white lacquered finish with four painted gold birds. The table top has a thick beveled edge glass. ...
Iron
Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Artisan Crafted Iron & Glass Ètagerè or Bookshelf
Located in Philadelphia, PA
One of a kind vintage iron and glass, artisan crafted, ètagerè or bookcase in the Brutalist style. Item features a heavy solid iron scrolling frame with remarkable sculptural form. T...
Copper, Iron
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
Brutalist Cast Iron Fireplace Screen by Olle Hermansson for Husqvarna – Sweden
Located in Staffanstorp, SE
A striking and sculptural fireplace screen designed by Swedish artist Olle Hermansson and produced by Husqvarna in the 1960s. Crafted in solid cast iron, this piece is a bold example...
Iron
Brutalist Console, Solid European Light Brown Oak, Sculptural, Fenestra by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Walnut
Pair of wrought iron and murano glass wall lights by Tom Ahlström & Hans Ehrich.
Located in Oirlo, LI
A striking pair of vintage Scandinavian wall sconces designed by Tom Ahlström & Hans Ehrich, dating from around 1970. These distinctive lights perfectly capture the raw, sculptural c...
Cast Iron
$3,470 / set
Set brutalist tree trunk chairs, 1970s France.
Located in Landgraaf, NL
Set brutalist tree trunk chairs, 1970s France. This striking set of six Brutalist dining chairs is handcrafted from solid wood, each featuring a distinctive seat made from a cut tree...
Wood
Tobago Canada Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Armoire, c. 1970s
Located in Montréal, CA
Tobago Canada Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Armoire, c. 1970s Striking vintage armoire by Tobago, Canada, showcasing the bold architectural aesthetic and substantial construction cha...
Walnut
$16,800 / item
Geometric Wood Credenza with Brass Base, Italy 1980s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This contemporary credenza features a bold geometric facade crafted from solid wood slats, each arranged in an angled, rhythmic pattern that creates a rich sense of movement and scul...
Brass
Mirror in stucco and colored stones in the style of Creaciones Gobesso, Italy
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Vintage - Decoration - Home Decor Measures : 37x4.5cm H:62,5cm Mid-century mirror, heavily influenced by Byzantine art and oriental icons. Made of stucco and colored stones.
Stucco
$7,946
Brutalist coffee table
Located in Forest, BE
Rare Brutalist coffee table featuring a solid granite base and a thick glass top with softly rounded edges. The base is composed of two interlocking granite slabs arranged in a cross...
Stone
$4,720Sale Price|20% Off
Primitive Wabi Sabi Side Table, France, 19th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
19th-century primitive rural side table, a robust and authentic piece crafted from raw, solid wood. Its surface showcases the natural wood grain, celebrating the unrefined beauty of ...
Wood
Rectangular Coffee Table Serie 96 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Elegant Spaces
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Rectangular Coffee Table Serie 96 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Elegant Spaces ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art?...
Hardwood
$3,292 / set
Pair of 1960s Heavy Oak Brutalist Armchairs
Located in London, London
Pair of brutalist armchairs This is a striking pair of heavy oak Brutalist armchairs, showcasing bold craftsmanship and a robust design. Originating from Belgium, these chairs featu...
Oak
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Handsome Woven Leather Strap Brutalist Sofa Mid-Century Modern
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Handsome woven leather strap brutalist sofa from the mid-century. We just love the thick leather straps woven together to form the entire back and side...
Leather, Upholstery, Walnut
Peggy Reventlow Original Bronze Bird Sculpture
By Peggy Reventlow
Located in North Miami, FL
Peggy Reventlow, a great-great granddaughter of John Jacob Astor, Reventlow is an accomplished sculptor. Born in London in 1915, she had her first exhibition at Hammer Galleries...
Marble, Bronze
Brutalistic Vintage Pottery Wall Lamp from Brakelmann & Becker, 1970s
Located in Kelkheim (Taunus), HE
Brutalisic Wall Lamp from Brakelmann & Becker in Germany. 40 x 40 cm slate Plate with an brutalistic Pottery. The Wall lamp(s) will look perfect with an bulb with an mirrored head.
Slate
French Sunburst Nail Design Light Fixture in Gilt Iron and Glass, Brutalist
Located in Barcelona, ES
Double Layered Nail Design Sunburst Light Fixture, Gilt Iron, Frosted Glass. France, 1940s-1950s. This stunning sunburst light fixture features a gilt iron ring with two layers of i...
Iron, Gold Leaf
Brutalist Fireplace Log Holder, Magazine Rack in Silvered Iron, Perforated, 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Brutalist Log holder or magazine rack with Perforated Design, wrought iron, silvered, Spain, 1950s. This wrought iron magazine rack feautures a perforated container with footed base...
Iron, Wrought Iron, Metal
Round Coffee Table Serie 90 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Timeless Interiors
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Round Coffee Table Serie 90 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Timeless Interiors ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? ...
Hardwood
French Brutalist Round Wood + Glass Coffee Table, 1960s
Located in Chicago, IL
A Brutalist French coffee table sourced in the South of France, dating to the 1960s–70s. The design is anchored by a solid wood base, its three splayed legs gathered at a central hex...
Glass, Wood
Antique concrete sheep statue, first half of 1900s
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Beautiful statue depicting a seated sheep, made in the first half of the 1900s or so in mixed concrete and stone grit material. The statue was hand-painted and shows signs of the pa...
Cement
Mid-Century Brutalist German Bronze Candleholder from Harjes, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Bronze Candleholder from Harjes, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mar...
Metal
$1,553 / set
Set Brutalist Swedish Solid Pine Stools
Located in SITTARD, NL
Set of Two original vintage stools from Sweden, dating back to the 1960s. Crafted from solid pine wood Traditional mortise-and-tenon joints (no screws or nails) Robust and heavy, ...
Pine
Mid-Century Wood Coffee Table in Brutalist Wabi Sabi Style
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Wood side / Coffee Table Wabi Sabi - Vintage - Decoration Measures : 81cmx50cm H:40cm Material : Wood Wear consistent with age and use
Wood
$316 / item
Painted Flower Lights
Located in London, England
Pastel wall or ceiling lights featuring three rings of petals. Hardwired. Designer: Unknown, Italian Materials: Lacquered Metal. Price is per item.
Metal
Organic Wabi Sabi Table, France, 1970s
Located in Antwerp, BE
This French brutalist table is a stunning piece, crafted in solid wood circa 1970. Its organic form and striking simplicity make it a captivating centerpiece, whether used as a conso...
Wood
$263Sale Price|19% Off
Løvemose Keramik Volcanic Lava Glaze Ceramic Bowl — Mid-Century
By Løvemose
Located in Rødekro, DK
A rare and striking ceramic bowl by Løvemose Keramik, one of Denmark's most celebrated studios for artistic studio pottery. Heavy, tactile and utterly singular, this piece exemplifie...
Ceramic
Sculptural Brutalist Gilt Bronze Candle Holder by Heinz Goll, Austria 1960s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an extremely rare and absolutely extraordinary sculptural Brutalist candle holder done in gilt bronze. It was designed by Austrian designer Heinz Goll...
Bronze
Bronze Dining Table T14 by Peter Ghyczy, 1970s
By Peter Ghyczy
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Impressive square glass dining table with cast bronze legs designed by Peter Ghyczy. The thick glass top is supported in the corners by the ...
Bronze
Set of Four Brutalist Chairs in Blond Oak, Belgium, 1960s
Located in Almelo, NL
Sculptural Blond Oak Dining Chairs, Belgium, 1960s Presenting a striking set of four sculptural dining chairs crafted from beautiful blond oak, hailing from Belgium during the 1960s...
Oak
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Platter With Vases
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This unique vintage studio pottery centerpiece is a masterclass in organic form and functional art. Hand-thrown with a series of rhythmic concentric rings, the circular tray base sup...
Pottery
20th Century Concrete Lady Bust Attributed to Chuck Dodson Mounted Sculpture
By Chuck Dodson
Located in Miami, FL
Brutalized concrete and stone Nude female bust on a rectangle marble stand in the style of Chuck Dodson from the late 20th century. This striking repr...
Stone, Concrete, Marble, Steel
Vintage MCM Torch Cut Chandelier After Tom Greene
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exceptional vintage chandelier embodies the dramatic textural aesthetic of the Brutalist movement popular in the 1960s, drawing clear inspiration from works by artists like Tom ...
Brass, Copper
James McNabb-Style Brutalist Wood Assemblage Sunburst Wall Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brutalist wood assemblage wall sculpture in the style of James McNabb, constructed from reclaimed architectural wood fragments and interspe...
Metal
Large brutalist bronze hanging candle holder , 1970’s
Located in Delft, NL
Large brutalist bronze hanging candle holder , 1970’s
Bronze
Vintage Dutch Bentwood and Leather Ottoman by Sonja Wasseur, 1970s
Located in Almelo, NL
Vintage Dutch Bentwood and Leather Ottoman by Sonja Wasseur, 1970s Matching Lounge Chair Available in Separate Listing This exceptional vintage ottoman, designed by Dutch artist and...
Leather, Bentwood
Brutalist Style Ebony Macassar Dresser
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Long dresser with a brutalist or woven style front. Six wide drawers in dark wood, surrounded by a dramatic ebony macassar finish frame. Please confirm location NY or NJ
Macassar
Column Console Table in Raw Green, handcrafted in fiberglass by VAVA Objects
By VAVA Objects
Located in Saltsjöbaden, SE
The artisanal process of creating our Column Console Table gives each piece an individual soul and patina, as the temperature, humidity and hands at work all contribute to its distin...
Resin, Fiberglass
Modular Side Table by Willy Guhl for Eternit AG, Switzerland, 1954
By Willy Guhl, Eternit
Located in Antwerp, BE
Willy Guhl’s modular cubic side table for Eternit AG, handmade in Switzerland in 1954. This rare piece exemplifies Guhl’s groundbreaking design approach, crafted with precision from ...
Concrete, Cement
Brutalist Welded Nails Sculpture by Harry Bertoia
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Brutalist Nails Sculpture by Harry Bertoia, circa 1950s.
Metal
1970's Henning Kjærnulf Brutalist Sidetable in Oak with Søholm Tiles
By Henning Kjærnulf, Søholm Stentøj
Located in Knebel, DK
1970's Henning Kjærnulf brutalist sidetable in oak with Søholm tiles Square sofa / side tables in solid oak. Designed by Henning Kjærnulf for E.G Møbler, Denmark, with Søholm Kerami...
Ceramic, Oak
Wood and wrought iron tripod Side table - 1960s
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Wood and wrought iron tripod Side table - 1960s Rustic - Wabi Sabi - Brutalist Measures : 41,5x30cm H:45cm Materials : Wood - Iron
Iron
$14,320Sale Price|20% Off
Modern Elegance Unveiled in Dark Burned Oak, NONO's Still Stand No89
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Modern Elegance Unveiled in Dark Burned Oak, NONO's Still Stand No89 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testam...
Hardwood
Handmade Brass and Iron Brutalist Side Table
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1960. We offer this Rare Handmade Brutalist Side Table. made in brass and solid iron plates on the table cover. Beautiful table made a piece of art
Brass, Iron
Brutalist Iron and Glass Wall Lamp from Germany
Located in DOORWERTH, NL
Solid construction made of iron and Murano glass. In the manner of Tom Ahlström and Marcello Fantoni. The lamp will work with European E27 lightbulbs or the American E26 bulb. Works...
Iron