Modern Furniture
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Ash, Oak
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Linen, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Gold, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Linen
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass, Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Papercord, Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Linen, Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Animal Skin, Ebony
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Canvas, Paint
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Papercord, Oak
2010s European Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
Early 2000s Danish Modern Furniture
Wood, Bentwood
Early 20th Century German Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Bouclé, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Faux Leather, Foam
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Stone
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture
Limestone
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Chrome
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
1930s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s American Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Afghan Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool





