Modern Furniture
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 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.
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Style: Modern
Creator: Venini
Creator: Frigerio
Pigmenti Large Vase in Opaline Grape Milk White inside Glass by Venini
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
With the Pigmenti collection, Venini aims to send out a sign of renewal through the development of a Classic form as the expression of a contemporary interior design accessory. PIGME...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Pair of Large Venini Smoked and Clear Triedri Glass Sconces
By Venini
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
Large Venini glass prisms in a combination of clear and smoked. The glass triedri prisms alternate in height to create a Cascade effect. The sconces are lit by three newly wired candelabra...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Peter Marino Cilindro Large Pendant in Crystal and Black Murano Glass
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cilindro Murano glass large pendant in crystal with black bands by Peter Marino for Venini. Bold shades of black blend together with the hues of crystal or tea of the cylindrical sha...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Peter Marino Parallelo Large Pendant in Crystal, Tea and Black Murano Glass
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Parallelo Murano glass large pendant in crystal with black and tea bands by Peter Marino for Venini. Bold shades of black blend together with the hues of crystal or tea of the rectan...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Venini Tiara Small Vase in Amber and Horizon Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tiara small vase in amber and horizon Murano glass by Francesco Lucchese for Venini. The art of glassmaking meets the endless potential of light. A jewel-l...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Peter Marino Cilindro Large Pendant in Crystal and Black Murano Glass
By Peter Marino, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cilindro Murano glass large pendant in crystal with black bands by Peter Marino for Venini. Bold shades of black blend together with the hues of crystal or tea of the cylindrical sha...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Venini Satin Small Vase in Horizon Crystal Murano Glass
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Satin Small Vase in glazed Horizon/Crystal Murano Glass by Venini. Sheer glass is hand-blown and crafted by the master glassblowers using the sophisticated Satinatura technique, whic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Venini Replicanti Table Light in Red with Glasses
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Replicanti table lamp, designed and manufactured by Venini, features an handmade blown glass body wearing different types of accessories. Limited edition of 99 art pieces. Indoor use...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Blown Glass
Venini Tiaraluce Large Table Light in Clear by Francesco Lucchese
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tiaraluce table lamp, designed by Francesco Lucchese and manufactured by Venini, is available in two different sizes and colors. Indoor use only.
Dimensions: Ø 19 cm, H 48 cm.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Venini Murano Glass ‘Swan’ Wall Sconce by Tina Aufiero, Stock of 5
By Venini, Tina Aufiero
Located in Voorburg, NL
Very rare and highly sophisticated Murano Glass Wall Sconce produced in 1999 in Italy by Venini and designed by Tina Marie Aufiero in the early ‘90’s. The name of the lamp is called ...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Stainless Steel
Venini 'Where Are My Glasses?' Double Lens Vase in Red and Violet by Ron Arad
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini double glass vase in red and violet designed by Ron Arad in 2018. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or statement piece for any room. Also available in other colors on...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Venini 'Where Are My Glasses?' Glass Vase in Red and Crystal by Ron Arad
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with round body and glass glasses sculpture. Featured in red colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for any room.
Di...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Monofiore Balaton Short Glass Vase in Grey with Red Thread Rim by Venini
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with full body and textured surface with hexagonal shaped pattern in red designed in 1970. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Monofiore Balloton Glass Vase in Aquamarine with Red Thread Rim by Venini
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with full body and textured surface with hexagonal shaped pattern in aquamarine designed in 1970. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement pie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Monofiore Balaton Short Glass Vase in Red with Green Thread Rim by Venini
By Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with full body and textured surface with hexagonal shaped pattern in gold designed in 1970. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Italian modern Decorative bottle with cap in red Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
By Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Decorative bottle with cap in red Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
Decorative bottle with a round base in matt bright red Murano glass. The round base cap has a tapered s...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Applique Murano Glass by Venini, 1940
By Venini
Located in Milan, Italy
Wall lamp in Murano glass by Venini, 1940.The applique is made up of several glass modules to be inserted inside a brass structure.There is no electrical system which can be made on ...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Vintage Venini Murano Toni Zuccheri Italian Blown Glass Shade Pendant
By Venini
Located in Toledo, OH
Vintage Venini Murano hand blown art glass single socket pendant by Toni Zuccheri. Circa 1960's -1970's. New wiring and chrome ceiling cap. 13.5" in dia...
Category
Mid-20th Century Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Italian modern coffee table brass glass by Luciano Frigerio for Frigerio, 1980s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern coffee table brass glass by Luciano Frigerio for Frigerio, 1980s
Coffee table with round glass top. In the center of the top there is a brass circle, just below the to...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Italian Murano Glass Vase Gonzaga Model by Emmanuel Babled for Venini
Located in Milan, Italy
Glass vase designed by Emmanuel Babled and produced by Venini, 1994s. Signed. With original label.
Biography
Born in France in 1967, Emmanuel Babled graduated in 1989 from Industria...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Italian modern Squared ashtray in transparent Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
By Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Squared ashtray in transparent Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
Square base ashtray with rounded corners in transparent Murano glass. In the center it has a white glass p...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Three 1950s Venini Spiraling Obelisks
By Venini
Located in New York, NY
A set of three spiraling clear-glass obelisks with red flame-like intrusions by Venini. All bearing faint acid-etched stamps that date them to the 1950s. They are 17, 14 1/4, and 14...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Italian modern Decorative bottle with cap in gray Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
By Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Decorative bottle with cap in gray Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
Decorative bottle with a square base, in matt gray and transparent Murano glass. The round-based cap h...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Italian modern Decorative bowl in transparent yellow Murano glass by Venini 1990
By Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Decorative bowl in transparent yellow Murano glass by Venini, 1990s
Decorative bowl with a round base in transparent yellow Murano glass. Perfect as a centerpiece or p...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Italian Murano Glass Vase Gonzaga Model by Emmanuel Babled for Venini
Located in Milan, Italy
Glass vase designed by Emmanuel Babled and produced by Venini, 1994s. Signed. With original label.
Biography
Born in France in 1967, Emmanuel Babled graduated in 1989 from Industria...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Pair of Applique Murano Glass Corteccia Model by Venini, Italy
By Venini
Located in Milan, Italy
A pair of Corteccia model wall lamps designed and produced by Venini in 1940.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Italian Murano Glass Vase by Alessandro Mendini for Venini, Italy
Located in Milan, Italy
Large vase Simirone in blown glass intertwined polychrome canes on a base in faceted glass block designed by Alessandro Mendini for Venini in circa 1989. Limited edition of 50 pieces...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Blown Glass
Italian Murano Glass Chandelier by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana for Venini 1960
Located in Milan, Italy
A beautiful Murano glass chandelier with painted metal structure designed by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana and produced by Venini in circa 1960.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Venini Inciso Italian Glass Bowl
By Paolo Venini, Venini
Located in Greensboro, NC
Inciso Venini bowl. Acid etched with the Venini Murano mark.
Nice size and very good to excellent condition, showing minor wear to edge of base as shown in images.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Blown Glass
Italian modern Round vase in red and blue Murano glass by Venini 1990s
By Venini
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Round vase in red and blue Murano glass by Venini 1990s
Fantastic and vintage round base vase in blue Murano glass, textured with rhombuses. In the upper part it has a...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, lighting, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern furniture 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 furniture, popular names associated with this style include Rug & Kilim, Schumacher, Vistosi, and Kartell. 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.
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