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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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 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
Creator: Venini
Creator: Frigerio
Italian Murano Glass Vase Ninfea Model by Toni Zuccheri for Venini.
Located in Milan, Italy
Ninfea vase designed by Toni Zuccheri and produced by Venini in 1960. Exhibited at Tingo Design Gallery in 2008 for the exhibition "Murano a Go-Go". Signed...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Murano blown glass contemporary pendant light design by Peter Marino for VENINI
Located in murano, IT
PARALLELO 893.76 Peter Marino’s work is notoriously provocative. The Rotondo, Cilindro, and Parallelo lamps are no exception: using the “Fasce” technique, the artist hot-works colour...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass, Murano Glass

"Incamiciato" Italian Art Glass Vase by Tomaso Buzzi
Located in New York, NY
"Incamiciato" Italian Art glass vase by Tomaso Buzzi for Venini. Clear, white and purple. With original label. Signed: Venini Italia '85.
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Monumental Ruby Red Murano Art Glass Fazzoletto Vase by Venini
Located in Atlanta, GA
This spectacular and beautiful hand-blown Italian Art glass vase was designed by Venini, Murano. The piece was crafted in Italy circa 1970. The extra tall sculptural amphora shape ha...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass, Murano Glass

Modernist Handblown Translucent Murano Glass Polyhedral Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
This luminous modernist glass chandelier features numerous handblown Murano translucent glass polyhedral shades. Each glass polyhedral shade...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Venini Monofiore Balloton Small Vase in Grey Red Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini from 1970 lies in its name: Balloton, a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Deco Medium Vase in Milk White by Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Historic vase designed by Napoleone Martinuzzi in opalino glass characterized by round horizontal ribs. The model is proposed in three shades of colour and in three sizes. Rhythm"...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Gemme Vase in Grass Grey Balloton Blown Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In the expert hands of the blowers, glass turns into precious gemstones of various colours – green, grass green, purple, red, aquamarine, sapphire, tea and gray. Unique and sparkling...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Night in Venice Candleholder in Grape Balloton Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The warm glow of candles meets glass etched using the special Balloton technique. Its light flickers and dances, casting a multitude of reflections on the refined Tea, Red, Grape or ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Gemme Short Glass Vase in Violet by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with shaped body and neck in violet designed in 2017. 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

Ettore Sottsass for Venini Table Lamp "Alba," Italy 2001
Located in Naples, IT
Rare table lamp Model Alba designed by Ettore Sottsass for the famous Italian firm Venini in the 2000s. The Alba lamp has a black glazed ceramic frame and a blue opal glass sphere di...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Glass

Frigerio Salotti Modell Cooper Loveseat Armchair Leather Chair Cognac
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Frigerio leather armchair Modell Cooper that is also a loveseat. The sizes of this Modell Cooper is medium with depth of 103 cm. Featuring maximum softness, the Cooper armchair...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Leather, Upholstery, Wood

Toni Zuccheri for Venini Murano Corteccia Glass Chandelier 1960s.
Located in New York, NY
One of the three glass designs Toni Zuccheri created for Venini, corteccia or bark glass was impressed with a pattern resembling the gnarald surface of tree bark. Not only was the ...
Category

1960s European Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Chrome

Venini Opalino Large White Milk White Inside Glass Vase
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Satin glass vase, designed and manufactured by Venini, features the same shape of the iconic opalino vase with a frosted finish. Indoor use only. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Testosterone Happy Pills Vase in Horizon Blue & Yellow by Fabio Novembre
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Happy pills in testosterone by Fabio Novembre. Numbered Edition handmade-blown glass with the “Incalmo” technique. Color: Testosterone D...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Murrine Opache Plate in Coral & Black by Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Murrine Opache plate in coral/black by Carlo Scarpa. Numbered Edition. Handmade glass with “murrine” technique. Color: Coral/Black Technique:...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Large Vase in Horizon Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino Large Vase in Amber Murano Glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Long Tappeto Volante Pendant Light in Crystal Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tappeto Volante Suspension lamp, designed and manufactured by Venini, features the “Nastro” flat component, striped and hand-drawn. The “Nastro” compon...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Venini Veronese Glass Vase in Straw and Crystal by Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with cylindrical body and crystal decorative base. Featured in straw and yellow colored class with crystal designed in 1921. Perfect for indoor home decor as contai...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Labuan Vase in Grey with Blown Opal Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. Drawing inspiration from exotic destinations in the Far East, Paolo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Geacolor Glass Vase in Multi-Color Swirls by Gae Aulenti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Geacolor glass vase, designed by Gae Aulenti and manufactured by Venini, was originally produced in 1995. Indoor use only. Dimensions: Ø 30 cm.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Yemen Geometric Glass Vase in Multi-Color by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with geometric, circular shaped body and triangular neck and base. Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1994. Featured in coral red, milk-white, black and light green col...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Labuan Sabbiato Vase in Grey with Blown Opal Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. Drawing inspiration from exotic destinations in the Far East, Paolo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Veliero Terra Floor Light in White and Clear Glass by Tadao Ando
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Veliero Terra floor lamp, designed by Tadao Ando and manufactured by Venini, features a metal base with glass murrina. "The strictly ruled geometry becomes a Wave with soul that gain...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Stelle Filanti Pendant Light in Grey by Atelier Oï
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stelle Filanti suspension lamp, designed by Atelier Oï and manufactured by Venini, features a leather structure. Available in three different colors. Indoor use only. Dimensions: ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Murano Italian Dark Red Glass Bottle Incisi Serie, 1980
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian glass bottle with stopper, “Incisi” series, in two-color submerged glass with surface entirely worked by grinding produced by Venini Murano. Venini 80 engraved signature unde...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Veronese Glass Vase in Red and Crystal by Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with cylindrical body and crystal decorative base. Featured in red colored class with crystal designed in 1921. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Opalino Small Vase in Indigo Milk White Inside Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. The Opalino vase is all about sophisticated and unique colors, thanks to the use of the traditional Op...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Anni Trenta Terra Floor Light in Milk White
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Anni Trenta Terra floor lamp, designed and manufactured by Venini, features sinuous lines, clearly reminiscent of the 1930s. Indoor use only. Dimensio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Labuan Vase in Black with Blown Opal Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. Drawing inspiration from exotic destinations in the Far East, Paolo ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Occhi Vase in Coral Red by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Occhi glass vase in coral red by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, Tobia Scarpa. Blown handmade glass vases with the “Murrine” technique. Color: Cor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Gio Ponti Chandelier in Grey by Giò Ponti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Glass chandelier with gold-plated metal finishes and chain. An understated and elegant chandelier option particularly suitable to an entrance or living room environment. Also availab...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Opalino Small Vase in Horizon Milk White Inside Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. The Opalino vase is all about sophisticated and unique colors, thanks to the use of the traditional Opalino technique. This method...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Martinengo Twenty-Light Chandelier in Crystal
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Majestic chandeliers in handmade-blown glass. Metal: Chromium Plated Color: Crystal 20 lights x max 60W E14 Code: 99.50.01.20.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Porpora 12-Arm Glass Chandelier in Clear
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Porpora glass chandelier, designed and manufactured by Venini, is available in 4 different versions with up to 12 arms. Originally designed in 1924. Indoor use only. Dimensions: Ø...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Abaco 5-Light Pendant Light by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Abaco Suspension lamp, designed by Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin and manufactured by Venini, is available with 5 lights (823.00). "One the one hand, the sphere: the most ubiqu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Piatto Di Tapio Plate in Red & Aquamarine by Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Piatto Di Tapio in red/aquamarine by Tapio Wirkkala. Numbered Edition for year. “Piatto di Tapio” blown plate with thick handmade center, realized with the “incalmo” technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Grape and Pink Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in grape and pink Murano glass by Paolo Venini and Riedizione. Limited edition in 99 art pieces each. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whol...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Opalino Glass Vase in Red and Milk-White by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Opalino vase is all about sophisticated and unique colors, thanks to the use of the traditional Opalino technique. This method was first introduced in...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Short Tappeto Volante Pendant Light in Crystal Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tappeto Volante suspension lamp, designed and manufactured by Venini, features the “Nastro” flat component, striped and hand-drawn. The “Nastro” compon...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Venini Fischione Glass Bird Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fischione glass sculpture, designed by Toni Zuccheri and manufactured by Venini, was originally designed in 1980. Numbered edition per year. Indoor use only. Dimensions: W 38 cm,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Tomaso Buzzi Venini Venetian Large Tall Peach & Aventurine Art Glass Vase
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning and large Venetian Murano art glass vase in peach colored translucent overlaid glass with gold aventurine inclusions made by...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Medium Vase in Horizon Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino medium vase in Horizon Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color uniqu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Darpanah Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Darpanah table lamp by Ettore Sottsass. Numbered Edition for year Year of Manufacture: 1994-2017 Metal White Painted Color: Milk-White/Sapphire/Pink Measurements: Ø 12....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Aquamarine by Fulvio Bianconi and Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Contrasto Vase in Crystal and Grape Blown Glass by Michela Cattai
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“Sleek and opaque blown glass – crafted using the "Mano Volante" technique – is juxtaposed with a shimmering multifaceted gem made from "cotisso" glass. An interplay that lends character and uniqueness to the work. Glass comes to life in a work that is almost organic. These two pieces by Michela Cattai...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Circo Di Lune Red Sculpture by Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Circo Di Lune sculpture by Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin. Limited edition in 99 art-pieces for each color. Sculptures made up of spherical el...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Metal

Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Orange Indigo Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in amber murano glass by Paolo Venini and Fulvio Bianconi. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whole yet so...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Small Vase in Red Apple-Green Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini from 1970 lies in its name: Balloton, a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Murrine Opache Plate in Black with Red Details by Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Murrine opache plates, designed by Carlo Scarpa and manufactured by Venini, are available in four different versions. handmade glass with “murrine” technique. Numbered edition per ye...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Fazzoletto Bicolore Large Vase in Ox Blood Red & Cipria Pink
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Large Vase in Orange Red Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton large vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Feniletilamina Happy Pills Vase in Black and Orange by Fabio Novembre
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Happy Pills in feniletilamina by Fabio Novembre. Numbered Edition Handmade blown glass with the “Incalmo” technique. Color: Feniletilamina...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Apple Green Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color unique. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Fulvio Bianconi for Venini, Murano Glass Bottle / Decanter, Signed, Label
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is an original bottle without stopper, by the well known designer Fulvio Bianconi, has 3 acid marks and on top original foil label as shown in pictures.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Aquamarine by Fulvio Bianconi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Glass

Venini Puzzle Vase in Coral & Aquamarine Glass by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Puzzle glass in coral/aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass. Numbered edition for year. Hand-blown glass. Color: Coral/Aquamarine Technique: Opal Dimensions: Ø 27 cm, H 40 cm Ye...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown Glass

Labuan Small Glass Vase in Red by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. It draws inspiration from faraway places, halfway between fantasy an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Materials

Blown 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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