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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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: Kartell
Kartell Earl of Wood Desk by Philippe Stark in Black Slatted Ash
Located in Brooklyn, NY
EARL OF WOOD is a simple new desk with a curved wooden surface, offering the perfect solution to the Office and Habitat worlds on account of its myriad diffe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Kartell Geen-A Lamp in White by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Geen-a is Kartell's first reading lamp, supplementing the brand’s lighting range with a product designed for this specific purpose. The simple lines conceal a real sense of attitude, while the clean shape – free from showy tech features – has a familiar yet intriguing effect. The piece consists of a base, a lightshade, three LED bulbs, a stem and a handle for easy transportation, while three matt-finish colours are available: white, black and brick. This is a simple lamp...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Kartell Cara Chair Rusty Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an original product with an industria...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Cara Outdoor Chair by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito in Pale Green
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In Cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an original product with an industrial vibe that extends Kartell's range of soft furnishings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Sound Rack Modular Bookcase in Smoke by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Multi-shaped and multi-purpose shelving system, stackable and modular, offering the possibility of creating a variety of geometric and chromatic compositions. This accessory can play the dual role as both container and room divider. It is a go...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Blast Square Coffee Table in Chrome with Green Top by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell lifestyle enhances the living room with Philippe Starck’s Blast, a coffee table square with rounded corners and clear bases and tops. The design is a development of the Sir Gio table...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Kartell Cara Mat Outdoor Chair in Dove Grey by Philippe Starck & Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cara is the living room armchair which combines the rigour of classic lines and the comfort of the seat, characterised by the large, high cushion which offers maximum comfort.
Cara...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Papyrus Chair in Olive Green by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Papyrus is a remake of the archetypal antique rush chair, from a time when chair structures were decisive and strong. This chair combines a transluc...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Foliage Armchair by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Foliage collection is a family of soft chairs. The key players are a two-seater sofa and an armchair, that seem to have grown "naturally": the frame provides support for a comfortabl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric
Philippe Starck for Kartell Stool "Napoleon," Italy 2000
Located in Naples, IT
Napoleon is a stool-table that is striking in its originality and nonconformity. Designed to decorate any room without preclusion, with sympathy and humor, but also with an eye to fu...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Invisible Low Square Table in Crystal by Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Invisible table designed by Tokujin Yoshioka combines lightness and solidity, grace and elegance and practicality and style. Its simplicity and purity ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern white plastic 860 Universale Chairs, Joe Colombo, Kartell, 1970s
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern white plastic 860 Universale Chairs, Joe Colombo, Kartell, 1970s.
Set consisting of four model 860 chairs, also known as Universale Chair, in cream white ABS plastic. ...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Joe Colombo Chair in Crystal by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A true symbol of Sixties design, famous also for being the only piece by Kartell made entirely of wood. Contemporary technology has made it possible to create the same product using ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern Red plastic shelves by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Red plastic shelves by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s
Set of fantastic six shelves with asymmetric profile in bright red plastic. There are two types of measures: o...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Blast Square Coffee Table in Chrome with Pink Top by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell lifestyle enhances the living room with Philippe Starck’s Blast, a coffee table square with rounded corners and clear bases and tops. The design is a development of the Sir Gio table...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Set of 2 Kartell Victoria Ghost Chairs in Amber by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a chair born of Classic lines with a rounded backrest that recalls the shape of antique medallions, whilst the seat is linear and geometric. Victoria ghost...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
1990s Kartell Dr. Na Table in Cream White and Black by Philippe Starck, Italy
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use
- The base has been lacquered in matt black color
- Stamped by producer
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Iron
Kartell Hiray Sofa by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba
Located in Brooklyn, NY
HIRAY takes metal, one of the most important materials for the greening of the Kartell catalogue, and uses the welded wire process to shape it. The result is an essential and functional product that is nevertheless rich in emotion. Metal wires form well-defined yet lightweight structural parts of the collection’s chair...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Kartell Cara Mat Chair Black Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cara is the living room armchair which combines the rigour of classic lines and the comfort of the seat, characterised by the large, high cushion which offers maximum comfort.
Cara ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell 'Leopoldo' folding table by Antonio Citterio and Glen Oliver Löw, 19990s
Located in Athens, Attiki
Kartell 'Leopoldo' folding table by Antonio Citterio and Glen Oliver Löw, 19990s.
Occasional folding table made of chrome plated metal and plastic,signed.
Very good vintage condition.
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Kartell Colonna Stool in Pink by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Colonna stool is included in the Kartell goes Sottsass - A Tribute to Memphis collection, launched in 2015 in homage to the movement founded by desig...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Kabuki Floor Lamp in White by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Kabuki floor lamp is injection moulded. The sophisticated injection technology used makes it possible to crate a woven structure similar to lace ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Generic A Chairs in Black by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Generic is an ambitious project of profoundly ethical connotations, in which contemporary design sets out to fulfil new objectives and creativity is pl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Pop Missoni Sofa by Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pop is the modular sofa with double cushion on the seat and armrests, making it soft, enveloping and even more comfortable.
The armchair is also enhanced with side cushions, giving...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Cara Chair Ivory White Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an original product with an industrial vibe that extends Kartell's range of soft furnishings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Cara Mat Outdoor Chair in White Green by Philippe Starck & Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Cara is the living room armchair which combines the rigor of classic lines and the comfort of the seat, characterized by the large, high cushion which offers maximum comfort.
Cara i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Trix Sofa Bed by Piero Lissoni in White
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Trix is made up of three different elements connected by an elegant system of elastics which can transform and adapt to different uses through easy rotation. Trix can be an original two-person pouf, a comfortable bed...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Spoon Adjustable Stool in White by Antonio Citterio & Toan Nguyen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An original stool whose shape is as elastic in appearance as it is in function. The innovation of Spoon consists mainly in attaching the seat to a central support with a specially reinforced curve to guarantee flexibility and comfort. Furthermore, thanks to a sophisticated design solution, the gas lift pump adjusts the height between 56 and 76 cm and is perfectly inserted into the stem. In the same ingenious fashion, the handle which regulates the mechanism is perfectly concealed inside the seat. Spoon lends itself to any surrounding: kitchen benches...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Master Counter Stool in Rust Orange by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013, and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters Stool...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Gold by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Spoon Chair in White & Black by Antonio Citterio & Toan Nguyen
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A monoshell light office chair on castors, spoon chair is the result of a totally avant-garde production process. The innovative dual-componen...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Pop Outdoor Sofa in Sunbrella Blue by Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pop outdoor is the modular sofa with evanescent profiles characterised by large seat and backrest cushions which make it soft and comfortable, made with fabrics conceived specificall...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Bubble Club 2-Seat Sofa in Light Grey by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A veritable icon made by Kartell, the mass-tinted polypropylene Bubble club sofa was a Pioneer of a new concept in furniture accessories: the Industrial sofa made entirely of plastic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Purple Kartell Easy Pendant Light Designed by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Vienna, AT
Easy is a cylindrical suspension lamp that enchants and excites with plays of color and light. Once turned on the polycarbonate is enhanced by a myriad of reflections.
3 pieces avai...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Acrylic
Kartell Tip Top Bar Table in Black Glass Top and by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tip Top is a small side table, light and versatile, formed of a single base supporting the solid 48 cm diameter table top. The combination of the colored top and the transparent, hol...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Rust Orange by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell also offers a stool version of the Masters chair, winner of the Good Design Award 2010 and the Red Dot Award 2013 and a worldwide best seller. The legs are lengthened and the seat is shrunk, but the frame's unmistakable graphic look, created by the weave of the silhouettes of three iconic chairs, remains the same. Masters stool...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Generic C Chairs in Dove Grey by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Generic is an ambitious project of deeply ethical connotations, in which new objectives are defined for contemporary design to fulfil and creativity is seen in the light of a public ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Cara Outdoor Chair by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito in Blue Orange
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an or...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Lizz Mat Chairs in Orange by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lightweight chair, with essential, strict lines, in synch with the minimalist and refined style of its designer, Piero Lissoni. Lizz is now also available in a matte version with s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Uncle Jim Armchair in Smoke by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Uncle collection designed by Philippe Starck adds the Uncle Jim armchair. The armchair echoes the lines and sinuosity of Uncle Jack and lends itself to b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 16 Large Kartell Jellies Glasses in Pink by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comprehensive line of glasses made from colorful and transparent PMMA plastic. The line's individuality is down to the fact that each model presents a different organic pattern tha...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Medium Stools in Crystal by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The shape conjures up stools of the 1800s and the line of the legs is rounded and slightly upturned, an icon of the classic high stool. Charles Ghost is ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
Kartell Blast Rectangle Table in Chrome with Smoke Top by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell lifestyle enhances the living room with Philippe Starck’s Blast, a coffee table rectangular with rounded corners and clear bases and tops. The design is a development of the Sir Gio table...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Kartell Invisible Square Table Kids by Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Invisible table designed by Tokujin Yoshioka combines lightness and solidity, grace and elegance and practicality and style. Its simplicity and purity ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Louis Ghost Armchairs in Sunset Orange by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comfortable armchair in transparent and colored polycarbonate in the Louis XV style, it is the quintessence of baroque revisited to dazzle, excite and captivate. Louis Ghost is the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Thierry Table by Piero Lissoni in Burgundy
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thierry is a family of highly characteristic occasional tables that make an inspired use of colour. Each table can have 3 or 4 different colours and can be assembled in various ways....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Carpet Rug
By Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Kartell carpet collection consists of four different models of propylene-backed polyamide rugs. All patterns are digitally printed.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Nylon
Italian modern brown and white plastic table lamp KD27 by Colombo Kartell, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern brown and white plastic table lamp KD27 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1970s
Table lamps model KD27 with round base in white and black-brown plastic. The elliptical diffu...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Tip Top Bar Table in White Glass Top and by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tip Top is a small side table, light and versatile, formed of a single base supporting the solid 48 cm diameter table top. The combination of the colored top and the transparent, hol...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Medium FL/Y Pendant Light in Gold by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An essential lamp which is characterised by the “subtle interpretations of the theme. Made in transparent methacrylate in gold color, the cover is not perfectly hemispherical but the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Bookworm in White
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bookworm, the flexible bookcase, is the result of the encounter between the creativity of an artist such as Ron Arad, combined with Kartell's technology, giving life to a revolutionary project produced on an industrial scale...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian Modern Steel White Plastic Trays Coffee Table Piero Lissoni Kartell 1990
By Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern steel and white plastic Trays coffee table by Piero Lissoni for Kartell, 1990s.
Tray model coffee table with square shape, chromed steel ro...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Modern Red Plastic Vintage Seven Dining Chairs Ron Arad for Kartell 1999 Italy
Located in Vienna, AT
Modern set of 7 red plastic vintage chairs or dining chairs from red plastic and aluminum FPE Fantastic Plastic Elastic by Ron Arad for Kartell Italy 1999.
An amazing set of seven ( ...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Kartell Optic Cube in Smoke by Patrick Jouin
By Kartell, Patrick Jouin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Optic is a container cube which comes in two versions: closed with a door or with one open side. Its surface is strikingly decorated with square based transparent or mirrored pyramid...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Pop Outdoor Armchair in Blue by Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pop outdoor is the modular sofa with evanescent profiles characterised by large seat and backrest cushions which make it soft and comfortable, made with fabrics conceived specificall...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Kartell Cara Chair Black Beige by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In cara armchair, classically rigorous lines surround a comfortable seat. The perfect combination of formalism and technological innovation, for an original product with an industrial vibe that extends Kartell's range of soft furnishings...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Lizz Chairs in Orange by Piero Lissoni & Carlo Tamborini
By Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A light, ultra-streamlined chair, so representative of the minimalist and elegant style of its designer, Piero Lissoni. Made of a mass-tinted thermoplastic technopolymer, Lizz is manufactured in a single piece, using gas-blowing technology. Its name (from Liz Taylor) as well as the traditional chair...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
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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