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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
to
4
552
35
543
34
10
587
124
4
34
553
1
3
29
1
2
17
11
422
104
72
64
64
587
584
1
1
587
167
354
712
3,615
1,052
936
803
Style: Modern
Creator: Kartell
Kartell Small Rectangular Francois Ghost Mirror in Gold by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A series of rectangular two-dimensional wall mirrors which bring to mind milled crystal frames. The frames are made of transparent or colored polycarbonate with seagull wing sections...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Multi Rectangular Tray Table by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is an articulated system of table surfaces for the home or office. The construction concept of the design is based on small tables and shelf systems, with patterns and finishes ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Ghost Buster Nightstand in Black by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Night table version of the Ghost Buster commode. A little squared cube on four legs, available in completely transparent, colored or matte versions made o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Four Table Soft Touch in Black/Black by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This functional and refined table also has a strict geometric design. Thanks to the elegant design solution, the position of the slim table top allows for ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Set of 2 Kartell Lizz Matt Orange Chair by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A light, essential and rigorous chair. Its square line is designed by Piero Lissoni, with a wide seat and a wide, low backrest. Created for use around tables, it was born in a range ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Stone Stool in Metallic Chrome by Marcel Wanders
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Stone is a stool with a simple shape but with a very precious appearance. Made with an essential symmetrical linear shape which is reminiscent of an hourglass, its surface is simply ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Small Bloom Pendant Light in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Bloom New lamp family with its elliptical shape and distinctive original structure covered by sparkling polycarbonate flowers as pure and precious as crystal in hanging. As delicate as a spring bouquet, Bloom lights offer new and sophisticated multi-color nuances in lavender and mint or an elegant transparent white monochrome. A series of little lights located within the frame beams the light shafts through the flowers...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Attila Table-Stool in Gold by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Attila table-stool, is a charismatic personality of striking originality and anti-conformism. Stools and tables which are cute and humorous but with one eye on functionality, thought...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Kabuki Outdoor Floor Lamp in Opaque White by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Kabuki floor lamp is injection molded. The sophisticated injection technology used makes it possible to crate a woven structure similar to lace with a unique perforated surface t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Masters Counter Stool in Gold 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 th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Small Rectangular Francois Ghost Mirror in Crystal by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A series of rectangular two-dimensional wall mirrors which bring to mind milled crystal frames. The frames are made of transparent or colored polycarbonate with seagull wing sections...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Aledin Dec Desk Lamp in Blue by Alberto e Francesco Meda
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Aledin Dec is defined by the faceted decoration of its cone-shaped diffuser. The luminous beam throws a wider and more atmospheric light which well lends itself to residential applic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Cara Chair Ivory 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 Piuma Chair in Rusty Orange by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
2016 saw the completion of the “Piuma” project by Piero Lissoni. The chair is one of the most revolutionary and enterprising products in Kartell’s repertoire of technology and materi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Large Stools in Smoke Grey 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 constructed from a single blo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
Set of 2 Kartell Audrey Chair by Piero Lissoni in White
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Audrey is a versatile and contemporary chair which because of its simple, clean lines obtained through a special die-casting process is composed of only two parts and made without we...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Kartell Blast Square Coffee Table in Chrome with Yellow 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 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 revolutiona...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Earl of Wood Desk by Philippe Stark in Dark Wood and Black Frame
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
Set of 2 Kartell Jellies Vase in Gold by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A comprehensive line of trays made from colorful and transparent PMMA plastic. The line's individuality is down to the fact that each model presents a different organic pattern that ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin, Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Medium Stools in Glossy Black 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 constructed from a single blo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
Kartell Maui Soft Trevira Armchair in Acid Green by Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Maui chairs form a family with a rich variety of colours and shapes, both hard and soft, capable of satisfying specific needs, at home or in professiona...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Set of 2 Kartell One More Counter Stools in Mat White by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Undique Table by Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
UNDIQUE is a collection of side and low tables, designed to form islands of conviviality in the home. Thanks to tops of different size and height, these tables can be arranged in ori...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Kartell Maui Soft Trevira Armchair in Blue by Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Maui chairs form a family with a rich variety of colours and shapes, both hard and soft, capable of satisfying specific needs, at home or in professiona...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Set of 2 Kartell Charles Ghost Large Stools in Glossy Black 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 constructed from a single blo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
Set of 2 Kartell One More Square Bar Stools in Yellow by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Zoom Dining Table in White by Piero Lissoni
By Kartell, Piero Lissoni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell’s collection of tables now offers yet another function thanks to the extension table designed by Piero Lissoni. Zoom has a solid and rigorous frame but the legs of bent lamin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Kartell Maui Swivel Chair Adjustable in Zinc White by Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Maui chairs form a family with a rich variety of colours and shapes, both hard and soft, capable of satisfying specific needs, at home or in professional environments. Thanks to ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Viscount of Wood Table by Philippe Stark in Walnut and Black Frame
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Viscount of wood tables are the latest addition. These naturally composed tables complement the collection's choice of seats and create a sustainable livin...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Chrome
Kartell Invisible Square Table in Glossy White 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 of form makes it adaptable to a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Large FL/Y Pendant Light in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
FL/Y pendant light large in crystal. It is a collection of pendant lamps designed by Ferruccio Laviani in 2002.
Dimensions: Shade height: 21.67 in.; Diameter: 32.67 in.; Unit weig...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Tall Planet Floor Lamp in Fume by Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A family of lamps: Suspended, for a coffee table and with a metal structure, and the most recent floor version of the lamp in 160 cm height. The distinctive trait is the shape of the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Kartell Cara Outdoor Chair by Philippe Starck with Sergio Schito in Ivory Beige
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
Kartell Small Rectangular Francois Ghost Mirror in Mat Black by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A series of rectangular two-dimensional wall mirrors which bring to mind milled crystal frames. The frames are made of transparent or colored polycarbonate with seagull wing sections...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Kartell Maui Swivel Chair Adjustable in Pale Grey by Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Maui chairs form a family with a rich variety of colours and shapes, both hard and soft, capable of satisfying specific needs, at home or in professional environments. Thanks to ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell One More Please Square Bar Stools in White by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Battista Trolley in White by Antonio Citterio & Oliver Löw
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Besides being a practical trolley with a striking combination of plastic and metal components, Battista is an all-out extendible and folding table, ideal for buffets and aperitifs or...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Set of 2 Kartell Maui Armchair in Anthracite by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its elegant lines, sober colours and practical usage make Maui an extremely versatile chair, capable of satisfying the widest demands of the business and residential market. Maui cha...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Kartell Aledin Dec Desk Lamp in Fume by Alberto e Francesco Meda
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Aledin Dec is defined by the faceted decoration of its cone-shaped diffuser. The luminous beam throws a wider and more atmospheric light which well lends itself to residential applic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Q-Wood Arm Chair by Philippe Starck in Dark Wood Black
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Q/Wood is the armchair from the Smart Wood collection, with enveloping lines that create soft armrests and offer maximum seating comfort. Using patented technology, the wood is worke...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Leather, Wood
Kartell Planet Lamp in Fume by Tokujin Yoshioka
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Planet lamp in crystal. Its special feature that is the shape of its slightly elliptical diffuser. Its transparent surface, which is many-sided both insid...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Italian Modern Plastic Metal Valet Stand by A Castelli Ferrieri Kartell, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Plastic and metal Valet stand by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell, 1990s
Standing valet stand in black metal and white plastic. Coat st...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Kartell Kabuki Pendant Light in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kabuki pendant light in crystal.
Dimensions: Height 19.67 in.; diameter 23 in. Made of Thermoplastic techno polymer. Assembly required. Voltage: 120....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern black shiny plastic shelf by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern black shiny plastic shelf by Marcello Siard for Kartell, 1970s
Glossy black plastic shelf with geometric profile. The shelf is not central to the structure, so it can ...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian modern Green plastic metal Ashtray by Gino Colombini for Kartell, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Green plastic and metal Ashtray by Gino Colombini for Kartell, 1970s
Round ashtray with black painted metal plate and with cantilevered chromed metal profile. Round ba...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Italian modern plastic 4720/S table mirror by Filippo Panseca for Kartell, 1970s
By Kartell
Located in MIlano, IT
Table mirror model 4720/S, composed of two parts, a cylindrical plastic base which has slightly yellowed over time and a transparent plexiglass sphere, with the round mirror inside, ...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Mirror, Plastic, Plexiglass
Kartell A.I. Counter Stool in Grey by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Kartell continues its ongoing commitment to sustainability with eco-friendly products which are part of the broader project expressed by the industrial manifesto Kartell loves the pl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian Modern Black Metal Plastic Chairs 4855 by Anna Castelli Kartell, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Black metal plastic Chairs 4855 by Anna Castelli Kartell, 1990s
Set of 12 dining room chairs mod. 4855 with round seat with a hole in the centre, in plastic and black...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Kartell Bellissima Pendant Light in Wood & White by Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bellissima is presented in the material version of matt in white.
Dimensions: Height 16.14 in.; width 19.67 in.; depth 19.67 in.; unit weight: 3.6 kg. Made of: Thermoplastic techn...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Italian Modern White Plastic Magazine Rack 4675 by Stoppino for Kartell, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern white plastic Magazine rack mod. 4675 by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell, 1970s
Iconic magazine rack mod. 4675 in white-beige plastic with 6 compartments. It features a r...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Set of 2 Kartell Generic C Chairs in Sage Green 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 Sir Gio Round Coffee Table 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...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Kartell Masters Bar Stool in Black 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 Small Rectangular Francois Ghost Mirror in Black by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A series of rectangular two-dimensional wall mirrors which bring to mind milled crystal frames. The frames are made of transparent or colored polycarbonate with seagull wing sections...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin
Set of 2 Kartell Masters Chairs in Sage by Philippe Starck & Eugeni Quitllet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Masters chair is a powerful tribute to three symbolic chairs, re-read and re-interpreted by the creative genius of Starck. The unmistakable silhouett...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plastic
Kartell Battista Trolley in Blue by Antonio Citterio & Oliver Löw
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Besides being a practical trolley with a striking combination of plastic and metal components, Battista is an all-out extendible and folding table, ideal for buffets and aperitifs or...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Aluminum
Set of 2 Kartell One More Please Square Bar Stools in Green by Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
If you want to sip a drink at the bar in peace and quiet, you need a comfortable tall stool with a back to lean against. Sometimes one drink is not ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
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.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Antique Champagne Bronze
Antique Chinese Gansu
Antique Colonial Table And Chairs
Antique Cotton Basket
Antique French Clocks Moreau
Antique Hand Stitched Wall Hanging
Antique Oddities
Antique Pewter Urn
Antique Silver Topped Scent Bottles Bottles
Art Deco Ceramic Clock
Art Deco Lowboy
Art Foulard
Viana Do Castelo
Vineyard Antiques
Vintage Dryer
Violet Flame
Wind Blown Sculpture
Wrought Iron Table Roses