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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.

Style: Modern

Creator: Schumacher

Jokhang Tiger Schumacher Fabric Pillow with Tassels

Modern Furniture

2010s American Modern Furniture

Jokhang Tiger Schumacher Fabric Pillow with Tassels

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Todd Merrill Custom Sectional Sofa with Schumacher Snow Leopard

2010s American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Chimay Stripe Velvet 24x12" Pillow in Bronze

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Furniture

Schumacher Fan Area Rug in Handwoven Abaca by Patterson Flynn

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Kava Cay I/O 18" Pillow in Blues

2010s American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Freshie Fresh 18x12" Pillow in Ivory

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Rocco Dining Chair Upholstered in Kata Schumacher Fabric

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Royal Poppy Stripe 20" Pillow in Sky

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Erindale 22" Pillow in Americana

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Mokki Dining Chair in Roca Redonda Schumacher Performance Fabric

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Verdure Tapestry 20" Pillow in Peacock

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Feather Bloom Sisal Wallpaper In Golden Plum

2010s American Modern Furniture

Roxbury I/O Pillow in Leaf, 20"

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Chevron Velvet 22" Pillow in Champagne

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Bezique Flamestitch Blue Green Velvet Linen Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture

Schumacher x Johnson Hartig Plates & Platters Wallpaper in Blue

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Venetian Silk Velvet in Mink 22" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Editions Mokki 94.5" Extra Wide Dining Table in White Oak

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Elkhart 16" Pillow in Brown

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Josef Frank Citrus Garden Primary Color Linen Two-Sided Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Kata 20" Pillow in Camel with Black

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Aravali Patchwork Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Merrifield Sampler 20" Pillow in Document

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Madeleine Cadet Two-Sided Velvet Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Puffin Dining Chair Upholstered in Auckland Schumacher Performance Fabric

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Cloud Toile Wallpaper in Gold

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Indali Bordered Linen 30" x 14" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Star Epingle Blue Two-Sided Cotton Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Shumacher Blair Silk Épinglé 16x12" Pillow in Wythe Rose

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Adana Silk Velvet in Pink & Orange 20" x 16" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Kata 24" x 12" Pillow in Light Neutral

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Annika Floral Tapestry Box Pillow 18x12", in Multi on Cocoa

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Zebre 8' x 10' Hand-Knotted Rug In Brown/ Black

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Furniture

Schumacher Acanthus Stripe Sisal Wallpaper In Shadow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Shumacher Margarete 20" Pillow in Ivory on Charcoal

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Komodo Wallpaper in Lacquer

2010s American Modern Furniture

Shumacher Rolling Hills 16x12" Pillow in Green

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture

Schumacher x David Kaihoi Tutsi Ivory Cotton Linen Lumbar Pillow

2010s American Modern Furniture

Zebra Velvet Pillow in Silver Blue, 20"

21st Century and Contemporary South Korean Modern Furniture