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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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

Schumacher Rolling Hills 18" Pillow in Mocha

Modern Furniture

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Rolling Hills 18" Pillow in Mocha

2010s American Modern Furniture

Gardenia Pillow in Rose, 16"

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Khan's Park in Chambray 20 x 14" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher The Wave 24" Pillow in Red

2010s American Modern Furniture

Ankara Hand-Knotted Wool Rug in Sand, 9x12'

2010s North American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Mixco Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture

Schumacher X Veere Grenney Betty Chintz Quiet Pink Two-Sided Cotton Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Crewel Garden Pillow in Multi

2010s American Modern Furniture

Tortola Indoor/Outdoor Rug in Marine Blue, 9x12'

2010s American Modern Furniture

Amagansett Rug in Indigo, 8x10'

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Furniture

Schumacher Haruki Sisal Wallpaper In Indigo

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Feather Bloom Sisal Wallpaper In Wisteria

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Jasmine I/O 24x12" Pillow in Neutral

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Ankara Silk Velvet in Black & Gold 20" x 16"Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Ashoka 16" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Corail Velvet 22" Pillow in Mediterranean

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Palma Sola I/O 18" Pillow in Green

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture

Schumacher Paul Poiret Drapery Wallpaper in Blush

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Josef Frank Citrus Garden Pool Blue Linen Two-Sided Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Cabanon Stripe 20" Pillow in Jaune

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Komodo Wallpaper in Prussian

2010s American Modern Furniture

Amagansett Rug in Indigo, 10x14'

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Taylor Velvet 20x12" Pillow in Lapis

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Temara Embroidered Print Pillow in Spice

2010s American Modern Furniture

Caravanne Indoor/Outdoor Rug in Navy, 9x12'

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schuamcher Farm Scene 20" Pillow in Green

2010s American Modern Furniture

Seema Indoor/Outdoor Rug in Ochre, 9x12'

21st Century and Contemporary Thai Modern Furniture

Schumacher x Timothy Corrigan Anjou Stripe Emerald Linen Two-Sided Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Vanderbilt Velvet 20" Pillow in Tortoise

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Samsun 5' x 7' Morrocan Wool Rug In Carbon

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Lanzadera Vine I/O 20" Pillow in Melon

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Laurel in Navy 22" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Ocean in Khaki 20" Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Faubourg Wallcovering in Orange

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Abstract Ikat 10' x 14' Rug In Ivory & Brown

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture

Schumacher Moire Wallcovering in Noir

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture

Schumacher Chenonceau Sky Linen Two-Sided Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture

Schumacher Josef Frank Exotic Butterfly Spring Color Two-Sided 18" Linen Pillow

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture

Schumacher Clermont Epingle 16" Pillow in Pink

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture