Modern Furniture
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Furniture
Bouclé
Late 20th Century North American Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Fabric, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Sheepskin, Cotton, Faux Fur
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Irish Modern Furniture
Mahogany, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Leather, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s French Modern Furniture
Fabric, Foam
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
2010s French Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Belgian Modern Furniture
Travertine, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Natural Fiber
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel, Brass
2010s European Modern Furniture
Mirror
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak, Wenge, Sapele Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
1950s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel