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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Chinese Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Bouclé, Upholstery
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s Indonesian Modern Furniture
Wool, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fur, Natural Fiber, Silk
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Silk
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Amethyst, Carnelian
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Plywood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Belgian Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Rock Crystal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Mirror, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture
Ebony
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
1930s Czech Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Chrome
Late 20th Century German Modern Furniture
Porcelain