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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass, Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s European Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Faux Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Indian Modern Furniture
Teak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cut Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1990s American Modern Furniture
Nickel
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
20th Century Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s French Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Foam, Hardwood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Cedar
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Wood, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Oak, Plywood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate, Enamel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel
2010s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
1990s Danish Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s Danish Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Central American Modern Furniture
Crystal
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Metal, Gold Leaf
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver, Copper
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
1930s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Maple
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Laminate, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Argentine Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Glass, Oak, Wenge
Early 20th Century Swedish Modern Furniture
Terracotta
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s British Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ash
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Iron