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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Wood
2010s English Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Ash
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Velvet
1980s Finnish Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Sheepskin, Fabric, Wool, Mohair, Bouclé, Velvet, Faux Fur, Ash
2010s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Paint
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Modern Furniture
Linen, Fiberglass, Wood
Late 20th Century Norwegian Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Copper, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Czech Modern Furniture
Bentwood
1990s French Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Marble
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Maple, Sycamore, Walnut
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood, Paper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
Early 2000s American Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Other, Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cut Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
1980s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Natural Fiber, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Foam, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Chrome
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
2010s German Modern Furniture
Metal, Chrome
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Wool, Bouclé, Sheepskin, Cotton, Faux Fur, Ash
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Leather, Foam, Wood
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Brass
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Teak
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Hardwood, Walnut