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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s North Korean Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s South American Modern Furniture
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Furniture
Wool, Linen, Foam, Wood
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Teak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Walnut, Mirror
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Brass
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Hardwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak, Wenge, Sapele Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Upholstery, Velvet