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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Modern Furniture
Fabric, Hardwood
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Sheepskin, Bouclé, Jacquard, Velvet, Faux Fur
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Early 2000s Indonesian Modern Furniture
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Silk, Fur, Natural Fiber
Mid-20th Century French Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s European Modern Furniture
Mirror
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen, Velvet, Faux Fur
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold, Metal, Enamel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble