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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cement, Concrete
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Marble, Iron
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn, Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
Early 2000s Czech Modern Furniture
Bentwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver, Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Other, Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Nickel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Czech Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Plywood
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
Early 2000s Philippine Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Asian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Teak, Rope, Rattan, Synthetic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Furniture
Bouclé
2010s American Modern Furniture
Concrete
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Cotton, Silk, Down
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass, Chrome
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Cane, Glass, Teak
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Fabric, Hardwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel