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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Fabric, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s Canadian Modern Furniture
Foam, Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery
2010s Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Copper, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Upholstery, Velvet
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
1960s Romanian Vintage Modern Furniture
Cane, Bentwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
1950s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak, Wenge, Sapele Wood
Late 20th Century North American Modern Furniture
Glass, Lucite
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Lacquer
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s American Modern Furniture
Linen, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Limestone, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver Plate, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s Taiwanese Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Maple, Oak, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Bone, Porcelain
2010s American Modern Furniture
Porcelain
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Wood
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
1990s Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture
Fabric
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Cane, Glass, Teak
2010s European Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Yarn
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak