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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Velvet
1990s Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver
2010s French Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cut Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Onyx, Marble
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Walnut, Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s Argentine Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Oak
Late 20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Leather, Acrylic, Pine
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Maple, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Limestone, Travertine, Granite, Marble, Carrara Marble
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s Central American Modern Furniture
Crystal
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Malachite, Silver Plate, Copper
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Steel, Brass
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Fabric, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Ash
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Modern Furniture
Linen, Fiberglass, Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Textile
2010s Malaysian Modern Furniture
Copper