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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Papercord, Oak
Early 2000s Danish Modern Furniture
Wood, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Wood, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Linen
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Leather, Oak
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
1950s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Silver Plate
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Chrome
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture
Limestone
2010s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
Early 2000s Danish Modern Furniture
Wood, Bentwood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Faux Leather, Foam
2010s American Modern Furniture
Oak
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Afghan Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
2010s Modern Furniture
Stone, Marble
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Velvet
1910s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Aluminum
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble, Metal
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Faux Fur, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Marble, Stone, Brass, Steel
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Silk
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wool, Acrylic, Polyester
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
2010s Polish Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Mirror, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Foam, Trimming
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Bouclé, Foam





