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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 British Modern Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Modern Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century Modern Furniture
Metal, Iron
2010s English Modern Furniture
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Upholstery
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Fabric
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
2010s American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Teak, Fabric
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood, Walnut
2010s Greek Modern Furniture
Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Cedar
2010s European Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Textile, Ash
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s Brazilian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Asian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Synthetic, Wicker
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s American Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Fur, Faux Fur, Sheepskin, Linen, Velvet, Wood, Ash
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Natural Fiber
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Gold, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal, Gold Leaf
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Resin
20th Century Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Dutch Modern Furniture
Travertine
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
2010s Modern Furniture
Metal, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Furniture
Limestone
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Maple, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plywood, Leather, Foam, Rubber, Down
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass, Gold Leaf