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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Early 2000s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Down
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Chestnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Papercord, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Velvet
2010s Nepalese Modern Furniture
Yarn
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Shagreen, Wood
1930s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine
Late 20th Century Irish Modern Furniture
Canvas
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine
2010s Modern Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
2010s Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Stone, Lava
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Bouclé
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
Early 2000s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine
2010s European Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Velvet, Ash
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Foam, Hardwood
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Bouclé, Foam
Early 2000s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass, Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
2010s European Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Plaster
20th Century Modern Furniture
Onyx, Metal
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plastic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Birch
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Birch
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Sheepskin, Maple
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Granite, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
1950s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Linen
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Travertine





