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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Teak
1950s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Lacquer
Late 20th Century North American Modern Furniture
Glass, Lucite
1960s Romanian Vintage Modern Furniture
Cane, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
1970s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Teak
20th Century Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
1960s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Faux Leather, Walnut, Bentwood
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver Plate, Metal
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
1990s Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1950s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wool, Silk
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Czech Modern Furniture
Porcelain
1980s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Paint
1990s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
1990s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Lucite
1990s American Modern Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Japanese Modern Furniture
Iron
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Lucite, Plexiglass
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Stone
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Mirror, Maple
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Rosewood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1960s Vintage Modern Furniture
Shell
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Glass
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
20th Century Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood, Pine
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Resin
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Bouclé
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster
1970s Australian Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1990s American Modern Furniture
Mohair
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Silver Plate
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Metal