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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century Belgian Modern Furniture
Crystal
1970s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood, Velvet
1950s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1980s Hong Kong Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1960s Romanian Vintage Modern Furniture
Cane, Bentwood
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Nickel
Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture
Upholstery
1990s Mexican Modern Furniture
Silver
Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture
Upholstery
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Foil
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Wicker
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wool
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Plywood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Stone, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture
Upholstery
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Modern Furniture
Plaster
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster
1980s Dutch Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1990s Modern Furniture
Lacquer
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Acrylic
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Rock Crystal, Silver Leaf
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1930s Czech Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Chrome
20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s Unknown Vintage Modern Furniture
Resin
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood, Pine
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Marble
1980s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Paint
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1960s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Glass, Plastic