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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Mid-20th Century German Modern Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Scandinavian Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Steel, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Wood
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Gold Leaf, Brass
2010s British Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Onyx, Granite, Carrara Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Pine, Reclaimed Wood, Scrap Wood, Softwood, Mahogany, Ceramic, Pottery, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s European Modern Furniture
Rattan, Wood, Faux Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Cement, Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Plaster
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Furniture
Wood, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Modern Furniture
Textile, Wool, Yarn
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s British Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Hardwood
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Modern Furniture
Plastic
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Brass
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1960s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s British Modern Furniture
Cotton, Beads
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Oak
1990s French Modern Furniture
Laminate
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Swedish Modern Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century North American Modern Furniture
Paper
1990s Danish Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Unknown Modern Furniture
Crystal
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Acrylic, Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Chrome
1980s Hong Kong Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Rock Crystal
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
1950s Finnish Vintage Modern Furniture
Birch
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1950s Finnish Vintage Modern Furniture
Birch
1990s English Modern Furniture
Fabric, Oak
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass
2010s German Modern Furniture
Canvas
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Furniture
Stoneware