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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass, Iron
Early 2000s Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
2010s Chinese Modern Furniture
Wool
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Indian Modern Furniture
Teak
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Modern Furniture
Brass
1970s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather, Cotton
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture
Wood, Paper
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Mexican Modern Furniture
Marble
2010s Spanish Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Acrylic, Paint
2010s South African Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Concrete, Cement
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Onyx, Marble
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Silk
2010s Dominican Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Silk
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Oak
20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak, Reclaimed Wood
Early 2000s Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak, Reclaimed Wood
Early 2000s Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Mirror
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Beech
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Modern Furniture
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak, Reclaimed Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Furniture
Wool
1990s Danish Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
2010s North Korean Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Resin, PVC
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Blown Glass