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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s American Modern Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Cotton, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
2010s Czech Modern Furniture
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Furniture
Fabric, Hardwood
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Marble, Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood, Velvet
2010s American Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Modern Furniture
Crystal, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
1960s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine
Late 20th Century Spanish Modern Furniture
Brass
20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Paint
Late 20th Century Mexican Modern Furniture
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Steel
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s Modern Furniture
Cotton
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Faux Bamboo
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Maple, Oak, Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine, Stone
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Argentine Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery, Stoneware
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic, Rubber
2010s American Modern Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s Ukrainian Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wool, Bouclé, Cotton, Jacquard, Linen, Velvet, Faux Fur
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
2010s Moroccan Modern Furniture
Fabric
2010s Turkish Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Walnut
2010s American Modern Furniture
Steel, Brass, Aluminum, Nickel
2010s American Modern Furniture
Wood, Oak
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cut Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Cut Glass, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Polish Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Nickel
1990s Japanese Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s American Modern Furniture
Cherry
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood
20th Century English Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
2010s Indian Modern Furniture
Cotton
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Brass
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Cotton, Velvet
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Velvet
2010s North American Modern Furniture
Oak, Walnut, Maple, Leather
2010s Portuguese Modern Furniture
Wood, Bouclé, Upholstery
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal
1990s American Modern Furniture
Nickel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood, Trimming
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Stone, Travertine
2010s Indonesian Modern Furniture
Wool, Acrylic
Early 2000s Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Furniture
Travertine, Stone
2010s Moroccan Modern Furniture
Fabric