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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 Italian Modern Furniture
Alabaster, Marble
1990s American Modern Furniture
Birch
Late 20th Century Norwegian Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century German Modern Furniture
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Walnut
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
1980s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wrought Iron
1980s Unknown Vintage Modern Furniture
Crystal
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Modern Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Crystal
1990s British Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Velvet
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Art Glass
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Maple
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Chrome
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Goatskin, Wood, Lacquer
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Crystal, Gold Plate
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Iron
1980s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Leather
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate, Enamel
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
1980s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass
20th Century Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Opal
1970s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Paper
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Porcelain
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Murano Glass
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Rattan
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric, Teak
1910s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
Late 20th Century English Modern Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fiberglass
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Canvas, Giltwood