Modern Furniture
MODERN STYLE
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
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Style: Modern
Period: 1940s
Eugene Berman Collage in Original Frame
Located in New York, NY
This haunting image by Eugene Berman was painted on a sheet of paper cut in the shape of a heart, mounted to a paint-speckled ground, encircled with metal shavings, and placed in a frame of the artist’s own devising. Berman wrote the title, Radiograph of a Heart, on the back. It refers to the medical X-rays that doctors had recently come to rely on. Yet Berman’s point seems to be that while a heart can be monitored scientifically, the emotions associated with it lie beyond the power of medical science.
Russian by birth, Berman fled St. Petersburg during the Revolution and settled in Paris. Later, as a Jew, he fled the Nazi advance and took refuge in New York and Hollywood. His peace of mind, however, was shattered by the suicide of his wife, actress Una Munson (who played Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind). That distressing event — “Don’t follow me” she admonished in her suicide note...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Set of Two Wood Single Beds by Gio Ponti, Italy, 1940s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two single beds by Gio Ponti.
Sold with a certificate of expertise from the Gio Ponti Archives.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Vintage Persian Bakhtiari Rug, Bungalow Charm Meets Classic Sophistication
Located in Dallas, TX
75880 Vintage Persian Bakhtiari Rug, 05'10 X 12'02.
Bungalow charm meets classic sophistication in this vintage Persian Bakhtiari rug. The naturalistic forms and dramatic color palet...
Category
1940s Persian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Table Vase By Richard Uhlemeyer Color Terracotta Red and Green 1940s Style
Located in Hamburg, DE
Table vase by Richard Uhlemeyer, German pottery, handcrafted, 1940s style, glazed and colored in terracotta red and green, size 12 cm on the bottom x 33 cm height, Stamp at the bottom.
Category
1940s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Pottery
Shirley Zric "Deck of Cards" Hand Painted Ceramic Tile Table Lamp, 1950's
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Signed Black Wood encased Painted Ceramic Tile "Playing Cards" Table Lamp. Featuring a wide rectangular Black enameled wood frame inset with six glazed glazed White ceramic tiles, hand painted with the Queen of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Wonderful Alfonse La Paglia Georg Jensen Sterling Silver Modernist Box Handle
Located in Roslyn, NY
Alphonse La Paglia sterling silver modern covered box with unusual handle on the lid.
Lovely vintage condition.
Measures: 4" H x 3" W x 2.5" H
Approximate 193 g sil...
Category
1940s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Sterling Silver
Pair of Late Art Deco Russel Wright Style White and Black Enamel Table Lamps
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Pair Russel Wright style Late Art Deco White Enameled Metal & Black Lacquered Wood Bedside Lamps, Desk Lamps. Featuring Industrial Modernist Black a...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Collection of French Art Pottery Vases, Lidded Boxes, Denbac
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Collection of French art pottery vases, lidded boxes, Denbac,
circa 1940s. Stamped.
Largest measures: 12.5 cm. X 11 cm.
In perfect condition.
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Paul Frankl Sideboard with Lacquered Cork and Brass
By Paul Frankl
Located in Atlanta, GA
Large and impressive sideboard or credenza piece by Paul Frankl for Johnson Furniture Co, USA, dated 1940s, in the taste of American Art Deco transitioning into Modern. The main construction is mahogany, with center door of lacquered cork...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Italian Art Modern Brown Velvet Loveseat
By Giorgio Ramponi
Located in New York, NY
Italian 1940s wing back loveseat with brown velvet upholstery and ribbon twist cord resting on short beechwood legs (style of GIORGIO RAMPONI) (ref: fig. 72, Roberto Aloi "ESEMPI Arr...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Distressed Vintage Persian Rug with Abstract Design in Dark Blue, Green & Gray
Located in Atlanta, GA
Distressed Vintage Persian Rug with Abstract Design in Dark Blue, Green & Gray & White.
Measures: 9'6 x 12'8
Distressed vintage Persian Rug with Modern abstract Design in gray, Charcoal and White colors. Vintage distressed Persian rug...
Category
1940s Persian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Collection of Vintage Travel Photographs by Fritz Hebberling
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An interesting collection of 16 photos by Fritz Hebberling taken of people on the Holland-America line, circa 1930s-1940s. Vintage gelatin silver prints of various sizes.
Category
1940s Vintage Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver Bowl with Enamel By Gertrude Twichell
By Gertrude Twichell
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A beautiful sterling silver and enamel bowl by Gertrude Twichell. Exquisite enamel on sterling silver, signed. Small size-could be a serving dish, etc....
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Two-Seat Tubular Steel Cantilever Couch, German Modernism, circa 1940
By Mauser Werke
Located in Berlin, DE
Two-seat chrome-plated tubular steel cantilever couch by Alfons Mauser, German Modernism, circa 1940.
Category
1940s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Richard Uhlemeyer Table Vase Ceramic German Pottery Green and Terra Cotta Red
Located in Hamburg, DE
Table base created by Richard Uhlemeyer, German ceramist, beautiful glaze in dark green and terra cotta red shades, size 9.5cm diameter x 43cm,
perfect condition.
Category
1940s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Pottery
Vintage Turkish Kars Rug with a Modern Design in Shades of Brown and Ivory
Located in Atlanta, GA
Measures: 7'7 x 10'4.
This wonderful Turkish rug, from eastern Turkey, displays a chocolate brown background with a small, repeating geometric pattern in the background and border.
...
Category
1940s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Italian Murano Glass Vase Elmetto Model by Seguso.
Located in Milan, Italy
Murano glass vase by Seguso. Exhibited at Tingo design gallery in 2008 for the exhibition Murano a go-go. Out production. Original label and signed.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Tranquility by International Sterling Silver Flatware Service for Six Set 41 Pcs
Located in Big Bend, WI
Tranquility by International sterling silver flatware set, 41 pieces set. This set has a modern look with simple lines. This set includes:
Six knives, 9 1/8"
Six forks, 7 3/8"
Six s...
Category
1940s Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Sterling Silver
Diego Rivera Style MId Century Modern Silver Plate Tray Barware
Located in North Miami, FL
Exotic depictions of embellished and embossed Diego Rivera imagery are the centre of this polished silver-plate serving tray. The recessed steeped lines framing the inside imagery add dimension and form. it is signed on the back and numbered Tropical pattern by International Silver Co. #8166 The scene is of a caped woman...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Silver Plate
Distressed Vintage Persian Rug with Modern Design in Shades of Gray & Charcoal
Located in Atlanta, GA
Distressed Vintage Persian Rug with All Over Modern Design in Shades of Gray, Charcoal & White.
Measures: 9'7 x 12'8.
Distressed vintage Persian Rug with All Over Modern Design in gray, charcoal and white colors. Vintage distressed Persian rug...
Category
1940s Persian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Original Jumo 600 Chrome Lamp Selected by Charlotte Perriand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original Jumo 600 chrome lamp selected by Charlotte Perriand. This lamp was designed by Yves JUjeau, Pierre and Andre MOunique in the 1940s and selected by Ch...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Chrome, Steel
Medical Model by Denoyer Geppert
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Early 20th century wood and fiberglass medical model by Denoyer Geppert.
Category
1940s Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Fiberglass, Wood
Heavy Gilt Murano Glass Stem Lamp with Custom Silk Shade
By Barovier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Heavy Gilt Murano Glass Stem Lamp with Custom Silk Shade in the style of Barovier. Gilt wood base. Restored and rewired with gold twist cord.
C...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood, Murano Glass, Blown Glass
Tall Cabinet Designed by Rene Gabriel
By Rene Gabriel
Located in New York, NY
A Classic example of post World War II French design. Rene Gabriel was one of the leading French designers of his time. He was commissioned by the ...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
Italian Modern Neoclassical Glass Chandelier by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte
Located in New York, NY
An elegant, sober Italian midcentury pendant / chandelier designed by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte in the Modern Neoclassical Style (Novecento) with six fluted arms in enameled met...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass
Louis Wolchonok Painting "Reclining Woman"
Located in Cathedral City, CA
1940s oil on canvas painting of reclining woman signed by Louis Wolchonok. (American/New York 1893-1973)
Please note: Two small repairs see details pictures.
Louis Wolchonok stud...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Canvas
Pair of Italian Blond Mahogany Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Italian 1940 blond mahogany side chairs with muslin upholstered seat and back (design F. LIETTI)
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Mahogany, Muslin
Pair of Cased Murano Glass Figural Lamps by Alfredo Barbini
Located in Danville, CA
Spectacular, one of a kind pair of lamps with dancing figures cased in clear Murano glass by Alfredo Barbini. They have been rewired with new Gold twisted Rayon cords and European s...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
French Modern Display Cabinet
Located in Cathedral City, CA
An impressive French Modern display cabinet. Made of oak with brass door frames. Base is decorated with a gilded wrought iron stretcher. There a...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass, Wrought Iron
Wood Cubist Sculpture by Leo Russell
By Leo Russell
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Wood sculpture by artist Leo Russell. Chicago born artist who worked mostly in painting and silkscreen did a series of wood sculptures in the 1940s. Pieces were acquired by the Gugge...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Rare Hand Painted Cylinder Table lamp by TYE of California
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Hand Painted Cylinder Table lamp by Tye of California. Signed.
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Emerson Woelffer Bonze Sculpture, Abstract Face, Signed, Dated, Numbered
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Nice modern abstract Face, by the well known artist, Emerson Woelffer. Signed, numbered 1/4 and dated 1947.
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Set of 6 Italian Muslin Ebonized Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Set of 6 Italian 1940s ebonized side chairs with brass trim sabot on feet and muslin upholstered seat and back. (design att: VITTORIO DASSI)
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Muslin, Wood
Vittorio Dassi Mid-Century Ebonized Wood and Beige Marble Top Coffee Table
Located in New York, NY
Italian Mid-Century (1940s) coffee table with and ebonized stretcher base and an oval "Rosa Portogallo" beige marble top. (attributed to VITTORIO DASSI)
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
Set of 5 Venini Murano Hand Blown Teal Teardrop Sculptures/Garniture on Bases
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This is an interesting collection of hand blown ribbed crystal finial-like sculptures made by Venini. Extremely well-matched in clear crystal in a teal shaded green. Each piece is mo...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal
Pair of Grosfeld House Art Moderne Bleached End Tables
Located in New York, NY
Pair of American Art Moderne bleached end tables with swag carved design on 3 sides and a drawer supported on a square fluted pedestal base. (Attributed to GROSFELD HOUSE) (PRICED AS...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
French Art Moderne Gilt Iron and Mirror Coffee Table
Located in New York, NY
French Art Moderne (1940s) gold painted wrought iron coffee table with scroll / twisted iron details and beveled trimmed edge mirror top.
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wrought Iron
Pair of Art Moderne Sycamore Pedestals
Located in New York, NY
Pair of American Art Moderne sycamore pedestals with 3 ram heads and round glass tops above a Greek key apron with a stretcher and round base. (T. H. ROBSJOHN GIBBINGS)
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Glass, Sycamore
Ribbed Salt Glaze Ceramic Lamp by Lee Rosen for Design Technics
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ribbed Salt Glaze Ceramic Lamp by Lee Rosen for Design Technics. Also in the style of Alberto Giacometti for Jean-Michel Frank. Shade Dimensions: 12...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Wood
Marie Therese Style Nine Arm Scrolled Clear Crystal Candlestick Chandelier, 1940
By Marie Therese
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Modernist Marie Therese style Clear Crystal Candlestick Chandelier. Featuring a transparent single tier, nine hand blown, scrolled, crystal arms, nine cr...
Category
1940s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal, Brass
Rare Belgian Mid-Century Modern Fireside Lounge Chair by Marcel Baugniet
Located in New York, NY
Rare Belgian Mid-Century Modern 1940s Lounge Chair / fireside chair,/ armchair / club chair by the leading Belgian modernist designer, Marcel Baugniet (1896-1995, Liege, Belgium). The chair is visually dramatic . It is sleek and low to the ground...
Category
1940s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Rope, Wood
Barcelona Dining Armchair by Kaare Klint
By Kaare Klint
Located in San Francisco, CA
A “Barcelona” chair aka a “Red” chair. Designed in 1927 by Kaare Klint for the lecture hall of the Danish Museum of Art & Design in Copenhagen. The chair came to be know as the “Barc...
Category
1940s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Pink Murano Glass Rope Frame Pendant Light by Barovier
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elegant, modern, Murano glass, pendant light by Barovier & Toso circa 1940-1950. A simple, linear design: translucent pink, twisted-rope stem and frame holding a flora bowl up-lig...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Italian Designer, Coat Hangers, Brass, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brass coat hangers designed and produced in Italy, 1940s
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Modernist Travertine Occasional Table, France 1940s
Located in Chicago, IL
The elegance and simplicity of French modernist design feels timeless. This 1940s accent table is a classic example - a beautiful aged patina to the metal frame with the original hon...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Travertine
Italian Designer, Small Wall Shelves, Brass, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of small brass wall consoles designed and produced in Italy, 1940s.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
American Designer, Dresser, Oak, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A stained oak dresser designed and produced in the US, 1940s.
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
Figura di giovane androgino
Located in Vicenza, VI
Disegno a matita e acquerello di Filippo De Pisis raffigurante un mezzo busto di giovane con tratti sia femminili che maschili, probabilmente androgino. Il disegno è firmato in basso...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Paper
Italian Designer, Lounge Chairs, Walnut, Fabric, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of walnut and white bouclé fabric lounge chairs designed and produced in Italy, 1940s.
Fully restored including refinishing, addressing of wormholes, reupholstered in brand ne...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Fabric, Bouclé, Walnut
Italian Designer, Chandelier, Metal, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A green-lacquered metal chandelier designed and produced in Italy, 1940s.
Overall Dimensions (inches): 31" H x 16.25 W x 17.5" D
Bulb Specifications: E-26 Bulb
Number of Sockets: 3
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
French Modernist Coffee Table with Twisted Iron Base
Located in Buchanan, NY
An exceptional French Modernist coffee table from the 1940s, masterfully crafted in wrought iron and clear glass. The clear glass top, f...
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wrought Iron
Distressed Overdyed Carpet, Light Palette
Located in New York, NY
This strongly distressed carpet has been lightly overdyed with the straw corners and the sandy beige border with its split acanthus leaves the most important tonal elements in the ov...
Category
1940s Turkish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Distressed Overdyed Area Rug, Blue *& Green Palette
Located in New York, NY
A blue and green overdyed rug on a busy leaf and palmette pattern. Palmette border. Moderate weave, cotton foundation, all over wear nearing distress...
Category
1940s Pakistani Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Animal Farm, George Orwell, first us edition, 1946, hardcover
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Animal Farm - George Orwell - First US Edition- 1946 - hardcover
it's a classic - more important now than ever
some water damage to dust cover / some...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Paper
Rare Pair of Low Lounge Chairs by Carl-Johan Boman
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rare pair of easy chairs with beautiful curved backs on tapered wooden feet. Very nice vintage condition.
Category
1940s Finnish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Elm
Pair of Sculptural Concrete Club Chairs, 1940s Belgium
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning and extremely rare pair of sculptural outdoor chairs made of concrete. Hand made in the 1940s in Belgium. Club chair design with a ho...
Category
1940s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Concrete
Neil Morris Walnut Cloud Table for Neil Morris of Glasgow, UK, 1947
By Neil Morris
Located in London, GB
Named the ‘Amoeboid’ by the designer, the table has become known as the ‘Cloud table’ also after its form. Designed by Neil Morris for Morris & Co, Glasgow in 1947, it exploits the d...
Category
1940s Scottish Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Danish Settee
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Danish settee upholstered in beige linen, with piping along all the edges, including the rolled arms, and mahogany legs.
Seat has eight-way hand tied springs in excellent condi...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Linen, Mahogany
Modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, lighting, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Rug & Kilim, Schumacher, Vistosi, and Kartell. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.
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