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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Formica
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Chrome
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Linen
1930s South American Vintage Modern Furniture
Birch
1990s Dutch Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Turkish Modern Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain, Wood
1980s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1960s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Iron
1980s Belgian Vintage Modern Furniture
Paint
1930s Persian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wool
20th Century Modern Furniture
Glass, Blown Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
1990s French Modern Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Philippine Modern Furniture
Iron
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Beech
1990s American Modern Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Rattan
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Marble
1990s American Modern Furniture
Glass
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Ash
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Metal
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s American Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Linen, Silk
Mid-20th Century Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Pottery
1990s British Modern Furniture
Cut Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Earthenware
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Amethyst, Gold
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Indian Modern Furniture
Teak
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
1990s Danish Modern Furniture
Aluminum
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
1970s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1950s Indian Vintage Modern Furniture
Teak, Cane
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Brass