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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century North American Modern Furniture
Pottery
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Ash
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Furniture
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century Persian Modern Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Birdseye Maple, Rosewood
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Modern Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Metal, Chrome
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Velvet
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Upholstery, Hardwood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
20th Century German Modern Furniture
Wood
1970s Dutch Vintage Modern Furniture
Enamel, Steel
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Velvet, Oak
20th Century English Modern Furniture
Paper
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century European Modern Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal
1930s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1930s South American Vintage Modern Furniture
Birch
1950s Spanish Vintage Modern Furniture
Plaster, Wood
1990s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather
20th Century German Modern Furniture
Gold
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Plastic
1990s French Modern Furniture
Fabric
1970s Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
Early 20th Century Persian Modern Furniture
Wool
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Stainless Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
1990s German Modern Furniture
Leather
1990s American Modern Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal
1960s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Swedish Modern Furniture
Plywood
1980s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Iron
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Steel
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Cane, Rattan
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Faux Leather, Wood
1990s British Modern Furniture
Steel
1980s German Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass