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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Recognized Seller Listings
Claste Beside Myself Large Round End Table in Pink Onyx Marble and Glass Base
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A simple table with a subtle gesture where the marble top appears to float above the glass base. Achieved by hand shaping each piece of stone, the thin edge disguises the actual thic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
Claste Beside Myself Small Round End Table in Pink Onyx Marble and Glass Base
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A simple table with a subtle gesture where the marble top appears to float above the glass base. Achieved by hand shaping each piece of stone, the thin edge disguises the actual thic...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
Hand-Hammered Copper and Ebonized White Oak Kansas Floor Lamp by Luke Malaney
By Luke Malaney
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An exploration of copper on a grand scale, the Kansas lamp's shade is hammered, bent, torched, and patinated until it achieves the look of an umbrella the day after a storm. Inside, raw copper has been been polished to reflect light onto a base made from hand-sculpted white oak, blackened with India ink. A tiny copper shelf...
Category
2010s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Copper
Pocket Nightstand in Reclaimed Pine, Ash, and Copper by Luke Malaney
By Luke Malaney
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Pocket nightstand is full of little idiosyncracies: Its reclaimed wood legs are jointed at a slight angle that can be placed towards or away from the bed. The solid ash top has a...
Category
2010s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Copper
Danny Alessandro Fireplace Tool Set in Lucite and Chrome 1980s
Located in New York, NY
Fireplace tool set in chrome with upright post in Lucite by Danny Alessandro LTD, American 1980's. A very elegant design. Danny Alessandro, Ltd. was sold through Holly Hunt in the 19...
Category
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Chrome
ClassiCon Set of Two Bow Coffee Tables No. 3 & No. 5 by Guilherme Torres
Located in New York, NY
Set of table -
Bow 3 & 5
dimensions of bow 3: 70x70x31cm
Bow 5: 100x100x 25cm
Inspired by 1970s lines and designs, Brazilian Guilherme Torres presents a side table or coffee table...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Claste For the Love of Solitude Small Chair in Glass with Sea Pearl Marble
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chair that creates separation with transparency, solitude without disconnection. Within the walls of glass, a floating slab of marble adds weight and texture to the delicate nature...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
Hand-Hammered Copper Patch Sconce by Luke Malaney
By Luke Malaney
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Made from the copper off-cuts of previous projects, the Patch sconce was inspired by the idea of quilting, with each layered piece attached by copper rivets. Shown here with a plug a...
Category
2010s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Copper
Claste For the Love of Solitude Large Chair in Glass with Sea Pearl Marble
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A chair that creates separation with transparency, solitude without disconnection. Within the walls of glass, a floating slab of marble adds weight and texture to the delicate nature...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
20th Century Ingo Maurer Chandelier model Birdie in Metal and wings diffusers
By Ingo Maurer
Located in Turin, Turin
Ingo Maurer worked first as a printer between Germany and Switzerland, he completed then his graphic design studies in Munich in 1958, he lived between New York and San Francisco wor...
Category
1990s German Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Curved White Oak Vagari Dining or Accent Chair by Cultivation Objects
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The simplicity found in Vagari's broad gestural line is a deliberate departure — a temporary reaction to the intricate nature of the designer's previous works, as well as an explorat...
Category
2010s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
Early sideboard, model 814, by Leopold & John Stickley
Located in San Francisco, CA
An oak sideboard with four drawers, two doors concealing open storage and a plate rail. Retains original makers mark “The Work of L. & J. G. Stickley which was used between 1912 and ...
Category
1910s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Purple and Blue Modern Wool Persian Rug, 8' x 10'
Located in New York, NY
This 7’10” x 10’2” modern Persian rug was woven by Orley Shabahang’s artisan weavers using techniques that have been passed down for generations. Woven with pure, hand spun wool, the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool
Italian Designer, Table Mirror, Brass, Glass, Italy, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A murano glass and brass table mirror designed and produced in Italy, 1930s.
Category
1930s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
cc-tapis NCFC Maxi Rug by cc-tapis Design Lab
Located in Brooklyn, NY
NCFC by the cc-tapis design-lab, a new expression of classics. A cc-tapis keystone collection of handwoven rugs with simple and geometric designs inspired...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Modern Furniture
Materials
Wool, Silk
Claste Slide This Way Coffee Table in Natural Ash
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The driving idea behind the design of this piece was the desire to create a table that could be extended infinitely. The double layering of the top combined with differing heights of...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Claste Great Expectations Round Table in White Oak
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The round version of this table explores similar ideas as its rectangular sibling where the offset base allows for a variety of differing visuals depending on the line of sight. Avai...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
White Murano Glass Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of sconces made with hand-blown Murano glass in a pearlescent white tone. Each sconce has an undulating appearance and is held in place with brass finials. They have been newly ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Claste Come Together End Table in Red Ebonized Oak
Located in Brooklyn, NY
One idea that I am consistently playing with is developing objects which can be repeated to create combinations that shift the appearance of a piece depending on how they are placed ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
Claste Single Memory Table in Marquina Marble
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Developed as a side table version of the Collected Memory series of coffee tables this piece can be customized in size and height to work with any layout. It is a piece that plays wi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble
Claste and Here I Sit Hall Chair Limited Edition
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An unexpected shift in appearance is the central idea behind the design of this chair. It switches from precariously balanced to solid and permanent through the clever use of a trian...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble, Brass, Steel
Claste Low Expectation Round Coffee Table in Walnut
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The coffee table version of this table explores similar ideas to the dining table Great Expectations that inspired the design for this piece. The offset base allows for a variety of...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Claste Come Dance With Me End Table in White Oak
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This table was the result of an investigation into combining the two main methods of sculpture, namely the removal of mass from an object vs the application of material. The final fo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Oak
Murano Glass Smoked Single Panel Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of Murano glass sconces, each crafted with a single curved panel of hand-blown smoked glass on a brass frame. We love the modern style and hand-crafted quality of these sconces....
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Claste A Love Supreme Table in Plaster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
I wanted to see what the interaction was between the shapes of an extruded pentagon and one of it’s 5 identical isosceles triangles. By separating the moment, on either side of the t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Plaster
Murano Glass Rostrate Sky Blue Bowl
Located in Austin, TX
Murano glass bowl, Italian, from the island of Murano and crafted in the manner of Barovier. This hand-blown piece is made using the incamiciato technique where several layers of var...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Murano Glass Petite Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of sconces from the Island of Murano in Italy. This pair is made of hand-blown glass in a clear, textured glass with a burnished brass structure. This pair has been newly wired ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
American Designer, Slipper Chair, Walnut, Cotton, Velvet, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut, cotton strap and green brown velvet slipper lounge chair designed and produced in the US, 1940s.
Seat height 16”
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Cotton, Velvet, Walnut
Italian Designer, Wall Light, Brass, Fabric, Italy, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of two-armed brass and white fabric wall lights designed and produced in Italy, 1930s.
Overall Dimensions (inches): 11.82” H x 9.45” W x 5.32”D
Back Plate Dimensions (inches...
Category
1930s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Claste A Love Supreme Table in Red Oak Wood
Located in Brooklyn, NY
I wanted to see what the interaction was between the shapes of an extruded pentagon and one of it’s 5 identical isosceles triangles. By separating the moment, on either side of the t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Modern Round Pendant Light Carrara White Marble Polished Paolo Ulian for Dilmos
Located in Milan, IT
Suspension light made of White Carrara marble designed by Paolo Ulian in 2023. The light is called NEST, due to the shape of the lampshade.
The peculiarity of this lamp is that all ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble, Carrara Marble
Brass Watering Can by Hagenauer Wien
Located in San Francisco, CA
A handmade brass watering can by Werkstatte Hagenauer Wien. Stamped and marked on the underside.
Category
1920s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Modern Italian Stitched Leather “Alfred” Sofa by Gamma Arredamenti
Located in Shippensburg, PA
GAMMA "ALFRED" MODEL D3M STITCHED GRAY-LEATHER THREE-SEATER SOFA
Made by Gamma Arredamenti International, ca. 21st century
Item # 311UAG30M-2
An exceedingly beautiful and remarkably...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Leather
Harvey Probber Sofa
Located in San Francisco, CA
A three-seat sofa by Harvey Probber. Curved front. Loose cushions on the seat, back and sides. Sofa sits on 6 wooden feet.
Category
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Wood
Modern Umberto Dattola for Dilmos Gold Leaf Wall Sculpture Storage Handcrafted
Located in Milan, IT
Wall-mounted sculpture with small openings made of hard wood completely covered by the designer in gold leaf; The sculpture is floating on a stick that represents a wood stick. The k...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Gold Leaf
Antique George V Sterling Silver Photograph Frame (1911)
By E.F. Braham Ltd
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George V English sterling silver photograph frame; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection.
This exceptional antique George V sterling silver photograph frame has a rounded rectangular form with an incurved, domed upper portion and a plain rectangular internal window.
The surface of this George V silver photo frame is plain and embellished with a paralleling embossed decorated border to the rim.
This antique silver photograph frame...
Category
1910s English Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Silver, Sterling Silver
Modern Umberto Dattola for Dilmos Gold Leaf Standing Sculpture Handcrafted
Located in Milan, IT
Free standing sculpture with small openings made of hard wood completely covered by the designer in gold leaf; The sculpture is on sticks that represent a banch of wood sticks. The ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Gold Leaf
Rex Ray
By Rex Ray
Located in San Francisco, CA
A lovely example of Rex Ray’s graphic collage style. Rex Ray (1956-2015) was an American graphic designer and artist based in San Francisco. His work is in museums including the Berk...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Furniture
Materials
Resin, Wood, Paper
Lobel Originals Telephone Table in Brown Cobra Skin 2024 - Made to Order
Located in New York, NY
Telephone Table on brass castors in brown cobra skin by Lobel Originals NYC, American 2024 (Signed “LOBEL ORIGINALS NYC”). We make this table to order. Identical to the original Ka...
Category
2010s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Pair of Scearce I-Like-Ike Eisenhower-Era Sterling Silver Mint Juleps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Eisenhower-era sterling silver mint juleps. Made by Scearce in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Straight and tapering sides, and beaded and molded rim and foot. A great way in these tu...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Modern Furniture
Materials
Sterling Silver
French Designer, Large Wall Mirror, Metal, France, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A large patinated metal wall mirror designed and produced in France, c. 1940s.
Category
1940s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal
Murano Glass Alabaster Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of sconces hand-crafted by artisan glass blowers in Murano, Italy. This sconce is made with layers of hand-blown glass made using a technique to give them an alabaster pattern. ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Modern Italian Chandelier
Located in Austin, TX
Vintage chandelier from Italy featuring a chrome structure of semicircle arms emanating out from the center. Each arm has a crystal finial at the top and a light at the bottom. The s...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Crystal, Chrome
Pair of Gilt-Metal and Enamel ‘Fleurs des Siècles’ Flower Baskets
Located in London, GB
Pair of gilt-metal and enamel ‘Fleurs des Siècles’ flower baskets
American, c. 1975
Height 16cm, width 18cm, depth 14cm
With their delicate beauty, these two flower baskets are sens...
Category
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Murano Glass Rostrate Gold Bowl
Located in Austin, TX
Murano glass bowl, Italian, from the island of Murano and crafted in the manner of Barovier. This hand-blown piece is made using the incamiciato technique where several layers of var...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
Murano Glass Aqua Single Panel Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of Murano glass sconces; each crafted with a single curved panel of hand-blown aqua glass on a brass frame. We love the modern style and hand-crafted quality of these sconces. T...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Murano Glass
French Vintage Jean-Claude Mahey Coffee Table
Located in Austin, TX
Vintage coffee table from France designed by Jean-Claude Mahey. This piece has a burled ash veneer and each curved corner is capped in brass. The top insets for added functionality. ...
Category
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
American Designer, Cabinet, Oak, Brass, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
An oak and brass cabinet and console designed and produced in the US, 1940s.
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
American Designer, Table Lamps, Walnut, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of sizeable walnut table lamps designed and produced in the US, c. 1940s.
Dimensions of Lamp (inches): 18.5” H x 5.5” Diameter
Dimensions of Shade (inches): 10" Top Diameter...
Category
1940s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Walnut
Italian Designer, Bar Cart, Brass, Marble, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A stationary brass and marble bar cart designed and produced in Italy, 1940s.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Marble, Brass
Pair of Sculpted Walnut no. 711 Lounge Arm Chairs by Frederik Kayser
Located in Shippensburg, PA
PAIR OF SCULPTED WALNUT MODEL NO. 711 LOUNGE CHAIRS
Designed by Frederik Kayser in 1961, produced by LK Hjelle, Norway, ca. 21st century retails new for $ 4400-4900/each
Item # 312N...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Norwegian Modern Furniture
Materials
Steel
Murano Glass Textured Sconces
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of sconces made of hand-blown glass with a textured stampato finish. The glass is in a pearlescent color and is held in place by brass finials. They have been newly wired to fit...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Graffiti: The Auction
By KAWS, Keith Haring
Located in New York, NY
Exhibition catalog for an auction of graffiti art held at Guernsey’s on June 14-15, 2000. Square 8vo (8.75” x 8.75”), printed wrappers, 144 pages, fully illustrated, primarily in co...
Category
Early 2000s American Modern Furniture
Materials
Paper
Fontana Arte Attribution, Coat Rack, Italy, 1940s
By Fontana Arte
Located in High Point, NC
A brass coat rack attributed to Fontana Arte, Italy, 1940s.
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
Untitled Ink Drawing on Paper, 1974, by Mark di Suvero
Located in Dallas, TX
This 1974 ink drawing on paper is by American sculptor Mark di Suvero (b. 1933). Early in his artistic career, working part time in construction, he was inspired by the raw material ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Paper
'Neo Formal', Painting by Gordon Moore
Located in Dallas, TX
The geometric imagery on this wedge-shaped acrylic on canvas by Gordon Moore (American, b. 1947) reflects the ongoing influence of New York City on his wo...
Category
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Christo Monograph (Inscribed)
Located in New York, NY
Monograph on the work of Bulgarian/American environmental and monumental artist Christo (1935-2009), published in 1965 or 1966—shortly after his arrival in New York City— by Edizion...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Paper
Mazegga Attributed Murano Swirl Chandelier
By Mazzega
Located in Austin, TX
Vintage Italian chandelier attributed to the Iconic Mazzega factory on the island of Murano. Twelve bell like glass elements hang by chains from a gilt brass structure along with obl...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Materials
Brass
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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