The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Extra Large Brutalist Two Tier Iron and Glass Console Table after Evans c1970's
By Paul Evans
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional Brutalist school console table in the style of Paul Evans, made in the USA c. 1970's. The table is constructed of solid iron bars, which are hand sculpted to create a dim...
Wrought Iron
Old Console With Sculpted Base
Located in Nijlen, BE
This unique console is a composition of an old tablet in elm and handcrafted legs in oak wood. The legs are all solid, one piece. Beautiful columns. Very beautiful in its color weat...
Elm, Oak
Brutalist Iron and Glass Console Table c. 1970/80's
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in New York, NY
Chic architectural Brutalist iron and glass console, foyer table, design reminiscent of Giacometti, circa 1970/80's. The table features a Neo Classical Roman style metal base, in f...
Metal
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante Console Table 55, Joel Escalona, Dynamic Wood Design
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 55, Joel Escalona, Dynamic Wood Design ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernis...
Hardwood
Joel Escalona's NONO Elefante Table 60, Smooth Solid Wood, Sleek Style
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's NONO Elefante Table 60, Smooth Solid Wood, Sleek Style ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a...
Hardwood
Console in forged bronze in the style of Lothar Klute
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Console in forged bronze. Glass pane specially cast and machined for this console.
Bronze
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a...
Hardwood
Giacometti Style Sculptural Brutalist Iron and Glass Console Table With Cat Head
By Diego Giacometti, Paul Ferrante, Christopher Chodoff
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Diego Giacometti Style Sculptural Etruscan Console Table Forged Hammered Iron with Glass Top. Circa 1970. Sculptural Etruscan hand forged and hammered iron frame console table with excellent scale and form. Brutalist forged iron console table with cat head inspired by the Diego Giacometti table...
Bronze, Iron
Mid-Century Modern Paul Evans Patchwork Hanging Shelf Console Table & Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Paul Evans studio floating shelf and mirror set circa early 1970's. It features copper, bronze and pewter cladding in a patchwork design. Console shelf measures 60 x 13 x 6.5 inches ...
Slate, Bronze, Copper, Pewter
MCM Brutalist Console Sofa Table 1960s
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Brass, Steel
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante Console Table 21, Design by Joel Escalona, Organic Elegance
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 21, Design by Joel Escalona, Organic Elegance————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mode...
Hardwood
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joel Escalona's Elefante Console Table 53, Artistic Wood Finish
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Elefante Console Table 53, Artistic Wood Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modern...
Hardwood
Mid Century Iron and Glass Console Table
Located in Bradenton, FL
Brutalist Style Black Iron and Glass Console or Sofa Table, circa 1970s, in the style reminiscent of Giacometti. Brutalist furniture, popularized from the 1950s through the 1970s, em...
Iron
Solace No2 Entry Table in Solid Wood with Fluid Legs, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No1 Console Table – Sculptural Wood Form, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, ...
Hardwood
Unique Giandomenico Belotti Architectural Table in Chrome and Stone, Italy 1960
Located in Milan, IT
Unique, Sculptural, Piece of Art, Giandomenico Belotti Monumental table made for his wife in the 1960s The pure essence of Italian architectural modernism. Structure, lightness, ...
Stone, Steel, Chrome
Modernist Console in Solid Walnut, Brutalist Design, Fenestra by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Oak, Walnut
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Elefante Console Table 29, Joel Escalona's Vision, Round Base
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Console Table 29, Joel Escalona's Vision, Round Base ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Moder...
Hardwood
Solid Walnut Fenestra Console
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and void. The Fenestra console is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city deve...
Oak, Walnut
Joel Escalona's NONO Elefante Table 61, Smooth Solid Wood, Sleek Style
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's NONO Elefante Table 60, Smooth Solid Wood, Sleek Style ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No10 Console Table – Soft-Edged Wood Sculpture, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No10 Console Table – Soft-Edged Wood Sculpture, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table se...
Hardwood
Elefante Console Table 21, Design by Joel Escalona, Organic Elegance
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 21, Design by Joel Escalona, Organic Elegance————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mode...
Hardwood
Floating Console In Composite Material, Stone Effect, Brutalist Style
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Floating Console In Composite Material, Stone Effect, Brutalist Style. Floating console in composite material with stone effect. this floating console reproduces the appearance of a...
Composition
$6,880
Brutalist Leaf Console
Located in New York, NY
A rare vintage walnut console in the Brutalist style, designed and crafted in Italy circa 1960s. This striking piece is composed of three separate sections that fit together to form ...
Walnut
Sculptural Monolithic Console Table with Marble Top in Custom RAL Lacquer
By JLC
Located in NEW YORK, NY
This sculptural console table is conceived as a monolithic architectural form, defined by two solid legs that support a refined stone surface. The base is finished in a deep satin bl...
Marble
Flying rock sculpture, monolith in composite material, stone effect, brutalist
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Flying rock sculpture, monolith in composite material, stone effect, brutalist. This flying rock sculpture resembles an ancient monolith with bold, powerful edges and a mix of smoot...
Composition
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Sideboard Elefante 26, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculpted Silhouette ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a...
Hardwood
James Bearden Brutalist Console Table, Welded Steel, Glass Top, USA
Located in New York, NY
Custom console table made from welded steel square and rectangular elements sealed with a polychrome finish and finished with a clear glass inset top. Letter of authenticity from the...
Steel
Elefante Console Table 39 by NONO, Stacked Design, Joel Escalona's Touch
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 39 by NONO, Stacked Design, Joel Escalona's Touch ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with ...
Hardwood
$24,000 / item
James de Wulf Custom Shuffleboard Table
Located in Paia, HI
The James de Wulf Shuffleboard table is a lively addition to any game room. The 160" table is constructed of concrete reinforced with carbon fiber. ...
Concrete, Cement
Brutalist Console, Handcrafted in Solid American Walnut, Aperta by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by light breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures, Aperta features a precise slit, creating a sense of lightness to its solid form. The Aperta Console has...
Oak, Walnut
$13,984Sale Price|20% Off
Unique sculptural platinum and white gold leaf coated metal and crystal console
Located in Highclere, Newbury
WAR TORN - a unique handmade sculptural platinum and white gold leaf coated metal and crystal glass console table. Created by Nick and Sue Allen of 'The Allen Studio' renown this un...
Metal
Paul Evans Studio Floating Console Shelf and Mirror Set, USA, Circa 1970s
By Paul Evans
Located in Miami, FL
Paul Evans studio floating console shelf and mirror set, USA, Circa 1970s Brutalist patchwork design in copper and pewter. A striking example of Paul Evans’ iconic Brutalist aestheti...
Slate, Brass, Copper, Pewter
$19,950 / item
James de Wulf Custom 9' Shuffleboard Table
Located in Paia, HI
The James de Wulf Shuffleboard table is a lively addition to any game room. The smaller 9' table is constructed of concrete reinforced with ...
Concrete, Cement
Brutalist Console in Solid Walnut Wood - Aperta by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by light breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures, Aperta features a precise slit, creating a sense of lightness to its solid form. The Aperta Console has...
Oak, Walnut
Solace No6 Foyer Table – Sculptural Carved Wood Base, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No6 Foyer Table – Sculptural Carved Wood Base, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by...
Hardwood
Brutalist European Warm Brown Oak Console - Fenestra by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Walnut
Wrought Iron Console Table in Gold Leaf Style of Giacometti
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wrought iron and black marble like stone in antique gold leaf in the style of Giacometti.
Iron
Contemporary Ceramic Console Table "Aztèque" by Agnès Debizet
Located in London, GB
Console Aztèque by Agnès Debizet Material: Stoneware, black and white enamel Dimensions: H 87 x W 96 x D 30 cm Year: 2024 Type: Limited edition number 1/10 The radical yet powerful...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Sculptural Solid Walnut Console Table - Aperta by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by light breaking through narrow voids in architectural structures, Aperta features a precise slit, creating a sense of lightness to its solid form. The Aperta Console has...
Oak, Walnut
Solace No23 Console Table – Sculpted Organic Forms, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No23 Console Table – Sculpted Organic Forms, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table serie...
Hardwood
Verdigris Bronze Finish Metal Console Table Brutalist Midcentury Design 60"w
Located in Atlanta, GA
Verdigris Bronze Finish Metal Console Table, American, circa 1980s. It is a versatile size and can be used as a console or sofa table, media or TV table, or bar. It measures 60" widt...
Metal
P. Watson Brutal Torch Cut Iron & Concrete Garden Console Table
Located in North Miami, FL
Expertly torch cut from a round solid piece of steel in to 4 legs which comprise this console. Inset of gray slate tone concrete slab. Very brutal and unique with natural oxidizati...
Concrete, Iron
Solace No22 Narrow Entry Table – Sculptural Simplicity, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No22 Narrow Entry Table – Sculptural Simplicity, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed b...
Hardwood
James de Wulf Concrete Campaign Console
Located in Paia, HI
A mix of Brutalist form and Bauhaus design, the Campaign console table sets the tone in any space. The console top is constructed of reinforced, cast concrete, finished with a proprietary wax to give it a slick touch and unique sheen. The console legs are formed from iron, aged to a patina finish. The arches supporting the concrete table top...
Concrete, Cement, Iron, Wrought Iron
Jonas Bohlin Concrete and Steel Table
By Jonas Bohlin, Källemo
Located in Long Island City, NY
A striking desk or console table in the same vein as the design for which Bohlin is perhaps best known, his controversial Concrete Chair which took functionalism to an aesthetic extr...
Concrete, Metal
$15,588 / item
NONO Elefante Table 48, Luxurious Solid Wood Finish
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Table 48, Luxurious Solid Wood Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch N...
Hardwood
John Dickinson Style Plaster Vintage Console Circa 1960
Located in Locust Valley, NY
This is a John Dickinson-style plaster console from around the 1960s. The console features a sculptural, organic design resembling stacked stone or rock formations, giving it a natur...
Plaster
Brutalist Console Table, Minimal Old Wood Sideboard, Narrow Console Elefante
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante collection by NONO furniture. A distinguished tribute to the architectural movements of Mexican Modernism and Brutalist design. The collection showcases three minimal furn...
Wood, Oak
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante Console Table 51 by NONO, Solid Wood, Elegant Curves
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 51 by NONO, Solid Wood, Elegant Curves ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernis...
Hardwood
Paul Evans Console for Directional Brutalist Sculpted Bronze & Glass Wall Mount
Located in Dallas, TX
1960s sculpted bronze wall mount console designed by Paul Evans and produced by Directional. New glass top. Original wall mount brackets.
Steel
Solace No26 Entry Table – Rhythmic Carved Legs, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No26 Entry Table – Rhythmic Carved Legs, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, de...
Hardwood
Minimal Console Table, Sideboard Made of Black Tinted Oak Wood, Narrow Console
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Console made of solid oak wood stained with a water-based dye and finished with matt polyurethane. —— NONO is a Mexican design brand with more than 10 years of experience dedicated ...
Wood, Oak
$6,800 / set
Brutalist Carved Wood Lacquered Consoles, Pair
By Witco
Located in North Miami, FL
Lacquered in a black piano finish - the brutal carved wood design is almost tribal and artistic (reminiscent of Louise Nevelson). These are wall-mounted. Note: we have a matching ...
Wood
Elefante Console Table 35, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculptural Base
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 35, Design by Joel Escalona, Sculptural Base ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mod...
Hardwood
Architectural Solid Walnut Fenestra Console
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Oak, Walnut
Brutalist Solid Walnut Fenestra Console
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A rhythmic interplay of volumes and voids. The Fenestra collection is inspired by Brick Expressionism, the architectural movement visible in Amsterdam’s ‘South Plan’ area - the city...
Oak, Walnut
NONO Elefante Table 28, Joel Escalona Design, Refined Curves
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Table 28, Joel Escalona Design, Refined Curves ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist T...
Hardwood
Industrial Console/table bluestone top and green weathered wood - 20th
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Industrial Console/table bluestone top and green weathered wood Brutalist Table console Measures : 79.5cm x 50cm H:84.5cm Materials : Bluestone - Wood
Wood
Console Jean in Estremoz white Marble with Nero Marquina Top
Located in Lisbon, PT
Jean console is unique in its conception. The combination of three different marbles makes it a sign of unconformity and originality. The combination in the picture is in Terrazzo to...
Marble
$2,422 / set
Pair of Italian Brutalist Hall Side Tables
Located in London, London
Pair of tables Brutalist style Italy 20th Century This charming pair of side tables exude a classic and timeless appeal, making them a versatile addition to various interior settin...
Walnut