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.
Hand Crafted Art Deco Brutalist Dining, Console Table or Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand-crafted French Deco wrought iron table with very interesting rolled and hammered disks to the lower portion of each leg. A very versatile piece which could be a small dining tab...
Wrought Iron, Bronze, Gold Leaf
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
Solace No42 Wall Console – Organic Form, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No42 Wall Console – Organic Form, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed ...
Hardwood
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
$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
$15,588 / item
Joel Escalona Elefante Sideboard 50, Rich Textured Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona Elefante Sideboard 50, Rich Textured Wood ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touc...
Hardwood
Solace No29 Wall Table – Subtle Curved Base in Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No29 Wall Table – Subtle Curved Base in Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by ...
Hardwood
Solace No36 Wall Table – Abstract Solid Wood, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No36 Wall Table – Abstract Solid Wood, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, des...
Hardwood
Joel Escalona's Elefante Console Table 33, Layered Wood, Dynamic Shape
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Elefante Console Table 33, Layered Wood, Dynamic Shape ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a ...
Hardwood
Large Console in Solid Walnut Wood, 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, Oak
Contemporary 'OKA' Console Table by Eichkorn, Burnt Cherry Wood, Customizable
By Eichkorn
Located in Paris, IDF
OKA Console Table by German contemporary design studio Eichkorn. Material: Burnt Cherry Wood Standard size: H.75 x 170 x 45 cm - Customizations are possible Also available as dinin...
Cherry
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante Console Table 45, Joel Escalona, Bold Wood Silhouette
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 45, Joel Escalona, Bold Wood Silhouette ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Moderni...
Hardwood
James de Wulf Industrial Console Table, Concrete and Brushed Stainless Steel
Located in Paia, HI
Contemporary console table with brushed stainless steel and two shelves. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Concrete available in Natural Tone, Light Grey, Dark Grey, White and ...
Concrete, Stainless Steel
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
$19,118 / item
Solace No16 Display Table – Organic Wood Base, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No16 Display Table – Organic Wood Base, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by Joel E...
Hardwood
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Sideboard 54, Elefante, Bold Lines, Solid Wood Elegance
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Sideboard 54, Elefante, Bold Lines, Solid Wood Elegance ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist...
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Sideboard 36, Design by Joel Escalona Craft, Wood Swirls
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Sideboard 36, Design by Joel Escalona Craft, Wood Swirls ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a ...
Hardwood
Wabi Sabi Brutalist Console Table, France, 19th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
Art populaire console table, a timeless piece steeped in history and character, featuring three spacious drawers and the versatility to serve as a console table or counter. Its aged ...
Wood
Solid Walnut Wooden Console, Monumental Sculptural 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...
Walnut
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No20 Console Table in Black Wood Abstract Carved Shape, By Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No20 Console Table – Abstract Carved Shape, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series,...
Hardwood
$15,588 / item
Socle No39 Architectural Console by NONO in Solid Wood
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No39 Architectural Console by NONO in Solid Wood ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid woo...
Hardwood
Mid Century Brutalist Faux Stone and Glass Top Console
Located in Locust Valley, NY
A Brutalist-style console table featuring a sculptural faux stone base supporting a rectangular glass top. The truncated pyramid pedestal showcases ric...
Glass
Jonas Bohlin Concrete and Steel Table
By Källemo, Jonas Bohlin
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
Solace No44 Console Table – Bold Contours, Sculptural Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No44 Console Table – Bold Contours, Sculptural Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table seri...
Hardwood
Nikol Console by Luciano Frigerio for Frigerio di Desio
Located in Conversano, IT
The "Nikol" console by Luciano Frigerio represents one of the highest points of his research between art and design: a perfect balance between architectural structure, sculptural mat...
Brass
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No49 Entry Table – Poetic Structure in Black Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No49 Entry Table – Poetic Structure in Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by J...
Hardwood
$10,812Sale Price|38% Off
Videre Licet Shell Console by Daniele Albright and Stefan Lawrence, 2017
By Daniele Albright & Stefan Lawrence
Located in amstelveen, NL
Handmade custom console, made from beautiful shell pieces in resin with a chrome top, circa 2017. This item is extremely rare because Videre Licet only makes individual pieces and ea...
Shell, Mirror
Design by Joel Escalona, Elefante Sideboard 38, Layered Elegance, Solid Form
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Design by Joel Escalona, Elefante Sideboard 38, Layered Elegance, Solid Form ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance w...
Hardwood
$15,588 / item
Socle No35 Wall Table by NONO in Solid Wood
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No35 Wall Table by NONO in Solid Wood ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Under th...
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
$2,470 / 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
Sculptural Burl Veneer Console — Handcrafted Architectural Statement
Located in Burlăceni, Cahul District
Sculptural Burl Veneer Console — Handcrafted Architectural Statement This sculptural console is a refined balance of geometry and organic beauty. Each piece is handcrafted in our Vu...
Burl
Solid Hammered Iron Console w/ Limestone Top
Located in North Miami, FL
Iron and limestone-top console /serving table with blackened iron base and brass detail feet in the Giacometti style; The top is natural matte limestone, very beautiful.
Limestone, Iron
Vintage Faux Snakeskin Console
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
Brutalist style console or sofa table with a rectangular pedestal base and rounded edge top wrapped in a lacquered faux snakeskin. Wear is consistent with age and use. See photos for...
Faux Leather, Wood
$19,999 / item
Design by Joel Escalona Elefante Round Table
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Design by Joel Escalona Elefante Console Table 27, Rich Wood Contours ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mo...
Hardwood
Joel Escalona's Elefante Table 24, NONO Solid Wood, Unique Form
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Elefante Table 24, NONO Solid Wood, Unique Form ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernis...
Hardwood
Design by Joel Escalona Elefante Console Table 27, Rosa Morada Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Design by Joel Escalona Elefante Console Table 27, Rich Wood Contours ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mo...
Hardwood
Sculpted Massive Console by Denis Milovanov, Solid Oakwood
Located in Paris, IDF
Massive console table of solid oak (+ linseed oil) Dimensions: H. 75 cm x W. 142 cm x D. 51 cm Warm furniture’s made by the designer Denis Milovanov from "Soha" studio. Simplicity ...
Oak
$8,826
Brutalist console table
Located in Brussels, BE
This large architectural console in solid wood is a highly decorative piece. Composed of three distinct parts that join together with two tenons, creating a solid structure. The cen...
Wood
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
1970s brutalist desk or console by Albert Féraud
Located in Paris, FR
Little desk or console, composed of folded and entangled metal tubes. Rectangular glass slab.
Metal
NONO Elefante Console Table 49, Sleek Solid Wood, Escalona's Craft
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Console Table 49, Sleek Solid Wood, Escalona's Craft ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Mod...
Hardwood
Scalloped Burl Wood Console Table – Fluted Triple-Column Monolithic Base
By JLC
Located in New York, NY
This piece is a study in Monolithic Minimalism, reimagining the classic console through the lens of Soft Brutalism. The design is defined by its dramatic, scalloped perimeter—a rhyth...
Wood
Arcade Sculptural Console Table in Limed Oak & Marble Top
By JLC
Located in New York, NY
The Arcade Console Table is defined by a rhythmic triple-arch structure, combining architectural mass with sculptural negative space. Its arched openings create a strong sense of dep...
Marble
Solace No23 Console Table in Black Wood 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
$14,255Sale 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
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
Xylem Console Table by Ricardo Rodriguez Elias, Oak & Lava Stone
Located in Ciudad De México, MX
The Xylem console is conceived as a sculptural console exploring the relationship between mass, balance, and material contrast. Defined by two monolithic lava stone bases supporting ...
Lava
$15,588 / item
Socle No15 Sculptural Table by NONO in Solid Wood
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No15 Sculptural Table by NONO in Solid Wood ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Un...
Hardwood
Elefante Console Table 21 Soft Shapes, 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
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
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
Socle No34 Accent Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No34 Accent Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Und...
Hardwood
$19,118 / item
Solace No35 Console Table – Curved Wood Mass, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No35 Console Table – Curved Wood Mass, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by Joel Es...
Hardwood
$17,599Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Large 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
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Elefante Console Table 23, Flowing Lines, Solid Craft
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Console Table 23, Flowing Lines, Solid Craft ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Tou...
Hardwood
$15,588 / item
Socle No6 Wall Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No6 Wall Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Under ...
Hardwood
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Socle No11 Sofa Table by NONO in Solid Wood
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No11 Sofa Table by NONO in Solid Wood ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Under th...
Hardwood
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
$15,588 / item
Socle No10 Hallway Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No10 Hallway Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Und...
Hardwood