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.
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
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No31 Entry Table – Bold Wood Shape, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No31 Entry Table – Bold Wood Shape, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, design...
Hardwood
Solid Oak Console, Custom Made, Brutalist 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
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
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Socle No9 Architectural Console by NONO for Entryways
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No9 Architectural Console by NONO for Entryways ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood...
Hardwood
Solace No50 Wall Table – Refined Sculptural Base, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No50 Wall Table – Refined Sculptural Base, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series,...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No28 Console Table – Balanced Asymmetry, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No28 Console Table – Balanced Asymmetry, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, de...
Hardwood
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
Solace No4 Wall Table – Abstract Solid Wood Legs, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No4 Wall Table – Abstract Solid Wood Legs, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series,...
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Table 32, Swirl Base, Joel Escalona Signature
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Table 32, Swirl Base, Joel Escalona Signature ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafti...
Hardwood
Italian Brutalist Terracotta + Iron Console by Mario Giani (Clizia), 1970s
By Mario Giani
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare 1970s Italian Brutalist console by Mario Giani (Clizia). The sinuous, wave-formed base is wrought in patinated iron, its negative space filled with a rhythmic arrangement of t...
Iron
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
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Elefante Console Table 43, Solid Wood, Round Shapes
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Console Table 43, Solid Wood, Round Shapes ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafti...
Hardwood
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
$15,588 / item
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
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
Solace No38 Accent Table – Minimal Form, Strong Presence, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No38 Accent Table – Minimal Form, Strong Presence, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
$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
$15,588 / item
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
$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
$15,588 / item
Socle No27 Accent Table by NONO for Refined Interiors
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No27 Accent Table by NONO for Refined Interiors ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood...
Hardwood
$15,588 / item
Socle No16 Entryway Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No16 Entryway Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. U...
Hardwood
$15,588 / item
Socle No2 Entryway Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No2 Entryway Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Un...
Hardwood
$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
$15,588 / item
Socle No39 Architectural Console by NONO in Solid Wood
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No40 Hallway Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood. Un...
Hardwood
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
Solace No15 Narrow Accent Table – Sculptural Simplicity by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No15 Narrow Accent Table – Sculptural Simplicity by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, ...
Hardwood
Solace No7 Narrow Table – Balanced Irregular Form, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No7 Narrow Table – Balanced Irregular Form, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series,...
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
Solace No13 Wall Table – Monolithic Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No13 Wall Table – Monolithic Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by J...
Hardwood
$14,154Sale 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
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
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
Joel Escalona Elefante Console Table 47, Solid Wood, Geometric Detail
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona Elefante Console Table 47, Solid Wood, Geometric Detail ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a ...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
$15,999Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante Console Table 25, Design by Joel Escalona, Artistic Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante Console Table 25, Design by Joel Escalona, Artistic Wood ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modern...
Hardwood
Solid Walnut Wooden Console, Sculptural, Fenestra by Mokko
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
Solace No48 Console Table – Statement Shape in Solid Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No48 Console Table – Statement Shape in Solid Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designe...
Hardwood
Solace No41 Entry Table – Abstract Volume and Lightness, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No41 Entry Table – Abstract Volume and Lightness, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No17 Hallway Table – Art Object Form in Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No17 Hallway Table – Art Object Form in Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by J...
Hardwood
$19,118 / item
Solace No21 Accent Table – Voluminous Wood Legs, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No21 Accent Table – Voluminous Wood Legs, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed by Joel...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No14 Console Table – Curved and Carved Wood Legs, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No14 Console Table – Curved and Carved Wood Legs, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
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
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
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
Solace No43 Accent Table – Rhythmic Shape in Solid Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No43 Accent Table – Rhythmic Shape in Solid Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No33 Hallway Table – Art Object with Wood Base, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No33 Hallway Table – Art Object with Wood Base, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed b...
Hardwood
Solace No49 Entry Table – Poetic Structure in 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
Solace No18 Entry Table – Asymmetric Sculptural Base, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No18 Entry Table – Asymmetric Sculptural Base, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table ser...
Hardwood
Solace No37 Entry Table – Tactile Legs and Organic Form, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No37 Entry Table – Tactile Legs and Organic Form, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
Arc Console in Fiber Concrete Contemporary Art Deco Style
By Kristian Sofus Hansen, Tommy Hyldahl
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Arc coffee console in hand-painted fiber concrete, contemporary style inspired by Art Deco. The console is crafted from solid fiber concrete with a raw texture and monolithic lines. ...
Concrete
Brutalist Solid American Walnut Console - 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 No3 Accent Table – Organic Shape and Tactile Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No3 Accent Table – Organic Shape and Tactile Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designe...
Hardwood
Solace No11 Entry Table – Biomorphic Form in Solid Wood, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No11 Entry Table – Biomorphic Form in Solid Wood, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No47 Display Table – Artistic Tapered Form, Design by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No47 Display Table – Artistic Tapered Form, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series...
Hardwood
$15,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solace No20 Console Table – Abstract Carved Shape, Design 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
Solace No38 Accent Table – Minimal Form, Strong Presence, by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solace No38 Accent Table – Minimal Form, Strong Presence, by NONO ————————————————————— Solace Console Table Series Design by Joel Escalona The Solace console table series, designed...
Hardwood