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.
$660Sale Price|20% Off
Cast Bronze 1970s Brutalist Side Tables by Peter van Heeck
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Bronze coffee or side table by Peter Van Heeck, Netherlands. Beautiful, brut table frame with a smoked glass top. Patina. 1970s - Netherlands Height: 45cm Width x depth: 70cm Re...
Bronze
James de Wulf Straight Split Locking Concrete Coffee Table
Located in Paia, HI
A stylish update to the classic Split Locking table, the straight split locking concrete coffee table features a parallel split radius in the tabletop. C...
Concrete
$3,568Sale Price|20% Off
Coffee Table in Hand Forged Iron
Located in Barcelona, ES
Hand wrought iron low table, France, 1960s This french coffee table has a gorgeous constuction with scrolled legs and scroll detailings on the top and below the glass. It has a bea...
Metal, Iron
Christopher Chodoff “Etruscan” Bronze and Glass Coffee Table
By Christopher Chodoff
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Coffee table designed by Christopher Chodoff, United States, circa 1980s. Rectangular form with a clear inset glass top set within a patinated solid bronze frame. The base is compose...
Bronze
Narrow Oak Coffee Table with Slate Insert France, 1970s
Located in Berlin, DE
Narrow coffee table in oak with an inset slate top. A rounded oak rim frames the dark stone surface, whose natural texture and speckled inclusions are left visible. The top sits on t...
Slate
Rustic Sculptural Coffee Table, Burnt Black Wood, Carved, Handmade, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This sculptural coffee table is a one-of-a-kind work of functional art, carved by hand from a single hardwood log and charred using the traditional shou sugi ban technique. Its organ...
Wood
“Vestiges Side Table” Marble Stone Brutalist Minimalist Coffee Table
Located in Terrassa, Catalonia
Vestiges side table is a pure brutalist table finished by hand and made entirely of exclusive marble from southern Spain. This four-legged side table, p...
Marble
A Vintage Brutalist Side table, Massive Oak, France, circa 1970s
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Unique round vintage side table from France in solid oak. Made by anonymous designer, c. 1970s . Wear constant with age and use including marks, scratches.
Wood
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
Round Top Fundamenta Table 61 Abstract Oak, Sleek Design by NONO
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Round Top Fundamenta Table 61 Abstract Oak, Sleek Design by NONO Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or black tinted finish. Due to the nature of ...
Hardwood
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
Paul Evans brutalist welded metal patchwork PE-11 zig zag coffee table
By Paul Evans
Located in Liberty, NY
Beautiful 1960's Paul Evans brutalist zig zag design coffee table with glass top, created as part of his "Sculptured Metal" collection for Directional. Fabricated with artisan welde...
Metal
Wrought iron coffee table in the style of Lothar Klute Coffee table in the style
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Coffee table in artfully forged iron with a bronze patina. Glass top specially cast and machined for this table.
Wrought Iron
$4,140Sale Price|20% Off
Midcentury Solid Oak Brutalist Dutch Coffee Table with Copper Top and Inlay
Located in Casteren, NL
This beautiful midcentury Brutalist coffee table was made in the Netherlands circa 1960. The table has a relatively simple frame of solid square oak beams that are 2,8 x 2,8 inches. ...
Copper
Paul Kingma attributed coffee table, 1980s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Brutalist slate and natural stone top coffee table with inlaid copper and brass. Black wooden base. The table is signed but we cant see by who. Good condition. Very much in the s...
Stone
$1,998Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Design Handcrafted Oak Coffee Table, Netherlands 1950's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Mid Century Brutalist in Design Handcrafted Oak Round Coffee Table. Made in the Netherlands in the 1950's / 60's period. Solid oak constructed round coffee table with jointed...
Oak
$27,750 / item
James de Wulf Special Edition Solid Base Pool Table
Located in Paia, HI
A special re-edition of the Classic James de Wulf pool table, this one features a pair of solid concrete legs with a raw edge detail. The cast-concrete tabletop...
Concrete
Danish Baroque-Inspired Oak Desk / Dining Table with Barley Twist Legs, 1900s
By Pierre Chapo, Philip Arctander
Located in Odense, DK
This charming table blends rustic craftsmanship with decorative elegance. Made from solid oak, it features beautifully turned barley twist legs – a detail that became popular during ...
Oak
Octagonal Pedestal Table with round Slate Top France 1970s
Located in Berlin, DE
Octagonal pedestal table with a round slate top. The thick stone surface has a rough, naturally mottled texture, set on a hollow wooden base made from eight vertical panels with arch...
Slate
Nesting Tables in Oak, Made by a Danish Cabinetmaker, Mid Century Modern, 1960s
Located in Odense, DK
A refined and decorative set of three oak nesting tables, crafted in the 1960s in the style of Danish designer Henning (Henry) Kjærnulf. These tables display the hallmarks of Danish ...
Oak
$6,380 / item
James de Wulf Concrete Leaning Coffee Table
Located in Paia, HI
A play on balance, this table is constructed entirely of two concrete pieces. The tabletop is singly supported by the leg, while the two merge with gravity to lock into place. Their balance is a sight to behold. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Color shown in natural tone A perfect complement to the James de Wulf concrete...
Concrete, Cement
$1,117Sale Price|30% Off
1960s Lane Furniture Brutalist Oak Parquetry and Iron Coffee Table
Located in Germantown, MD
A 1960s Lane Furniture Oak Parquetry Coffee Table with scroll forged iron base painted black. Measurs 56" in width, 21" in depth and stands 15.25" t...
Iron
$4,568Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Drink Tables / Side Tables / Martini Tables with Handles in Gilt Iron
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair Spanish Brutalist Drink Tables, wrought iron Gilt patinated brutalist Martini tables with squared top and handle, Spain, 1950s Wrought iron ...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron
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
Brutalist Oak Coffee Table, 1960s
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
A sturdy Brutalist oak coffee table featuring thick legs and a solid, substantial tabletop, exemplifying the Brutalist style and craftmanship. The table shows light signs of use, enh...
Oak
$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
Modern Coffee Table Serie 80 – Sereno by Joel Escalona with Minimalist Appeal
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Modern Coffee Table Serie 80 – Sereno by Joel Escalona with Minimalist Appeal ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? ...
Hardwood
Console With Realistic Stone Texture, Brutalist Style.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Console With Realistic Stone Texture, Brutalist Style. This console resembles an ancient monolith with bold, powerful edges and a mix of smooth and rough surfaces. At first glance, ...
Composition
Architectural Solid Oak Wooden Hari Coffee Table
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by the simplicity of traditional Japanese architectural timber structures. The low coffee table balances three minimalist volumes composed of solid wooden parts. Designed b...
Oak, Walnut
$4,631
Zebra coffee table
Located in Paris, FR
VINCENT COLLIN (born 1963) Zebra wrought iron coffee table Hammered and patinated wrought iron, frosted glass top
Iron
Brutalist Mid-Century Coffee Table
Located in London, England
Brutalist mid-century glass top coffee table on solid teak base. Re-finished and new toughened smoked glass. France circa 1970.
Glass, Teak
$11,294Sale Price / item|20% Off
Solid Wood Coffee Table Serie 3 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Elegant Spaces
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Solid Wood Coffee Table Serie 3 – Sereno by Joel Escalona for Elegant Spaces ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? Th...
Hardwood
Danish Modern Round Coffee Table in Solid Pine, Rainer Daumiller Style, 1970s
By Rainer Daumiller, Hirtshals Savvaerk
Located in Odense, DK
A fine Danish Modern round coffee table in solid pine, made in the style of Rainer Daumiller in the 1970s by a Danish Cabinetmaker. This sculptural coffee / side table will complem...
Pine
Solid Oak Wooden Hari Coffee Table
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by the simplicity of traditional Japanese architectural timber structures. The low coffee table balances three minimalist volumes composed of solid wooden parts. Designed b...
Oak, Walnut
$1,273 / item
Brutalist Iron and Wood Round Accent Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
The table captures the essence of sculptural rawness and refined materiality, embodying the expressive character of Brutalist design. Forged iron legs display a hand-hammered texture...
Iron
Round Fundamenta Coffee 51 Geometric Wood, Modern Appeal by NONO
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Round Fundamenta Coffee 51 Geometric Wood, Modern Appeal by NONO Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or black tinted finish. Due to the nature of...
Hardwood
Sculptural Brutalist Marble Side Table by Jonathan Christian, France.
Located in Lille, FR
Sculptural Brutalist marble side table by Jonathan Christian.
Marble, Metal
$22,750Sale Price|30% Off
Paul Evans Brutalist Skyline Dining Table
By Paul Evans
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Paul Evans brutalist "Skyline" sculpted bronze resin dining table with 48" x 96" x 3/4" thick glass top. Signed PE70 Only base is 65" x 27".
Bronze
Brutalist Iron and Glass Table
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a great vintage Brutalist iron and glass table. This table is classic, yet modern and is adaptable to many uses from small Center Table to Side Table to Patio Table. It is in...
Wrought Iron
Contemporary 'PATHOS' Dining Table by Eichkorn, Burnt Ash Wood, Customizable
By Eichkorn
Located in Paris, IDF
PATHOS Dining Table by German contemporary design studio Eichkorn. Material: Burnt Ash Wood Standard size: H.75 x 280 x 180 cm - Customizations are possible Made from burnt ash woo...
Ash
Silas Seandel Brutalist Mid Century Glass and Gilt Bronze Coffee Table
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Silas Seandel Brutalist Mid Century Glass and Gilt Bronze Coffee Table This coffee table measures: 59.5 wide x 29.5 deep x 15.75 inches high Excellent Vintage Condition. We take o...
Bronze
Conceptual Brutalist Walnut Coffee Table Hand-Carved Texture by Sergio Vulpe
Located in Burlăceni, Cahul District
This conceptual walnut bench explores the tension between raw texture and refined form. Hand-carved surfaces create a rhythmic, almost geological pattern, contrasting with the smooth...
Walnut
Large Weathered Wabi Sabi Brutalist Vintage Oak Coffee Table
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Large brutalist coffee table from the 1960s, made of heavy solid oak. The table is characterised by a beautiful heavily weathered appearance with greyed wood and a rich patina that e...
Oak
Chic Black Tinted Round Coffee Table - Urban Fundamenta 27 by NONO
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Chic Black Tinted Round Coffee Table - Urban Fundamenta 27 by NONO Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or black tinted finish. Due to the nature of...
Hardwood
In Stock - STOR Dining Table Stained Solid Ash - 123"x49"
Located in Calgary, AB
Oversized turned legs and exposed joinery make a bold statement. The exposed end-grain joint is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, a detail that visibly confirms solid wood ...
Ash
Solid Walnut Brutalist Hari Coffee Table
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by the simplicity of traditional Japanese architectural timber structures. The low coffee table balances three minimalist volumes composed of solid wooden parts. Designed b...
Oak, Walnut
Brutalist Mid-century Oak Dining Table, Belgium 1960s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Belgium / 1960 / dining table / oak / Brutalist / Mid-century An impressive Brutalist dining table crafted in Belgium circa 1960. This piece exemplifies the bold geometry and raw ma...
Oak
Contemporary Brutalist Style Coffee Table in Solid Oak, 'Custom Size'
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Coffe table Sculpted wood (solid oak) Finish: hammered, medium [Suitable for outdoor use] SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design and decorative objects in solid...
Oak
French Brutalist Round Side Table in Wrought Iron and Slate, 1970s
Located in The Hague, NL
This striking round side table was produced in France in the 1970s. Executed in a Brutalist style, this piece combines raw materials with artisanal craftsmanship creating a distincti...
Slate, Wrought Iron
Custom Coffee Table Serie 86 – Sereno by Joel Escalona with Organic Design
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Custom Coffee Table Serie 86 – Sereno by Joel Escalona with Organic Design ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? Th...
Hardwood
Brutalist Stone & Brass Coffee Table by Marcus Kingma, Netherlands 1986
Located in Berlin, DE
This sculptural coffee table by Marcus Kingma treats furniture as a composed surface rather than a neutral object. The square top is built from irregular fragments of natural stone s...
Stone
Sculpted Massive Dining Table in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size'
By Denis Milovanov, Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Massive dining table of solid oak (+ linseed oil) (Outdoor use OK) Warm furniture’s made by Russian designer Denis Milovanov from "Soha" studio. Simplicity of shapes. Authentic material. Wooden items are created from oak and are boiled in oil from several days to several weeks, to achieve a natural wood coloration from a dark brown to a complete black color. Patterns are applied solely by chain...
Oak
Solid Wood, Sculptural Coffee Table, Contemporary Design, Handmade, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Domus is a coffee table made from a single block of wood. The purpose of this coffee table is to be placed next to a warm hearth, a place where the whole family gathers and tells st...
Wood
Swedish Bedside tables in solid pine, Scandinavian Brutalism 1970s
Located in Stockholm, SE
A pair of solid pine bedside tables, Swedish brutalism / Midcentury 1970s. Nice patina, naturally darkened wood. Normal signs of age and use.
Pine
$881Sale Price|25% Off
Solid Black Oak Brutalist Cadence Side Table
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Form follows rhythm. The Cadence side tables are inspired by the simplicity and power of the rhythmic stepped brickwork visible in the architecture of Amsterdam's 'South Plan' area; ...
Oak, Walnut
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Cathedral Coffee Table by Silas Seandel
Located in New York, NY
Impressive brutalist cathedral coffee table by Silas Seandel, circa 1970s. The table features a thick (.75 in.) round plate glass top (shows inc...
Brass, Bronze
Brutalist Oak Coffee Table with Tiled Top
Located in London, London
A substantial brutalist coffee table with tiled top, dating to the 1960s–70s, notable for its weight, texture and sculptural construction. The solid timber frame is formed from thic...
Ceramic, Oak
Brutalist Faux Verdigris Finish Glass Top Coffee Table c. 1970/1980's
Located in New York, NY
Voguish Brutalist coffee table in rich faux Verdigris paint finish, made in the USA c 1970-1980's. The table features a metal base in original dark green and black finish, with a gl...
Metal
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
Sculptural Side Table in Giacometti Style, Cast Metal & Glass, 1970s
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Bronze Finish End or Side Table After Giacometti, USA 1970s Sculptural end table in the manner of Diego Giacometti, crafted in the 1970s from cast aluminum with a rich patinated faux...
Iron