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.
$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
$2,020Sale 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
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
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
$10,769 / item
Cantilever Coffee Table Crafted In Brutalist Style
Located in NEW YORK, NY
This handcrafted coffee table is crafted from a composite blend of wood, resin, and fiberglass, it features a distinctive design inspired by the raw and unadorned aesthetics of the b...
Composition
$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 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
Organic Wabi Sabi Rustic Side Table, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish Side Table in Natural Wood Spanish Brutalist Wabi Sabi Rustic Tripod Side Table, 1950s Eye-catching wooden rustic tripod four footed side table with organic design and natural finish. This sculptural end or side table has a primitive construction and Wabi Sabi inspiration. Its patina and construction show natural imperfection showing pass of time. Minor repairs on the base but still strong and sound with highly decorative organic forms. Entirely made by hand. It comes from the Northern Spain. In good vintage condition with small signs from age and use. Measures: 48 cm W x 37 cm D x 52 cm H // 18,89 in W x 14,56 in D x 20,47 in H Wabi Sabi Wood Table // Rustic Wooden Table // Primitive Folk Art Table // Spanish Rustic Coffee Table
Wood
De Puydt Heavy Brutalist Oak Trestle Table or Desk in Dark Stained Oak
By De Puydt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century, Belgian manufacturer De Puydt attributed, stunning Brutalist dining table or desk with trestle base. Beautiful, solid dark oak with striking, carved, grooved, textural t...
Oak
Danish Modern Round Coffee Table in Solid Pine, Rainer Daumiller Style, 1970s
By Hirtshals Savvaerk, Rainer Daumiller
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
Jacques Duval-Brasseur Gilt Bronze Tree Form Dining Table, France, 1970s, Signed
By Jacques Duval Brasseur, Jacques Duval-Brasseur 1
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rare and monumental gilt bronze tree-form dining or center table by French designer and sculptor Jacques Duval-Brasseur, executed circa 1970. While Duval-Brasseur is widely known f...
Bronze
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
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
Luciano Frigerio 1928-1999 Brutalist Bronze Round Coffee Table circa 1975
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Luciano Frigerio 1928-1999 Brutalist Bronze Round Coffee Table circa 1975 Sculptural winged bronze round table with clear cut glass top The table base is made of three bronze butter...
Bronze, Copper
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
Sculptural Brutalist Marble Side Table by Jonathan Christian, France.
Located in Lille, FR
Sculptural Brutalist marble side table by Jonathan Christian.
Marble, Metal
$893Sale 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
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
Pierre Chapo Inspired Round Oak Coffee Table with Beautiful Grain
By Pierre Chapo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pierre Chapo inspired oak coffee table with variation in the boards that are joined together to make up the thick round top; including darker, lighter, and ones with wild figuration....
Oak
Large Primitive Coffee Table, France 1930's
Located in New York, NY
Large carved table in solid oak with a wrought iron stretcher
Wrought Iron
Elefante Side Table 1, Joel Escalona, Solid Walnut Wood Elegance
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's NONO Elefante Table 40, Wood Spheres, Elegant Lines ————————————————————— The base product is made of solid walnut wood. Other wood opt...
Hardwood
Large Brutalist Warm Brown Solid European Oak Table - Brut by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Brut table takes cues from Brutalism and Amsterdam School architecture. A balance of raw materiality and subdued forms with geometrically expressive detailing. Designed by Aad B...
Oak, Walnut
$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
Belgian Brutalist Oak X Base Dining Table or Desk, Attributed to De Puydt
By De Puydt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rare and impressive Brutalist dining table or desk, attributed to the Belgian manufacturer De Puydt. Crafted in the 1960s, this piece is defined by its substantial oak construction...
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
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
Extra large mid century Danish teak and ceramic tile coffee table.
By Tue Poulsen
Located in Liberty, NY
Very nice mid century 1970's Danish teak and ceramic tile coffee table. Extra large and heavy table with angular profile, beautiful ceramic tile inlay. Teak frame in good vintage con...
Teak, Ceramic
Vintage Rustic Farmhouse Mid-Century Brutalist Oak Dining Table
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
Vintage Brutalist dining table made of solid oak, crafted in an authentic manner. Robust and characterful design with a timeless appearance. The heavy quality and artisanal finish ma...
Oak
Large Round Rustic Vintage Brutalist Coffee Table in Oak
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
This large, round coffee table from the 1960s is crafted in a Brutalist style from heavy, high-quality oak. The wood exhibits a beautiful patina and minor signs of wear, giving the p...
Oak
Sculpted Massive Dining Table V2 in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size'
By Sóha, Denis Milovanov
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
Sculpted Massive Dining Table in Solid Oakwood 'Custom Size'
By Sóha, Denis Milovanov
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
Contemporary Console Table 'LIAH' by Eichkorn, Brass and Oak, Customizable
By Eichkorn
Located in Paris, IDF
LIAH Console Table by German contemporary design studio Eichkorn. Material: Brass and Burnt Oak Wood Standard size: H.78 x 55 x 20 cm - Customizations are possible Liah Console - T...
Brass
Brutalist oak square coffee table with copper top, Netherlands 1950s
By Paul Kingma, Peter Ghyczy, Jean Touret
Located in ECHT, NL
Mid century Brutalist style coffee table. Made from oak. The sides of the table are decorated with copper strips embossed with hieroglyph style symbols. The top is made from wood wit...
Copper
Paul Evans Dining Table Cityscape Burl & Brass
Located in Hanover, MA
Paul Evans Cityscape dining table base with burl veneer and brass plated stainless steel tiles. Base alone dimensions 28.5 x 49 x 19 Glass shown in photos for scale 72" x 40"
Brass
$4,960Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist 1970's French Primitive Round Dining Table, Wood W/ Solid Slate Inlay
By Ettore Sottsass, Mario Botta
Located in Basel, BS
Stunning French Solid wood and Slate Dining table. Very beautiful work of design. Measures: 50" diameter 29" Height 1.5" Table op thickness
Oak, Walnut
Coffee table with vintage yellow glass top and modern steel base
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
This brutalist-style coffee table features a modern base in rust-effect patinated steel and a thick vintage yellow glass top that we sourced ourselves. Please note that the glass sho...
Steel
Sculptural Side Table, Rustic, Burnt Black Wood, Carved, Handmade, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
These two sculptural blocks are functional art, each carved from a single piece of wood to maintain the raw integrity of the timber. The design features a blocky, monolithic form tha...
Wood, Oak
Brutalist Coffee Table Bronze & Cast Glass by Lothar Klute, Germany, 1990's
By Lothar Klute
Located in Cork, IE
With its hand-cast smoken crystal glass top and masterfully forged bronze frame, this oval coffee table by German sculptor and blacksmith Lothar Klute is a rather substantial yet ele...
Bronze
$4,186Sale 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
Round Coffee Table in Wrought Iron
Located in Barcelona, ES
Hand forged 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, Wrought Iron
$31,756 / item
Sculpted Massive Dining Table V10 in Solid Oakwood
Located in Paris, IDF
Massive dining table made of solid oak (+ linseed oil) (Outdoor use OK) Model shown : Measures: 310 cm x 122 cm x 79 cm Warm furniture’s made by Denis Milovanov, founder of 'Soha Concept' design studio. Simplicity of shapes. Authentic material. Denis Milovanov produces wooden sculptures employing chainsaw and chisel as sole instruments of his practice. Reclaimed oak is carefully chosen, hand-processed and boiled in linseed oil in accordance with traditional Russian woodwork...
Oak
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
$2,600Sale Price / item|20% Off
Cleo Baldon Style Iron Dining Table In Pink / Marble Granite
By Cleo Baldon
Located in Round Top, TX
Iron and pink granite/marble for indoor/outdoor dining. The perfect table for two to four people...truly lovely. The tones range from salmon pink to rusty sienna with veining in ivor...
Granite, Iron
Sculptural Stool / Side Table in Warm Brown European Oak - Cadence by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
The Cadence stool is inspired by the simplicity and power of the rhythmic stepped brickwork visible in the architecture of Amsterdam's 'South Plan' area; the city development plan de...
Oak
Danish Brutalist Oak Extendable Dining Table attr. to Henning Kjærnulf, 1960s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Brutalist Oak Extendable Dining Table attr. to Henning Kjærnulf, 1960s. Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern dining room table in light Nordic oak. Attributed to Danish designer H...
Oak
Vintage Brutalist Swedish Pine Couch Table by Yngve Ekström for Swedese, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist coffee table from Swedish manufacturer Swedese designed by Yngve Ekström.A rustic design and striking solitaire in a minimalist … Read more Brutalist coffee table from Swed...
Pine
Panarea capsule collection, Basiluzzo coffee table in UHPC cement mortar
By Paolo Cappello, Forma & Cemento
Located in Rome, Lazio
Basiluzzo is a UHPC concrete coffee table designed by Paolo Cappello for Forma&Cemento and belongs to the Panarea Capsule Collection. It takes shape from sharp volumes and inclined s...
Concrete
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
1970s French Brutalist Oak Round Coffee Table
Located in High Point, NC
This striking 1970s French Brutalist round coffee table showcases the bold simplicity and material honesty emblematic of the Brutalist movement. Crafted from solid oak, the table fea...
Oak
$4,691
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
$5,423
Brutalist Coffee Table
Located in London, GB
A Brutalist forged iron and glass top circular coffee table France, Circa 1970
Wrought Iron
$6,014 / item
Sculpted Brutalist End Table 'CT-8' 'Solid Oak'
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
End table CT-8 by Denis Milovanov x Soha Concept (Side table, end table, stool, pedestal...) Material: Solid oak Dimensions: H 40 x 45 x 45 cm SÓHA desi...
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
Paul Evans Sculpted Bronze PE 128 "Stalagmite" Coffee Table 1971 (Signed)
Located in New York, NY
The work of Paul Evans is characterized by its seamless joining of art with functionality, the designers craftsmanship and his bold aesthetic. No where is this more evident than in t...
Bronze, Sheet Metal
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
Brutalist Coffee Table Handmade and signed by Pia Manu, 1960s
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Belgium / 1960s / Coffee Table / Pia Manu / metal, stone, chrome / Mid-century / Vintage / Brutalist Brutalist post-modern coffee table by the Belgian artist Pia Manu, handcrafted i...
Stone, Metal, Chrome
Wrought iron coffee table in the style of Lothar KluteCoffee table in the style
By Lothar Klute
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Coffee table in artfully forged iron with a brown patina. Glass top specially cast and machined for this table.
Wrought Iron
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
French Brutalist Butcher Block Fruitwood Kitchen Island Table
Located in Astoria, NY
Sculptural mid-20th century French Brutalist butcher block island table. Structurally revised and gently refinished. The thick rectangular top is crafted from a single plank of fruit...
Fruitwood
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