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.
Brutalist Metal Floor Lamp with Table by Harry Balmer for Laurel
By Laurel Lamp Company, Harry Balmer
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist metal lamp table by Harry Balmer for Laurel, welded and patinated steel base, art, sculpture, attached glass tabletop, retains original...
Metal
Elefante by NONO Console 20, Slender Oak Elegance, Substantial Presence
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante by NONO Console 20, Slender Oak Elegance, Substantial Presence ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a ...
Hardwood
1930s Italian Art Deco Brutalist Rational Bookmatched Burl Walnut Table, Pagano
By Osvaldo Borsani, Gio Ponti, Paolo Buffa, Gino Maggioni, Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
A refined Italian Art Deco occasional table, side table or end table. Circa 1930s, it is veneered in richly figured book matched burl walnut. The piece reflects the transition betw...
Hardwood, Walnut, Burl
Portuguese Side Table Poppy with Pink Top and White Marble Base by Mambo
Located in Lisbon, PT
Poppy table is an emblem of nature and organic growth, behind this design lies an essence of naivety effortlessly found within natural forms. Poppy tables are a finely tuned example ...
Marble
Sereno Coffee Table Serie 17 by Joel Escalona – Perfect for Calm Interiors
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Sereno Coffee Table Serie 17 by Joel Escalona – Perfect for Calm Interiors——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? These...
Hardwood
French Carved Wood Brutalist Table by Charles Dudouyt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredible wood table by Charles Dudouyt, made in France, 1940's. Large rectangular parquet top with thick intricately carved wood legs on pedestal base. Original finish shows nice a...
Oak
Oval Coffee Table Serie 5 by Joel Escalona – Designed for Modern Homes
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Oval Coffee Table Serie 5 by Joel Escalona – Designed for Modern Homes ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? These ar...
Hardwood
Maison Regain Elm Coffee Table, France 1960s
Located in New York, NY
Solid Elm Stacked Slats Geometric coffee table with great patina.
Elm
Handcrafted Brutalist Coffee Table with Resin Base and Glass Top
Located in New York, NY
This handcrafted coffee table features a striking blend of materials. Its lightweight, yet durable, fiberglass-reinforced resin base boasts a brass-toned "stripes" texture, adding a ...
Resin, Fiberglass, Glass
$4,960Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist 1970's French Primitive Round Dining Table, Wood W/ Solid Slate Inlay
By Mario Botta, Ettore Sottsass
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
Side Table, Solid Burnt Wood, Oak, Chainsaw Carved, Rustic, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Chainsaw carved coffee table/side table. Carved from a single piece of burnt oak wood and protected with the highest quality oils, ensuring durability for generations. Such unique ha...
Wood, Oak
Brutalist Coffee Table, circa 1970
Located in San Angelo, TX
Rustic 1970s Belgian Brutalist Coffee Table. This is an incredible table that is solid and has a lot of character. We appreciate you stopping by to see our items. Please be sure to visit our 1stDibs store and reach out to us for any questions regarding any pieces. We import throughout the year from Europe and provide unique, hand picked pieces. We are based out of Texas with 3 locations and show at Round Top 3 times a year. Thank you, Crystal Nichols...
Wood
Spectacular set of two Brass and Glass Peter Ghyczy Large Side Tables
By Peter Ghyczy
Located in Voorburg, NL
Spectacular set of two Brass and Glass side tables. Designed by Peter Ghyczy in the early 1970s in the Netherlands. Born in Budapest, Peter Ghyczy started his career as an architect ...
Brass
Brutalist Console, Solid European Warm Brown Oak, 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
1930s Italian Art Deco Brutalist Rational Bookmatched Burl Walnut Table, Pagano
By Osvaldo Borsani, Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig, Gio Ponti, Paolo Buffa, Gino Maggioni
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
A refined Italian Art Deco occasional table, side table or end table. Circa 1930s, it is veneered in richly figured book matched burl walnut. The piece reflects the transition betw...
Hardwood, Walnut, Burl
Brutalist Solid Elm Side Tables, Set of 2, France, 1960s
Located in Almelo, NL
Exceptional set of two Brutalist side or coffee tables crafted from solid elm wood, originating from France, circa 1960s. Each table is hand-carved from a single solid elm slab, sho...
Elm
$12,470Sale Price / item|20% Off
Socle No38 Entryway Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No38 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
James de Wulf Fibonacci Ping Pong Table - Standard Colors
Located in Paia, HI
James de Wulf custom concrete Ping-Pong table, decorated with the flow of Fibonacci. Regulation size with demarcated center line and carbon fiber reinforcement. Remove the netting, a...
Concrete, Cement
Jean Tall Side Table with Black Marble Base and Pink Marble Top
Located in Lisbon, PT
Jean tall side table with Nero Marquina top (black marble), Nero Marquina middle part (blackmarble) and Nero Marquina (bottom). Made to Order. Open since 1997 and based in Lisbon, ...
Marble
Sculptural Hardwood Side Table, Coffee Table, Red Stain, Hand-Carved, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This monolithic side table is a one-of-a-kind piece, hand-carved from a single, substantial hardwood log. Its powerful form is defined by the striking contrast between solid mass and...
Wood
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
Live Edge Coffee Table, Log Furnitue, Walnut, Epoxy, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This striking coffee table seamlessly blends organic warmth with contemporary artistry, live-edge walnut slab with a vibrant blue epoxy resin river running through the center. The d...
Wood, Oak, Walnut
Large Mid-Century Brutalist Modern Paul Evans Rectangular Cocktail Table Brass
By Paul Evans
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Large Paul Evans mixed metal rectangular coffee table circa early 1960's in New Hope PA. It features copper, bronze and pewter cladding design work with a thick black slate top. In ...
Slate, Bronze, Copper, Pewter
Paul Evans Brutalist Cocktail Table 1969
By Paul Evans
Located in Hudson, NY
Amazing signed Paul Evans 1969 welded metal brutalist cocktail coffee table. Both signed and dated. As seen by the date, this is one of his older table...
Metal
$15,588 / item
Socle No22 Sculptural Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No22 Sculptural Table, Design by Joel Escalona ————————————————————— The Socle Console Series by NONO reinterprets the plinth as a family of sculptural consoles in solid wood....
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Foyer Table 09, Oak Precision, Minimalist Elegance
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Foyer Table 09, Oak Precision, Minimalist Elegance ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modern...
Hardwood
Brutalist Square Coffee Table, Solid Wood, France, Circa 1950
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rustic square brutalist coffee table with a four-legged base, crafted from solid wood with an inviting patina. The square surface offers space for objects like books, magazines, and ...
Wood
Large French Agate Butterfly Low Table Designed By Isabelle Faure
Located in Westport, CT
A stunning sculptural low table made from brass of bamboo and intricate illuminating butterflies encased with genuine blue-greige agate wings and eyes. Each wing illuminates. Orig...
Agate, Brass
H. A. Larson Brutalist Patchwork Coffee Table with Slate Top
By H.A. Larson
Located in Chicago, IL
Studio made coffee table with patchwork copper and brass clad surface. The metal pieces are patinated and enameled with applied, torch cut, and ground down textures in the finish. Th...
Brass
Brutalist Round Coffee Table in Red Oak Wood Veneer, Podio by NONO
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Brutalist round coffee table in red oak wood veneer, Podio by NONO The NONO design team presents a coffee table that exudes elegance and modernity. The foundation of this piece is a...
Plywood
Brut Dining Table by Mokko Amsterdam, Solid Black European Oak, Customizable
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
Large Brutalist Coffee Table in Solid European Oak - Scalae by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Inspired by the timeless and pure form of stairs, the Scalae coffee table is composed of three ascending planes defined by a harmony of scale. Blending architectural influence with r...
Oak
$17,752 / item
James de Wulf Concrete Split Locking Dining Table, 72"
Located in Paia, HI
The James de Wulf Classic split locking dining table features a split radius in the tabletop. The table consists of two pieces: table top and base, which...
Concrete
Paul Evans Brutalist Patchwork of Metals Slate Top Coffee Table c. 1970s
Located in Saint Louis, MO
Silver golden and copper hues glow throughout this Paul Evans coffee table in a patchwork of hammered metals. Artful celebration of metals represented in brass iron steel and bronze ...
Metal
$3,080Sale Price|30% Off
Adrian Pearsall Cast Resin Brutalist Dining Table, 1960's
Located in Culver City, CA
Designed by the legendary Adrian Pearsall, this brutalist dining table base was his answer to Evans’ high-end, sculptural designs—because n...
Steel
Pair of Hand Forged Brutalist Side or Drink Tables in Iron, Spain 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of Two Spanish Brutalist Drink Tables in wrought iron Rare find. These eye-catching tables were handcrafted in wrought iron and show a gorgeous blacksmith's design combininig ind...
Iron, Wrought Iron
Joel Escalona's Elefante Side Table 12, Rounded Silhouette, Walnut Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Elefante Side Table 12, Rounded Silhouette, Decorative Craft ————————————————————— The base product is made of solid walnut wood. Other wood...
Hardwood
Vintage 20th Century Elm Wood Brutalist Coffee Table in Good Condition
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Wabi Sabi - Vintage - Decoration Measures : 73x62 H:40cm Its elm wood bears the marks and imperfections accumulated over centuries of use, making it unique.This is an ideal decorati...
Wood
Concrete Side Table "D" Abecedario Collection Aubergine Color by Forma&Cemento
Located in Rome, Lazio
Coffee table D is part of the Abecedario Collection; it marks the beginning of a language in cement that will create a concrete alphabet made up ...
Concrete
$13,664Sale Price / set|20% Off
Round Post Modern Brutalist MCM Beech Dining Table + 6 Chairs, 9 Pcs Set
Located in Basel, BS
Absolutely incredible, and very stylish Brutalist dining table with an additional extendable leaf, and 6 chairs set made of solid beech wood. When the table is without the leaf it se...
Beech
Mobichalet Brutalist Table in Oak
By Mobichalet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mobichalet, dining table, oak, Belgium, 1950s This rustic table will come forward nicely in a relaxing atmosphere, like a patio or a studio space. The brutalist appearance is expre...
Oak
$5,599Sale Price|30% Off
Brutalist Coffee Table in Solid Black Oak - Hari by Mokko
Located in Amsterdam, NL
This Hari coffee table is a showroom model in excellent condition. This listing is for the specific piece you see on the photos. The coffee table is designed by Aad Bos and crafted i...
Oak
Sculptural Solid Oak Wooden Acer Round Dining Table
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Bringing lightness and elegance to its heavy materials and shapes. The Acer Table is a balancing act between its heavy solid volumes and light pointing legs featuring semi arched voi...
Oak, Walnut
Henri Fernandez Brutalist Gold Bronze ‘Octo' Coffee Table
Located in Hastings, GB
Henri Fernandez Brutalist Bronze ‘Octo’ centre or coffee table. This stunning hand crafted table in gilt and raw bronze dates to the early 1970’s and is with it’s original large oval...
Bronze
Colosse by Kalou Dubus, Ceramic table, Light sculptural
By Kalou Dubus
Located in PANTIN, -
Colosse is a sculptural illuminated side table by French artist Kalou Dubus. Composed of three interlocking elements that fit together freely, the piece combines the strong presence ...
Ceramic
Large Brutalist Rustic Farmhouse Antique Oak Dining Table
Located in OOSTERHOUT, NL
A magnificent, large country-style dining table made of solid oak, traditionally crafted with mortise-and-tenon joints. The table has a beautiful, lived-in appearance and shows sligh...
Oak
Large Coffee Table, Contemporary Design, Solid European Oak, Hari by Mokko
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
1970s U-Shaped Fiberglass Coffee Table in the style of André Cazenave
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
An exceptional French sculptural coffee table dating from the 1970s, executed in fiberglass coated with marble powder and conceived in the spirit of André Cazenave’s celebrated miner...
Fiberglass
Olavi Hanninen - Dining Table - Elm - Live Edge - 1950
By Mikko Nupponen, Olavi Hanninen
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Gorgeous live edge elm dining table with trestle and wood pegs. Lightly refinished with an impressive grain. A unique blend of Rustic and Brutalist Moder...
Elm
Contemporary Cracked Bronze Table by Erwan Boulloud, France
Located in London, GB
Coffee Table F9 by Erwan Boulloud Material:Patinated and polished bronze, steel base Dimensions: 152 x 75 cm – H 38 cm Year: 2019 Handcrafted Cast Bronze Edition of 8 pieces + 4 AP...
Bronze, Stainless Steel
Sereno Center Table Serie 3 by NONO – Minimalist Design with Pebble Legs
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Sereno Center Table Serie 2 by NONO – Minimalist Design with Pebble Legs ——— Sereno Coffee Table Series – A Note from Joel Escalona What happens when structure becomes art? These...
Hardwood
$9,500Sale Price|32% Off
Rare Pia Manu Brutalist Coffee Table, circa 1969 Belgium, Signed
By Pia Manu
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An incredible Pia Manu brutalist coffee table, circa 1965-1970s, with brutalist cast resin artwork top over a brushed steel frame and base. This stunning piece of functional art is s...
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
A BRUTALIST RUSTIC-MODERN Side or COFFFEE TABLE, France 1970
Located in PARIS, FR
An astonishing coffee table both raw and sophisticated, massive and airy, Modernist, Brutalist, Popular Art, Free Form, powerful ironwork structure offset by legs with curved lines w...
Wrought Iron
$15,920Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Elefante Console Table 37, Dramatic Wood
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Console Table 37, Dramatic Wood ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch NONO, re...
Hardwood
$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
Contemporary Brutalist Style Small Table #3 in Solid Oak and Linseed Oil
By Sóha
Located in Paris, IDF
Small table made of solid oak (+ linseed oil). Measures: 50 x 107 x 45 cm. SÓHA design studio conceives and produces furniture design and decorative objects in solid oak in an authe...
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
Solid Natural 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
$15,588 / item
Socle No32 Hallway Table, Design by Joel Escalona
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Socle No32 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