Katch Id

A revival in the popularity of authentic Minimalist furniture is rooted in history while reflecting the needs and tastes of the 21st century. Designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s aphorism that “less is more” influenced the evolution of 20th-century interiors with an emphasis on function and order. This was a shift from the 19th century, with its lavish Victorian decorating, and was spread around the world through design styles including Bauhaus and brutalism.

Yet Minimalism was present in furniture design long before the clean lines of modernism, such as in the simple and elegant utility of Shaker furniture. Although the Minimalist art movement of the 1960s and ’70s had little crossover with furniture design, artist Donald Judd was inspired by the Shakers in creating his own spare daybeds and tables from sturdy wood. (Judd, whose advocacy of symmetry also informed his architectural projects, furnished his Manhattan loft with unassuming but poetic works by iconic modernist designers such as Gerrit Rietveld and Alvar Aalto.)

Understatement rather than ornamentation and open space instead of clutter are central themes for a Minimalist living room and bedroom. As opposed to Maximalism, the focus for Minimalist furniture and decor is on simplicity and considering the design and purpose of every object.

Furnishings are usually made in neutral or monochrome colors and pared down to their essentials — think nesting coffee tables, sectional sofas and accent pieces such as ottomans. And Minimalist ceramics can help achieve a decor that is both timeless and of the moment. The organic textures and personalization of handmade craftsmanship associated with these works have served as a sort of anti-Internet to screen-weary decorators. That said, while the thoughtful ergonomics of Scandinavian modern furniture, with its handcrafted teak frames, are at home in Minimalist spaces, so are the quietly striking pieces by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa that employ industrial materials like stainless steel, aluminum and plastic.

Minimalist furniture is not for making flashy statements; it boasts subdued appeal and excels at harmonizing with any room. And, as it encompasses many different movements and eras of design, it also never goes out of style, owing to its tasteful refinement.

Find a collection of Minimalist tables, seating, lighting and more furniture on 1stDibs.

From cupolas to cookware and fine art to filaments, copper metal has been used in so many ways since prehistoric times. Today, antique, new and vintage copper coffee tables, mirrors, lamps and other furniture and decor can bring a warm metallic flourish to interiors of any kind.

In years spanning 8,700 BC (the time of the first-known copper pendant) until roughly 3,700 BC, it may have been the only metal people knew how to manipulate.

Valuable deposits of copper were first extracted on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus around 4,000 BC — well before Europe’s actual Bronze Age (copper + tin = bronze). Tiny Cyprus is even credited with supplying all of Egypt and the Near East with copper for the production of sophisticated currency, weaponry, jewelry and decorative items.

In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, master painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, El Greco, Rembrandt and Jan Brueghel created fine works on copper. (Back then, copper-based pigments, too, were all the rage.) By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, decorative items like bas-relief plaques, trays and jewelry produced during the Art Deco, Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods espoused copper. These became highly valuable and collectible pieces and remain so today.

Copper’s beauty, malleability, conductivity and versatility make it perhaps the most coveted nonprecious metal in existence. In interiors, polished copper begets an understated luxuriousness, and its reflectivity casts bright, golden and earthy warmth seldom realized in brass or bronze. (Just ask Tom Dixon.)

Outdoors, its most celebrated attribute — the verdigris patina it slowly develops from exposure to oxygen and other elements — isn’t the only hue it takes. Architects often refer to shades of copper as russet, ebony, plum and even chocolate brown. And Frank Lloyd Wright, Renzo Piano and Michael Graves have each used copper in their building projects.

Find antique, new and vintage copper furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.

Whether it’s streamlined or sophisticated, a bar area is always a welcoming feature in any home interior. A cheery well-made drink with friends and family has the potential to yield some unforgettable moments alongside those that aren’t easily remembered. And the only way to conjure that exemplary cordial is by putting the proper antique, new or vintage barware to work.

Essential barware equipment ranges from sterling-silver barspoons for mixing your cocktails in tall collins glasses to jiggers, shakers and strainers that allow you to whip up martinis and old-fashioneds.

From a design standpoint, some barware, such as our array of Art Deco glass whiskey sets or mid-century modern silver-banded tumblers crafted by Dorothy Thorpe, can help position your bar as a bold and attractive centerpiece to a room. At the very least, a carefully curated collection of barware can elevate with subtlety the bar’s nearby fixtures, as a handcrafted crystal decanter might do for your vintage 1960s bar cart.

As cocktail hour draws near, find inspiration in our gorgeous gallery of home bars in locales ranging from London to New York to San Francisco, and browse the exquisite selection of antique, new and vintage barware and glassware on 1stDibs.