Modern Armchairs
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Armchairs
Wool, Linen, Foam, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Bamboo, Bentwood
2010s Philippine Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Scrap Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Lacquer
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Armchairs
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Wood
Late 20th Century Modern Armchairs
Elm, Paint, Upholstery
1970s American Vintage Modern Armchairs
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Armchairs
Wood, Pine, Reclaimed Wood
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Leather, Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Armchairs
Hide, Ash
2010s Ukrainian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Bouclé, Wool, Mohair, Acrylic, Ash, Sheepskin, Faux Fur
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Wood, Leather, Horn
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Stainless Steel
1930s Czech Vintage Modern Armchairs
Steel
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Armchairs
Hide, Ash
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Wood
1970s Mexican Vintage Modern Armchairs
Wood
2010s European Modern Armchairs
Wood, Velvet
2010s French Modern Armchairs
Goatskin, Goat Hair, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Armchairs
Hide, Ash
20th Century English Modern Armchairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Armchairs
Leather, Rattan, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
1950s Danish Vintage Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Oak
2010s American Modern Armchairs
Faux Fur
2010s American Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
2010s Ukrainian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wool
1950s American Vintage Modern Armchairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Walnut, Wood, Velvet
2010s Italian Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Rubber
Early 2000s Italian Modern Armchairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Armchairs
Walnut, Velvet
2010s German Modern Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Modern Armchairs
Fabric
2010s British Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Modern Armchairs
Brass, Wrought Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Plastic
Early 2000s Italian Modern Armchairs
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Armchairs
Leather
1960s American Vintage Modern Armchairs
Steel
2010s Spanish Modern Armchairs
Brass, Steel
2010s Mexican Modern Armchairs
Walnut, Machiche, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Bouclé, Oak
20th Century American Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Beech, Leather
1990s Italian Modern Armchairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Armchairs
Canvas, Upholstery
1980s French Vintage Modern Armchairs
Leather, Elm