Modernist furniture and lighting

Modernism in furniture and lighting design
Modernist furniture and lighting reflect a desire to break with traditional decorative styles in favour of simpler, functional forms suited to contemporary use. In both furniture and lighting, this approach prioritises structure, clarity and accurate proportions, without superfluous ornament.

The first foundations of this language were laid as early as the interwar period by figures such as Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, who notably introduced tubular steel, a clearly asserted constructive logic and a new relationship between object, space and use.

After the Second World War, and even more so during the post-war boom, modernism spread widely across Western Europe. Industrialisation enabled broader use of materials such as steel, chrome, brass, glass, crystal, moulded plywood, fibreglass and synthetic foams, as well as woods such as teak, rosewood and oak.

This period saw the development of many typologies: modernist armchair, low lounge chair, shell chair, coffee table, desk, as well as table lamp, floor lamp, ceiling light and above all the wall sconce, whose presence is decisive in structuring an interior. Modernist wall sconces hold a special place, thanks to their ability to bring together light, geometry and architecture.

Designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Pierre Paulin and Gino Sarfatti extended and renewed this research from the 1950s to the 1970s. The pieces presented here reflect this exacting standard, where material quality, precision of joinery and coherence of design allow these pieces of furniture and lighting to retain an undiminished presence today.

The modernist furniture and lighting presented here illustrate this approach, where every element is conceived in direct relation to space and use.