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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Contemporary Striped Twisted Belts Leather Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary striped twisted belts leather rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 12'1" × 14'10" (368 × 452 cm). Handmade braided leather rug. Custom colors and sizes available. This stunni...
Leather
Modern Black Mohair Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern black mohair rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 4'7" × 5'5" (139 × 165 cm) The only thing that can compare to the elegance of this exquisite contemporary area rug is its luxuriou...
Mohair
Oversized Terra Geometric Wool Rug – Contemporary Elegance by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Oversized Terra Geometric Wool Rug – Contemporary Elegance in Natural Tones by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 14'0" × 24'0" (426 × 731 cm). Infuse your space with a refined sense of balanc...
Wool
Contemporary Blue-Grey Mandorla Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary blue-grey mandorla rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 7'10" × 10'0" (238 × 304 cm). Contemporary hand knotted silk and wool rug in shades of ivory, blue and grey. This hig...
Wool, Silk
Modern Mandorla Handmade Silk Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Mandorla handmade silk rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 13'0" × 23'10" (396 × 726 cm). A fine contemporary rug hand knotted in silk and wool. The blue design elements are hand ...
Wool, Silk
Contemporary Handmade Camellia Rug in White Silk by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Doris Leslie Blau collection handmade Camellia rug in white silk. Size: 10'10" × 14'10" (330 × 452 cm). This luxurious hand-knotted silk rug is a real treat for the eyes. It was wove...
Silk
Modern Tibetan "Rhombus" Rug in Silk and Wool by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Tibetan "Rhombus" Rug in Silk and Wool by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 12'2" × 18'4" (370 × 558 cm). A stunning fusion of geometric sophistication and artisanal finesse, this cont...
Silk
Chinese Imperial Jewel Handwoven Silk Carpet
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A luxurious modern Chinese handwoven silk carpet with overall flowers and clouds; the cloudy blue/grey background shimmers depending on the viewing angle; Model Titled "Imperial Jewel...
Silk
Ruban Carpet, Hand Knotted in Banana Silk, 100 Knots, Sam Baron
By Sam Baron
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Ruban it is a long and narrow strip of wool and silk that looks like a ribbon unraveling on the ground, but at the same time reminiscent of the traditional red carpet typical of the ...
Other
Aldo Cibic Wonder Landscapes Collection Islands 10×8 ft hand-tufted Tencel Rug
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
The relief of the round shapes inspire the idea of islands of vegetation either on a blue sea or in the middle of the fields. Material: Tencel Craft: hand-tufted
Wool
Aldo Cibic Wonder Landscapes Collection Shanghai Decò 10×8 ft hand-tufted Rug
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
The composition reminds something between leaf and fan, the colors create an atmosphere of a kind of Shanghai decò. Material: Semi Worsted Wool(2/240) from New Zealand, Tencel Cr...
Wool
Aldo Cibic Wonder Landscapes Collection Shanghai Decò 10×8 ft hand-tufted Rug
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
The composition reminds something between leaf and fan, the colors create an atmosphere of a kind of Shanghai decò. Material: Semi Worsted Wool(2/240) from New Zealand, Tencel Cr...
Wool
Aldo Cibic Wonder Landscapes Collection Trembling Trees 10×8 ft hand-tufted Rug
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
It seems like a mirrored landscape of incomplete trees crossing each others. Material: Semi Worsted Wool(2/240) from New Zealand, Tencel Craft: hand-tufted
Wool
Dame Zandra Rhodes Energy Garden Daisies 1.8 x 1.8 ft hand-tufted Wool Rug
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
FULI Carpet and Dame Zandra Rhodes, is an extension of this classic pattern onto the carpet medium. The four-leaf daisy symbolizes innocence and purity. Dame Zandra uses a single con...
Wool, Silk
Dame Zandra Rhodes Energy Garden Daisies 2 x 2 ft hand-tufted Wool Rug
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
FULI Carpet and Dame Zandra Rhodes, is an extension of this classic pattern onto the carpet medium. The four-leaf daisy symbolizes innocence and purity. Dame Zandra uses a single con...
Wool, Silk
Rug Night Out Red - Modern Geometric Grey Wool with Red Moon and Lines carpet
By Carpets CC
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Design Title: "Night Out Red" from Freedom Collection This is one of four rugs from the "Freedom Collection" which was inspired by the book from the author Ms. Yeonmi Park on her es...
Wool
Contemporary European Inspired Tibetan Handmade Wool Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary European inspired Tibetan handmade wool rug by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 10'0" × 14'10" (304 × 452 cm). This monumental modern rug, although presently made, relies on trad...
Wool, Silk
Oversized Contemporary Gray Wool and Silk Tibetan Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Oversized Contemporary Gray Wool and Silk Tibetan Rug – Understated Sophistication with Subtle by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 15'1" × 24'8" (459 × 751 cm) Elevate your interior with thi...
Wool, Silk
Modern Hand-Knotted Silk Runner by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Hand-Knotted Silk Runner – Subtle Cloud Motif in Ivory by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 4'7" × 14'1" (139 × 429 cm) This contemporary silk runner is a testament to artisanal craftsm...
Silk
La Lomita carpet, Hand Knotted, 200knots, Wool and Silk, Liliana Ovalle
Located in Milan, Lombardy
This rug is made of wool and silk. A very rich carpet that represents the succession of houses in the suburbs of Mexico City. From year to year these houses are painted with the avai...
Wool
Contemporary Geometric Terra Rug in Natural Wool by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Geometric Terra rug in natural wool by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 14'0" × 24'0" (426 × 731 cm) Crafted with meticulous care in India, this contemporary wool rug offers a st...
Wool
Microcosme Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 100 Kpi, Matali Crasset
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Microcosme by Matali Crasset is an abstract reinterpretation of the foliage of a backlit tree, resulting as in the effect of a diffraction that leaves the imagination to run free, ye...
Wool
$16,534 / item
Rhizomes 3 Hand Knotted Rug by Charlotte Culot
Located in Geneve, CH
Rhizomes 3 hand knotted rug by Charlotte Culot Edition: 8 Signed Dimensions: 155 x 190 cm Materials: Silk, wool, linen, allo Hand knotted. Available in 155 x 190 cm, 200 x 250 cm, a...
Wool, Linen, Silk
Contemporary Flower Garden Silk Rug by Suzanne Lovell for Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary Flower Garden Beige Silk rug by Suzanne Lovell for Doris Leslie Blau Size: 9'0" × 12'0" (274 × 365 cm) Inspiration comes from many places, and this one was inspired by a Carlo Bugatti table...
Silk
Modern Tibetan Patchwork Rug in Earth Tones by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Tibetan Patchwork Rug in Earth Tones by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 6'0" × 9'0" (182 × 274 cm). A captivating study in texture, tone, and rhythm, this modern Tibetan rug exudes q...
Wool, Silk
Modern Art Deco Tibetan Rug with Greek Key Design by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Art Deco Tibetan Rug with Greek Key Design by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 6'0" × 9'4" (182 × 284 cm). Echoing the timeless elegance of Art Deco geometry with a contemporary sensi...
Wool, Silk
Modern Taupe Rug in Wool and Silk by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Taupe rug in wool and silk by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 10'0" × 14'0" (304 × 426 cm), A modern masterpiece that seamlessly blends understated elegance with luxurious craftsmans...
Silk
Contemporary S10 Tibetan Floral Design Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary S10 Tibetan floral design rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 8'0" × 9'10" (243 × 299 cm). S10 Tibetan rug can boast of impeccable workmanship. It was carefully handwoven of...
Wool, Silk
Contemporary Abstract Handmade Silk and Wool Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary abstract handmade silk and wool rug by Doris Leslie Blau. Size: 10'2" × 14'2" (309 × 431 cm). This high-end modern rug is a standout piece from Doris Leslie Blau Collect...
Wool, Silk
Modern Beige High-low Knotted Wool Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Beige High-low Knotted Wool Rug by Doris Leslie Blau Size : 12'2" × 12'1" (370 × 368 cm). Contemporary are among the most popular types of carpets and it is not difficult to s...
Wool
Modern Striped Grey Handmade Wool and Silk Custom Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern striped grey handmade wool and silk custom rug by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 9'0" x 12'0" (274 × 365 cm) Contemporary rugs can be found in all shapes and sizes. Their fascinating...
Wool, Silk
Contemporary Beige and White Flat-Weave Wool Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary beige and white flat-weave wool rug by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 4'0" x 6'7" (121 x 200 cm) Such an enchanting composition as this modern flat-weave rug will not leave any...
Wool, Silk
Dodecaedro Carpet, Limit Ed, Handknot, 200kn, Wool+Bamboo Silk, Lanzavecchia+Wai
Located in Milan, Lombardy
From Polyhedra series by Lanzavecchia+Wai, Dodecaedro brings back an ideal and perfect three-dimensional solid to a two-dimensional dimension, on the surface of the carpet, recreatin...
Wool
Aldo Cibic Wonder Landscapes Collection Slimmy 10×8 ft hand-tufted Wool rug
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Shanghai, Shanghai
The inspiration comes from the idea of a geometric reed bed composed by a group of canes with different sizes. Material: Semi Worsted Wool (2/240) from New Zealand, Tencel Craft: ...
Wool, Silk
Lace with a Carpet Face Carpet, Hand Knotted in Silk, 100 Kpi, Nika Zupanc
By Nika Zupanc
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Lace with a carpet face designed by Nika Zupanc is produced in Nepal and it's a hand knotted rug in Chinese silk, 100 kpi. Completely realized in Chinese silk, this carpet has been realized in a rectangular shapes and then handcut and sewn to stop warp and weft...
Silk
Modern Silk Fragment Runner by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Silk Fragment Runner by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 1'8" × 11'0" (50 × 335 cm) Bring delicate elegance and subtle artistry into your space with this exquisite Modern Silk Fragment...
Silk
Modern Traditional Red Wool & Silk Rug by Doris Leslie Blau
Located in New York, NY
Modern Traditional Red Wool & Silk Rug – Hand-Knotted Masterpiece by Doris Leslie Blau Size: 8'0" × 9'9" (243 × 297 cm) Bold in color yet refined in execution, this exquisite mod...
Wool, Silk
Jamil Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 150 Kpi, Marta Laudani and Marco Romanelli
By Marco Romanelli, Marta Laudani
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Marta Laudani and Marco Romanelli salute the Arab manual tradition with the poetic embroidery-rug Jamil. A hand knotted carpet in wool from Nodus 2012 collection, 150 knots/inch², p...
Wool
Roots Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 100 Kpi, Matali Crasset
Located in Milan, Lombardy
The french designer Matali Crasset has collaborated for the first time with contemporary rug company Nodus in 2011 to create ‘Roots’. The woolen rug has four levels of height giving...
Wool
Poeta Carpet, Hand Knotted, 100knots, Wool, Pietro Derossi
By Pietro Derossi
Located in Milan, Lombardy
The Oltre carpets by MarCo Carini present a natural weave, both hand knotted with 100 knots per sqm The chosen colors for this project are blend of tea,...
Wool
2010s Zig Zag Modern Contemporary American Hooked Rug 6'x9' Woven Cotton Carpet
Located in New York, NY
Handmade American Hooked rug, measures: 6 x 9.
Cotton
Decoro Elastico, Hand Knotted in Wool, 100 Kpi, Lorenzo Damiani
Located in Milan, Lombardy
The rigidity of finely delimited spaces and the softness of a perfectible character. Here is the play of opposing tones, with complementary characters, to generate hard yet sinuous p...
Wool
21st Century Modern Contemporary Rug
Located in Paradise Valley, AZ
Modern contemporary rug woven with pure New Zealand wool and silk. The art nouveau palm design and neutral color palette make this rug the perfect complement to a minimalist, modern ...
Wool, Silk
21st Century Modern Contemporary Rug
Located in Paradise Valley, AZ
Modern contemporary rug woven with pure New Zealand wool and silk. The clean lines and neutral color palette make this rug the perfect complement to a minimalist, modern décor. S...
Wool, Silk
21st Century Modern Abstract Rug
Located in Paradise Valley, AZ
Modern abstract rug woven with pure New Zealand wool and silk. The unique design and neutral color palette make this rug the perfect complement to ...
Wool, Silk
$2,149 / item
Points, Handtufted, Aoi Huber Kono
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Points carpet, from Nodus 2012 collection, design by Aoi Huber Kono is a handtufted carpet in wool, pile height 100mm Made in India. Measures: 100 x 350cm.
Wool
Afghan Folklore Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 100 Kpi, Jamie Hayon
By Jaime Hayon
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Afghan Folklore carpet designer Jamie Hayon said "with my new design for nodus in collaboration with artisans of Afghanistan, I explore the folklore of the...
Wool
Barber Wire Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool and Silk, 100 Knots, Studio Job
By Studio Job (Job Smeets & Nynke Tynagel)
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Barbed wire is designed by Studio Job. It’s a hand knotted rug at 100 knots per square inch. The shape is round and the size is 220 cm. The pile height is 6 mm. The white background...
Wool, Silk
Noaidi Carpet, Handknot, Wool, Viscose, 100 Knots, Sebastian Jansson
By Sebastian Jansson
Located in Milan, Lombardy
The Finnish Sebastian Jannson in his carpet "Noaidi" talks about Lappish folklore, creatively reproducing the shamans' drum of the Sami people, and introducing colors and contaminati...
Other
Human Circle, Inferno Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 200 Knots
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Gianni Veneziano and Luciana Di Virgilio put at the center of their creation the man, placing him inside a vortex, a Dante's circle that sucks him in the underworld. Circular in shap...
Wool
$5,440Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary Area Rug in Blues, Handmade of Silk-Pashmina-Wool, "Hello Gorgeous"
Located in New York , NY
Contemporary Area Rug in Blues, Handmade of Silk-Pashmina-Wool, "Hello Gorgeous" “Spending time in my garden anxiously awaiting for new flowers to bloom or plants to grow, I noticed...
Other
Thanks a Bunch Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 150 Knots, Studio Job
By Studio Job (Job Smeets & Nynke Tynagel)
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Thanks a bunch is designed by Studio Job. It’s a hand knotted rug at 150 knots per square inch. The shape is round and the size is 220 cm. The pile height is 5 mm. It is manufactured in Nepal. This rug is a demistification of the Classic gift for women...
Wool
Human Cirlce: Inferno carpet, Handknot in Wool, 200 Kn, Veneziano & Di Virgilio
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Gianni Veneziano and Luciana Di Virgilio have also explored the deeply symbolic valence of the sphere, however using it as the space for a humanistic reflection on the infinite confr...
Wool
Oltre, Sunny Carpet, Handknotted, 100knots, Hemp, MarCo Carini
By Marco Carini
Located in Milan, Lombardy
The Oltre carpets by MarCo Carini present a natural weave, both hand knotted with 100 knots per sqm The chosen colors for this project are blend of tea,...
Hemp
Annapurna Carpet, Handknot, Himalayan Wool, 60 Knots, Bartoli Design
Located in Milan, Lombardy
This rug is hand knotted in Himalayan undyed wool. The combinations of the 9 colors of the Himalayan undyed line create a rug inspired by the fractured rocks of the Tibetan plateau....
Wool
Tacua Fukushimae, Hand Knot, Wool and Bamboo Silk, 200 Kpi, 1, Lanzavecchia +Wai
Located in Milan, Lombardy
‘Mutazioni’ is a collection of two carpets displaying a top-down view of fictitious insects: One is Tacua Fukushimae. Measures: 85 x 3 m. This arthropod animal has been conceived fr...
Wool, Bamboo
Annapurna Carpet, Hand Knotted, Himalayan Wool, 60 Knots, Bartoli Design
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Annapurna carpets by Bartoli design are hand knotted in Himalayan undyed wool, hand knotted with 60 knots per sqm Special treatments are reserved for this kind of material, and it g...
Wool
$3,581 / item
Human Circle, Paradiso Carpet, Handtufted in Wool
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Ianni Veneziano and Luciana Di Virgilio explore the strongly symbolic value of the sphere, using it as a space for humanistic reflection on the infinite relationship of man and woman...
Wool
$3,581 / item
Human Circle Paradiso Carpet, Handtufted in Wool
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Gianni Veneziano and Luciana Di Virgilio put at the center of their creation the man, placing him inside a vortex, a Dante's circle that sucks him in the underworld. Circular in shap...
Wool
Luxury Modern Hand-Knotted Wave Glass 10x14 Rug
Located in Secaucus, NJ
A subtle sense of texture is created in this sophisticated hand-woven rug. Contemporary pattern and updated neutral tones that work perfectly in any setting. Both touch and sight are...
Wool