International Style

The International Style was codified by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson in their landmark 1932 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The style synthesized the architectural innovations of Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and J.J.P. Oud into a coherent aesthetic program emphasizing volume enclosed by thin planes rather than mass, regularity rather than symmetry, and the elimination of applied ornament. Mies's Barcelona Pavilion and Farnsworth House became touchstones, embodying his famous dictum "less is more." The International Style's influence on contemporary interior design is so pervasive that many of its principles are simply considered default modern practice. Open floor plans, floor-to-ceiling windows, minimal decoration, and an emphasis on spatial flow all derive from International Style thinking. To create International Style interiors, focus on clean unadorned surfaces, flexible open spaces, and furniture that expresses structural logic. Iconic pieces like the Barcelona Chair, Brno Chair, and LC series by Le Corbusier remain definitive. The style demands exceptional material quality and precise detailing since there is no ornament to distract from imperfections.