Original vs Reproduction or Knock-Off

Here at Modern Classics Furniture, we are not just another website selling modern classic furniture reproductions - nor are we purchasing from a large network of contract manufacturers.We actually make the product. This is an important distinction.

The Originals

The Modern Classic furniture pieces that we offer today have reached a state of “Public Domain”. Some of these designs may have held only limited and narrow product design patent claims with 12 – 14 year patent authority. But in fact, most of these designs held no design patents at the time of their market introductions which includes most of the furniture designs conducted by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray and Marcel Breuer, for example. All of the designs we offer have no current “technical manufacturing product design specific” registrations. This allows us to make these items as design inspirations to the original design, but not an exact replica due to current market expectations of comfort, environmental concerns, higher grades of raw materials and more modern manufacturing techniques. If we did produce some of the “original” designs to the original product blueprints from 45 – 80 years ago, we would be using mild steel tubing - perhaps spot-welded or bolted together, cushions stuffed of horsehair and straw, etc. An actual “original” of any of the items that we produce would date back to the original production runs of the design, perhaps 80 years ago, and thus, are no longer in production from the original manufacturing factory today. To be clear, the “Originals” are near-priceless pieces of furniture found today in museums and exclusive private collections.

The Knock-offs

Modern Classic Furniture specializes in manufacturing and selling only in the highest quality, best value furniture inspired by the iconic classics of the Modern furniture era on the market today. We are not selling someone else's imported products, but our own manufactured pieces. Utilizing the expertise of master craftsmen, who join us from around the world, coupled with the best selection of raw materials sourced from around the world, we are able to bring you the best prices for high quality furniture craftsmanship you may find anywhere. To say our furniture models are “knock-offs” implies that someone else is making the “real ones” somewhere, which is, simply stated, not correct. We view our furniture models as setting a new, higher standard for Mid-Century Modern Furniture, but certainly not as a knock-offs.

Our Furniture

We are committed to creating furniture designs reminiscent the appearance, scale and function of the original designs of the Bauhaus / Modernist Classic Era as close as humanly possible. We use only the finest materials and craftspeople available. The end result is a high quality piece of furniture that equals or exceeds the manufacturing standards of any other on the market. We offer a value that is in keeping with the original designers with the intent of bringing high quality furniture to the consumer at a price that is reasonably accessible to most furnishing budgets.