A premier online retailer of contemporary living and dining room furniture.

Online since:       2005
Items in stock:    About 3,000
Free shipping?   Yes (for most items)
Ships to:               Continental USA

Specializing in modern furniture and home decor.

Online since:       1996
Items in stock:    About 6,000
Free shipping?   Yes (for orders over $50)
Ships to:               US (excluding Alaska & Hawaii)

Offers modern style, eco-friendly home furnishings.

Online since:       2004
Items in stock:    About 350
Free shipping?   No
Ships to:               Worldwide

Luxury home furnishings catalog featuring high end furniture and accessories.


Online since:       2003
Items in stock:    About 1,300
Free shipping?   Yes (in 48 contiguous states)
Ships to:               US and Puerto Rico

Good selection of modern furnishings.

Online since:       2005
Items in stock:    About 9,200
Free shipping?   Depends on the item.
Ships to:               US

Online source for Calligaris - Italian trendy furniture.

Online since:       1999
Items in stock:    About 200
Free shipping?   No
Ships to:               US

Designers consider the furniture known as contemporary to be that created during the period from the 1920's to the present day. 

Much more than a time period in the history of furniture making, modern furniture is a change in style, from visually heavy to visually light. 
Materials in this category tend to be 'new' materials, such as plastic, glass and metal as opposed to wood or heavily upholstered pieces.

It relies less on added decorations such as fringe, carved woods and other embellishments than it does on the beauty of clean lines and smooth surfaces.

This style focuses on functionality, often encouraging two or more purposes in a single piece. 
For example, a bedside nightstand of smooth glass surfaces with a metal framework can be positioned so as to use it to hold a breakfast tray for eating in bed.

The shapes of today's modern pieces tend to be more clean, smooth & geometric in nature.
There's a strong emphasis on practicality, comfort and simplicity.
No wonder that it's the most popular furnishing style in most American households.

Many leading brands are European (Italian, Danish, etc), but naturally there are a lot of extremely successful American designers and manufacturers too.
Although luxury items can be quite expensive, the prices of many of the pieces became much more affordable to the average US family.
 
Designer furniture is that produced by a skilled or famous designer who does not necessarily have to be a furniture designer, although it usually is done by a person who has some connection with fashion or design. There are several reasons why people purchase designer furniture.

Aside from its obvious excellent quality, this furniture possesses a more contemporary appeal.
It often features that unique personality of its creator and many times it's the main consideration when making a purchase.
This genre can actually display a nice blend of comfort and style.
Although it was manufactured to catch your attention, you will still be surprised at how functional it can be.

The internet is jam packed with online shopping sites which are exclusively dedicated to high quality imported and domestic made modern furniture.
These retailers offer a large selection of pieces, made by some of the leading designers, for each and every room of the house, taste and budget.

Since the net is a very competitive environment, prices are low in general and a lot of furniture and home décor shopping sites offer cheap / discounted items for sale, free delivery, special deals and real bargains.
Many of them even offer various financing plans, which make your home design task more affordable.

Browsing the catalog is pretty easy.
All you have to do is choosing a relevant room category and start examining the actual designs.
A typical contemporary furniture store would include the following categories:

Living Room: Sofas, ottomans, footstools, loveseats, bookcases, various table types, benches, chairs, recliners and cabinets.

Bedroom: All sorts of beds & headboards, bedroom vanities, armoires, dressers, chests, nightstands, trunks and wardrobe closets.

Dining Room: Dinette sets, china cabinets, dining chairs & tables and sideboards.

Kitchen: Bakers racks, stools, buffets, kitchen islands and serving carts.

Home Theater: TV & audio cabinets, entertainment centers, CD & DVD storage items & TV armoires, stands and turntables.

Accents: Accent tables, benches and seating, game and nesting tables.

Bathroom: Furniture sets, caddies, sinks, vanity and accessories.

All the stores which are listed here are credible, trustworthy & safe, however, it's still wise to look into the following points in order to avoid unnecessary headaches and disappointments.

Shipping - Does the store ship only within the US? (Many shops can't deliver furniture to Alaska & Hawaii).

Does the store ship internationally? Does it ship to APO / FPO addresses?
How do they ship? There are several methods like: UPS, truck, White Glove deliveries and others.
How long does it take to deliver?
How much does the shipping actually cost (in some cases, it's totally free of charge).
Does the shipping fee include assembly, if needed?

Warranty – Is there a clear and reasonable warranty or a guarantee policy?

Cancellations – What happens if you want to cancel your order? Is it possible? Is there an easy process for that procedure? Is there a fine for cancelling?

Returns – Can you return an item if you're not satisfied? Is there a restocking fee?

Customer Service – Is there a clear number of the customer service department in case there's a problem?

FAQ – Does the store have a detailed FAQ section which answers most common questions?

Satisfaction Guarantee – Many stores offer satisfaction / money back guarantee (always a major plus).

Lowest Price Guarantee – Some stores offer it and it's an important added value for a lot of consumers.