Defining Modern Furniture — Characteristics & Features
Over the last few years, modern furniture has been making a resurgence in the popular trends. Looking back at its origins in the early 1900s with the Bauhaus school of design, it is easy to see why this specific style of furniture is popular today. The modern design was a stark contrast and a rebellion against the ornate designs that dominated the years past, particularly art deco with its ornamentations and flourishes. In contrast, modern style furniture embraces a simpler, cleaner look where the emphasis is on function over form.
Principles of Modern Furniture
· Minimalist Design
· Clean, Straight Lines
· Smooth Surfaces
· Materials Include both Woods and Metals
· Warm Neutral Colors, Accented by Vivid Hues
Modern Design Refers to a Distinct Period
The modern era of design was popular from the early 1900s to the mid-20th century. It can trace its roots to both Scandinavian and German design and was the inspiration for mid century modern furniture, popular between the 1940s and 1960s, and post-modern furniture. Around the mid century, we truly embraced modernism by harnessing the capability and convenience of machinery to offer affordable housing and furniture solutions. In turn, this influenced interiors, architecture, art, and furnishings during this period.
Modern Design Favours Open Floor Plans
In line with the modern design being minimalist, it works well in open areas with few walls. Instead of using walls to partition and differentiate spaces, furniture is used. A kitchen counter, for example, can provide clear separation from the living room while still being functional. The area also needs to feel open and airy, which makes natural light that much more important. With simple and elegant pieces of furniture, the net effect is a space that feels distinctively modern and ahead of its time.
Furniture Comes from Natural Materials.
The modern design era ushered in new materials that were then used to construct furniture. Instead of just solid wood, artisans started using moulded plywood, steel and even plastic in a bid to achieve a balance between function and aesthetics. The focus was on making every piece practical but still appealing, as embodied by the Wassily chair — a 1925 seamless tubular steel chair that redefined furniture design. The Eames chair was another popular piece that defined this era — made in 1956 from moulded plywood and leather with the goal of developing furniture that was both affordable and able to be mass-produced.
A Lasting Legacy
The tulip chair remains one of the most popular pieces of modern furniture today from the era. In stark contrast with the chairs that were developed before it, the tulip chair was made of fibreglass-reinforced resin and featured only one leg in the centre. Although fondly attached to the mid-century modern design specifically, it embodies the shift in furniture design throughout the era of modern furniture.
