Frank Lloyd Wright
George Nelson
Eames Design
Noguchi Lamps
Bauhaus Design
New ModernModern Furniture Design – A Brief History
Near the end of the nineteenth century, many changes were transpiring the world over. Social change, new inventions, and new philosophies helped pave the way for innovations in many different fields, among them furniture design. These new methods would take a while to come to fruition, more specifically in the Bauhaus Schools in Germany during the 1920’s.
Previously, furniture design in the West consisted of using deep, dark woods, extravagant fabrics, and heavy ornamentation in order to suggest longevity, durability, and lineage. These aesthetic values reflected what was revered by a worldview that many people in the West no longer shared.
Traditional furniture design placed emphasis on lineage and durability, which were seen by modernists as antiquated views that reinforced hierarchical values of past monarchies, not the people who actually used the pieces on a daily basis.
Modern furniture design came from the modernist viewpoint that ultimately viewed form and function as nearly synonymous. Integrating Eastern cultures’ used of color, flat planes, and simplistic design to achieve a perfect marriage of form and function was the ideal way to reject the past and move forward into uncharted territory as far as art and design was concerned.
During the 1920’s the Bauhaus School of Architecture and Design moved places and leaders several times, but the students of this revolutionary institution helped to make modern furniture design a lasting testament to the modernist philosophy. At the time, Germany’s new liberal Weimar Republic sought to make a name for itself as a major producer among its more productive peers, England and the United States.
The idea was to merge sleek, modern design and mass production of high-quality products at a price that everyone would be able to afford. Though this goal was not fully met, its intentions inspired generations of designers to move forward with new and innovative designs.
Materials for designing furniture changed during this period of innovation, and included plastics, metal, and formed plywood as mediums for the bold new designs. These materials certainly helped propel both the success of the products, as well as the companies that made said materials.
Modern furniture design lives on in nearly every aspect of our lives, from the simple and functional designs of Eurway and Ikea furnishings, to the African and Asian-inspired minimalism found at Pier One and World Market. Modern furnishings and the ideals behind them have flourished, and they continue to do so.
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This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of art careers. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com
Florence Knoll was an American architect and furniture designer who studied under the likes of Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen. In 1943 she joined with her husband Hans Knoll in redirecting Hans's furniture company more toward a modernist, Scandinavian style. Her American interpretation of minimalist, rationalist design theories is clearly evident in Knoll's storage pieces. She mixed woods and metals to great effect and added laminates as they became popular. In the 1950's Florence Knoll's work was often displayed at the Museum of Modern Art's "Good Design" exhibits. Although Knoll did a great deal of residential work, the International Style she worked in was specially in successful corporate offices. Knoll's vision for the new office was clean and uncluttered, and the corporate boom of the 1960's provided the perfect opportunity for her to change the way people looked at work in their offices. Florence Knoll was in charge of Knoll International, a leading American furniture design company, from 1953 to 1965.
Frank Lloyd Wright
George Nelson
Eames Design
Noguchi Lamps
Bauhaus Design
New Modern
