Contemporary style furnishings with solid oak furniture

Saying solid oak furnitureyou might think it couldn't cope with the current style. And that the massiveness of oak can't be associated with the minimalist style so popular today. Far from it. Oak is a versatile wood with which an inspired designer can "play" with different themes, from classical to contemporary or futuristic. You may wonder why I avoid the term modern when talking about the current style? Because in design, as in art, modern is not synonymous with contemporary.

Differences between modern and contemporary design

When we say modern When we talk about art or design, we refer to a movement whose heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s. The modernist period was much longer, starting in the 1920s - the Art Deco being a modernist style - and reaching into the late 1970s. It was the style that introduced minimalist design, wide and airy spaces, bright colours.

Contemporary style refers to the style of the period we live in or in the near future. While everything that represents the modernist period is past and can be precisely defined, contemporary style lives every day, draws its lines and trends, and is constantly changing. It can be referred to now, but it will be described with features, similarities and personal imprint when it is spoken of in the past.

Features of contemporary style

In many ways, contemporary interior design resembles modern interior design. It has the same minimalist trend, with sparse, accent furniture. Straight, clean, architectural lines are present. Ornaments and curved lines are still seen, as in the modern period, as a vestige of the past, of opulent bourgeois styles. The open spaces are preserved, clearly defined, the transition from one space to another is invisible, the destination of each surface is marked by pieces of furniture or decoration.

But there are differences. Whereas in the modern style, wood was the furniture, now wood is combined with metal or glass, often letting them dominate. Colours are no longer the earthy, vivid patches of colour we find in nature - rust, olive green, turquoise blue - but white, black and grey predominate. We still have patches of colour, but they are smaller and much stronger, fuller - orange, red, purple.

Contemporary design with solid oak furniture

Solid oak furniture has gradually transformed from the curved lines of classic furniture and the heavy, simple and slightly rough look of the rustic furnitureto the simple, straight lines of contemporary style. Pieces of furniture begin to make their way up the wall, seeming to float above the floor. Oak combines with metal and glass to create a new look. month located on the border between the thin and the solid.

Furniture in contemporary spaces no longer has to fill every corner at all costs. And this time less is more. The fact that the furniture isn't lots of it and cramped makes each piece stand out, show its value. Oak can be seen and admired in all its beauty, and used in contrast to metal it amplifies the warm feeling.

The oak-glass combinations greatly reduce the feeling of massiveness, the weight of the wood. The glass adds transparency, "breaking up" the pieces. Replacing the legs with glass creates the illusion of floating, making the furniture appear much lighter.

With no frills, straight lines and not many clues as to their purpose, solid oak furniture pieces can define spaces with the help of decorative pieces, audio-visual equipment or positioning. The same table can be a dining place surrounded by six chairs or a desk when it has fewer. Two chests of drawers and a worktop can be a kitchen, and a generous sofa and a TV can 'build' a living room.

We are pleased to discover this approach to solid oak furniture in Romania. Until recently we used to see the same kind of classic oak furniture at trade fairs, heavy bedrooms, massive chests of drawers, curved lines and carvings. Things have been changing for a while now. First came oak tables combined with metal, glass, resin or plastic.

One such example of a change in approach to solid oak furniture is the North Arin. The furniture presented at Milan Furniture Fair is perhaps the best example. Beams Collectionperfectly combines the idea of massive oak beams with minimalist furniture, which is why it was appreciated at an exhibition where it is not easy to impress.

It is not only this collection from the Nord Arin portfolio that can be very well adapted to a contemporary space. Combination tables with metal or glass, glass-legged chests of drawers, simple wall-mountable pieces are just a few examples. For interior design ideas the catalogue which you can download from the website can be useful.