Furniture design, from classic to contemporary

Furniture design has been an important part of our experiences since ancient times. It seems that every one of us has a kernel of creativity hidden deep in our DNA and so, over time, countless clear styles or blends with characteristics derived from several styles. Some of them have faded so strongly from collective memory that we can only see them in museums. Others have been reproduced and reinterpreted so often that their quality and/or embedded ideas have in fact been validated. Some of them have very little differentiation and you may have heard "Victorian style" or "Bauhaus-inspired" mentioned in some discussions, but you would never be able to visually place them without an internet search.

This article attempts to review some of the styles that have influenced the exploitation of habitable space over the last few millennia and to highlight their particularities in order to make them more recognizable. I will also try to use some examples to make identification easier.

Ancient Egypt (3000-2000 BC)

When we think of the Egyptian style, we picture golden ornaments similar to the stories written on the walls of the pyramids built for the pharaohs. What few people know is that the common people used considerably simpler furniture than that shown in the images of this style. Beech and mahogany wood, gold and colored hieroglyphic ornamentation (usually gods, goddesses or animals), gold inlays, mosaic designs and pearls are some of the hallmarks of this style.

Ancient Greece (2000-300 BC)

The Hellenic style is easy to position thanks to the famous seat Klismos (first on the left) which has been reinterpreted by almost all subsequent generations and remains an inspiration for future object designers to come. The spiral, labyrinth motif and the influences of mathematics in both form and decoration make the pieces elegant and tasteful. In addition, the Greeks emphasized ergonomics over appearance.

Middle Ages (500-1000)

Rigid, parallelepipedic and with lots of carved wooden ornaments, the medieval style distinguished itself enough not to be copied later. The dominant color tones were grey, beige and black. Curved or circular forms were used in isolated cases.

Renaissance (1350-1550)

Along with other arts, the Italian Renaissance of the 14th-15th centuries left its mark on furniture design inspired by Greco-Roman traditions. From the 15th century onwards, similar movements took place in northern Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France). The direction was distinctly different from the Middle Ages, emphasizing opulence and carved ornament with a floral or vegetal theme. Such pieces often showcased the craftsmanship of the carpenter.

Jacobean style (1567-1625)

After the Renaissance there was a gradual shift towards less ornamentation. In Britain, table legs were made straighter and thinner than before, and the technique of spiral lathe turning gained ground. In general the profiles of the pieces became lower and more square.

Colonial style (1500-1754)

On the other side of the ocean, in what was to become the United States of America, immigrants brought with them inspirational pieces Jacobin and Carolian. In general they were the sturdier, tougher versions of the pieces at home. The more utilitarian look, with only a few ornaments, easily disguises the period they belong to.

Rococo style (1725-1775)

In the 18th century furniture design took off, and although some styles are exclusive to the countries in which they originated (Palladian in the UK, Louis 15th in France) others, such as Rococo and Neoclassical spread throughout Europe. Thus the term '18th century furniture' refers to a wide variety of styles (William and Mary, Queen Anne, Georgian, Chippendaleetc). This period is most readily associated with the heyday of the furniture designer and maker because of the exceptional examples of finishing, carving, ornamentation and joinery. The style has been presented extensively here.

Art Nouveau (1890 - 1914)

The style name comes from French, meaning new art. It originated towards the end of the 19th century in Paris. The style was intended to be strongly influenced by the lithographs of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, whose images with many curved lines were seen as a departure from the academic lines of the time. Art Nouveau furniture He made extensive use of straight and curved lines for ornaments, while hardwood and iron were used to provide sturdy, yet slender, structures for furniture pieces. Its characteristics include sophisticated detailing, straight and curved lines in ornaments, inlays and veneers, the use of hardwood and iron.

Bauhaus style (1919 - 1933)

Thanks to the availability of a much wider palette of materials, as well as a growing awareness of historical and cross-cultural aesthetics, 20th century furniture is much more diverse (aesthetically) than in previous centuries. Its first 75 years are characterized by styles Art Deco, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Wiener Werkstatte andi Vienna, all working to some extent with the idiom Modernist. The Bauhaus School was founded in Weimar by Walter Gropius. Despite the name and the fact that the founder was an architect, the Bauhaus movement revolved around the idea of a 'total' work of art, in which all types of art (painting, music, design, etc.) come together. Bauhaus furniture design thus became one of the most influential styles in modern design. The Bauhaus style is characterized by minimalism and lack of ornamentation, natural, organic materials, round and smooth shapes, the predominant use of black and the illusion that objects were produced in factories as mass-produced products, although they were hand-made.

Art Deco ( 1925 - 1940)

The Art Deco movement began in Paris in the 1920s and was an embodiment of the elegance, charm, functionality and modernity of the time. With its symmetrical lines, the style was a distinct departure from the asymmetrical and organic curves of Art Nouveau, its predecessor. In the late 1930s - early 1940s, the Art Deco style suffered a decline in popularity when it began to be perceived as a false image of luxury, ending with the austere times of World War II. The defining elements of the style are functional and practical design, construction on geometric shapes, new (aluminum, steel, plastic, lacquer) and exotic (shark or zebra skin) materials.

Modern Style (1930 - 1945)

A descendant of the Bauhaus and Art Deco styles, the Modernist style emerged in the aftermath of World War II, taking advantage of new materials (plastic, fiberglass, tackleModern furniture thus moves from the use of dark, carved wood, adorned with many details, to the simplicity and geometry of polished metal. The new forms breathed novelty, originality and innovation, ultimately conveying the present and the future and not the past, like the Renaissance styles. The increased interest in new and innovative materials led to a symbiosis between technology and art, and the use of these materials (such as steel in its many forms or plywood and plastic) were instrumental in defining the Modernist style, sometimes considered shocking (especially in contrast to what had come before).

Contemporary Style (1980 - present)

Contemporary style is often associated with Scandinavian design. Simplicity and functionality are two of the guiding principles that shape Nordic design. The defining characteristics of the style include the use of natural materials, with a high proportion of wood. Warm tones, simple and clean lines are favored. Shapes emphasize ergonomic optimization of parts in operation.

Technological developments have driven us to be more and more creative; to compete fiercely with our peers and keep up with global trends. In a quick comparison you can see how architectural and design styles from ancient times to today cover smaller and smaller slices of time. If you were a carpenter in ancient Greece you probably made one style of furniture all your life and didn't get to innovate very much. Today we have advanced technologies and materials that allow us to create ever bolder shapes or structures.