How Modern Furniture Has Changed Through the Years
The late 1800’s was dominated by the ornate Victorian era. The industrial revolution in the United States and Europe mass produced every thing from clothing to household goods to transportation. A group of designers in England lead by William Morris began the International Arts and Crafts Movement to promote quality of workmanship and simplicity of style that would be available to every one. Gustva Stickley visited Europe and brought back the design ideas he had seen. He began making furniture utilizing the principal of simplicity and craftsmanship known as the arts and crafts or Mission Style. Other American designers of the time included Frank Lloyd Wright and Elbert Hubbard. Their designs were copied and mass produced at prices that were affordable to average people. This style continued until just before the onset of World War I.
During the 1920’s Art Nouveau influenced art and architecture. It was defined by the use of the modern materials and technologies that were emerging as well as whiplash curves imitating flora and fauna. It reflected a sense of liberation from war and the promise of prosperity. It reflected the whimsical care free attitude of the time. However, this sense of care free abandon was an illusion that was shattered by the Great Depression.
Art Deco began as a modernist reaction to Art Nouveau. Art Deco used geometrical shapes and modern materials such as plastic and metal to create a more symmetrical line to architecture and graphic arts. The Chrysler Building and Radio City Music Hall are examples of Art Deco architecture. Art Deco home furnishings began using mass produced chrome and molded plastic to bring the modern world into every home. Jewelry and home furnishings made of Bakelite became affordable. During World War II the energy and resources of the US were focused on supplying the war effort so people made do with what they had.
After 1945, Americans wanted homes of their own and furniture for those homes. They wanted them immediately. Track housing began popping up all over the US furnished with metal, bright colored plastic and fiber glass. Furniture had to be mass produced and simple. It had to be modern. Over stuffed chairs and sofas had been replaced. Heavy curtains made way for metal Venetian blinds. Cheaper synthetic fabrics took the place of natural fibers in upholstery. They were more durable and easier to keep. Another fixture of American life that appeared during the 1950’s was the television which had a prominent place in most households. TV’s were big, utilitarian and modern.
People could now watch the world go by from the comfort of their own living room where they could spend a lot of their leisure time. They found they needed more comfortable seating. That did not mean that they wanted to go back to rocking chairs with rocking chair cushions, but maybe functional and linear could be improved on. Maybe some of the cushions and even more modern fabrics could work with the molded plastics and metals. Now we have contemporary furniture that applies modern technology to the age old quest for comfort and style.
How will our desire and, in fact, our need to be aware of our environment and our ecology reflect in how we chose to furnish our homes in the future? One thing is certain…there will be style.
For more information on modern furniture and all other types of furniture you can visit rissla.com. This article was submitted by Dan Rissla, a regular contributor to Rissla.