Below are three early, famous iconic examples of modern furniture.
Eileen Gray’s Side Table
Eileen Gray designed a home for herself and Jean Badovici in France called the E-1027. For the guest room, she designed a special side table in 1927 at the request of her sister. The asymmetry of the table is typical of her ‘non-conformist’ style but has specific utility because it not only functions as a side table, but is also made so it can be adapted to use for eating breakfast in bed.
Noguchi Coffee Table
This Noguchi Coffee Table is one of the most sought after pieces of modern furniture in history. Noguchi was a half-American, half-Japanese modern furniture designer, famous for organic modern designs.
The Barcelona Chair
The Barcelona Chair is the piece of modern furniture most associated with the famous Bauhaus design. It was designed in 1929 by Lilly Reich and Mies Van Der Rohe in Barcelona for a design fair and they dedicated its design to the Spanish royal family. Apparently, it was inspired by the folding chairs of the Egyptian Pharaohs and the footstools of the Romans.
These three modern furniture icons are just a few of the famous modern furniture pieces admired by those who follow the modernism design movement.
The living room is arguably one of the most important rooms in your home, so one that you will want to get right. It’s the room where you and your family will congregate, one where you will welcome visitors and relax. The living room is a room where you will spend a lot of time and creates a lasting impression of you and your home.
Whether you decide to go for a more contemporary look with modern furniture or whether you choose to have a more traditional feel, these guidelines will help you decide how to arrange your furniture to get the best from your living room:
Although it may seem tedious, many people find it helpful to start by creating a floorplan of the room so they can see how things will look and fit in the room. This is especially helpful if you will be buying a few key pieces or even commissioning a new piece of furniture
Once you have your floorplan, decide upon a focal point to the room. This might be your entertainment centre such as where your television is located, or the fireplace or you may decide to use a large window, but decide upon your focal point
Arrange your furniture around the focal point. Ensure that your furniture complements the focal point but avoid unnecessary congestion
If you’re looking to learn about modern furniture, there is a great book by Fay Sweet called Vintage Furniture: Collecting & Living With Modern Design Classics.
The book contains an overview of modern furniture from the late 19th century when modern furniture designs were just starting to be introduced into production.
It includes a summary of all the early influencers such as the Bauhaus, Ruhlmann, Rietveld, Thonet and then onto the Scandinavian influencers such as Wegner, Aalto, Jacobsen and more. Charles and Ray Eames are included of course, as is Noguchi and other modern furniture greats.
Where you will find this book really comes into its own is with its sections on post- and pop-modernism. Since Ettore Sottsass passed away in December 2007, there have been many articles talking about Memphis design and this book will explain what everyone is talking about.
This book is an excellent tutor on classic and modern furniture design and one that should be highly recommended.
Alcoves can really make or break a room. If not used correctly, alcoves can be a waste of space and make a room look and feel unattractive.
On the other hand, when used properly alcoves can become a focal point of a room and enhance a room’s character, particularly when used correctly in conjunction with modern furniture.
Alcoves need to blend into a room. They make ideal architectural features and the lighting should be appropriate for the items stored in them. Alcoves don’t have to be limited to housing just a few shelves that quickly become covered in dust.
Have a look round our site for a few contemporary ideas. If you are looking for the sleek, minimalist look of modern furniture design, our slide open drawer shelves are ideal for shutting away all of the clutter. You could also have a combination of cupboards and shelves with some low level lighting for an atmospheric feel. Alternatively, you could go for the clean, simple lines of one or two select shelves.
Alcoves don’t have to ruin the contemporary feel you’re looking for.
Marcel Breuer began his career in the mid 1920’s as a teacher at Germany’s famous Bauhaus school of art, then moving on to London in 1935 where he designed furniture for the Isometric Unit Construction Company.
Breuer had a love of working with metal, but was told that the British market was too traditional to accept metal furniture into their homes at the time, so had to adapt to working with plywood.
Breuer took to working with wood so well that the first wave of designs he crafted are now seen by many as landmarks of design for the 20 Century. He created five pieces where he utilised the plywood to make the best out of the material, forming it into a fluid, sinuous design. The furniture pieces included an armchair and a nest of tables.
Although regarded as design icons now, Breuer was his own biggest critic and, much like with his earlier career, was full of doubts on the designs he was creating.