Furniture and Fittings Styles

A list of some the common furniture styles in chronological order;

• Baroque style (1600-1750’s)

•Shaker style (1820-1860’s)

•Victorian style (1840-1920’s)

•Art Nouveau style (1880-1910’s)

•Postmodern style (1960-1970’s)

•Modern style (1970-today)

Baroque Style

It had a marked effect upon furniture design throughout western Europe during the 17th century. The Baroque art began in Rome, Italy and spread to Spain, German, Australia, France and Britain.

Large wardrobes, cupboards, and cabinets had twisted columns, broken pediments, and heavy moldings.

In Baroque furniture the details are related to the whole; instead of a framework of unrelated surfaces, each detail contributes to the harmonious movement of the overall design.

Baroque is a style characterized by exaggeration ofMovementDecorative excessDramatic effectsChairs with high backs squared legs with curved, diagonal stretchersUse of curvaceous, arabesque forms (S and C-curves), scrolls and shells

Shaker styleIt represents a substantial contribution of the utilitarian lifestyle of the religious group, the United Society of Believers. The style is based on pure simplicity. It was created to be simple but useful.

Shaker furniture is simple and functional. It is made to show good craftsmanship and serve a purpose in the home.Common features in shaker style include:•Plain appearance•No decoration•Natural materials•Emphasis on function•Straight tapered legs

Victorian styleThis style of furniture was named after Queen Victoria who reigned over England from 1837-1901.It relies on more gothic forms with dark finishes, elaborate carving and heavy proportions

Ornamentation was extensive, mahogany and rosewood were often used, and to a lesser extent, oak. Late Victorian furniture was known for its straight lines and solid woods with dark stains and less upholstery than the earlier pieces. It was the first furniture style to be mass produced.

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau is French new art and it emerged in the late 19th century in Paris.

The style was said to be influenced strongly by the lithographs of Czech artist

Alphonse Mucha, whose flat imagery with strong curved lines was seen as a

move from the academic art of the time.

Art Nouveau furniture used lines and curves as graphical ornamentation and hard

woods and iron were commonly used to provide strong yet slim supporting

structures to a furniture pieces.

It is characterized by sudden curves and dynamic flowing lines and often

incorporates floral designs and natural forms such as branches, leaves, waves and

flames or vines.

Modern styleModern furniture originated under the modernist movement in the early 1900’s.

It often combines leather, vinyl, steel, moulded plywood and plastics with

monochromatic color scheme to create sleek and stylish interiors

Difference between modern and contemporary; Modern furniture design is a

defined style and will always refer to the modernist period of time, contemporary

furniture design however, refers to furniture that is popular and used now, in the

present.

Contemporary combines influences, trends, and new technologies without strict

adherence to any one design philosophy. Current trends include designs that

blend styles and periods but are streamlined for today’s taste.

Modern furniture has a very distinguishable shape

The shapes tend to be very angular,

with a lot of right angle corners,

distinct edges,

and overall lines that mat be asymmetrical or otherwise not quite

square.

This is usually very little in the way of carving , decoration, or other

intricate details. Surfaces are typically very smooth in texture and flow in

an even line from one end of the piece to the other.

Iconic examples of modern

furnitureMarcel Breuer's Wassily Chair

The Wassily chair, also known as the Model B3

chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925-

26. This stylish, stark and sleek design is

supported on tubular metal runners. The

design of the chair is most interesting in that it

is a symmetrical abstraction of wafer thin,

geometric planes that appears to be

suspended in space. This modernist creation is

perhaps one of the most iconic furniture

designs of all times.

Eileen Gray side table

Designed in 1927 as a bedside table for a

guest room , in the home Eileen Gray

designed for herself (and Jean Badovici) in

Cap Martin, France, the asymmetry of this

piece is characteristic of her “non-

conformist" design style in her architectural

projects and furniture. Notably, this piece

also has specific utility, as it can be adjusted

such that one can eat breakfast in bed on it.

Barcelona chair

The Barcelona chair has come to represent the Bauhaus design movement. Many

consider it to be functional art, rather than just furniture. Designed by Mie’s Van

Der Rohe and Lily Reich in 1929 for an international design fair in Barcelona, it is

said to have been inspired by both the folding chairs of the Pharaohs, and the 'X'

shaped footstools of the Romans, and dedicated to the Spanish royal family.

Noguchi coffee table

Noguchi table was designed by Isamu Noguchi. He was a sculptor, architect, furniture

and landscape designer. He is famous for his organic modern forms. The Noguchi

table has become famous for its unique and unmistakable simplicity. It is refined and

at the same time natural, it is one of the most sought after pieces associated with the

modern classic furniture movement.