| Modern furniture refers to a particular design of | | | | Breuer, the Eileen Gray Side Table, the Barcelona |
| furniture made popular in the late 1800s at the | | | | Chair and the Noguchi Coffee Table. |
| Bauhaus School of Design in Germany, known for its | | | | The most recognized modern furniture designers of |
| simplicity in design and function in combination with | | | | their time include Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der |
| technological and architectural elements such as | | | | Rohe, Eileen Gray, Le Corbusier (born Charles |
| striking polished metal and geometric patterns. It is a | | | | Edouard Jeanneret), Lilly Reich and Walter Gropius. |
| combination of several styles of furniture, including | | | | All of the above taught and/or studied in Germany in |
| mid-century, art deco and industrial. | | | | the 1920s and 1930s at places such as the |
| Before the modern era, furniture was seen as | | | | world-renowned Bauhaus school of art and |
| artwork, or, in other words, visually striking but not | | | | architecture, the focus of which was finding new and |
| necessarily functional. The modern era changed all | | | | original ways of combining art, technology and new |
| that and placed emphasis not on embellishments or | | | | materials. The furniture that was produced at this |
| ornamentation but on simple, streamlined and | | | | time is now referred to as ''mid-century modern'' or |
| geometric shapes. | | | | ''modern classic.'' |
| Whereas furniture design was once about maintaining | | | | Although originating nearly a century ago, the modern |
| tradition and respecting lineage, the modern era | | | | furniture of the late 19th century and early 20th are |
| brought about furniture design that was based on | | | | still looked at today as symbolic of modern design |
| looking forward and originally, not to mention taking | | | | and aesthetics. |
| advantage of new manufacturing processes and | | | | Although the terms ''modern furniture'' and |
| technical innovation. | | | | ''contemporary furniture'' are often used |
| With this technological innovation also came new, | | | | interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Whereas |
| groundbreaking materials to the furniture trade, such | | | | modern furniture has origins as old as the late 19th |
| as steel, glass, molded plywood and plastics, which | | | | century, contemporary furniture refers to the |
| came to represent the look and feel of what we | | | | designs and styles made popular today. |
| know as modern furniture. | | | | It is a continuation of the Bauhaus School's emphasis |
| Although of Western origins, modern furniture design | | | | on ''form follows function'' but has expanded to |
| owes a lot to Asian culture. This was in large part | | | | include inspiration as varied as fine art, rustic design |
| due to Japanese isolationism softening at roughly the | | | | and nature itself as well as additional materials, |
| same time, leading to new influences in design and | | | | including recycled steel and chrome, and fabrics such |
| aesthetics focusing on simplicity, lack of | | | | as linen, hemp and recycled polyester fabric. Think of |
| ornamentation, and solid colors. | | | | contemporary furniture as form follows function |
| Staples of this era include the Wassily Chair by Marcel | | | | follows sustainability. |