Posts Tagged ‘contemporary’
Fashion trends no longer dictate the way we dress or decorate our homes. Eclecticism and contrasting style directions reign in home design. More and more people develop a taste of mixing contradictory furniture trends in their home decor, combining contemporary furniture with vintage finds and exotic art pieces.
Uncertain economy, the rise of natural disasters, persistent war conflicts and terrorist threats has resulted in the further insulation of people within their home cocoons. This cocoon lifestyle has given a boom to houseware and furniture industry, since more and more people turn to home entertainment and dinner parties instead of “going out.”
The “cocoon boom,” which originally started after September 11, 2001, transformed the modern home into a family sanctuary and hideaway. Casual living remains as the major theme with contemporary furniture today, with an emphasis on home entertaining and informal dining.
From modern furniture to accessories and dinnerware, people look for items that possess a strong sense of personal style. The casual living trend in modern furniture translates into multi-functional furniture with clear non-cluttered design and extended seating furniture pieces such as extra-long and curved couches and sofas.
Modern furniture today encourages family values, promotes quality family entertainment, supports traditional values and generally helps people connect. Another noticeable trend in home décor is a return to ‘formal’ for special occasions. People tend to make a greater effort preparing for special occasions or dinner parties and spend more time selecting dinnerware, candles, photo albums, seasonal decorations and table linen. Another important modern furniture trend is sensuality which means luscious fabrics, soft warm colors and simple shapes.
Many furniture items are adjusted for use for the targeted group of single men. This means sleek minimalist design and an emphasis on the use of multi-media applications. Flat screen TV’s are accommodated in hi-tech entertainment centers, and flat loudspeakers are incorporated into lean, spacious sofas, covered with dark trendy upholstery fabrics. This trend is also reflected in one-of-a-kind furniture items, such as art pieces having a functional meaning. Wide use of LED lighting technology helps transform a coffee table into a futuristic object that will change colors depending on a situation.
Speaking of materials used in modern furniture today, light woods still dominate. Oak, cherry, and birch are the most popular woods, with rattan and bamboo on the rise. Many woods are artificially stained to resemble exquisite tropical woods, for example, zebrano, mahogany, or palisander. A varnished solid front is often combined with a veneered body. Stainless steel, polished or brushed, and aluminum are used widely, often combined with innovative satin glass and boldly colored fiberglass.
In the upholstery, modern furniture designers favor refined large abstract patterns or sophisticated monochrome surfaces. Stripes and checks, as well as floral patterns are slightly out of fashion. The most popular materials are wool, cotton and leather, with wool felt gaining popularity.
The main characteristic feature of modern furniture is its understatement. Giorgio Armani, a couturier turned furniture designer says, that a subtle richness, not an obvious beauty, is most important in contemporary furniture design. Like a beautiful woman, furniture today reveals itself over time.
For more information about comtemporary furniture please visit the Comtemporary furniture and home furnishings blog.
Painted fabrics with a striking display of color can set off a room’s style by using accessories created by gifted artists and reknown designers. Uncomplicated describes the flow and fiber the blank page in the modern production of comfortable art portrayed by modern pillows and other accompaniments, now taking the world by storm.
The Swedes were one of the first to arrive on the decorating scene using textiles in artful design. Designers Eye, formed in 1997, is a textile manufacturing firm geared toward using only the best in fine fabrics while working with artists, such as Lena Bergstrom. A combination of felted, virgin wool with clean lines and flowing floral mixes make their pillows stand out with distinction.
Another great player in the textile world of art is Madeline Rogers of Mibo, located in the UK. A TV and Film Art Director who was bored with the drab surroundings in her own home, set out to see if she could create something new and exciting with home accessories. Attracted to the sea, the large striped lounge chairs and the peaceful outdoors, a picture of soothing blossoms in earth tones and colors encouraged her to develop pillow covers that brought the outdoors inside with flair and her work is now recognized worldwide.
Nothing spells fun like a pair of friends who can envision a dream, have a great work ethic and absolutely love detail and textiles. Modern Basics came to life when Page Ikeda and Rhonda Holloway, at the wheel, decided to begin a business of bright, stylish and witty accessories for the home. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the functional, comfortable and very attractive pillows and bedding line have taken the nation by storm since 2001.
The Japanese have had a traditional type of seating for centuries that is referred to as the zabuton. Unlike American culture, the zabuton is a pillow type floor mat made out of natural muslin fabric. Because this mat is used daily and in the place of chairs, they are made to last an average of eight to ten years. Americans have become intrigued with this ‘seat-cloth-sphere’ (zabuton translated) and they are beginning to appear in homes across the US. The muslin fabric can be covered with any type of fabric to match the decor of your choice and will stretch its life even further.
Decorative pillows are no longer common, factory generated pieces where duplicates are found in every store. Design teams from all over the world are learning that textiles are an exciting way to express fashion and design. Whether you are looking to add drama to a fireplace, fun to a game room or modern style to your living area, pillows, runners and many other small decor selections can make a huge difference in your modern home style.
Painted fabrics with a striking display of color can set off a room’s style by using accessories created by gifted artists and reknown designers. Simplicity is the key and textiles the form in the modern production of comfortable art characterized by modern pillows and other accompaniments, now taking the world by storm.
Once limited to canvas, dramatic designs and drawings can now be found in the home by award-winning artists on items such as chair cushions, table runners, blankets, pillows and other useful trimmings. Designers Eye is a Swedish textile manufacturer who has burst onto the decorating scene, led by Lena Bergstrom, award-winning designer. Pillows created out of felted, virgin wool is their trademark, using gentle, soothing colors in stripes and floral, adding a touch of elegance to any setting.
Another substantial contributor to the world of textile art is Madeline Rogers of Mibo, located in the UK. A TV and Film Art Director who was tired of the blasé greeting of her own flat, set out to see if she could create something new and exciting with home accessories. Attracted to the sea, the large striped lounge chairs and the peaceful outdoors, a picture of soothing blossoms in earth tones and colors encouraged her to develop pillow covers that brought the outdoors inside with flair and her work is now recognized worldwide.
Nothing spells fun like a pair of friends who can envision a dream, have a great work ethic and absolutely love detail and textiles. Modern Basics came to life when Page Ikeda and Rhonda Holloway, at the wheel, decided to begin a business of bright, stylish and witty accessories for the home. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the functional, comfortable and very attractive pillows and bedding line have taken the nation by storm since 2001.
The zabuton, which simply means ‘seat-cloth-sphere’ has been a tradional type of floor seat/pillow in the Orient for centuries. It was just a matter of time before the tradition of floor sitting began to spread to America. Unlike a fluffy, overstuffed throw pillow, the zabuton is flatter, made of muslin and has a life span of eight to ten years. The fantastic part is that any pillow cover can be created to match any taste for use in your TV room or to seduce your guests around a crackling fire.
Art no longer just belongs on a wall as a way to enjoy the best of beauty and creativity. With the flow of new designers discovering a different type of canvas in material, accessories can become dramatically stunning. The modern age is booming with fresh ideas and energetic inventiveness in home decor and pillow covers are a perfect route to take in providing the public with functional, mood pleasing workmanship. Allow yourself to browse the invigorating artists of today in textiles and let yourself live comfortably with art.
The phrase “contemporary” is familiar to most people who associate the word with modernity. However it can be harder to define what contemporary means when you associate it with furniture design. The consensual view is that contemporary furniture refers to furniture that was designed in the second half of the 20th century. The spirit of liberation that is associated with the 1960s inspired many designers to create and experiment with furniture design. Some of the notable examples of modern 20th century design include lava lamps and the waterbeds which are both almost now defunct in terms of items of desire.
Much of the experimentation that went on in in the 1950′s, 60′s and 70′s involved using material that has not been used in furniture design in the past such as the creative use of plastic and leather. Some of the designs and colour schemes have now become cult retro furniture classics. Before the contemporary era, furniture was largely perceived as an ornament, the value of which was derived from how long it took to construct. Modern designs were influenced by a desire to project newness and innovation both in terms of construction and functionality.
Chairs
Famous contemporary chairs that have emerged include the Wassily Chair or Model B3 chair, that was created by German designer Marcel Breuer. The chair’s revolutionary design includes tubular steel as well as wafer thin leather has made it an iconic piece of contemporary furniture. Another famous design, such as the Barcelona chair, were designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich in the late 1920′s. It was inspired by the folding chairs of ancient times and like the Wassily has become an icon of modernism.
Unique Lighting
Aside from contemporary chairs, unique lighting is another important development in modern furniture design. Unique lighting can be defined as any light installation that is modern, quirky, individual or has something completely unconventional regarding the design. It is not an easy concept to describe as much of what related to unique lighting is conceptual.