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"Luminous Art & Design :: Art & Artists"
Furniture Design :: Biography and Books"
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Furniture design is the creation of movable objects that make a room fit for living or working. Furniture design is related to both architecture and interior design. Furniture is designed with the principles of aesthetics and function.
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Furniture can be described as movable objects which may support the human body (chairs, beds), provide storage (cupboards, chests), or hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground (shelves). It may be made of wood, metal, plastics, stone, glass, fabrics, and related materials. Furniture design is related to both architecture and interior design. The furniture design industry is growing and developing due to the huge demand for designer furniture in commercial, industrial and domestic settings.
The history of furniture corresponds to the progress of culture. It has existed since the development of non-nomadic cultures. No longer on the move, people were able to build homes and acquire possessions. It is not known when the first furniture was made, but from excavations of ancient tombs we know that beautiful furniture was already used in the period of Egyptian pharaohs. Pieces of 6,000 years old do already display advance forms of woodworking and carved decorations.
The Greeks and the Romans made highly decorated sofas and chairs with graceful curved outlines, while the furniture of the Middle Ages was usually made of heavy oak and decorated with carved designs. The Italian Renaissance brought richly decorated furniture designed for domestic interiors and often inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition. Peasant furniture, however, was slow to change in style and was generally solid and painted.
Throughout history many styles have evolved and changed. There were many styles that belonged to one nation. France became a leading influence with the Louis period styles, Directoire style, and Empire style. English styles include Elizabethan, Jacobean, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and Georgian. Early American furniture adapted current the English styles in functional form and native woods. Other styles were more international, such as Rococo and Neoclassicism and the Art Nouveau style around the turn of the 20th century.
Furniture is designed with two main principles: aesthetics and function. In addition to this it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Today, furniture cannot easily be assigned to a recognizable movement. Modern furniture favors simplicity and originality and takes advantage of new materials and manufacturing processes. Initially furniture was made from wood, but over the years technology has changed and new materials as iron and plastics are used in furniture design. For those whose material of choice is not wood, design is more trying. There is a tendency to design sustainable furniture and not to produce from scarce resources that require heavy energy use to manufacture. Some furniture designers have opted to make one-off pieces by recycling jetsam. Even old oil drums can be transformed into contemporary furniture.
Current trends in home design are oak furniture or of similar woods that are more readily available such as ash, Indian hardwood and pine. Leather still is one of the most popular choices for upholstery, and these days. Today, leather is often used as an accent on wooden and fabric pieces. And every sort of exotic material (teak, wicker, rattan, stone, coconut shells, crushed bamboo, and banana leaf) are used. The main style statement in furniture trends can be summarized in one word: global.
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