According to Bassett Furniture, there are several types of styles in which furniture is influenced by:
- Antique
- Traditional
- Vintage
- Rustic
- Art Deco
- Retro
- Modern
- Contemporary
Furthermore, House of Home offer a few different styles to add to popular furniture types on the market currently:
- Classic Contemporary
- Transitional
- Modern
- Traditional
- Contemporary
- Rustic
- Cottage
- Tuscan
- Midcentury
- Electric
- Country
- Industrial
Bassett (2017) A Guide to Furniture Styles & Types. Bassett Furniture. Available from https://www.bassettfurniture.com/content/furniture-styles-guide.asp [accessed 26 October 2017].
Moreover, House of Home offers several debates to explain the difference and similarities of various styles that may compliment one another:
- Antique vs. Vintage
- Traditional vs. Rustic
- Art Deco vs. Retro
- Shabby Chic vs. French Provincial
- Modern vs. Contemporary
Contemporary furniture is an avenue I wish to explore further.
Contemporary style furniture can be really difficult to define, apart from saying it is furniture designed and made in recent times, and by that might mean anything from the late 20th century up until today! The level of creativity and the variety of materials available mean that contemporary furniture, which might also be referred to as modern furniture, is unlikely to be pigeon holed. Despite this, it is probably fair to say that contemporary or modern furniture often looks ‘clean’ – lines are simple, uncomplicated, and the overall appearance tends to be fresh. For this reason, contemporary and modern furniture can lend itself beautifully to other interior design periods; it tends not to overpower rooms and can look equally at home in retro surrounds as it might alongside art deco furnishings, for example.
A significant benefit of contemporary furniture, apart from its ability to blend with and complement an array of other periods, is its widespread appeal. If for example, you intend to furnish an investment property, then it would be advisable to err on the side of caution and seek out contemporary or modern furniture. It is a similar logic to that of painting the inside of an investment property white; it’s more of a blank canvas that has a stronger chance of appealing to a greater cross section of the population.
House of Home (2017) What are the Different Types of Furniture Styles? Carlinea Williamson. Available from https://www.houseofhome.com.au/blog/what-are-the-different-types-of-furniture-styles [accessed 26 October 2017].
Modern furniture is another avenue I wish to explore, as it offers design for products which I find aesthetically pleasing.
Modern furniture is furniture produced from the late 19th century on wards, under the influence of the Modernist movement. It is distinctive and highly prized- and very collectible.
When this furniture was first produced, it was a shock to furniture fans. It was a big departure from more traditional furniture forms – now Antique forms – that used heavy, dark wood and ornate carving.
The designers of the Classic Modernist movement used new materials- steel, molded plywood and even plastic to create furniture that was dramatically different. A chair suddenly mimicked the curves of the human body. A coffee table might now have one elegant curving central leg rather than the traditional four legs. A dining table might now be made from glass with a mirror-like chrome frame. A couch or sofa was suddenly angular, and covered in leather.
These radical changes heralded an entirely new period of design that still appears fresh and bold today. Today, the majority of Modern furniture pieces on the market are reproductions. These can be very close to the originals and can be hard to spot. The major difference here is price. You’ll easily figure out if what you’re being offered is genuine – if it sounds too good to be too, it probably is.
Despite that if you’re comfortable with a reproduction and the originals are out of your reach – and you’re comfortable with the ethics of purchasing a knock-off design- you can always fake it till you make it! Otherwise you might want to start with purchasing low-end originals, or smaller fixtures like a lamp or clock, while you save up for that original modernist piece.
House of Home (2017) What are the Different Types of Furniture Styles? Carlinea Williamson. Available from https://www.houseofhome.com.au/blog/what-are-the-different-types-of-furniture-styles [accessed 26 October 2017].
Below are some moodboards that I have created, to gain influence to develop some ideas and designs.
Wallpaper:
Picture Frame:
Vase:
Floor Standing Lamp:
Storage Box:
These mood boards that I created are using Pinterest images, whereby the search category for each image includes ‘modern’.
The styles features above are similar to which I would like to create, however, using a more unique design.
The answers from my survey say that the style featured in my mood boards are the preferred style by my target audience. Therefore, I gain influence from these in order to attract consumers.
To further my research, I decided to look into seasonal design trends. Below are some mood boards I created regarding seasons:
Autumn:
Winter:
Spring:
Summer:
Research into seasonal home decor has helped me gain insight as to how furniture collections can be presented, and how they can influence consumer decision making depending on the time of year. One thing to think about when designing my products is what time of year will they be advertised to be sold, and is using a seasonal element going to benefit the sales and consumer appreciation.