Furniture design is an art that was discovered a long time ago. Even before the Egyptian period when the x-chair was widely popular, there existed basic furniture pieces that may not have been concerned with art but were primarily made by carpenters and craftsmen with function in mind. Throughout history furniture design has developed into a prospering industry with the needs and demands of the people in all parts of the world for comfort and luxury growing more sophisticated in each decade that passed. At certain periods in history, and specific countries and regions in the globe, furniture design creations have sprouted and have been improved from their simple prototypes into more detailed and well thought out designs. However, natural phenomena and human intervention have affected these developments as in the case of Scandinavian furniture design.
Origin of Scandinavian furniture
Necessity is the mother of all inventions. This rings true for the Scandinavians after World War II. Having been severely devastated by the occupation, the people of this region reverted back to the basics. In the field of furniture design, the designers and craftsmen had to seek alternative materials that were of good quality yet inexpensive. With limited construction materials available to them, they resorted to the traditional ones such as wood, clay and glass. They also traced their manufacturing processes in the past and utilized them as best as they could. The result was the emergence of quality furniture pieces with timeless designs and world-class craftsmanship.
These creations are considered the most humanistic and ergonomically sound designs in the world. Their design forms owe their conception mainly to function, unlike other furniture pieces of a different era and style, where aesthetic interests dominate form and structure.
Scandinavian furniture has come a long way since the war ended. The legacy of designers like Alvar Aalto, Eero Saarinen and Verner Panton is still among us with their original furniture pieces finding their way in to the hall of fame and still widely used even in the present. Their timeless quality inspired new Scandinavian designers to create furniture pieces that will live up to the classic value of the futuristic-looking Panton chair and the modern silhouette of the Tulip chair. Even American designers have discovered and emulated the ingenuous concept and fabrication of these infamous furniture designs. They have modified the process and materials using means that are more accessible to them. When Scandinavian furniture makers captured the American market, they also started producing with the foreigners’ taste in mind up to the point that these innovative furniture styles were seen less in their own region and gained more buzz in the United States. People around the world admire how Scandinavian furniture understands the essence of function in its rawest structure and transforms it into exceptional yet form-fitting creations.