The styles that left their mark on furniture design in the 20th century, the era of the motto "less is more"...

With the rapidly advancing industrialization following the two world wars in the 20th century, our daily life patterns underwent significant changes. These transformations, as in all fields, opened the way for technological and design innovations in the furniture industry. Globalization and the emergence and spread of consumer culture, the use of new materials, and the development of production technologies led to a vastly different 20th century compared to earlier periods in terms of industry and design. Furniture, which had been evolving according to societies and cultures since ancient times, began to change in terms of technology, concept, and usage at the beginning of the 20th century. The industrial society emerged, and craftsmanship lost its former value. In the first fifteen years of the 20th century, the most important characteristics of innovative furniture were their simplicity and plain geometric forms. Generally, straight lines and right angles were used.

 
Pre and Post-War Periods
 
In fact, it is possible to examine the 20th-century furniture industry in two separate periods: the pre-World War II and the post-World War II periods. In the pre-war period, Modernism made its mark and the Art Deco movement emerged; after the war, industrial design gained importance, and the era of Modernism officially began. With America, which participated in the war but did not suffer significant losses, rapidly recovering after the war, various synthetic materials and new metal alloys quickly spread in the industry. The 20th century introduced brand new styles that can be considered common to interior design and architecture disciplines.
 
Manifestos of Function and Form
 
Modernism's principle of "less is more" eventually brought about a minimalist approach and formed the basic philosophy of styles other than Postmodernism and Art Deco. In summary, Modernism and Minimalism left their mark on the 20th century. The 20th century provided numerous uniquely produced, creative, and original furniture designs, as well as new materials and technologies, shedding light on the new developments of the 21st century. Functionality, accessibility, and ergonomics dominated furniture design. The struggle between two important manifestos, "form follows function" and "function follows form," kept creative works vibrant. In summary, the developments in the field of furniture design, which have been evolving continuously since the earliest periods of history, served as a turning point for furniture designed and produced in the 21st century and beyond. Would you like to take a look at the effects of changes in political, political, social, and cultural fields on our lives and our furniture?

Modernism
 
It is a concept with flat, straight lines, simple colors, and the use of materials such as metal, glass, and steel. The sense of simplicity and elegance stands out in every element used, including furniture and accessories. The Modernist movement, which first emerged in the mid-19th century, brought designs for wide masses to the agenda. In the 1860s, English reformist, poet, and designer William Morris, along with Philip Webb, Madox Brown, and Edward Burne-Jones, produced modernist jewelry, wallpaper, textiles, and furniture. Starting in England and spreading to the whole of Europe and North America, this movement remained influential until the years after World War I. In furniture, mostly solid wood (especially oak) was used, and matte finishes that emphasized the veins of the wood were preferred. Many designs were influenced by Japanese culture. Gothic ornamentation elements were also widely used, and textures and patterns reminiscent of Turkish carpets and tiles were also encountered. In the following years, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements and industrial designers of the first half of the 20th century also emerged from this modernist movement.

INDUTRIAL

Worldwide devastation and a new reconstruction brought about by World War II led to a new production style. Industrial production focused more on cost, resulting in higher-quality and faster manufacturing processes. New materials such as synthetic adhesives, polyester, acrylic, and polyethylene resin were developed for furniture manufacturing. One of the pioneers of the Modern movement, German painter, graphic artist, architect, and industrial designer Peter Behrens, designed the turbine factory complex with a glass curtain wall in 1909, becoming one of the milestones in architectural history. Behrens, considered the world's first major industrial designer, is recognized as the father of corporate identity through his work for AEG. In industrial interior design, designs featuring high ceilings, functional furniture, weathered wood, brick, and metal prevail.

 

ART NOUVEAU

"Art Nouveau," meaning "new art" in French, is an artistic movement characterized by its use of curvilinear lines, plant and graceful animal motifs, and female figures in art and design. Thriving from the late 19th to the early 20th century, this movement rejected all historical references and focused on humanity and human experience, providing insights into modernism. Art Nouveau furniture is designed to integrate harmoniously with the space they occupy. Decorative elements on furniture surfaces are repeated on walls, ceilings, and floors. Curtains, rugs, and upholstery fabrics are also designed to maintain this harmony. Additionally, these furniture pieces are used to partition and organize spaces within the environment. They can be designed with complex structures to fulfill various functions. Functionality and spatial integration are as important as artistic expression in this movement. Hector Guimard, Eugene Gaillard, Emile Gallé, Louis Majorelle, Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde, Antoni Gaudi, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh are some of the most significant representatives of this movement. Mackintosh's chair designed for Hill House in Helensburgh in 1904 is a particular example. Art Nouveau was influential not only in architecture but also in jewelry design, glass art, ceramics, and poster design. At the beginning of the 20th century, architect Adolf Loos' manifesto, "Ornament is a Crime," emphasized the importance of simplicity. According to Loos, an architect should not only design buildings but also design the furniture and other objects inside them. During this period, designers like Joseph Gocar and Cubist designers contributed to the birth of modernism with their stripped-down furniture designs. Cubic furniture was, in essence, influenced by cubic architecture. The most unique examples of this style can be found in the Cubism Museum in Prague today.

ART DECO 

The Art Deco movement, born in Paris and spreading across all of Europe, followed the Art Nouveau movement. This style, characterized by geometric patterns, also drew inspiration from Gothic ornamentation, just like Art Nouveau. After the 1930s, the movement declined, giving way to functionality over ornamentation. However, in 1967, with the release of the film "Bonnie and Clyde," the Art Deco movement regained popularity. During this period, while Pop-Art continued to dominate design, art, and culture, both Art Deco and Art Nouveau lines came back into focus. Influenced by art movements such as Futurism, Cubism, Purism, and Fauvism, along with the post-war Modernism movement, Art Deco furniture featured materials such as mother of pearl, ebony, ivory, silver, gold, leopard, and tiger skins, as well as brightly colored silk fabrics. Despite carrying traces of past art movements, the main characteristic of the Art Deco style was its forward-looking approach. Although considered conceptually weak compared to preceding styles, it played a significant role in becoming widespread through Hollywood films. Art Deco designers employed traditional techniques used by old palace furniture makers in their production. They used approximately three-centimeter-thick veneers made of various layers in furniture. The surfaces featured marquetry decorations created with delicate craftsmanship. Great importance was given to the types of wood used in furniture manufacturing; finishes that showcased patterns from roots, knotted branches, and distinct cross-sections of tree trunks were preferred. Before the 1930s, furniture made from woods such as mahogany, ebony, African olive, and rosewood adorned living spaces. Léon Jallot, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, and Andre Leleu are among the significant furniture designers of that era.

SCANDINAVIAN MODERNISM

"Scandinavian Modernism," also known as "Scandinavian Design," is a design movement that emerged in the early 20th century and developed in the five Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland, characterized by simplicity, minimalism, and functionality. The Swedish word "Lagom," which translates to "Not too little, not too much, just right," and represents the essence of balanced and contented living in Nordic culture, served as a significant inspiration for Scandinavian modernism. The movement began to gain prominence with the publication of the magazine "Danish Selskabet for Dekorativ Kunst" in Denmark in 1914, which promoted this style and helped it spread. From the 1930s onwards, designers inspired by the philosophy of Lagom, such as Alvar Aalto, Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Borge Mogensen, Verner Panton, Eero Arnio, and IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad, brought Scandinavian design to its golden age. This style avoids unnecessary details and relies on natural and artificial wood materials as its primary elements. Particularly, they showcased some of the finest examples of the use of plywood. One of the prominent features of this style is its tidy and organized appearance. Therefore, functionality and the visibility of the furniture's structure are emphasized. While metal and glass materials are prevalent in modernism, Scandinavian Modernism presents some of the most exquisite examples of natural wood and composite wood material technology.

MINIMALISM

The design philosophy of immense simplicity, which began in the late 1980s, influenced the entire world. German architect and designer Mies van der Rohe's groundbreaking statement "Less is more" was followed by architect Buckminster Fuller's support with "Doing more with less" and designer Dieter Rams with "Less, but better" statements, all contributing to the concept of minimalism. By the 1990s, consumers had witnessed all kinds of designs, had their needs fulfilled, and were tired of flashy but impractical and non-functional furniture. Thus, there was a need for simple, functional, and affordable designs. Technological advancements made planning and production easier. New synthetic materials allowed furniture to have thin legs capable of bearing weight, and one-piece plastics could meet requirements such as ergonomics, flexibility, permeability, and transparency in furniture. In fact, the minimalist furniture concept began with Bauhaus and continued with modernism. The principles of producing minimalist furniture with a monochromatic, transparent, and integrated appearance include serious guidelines: Reduce forms, limit color palettes, eliminate waste. In short, minimalism means expressing a design using a minimum number of colors, values, forms, lines, textures, and materials.

POP-ART 

The term "pop," which is a shortened version of the word "popular," meaning "known and widespread by everyone," became the name of an art movement when it was used by American critics in the 1960s. The most prominent figure of this movement is the American artist, publisher, and filmmaker Andy Warhol. The artists of this movement depicted everyday objects, recurring events in the media, and celebrities that the public was interested in. They did not limit themselves to illustrations but created works in all fields of art, including cinema.
 
This movement quickly influenced furniture design as well. Plastic materials took the lead in pop design. In the 1960s, fun, colorful, toy-like items and furniture reminiscent of popular themes of the time were seen. Examples of this movement in furniture design include British sculptor Allen Jones' table, stool, and coat rack made of plastic, featuring nude female figures; and Paolo Lomazzi's chair shaped like a baseball glove, titled "Joe," dedicated to Marilyn Monroe's husband and baseball player Joe DiMaggio.
 
British painter Richard Hamilton described Pop-Art as "popular, short-lived, disposable, cheap, industrial, young, witty, sexually attractive, eye-catching, and profitable work that appeals to the public's taste." One of the most important designers of this movement, George Nelson, constantly explored technology and ideas and merged them with his designs. Makepeace, Fred Baier, and Alan Paters are among the other significant designers of this movement.

 

HI-TECH 

The term "hi-tech," a shortening of the English words "high technology," is used for furniture and spaces created with industrially processed materials such as metal, glass, and plastic. The movement emerged in the second half of the 20th century in loft-style spaces created in unused industrial buildings in major cities. The concept of loft housing reflected an original vision of a changeable, personalized, unbounded by walls, single-space organization. These spacious places were initially rented cheaply and served as studios for artists. Born out of economic reasons, this style spread worldwide in the 1970s and became an inspiration for some designers tired of utopian pursuits and colorful toy-like furniture.
 
Using structures made from construction leftovers such as iron, scrap metal, and pipes (the framework), tables and countertops were created in these spaces, shelves were mounted on walls, and mezzanines were built for bedrooms and offices in high-ceilinged spaces. This gave rise to a new movement that paid homage to Bauhaus, had close ties to minimalist design, and provided practical solutions. Modular furniture with simple geometric forms dominated, often in a single color, and metal materials were frequently used.
 
Rodney Kinsman, Michael Hopkins, and Richard Rogers were pioneers of this movement. Today, Hi-Tech furniture is combined with smart interior technologies, embracing a futuristic approach. For example, coffee tables and sofas with charging capabilities for digital mobile devices, sensor-controlled lighting in cabinets, or digital beds and dressing rooms. Additionally, the use of 3D printing systems has made furniture production much simpler. It is expected that in the 21st century, artificial intelligence technology will be adapted to furniture, leading to the widespread use of smart furniture systems.

 

ORGANIC DESIGN

 
After the 1950s, as the aesthetic values of industrial products were being questioned, a new understanding emerged, emphasizing the harmony between human habitation needs and the natural world. Artists who embraced this philosophy played a significant role in spreading the movement. The terms "organic" and "organic modern" first appeared in the United States during the period between the two world wars. Initially, organic designs were seen in architecture, with Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto being considered as representatives of organic architecture.
 
In the furniture sector, organic design came to the forefront with the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition in 1939. The selected furniture in the competition was characterized by its ability to embrace the human body. Industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss's human dimensions and ergonomics studies also brought the human factor to the forefront in design. In the 1980s, research led to the development of artificial materials that possessed properties similar to natural materials. In the 1990s, organic products began to be manufactured using these materials.
 
The term "organic" not only implies that furniture or objects should fit harmoniously with human forms but also suggests the ability to adapt to changing conditions, perform certain movements akin to living organisms, and control aspects such as heat, light, and sound. When it comes to organic furniture design, Eero Saarinen is one of the first names that come to mind. His "Tulip Chair," which won the "Organic Design in Home Furnishings" competition, was a significant contribution to organic design.
 
Various designers like Ross Lovegrove, Marc Newson, Warren Platner, Joe Colombo, Harry Bertoia, and George Nelson continued to explore organic design with their works using different materials.