What is the introduction of furniture design?

For someone amateur like me, who would like to understand more about the different materials, techniques, processes and decisions behind designing a piece of furniture in a way or another this book is priceless. It is not easy at all to find manuals that explain in some detail the considerations around material, production, aesthetics and sustainability that go into designing a piece of furniture.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, especially the chapter on materials, which covers different types of wood, plastics, metals, fabrics and others. It highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each, along with the usual manufacturing methods, taking into account the costs and production volume they are intended to.
The book also looks at other aspects of design and presents different examples of actual designs, explaining the merits the author sees on each one of them.
I guess that more experienced people in the field might find it basic. For me it was an eye opener, and something I was looking for since quite some time ago. It is definitely one of the best books I've read on furniture design.

Furniture is one of the essential items in people’s daily life.The origin of Chinese furniture trace back to the Neolithic Age.Furniture is composed of four factors: material, structure, appearance and function.Structure is the backbone, is the basis of the implementation of functions.These four factors are related to each other and restrict each other.Because furniture is to satisfy people certain material demand and use purpose and design and make, accordingly furniture still has the element of material and exterior form respect.Furniture more refers to wardrobe, table, bed, sofa and other large furniture, which are suitable for indoor use.

Furniture is material product already, it is artistic creation again, this is the furniture that people often say double characteristic.The type, quantity, function, form, style and production level of furniture and the possession situation at that time, still reflected the social life style of a country and region in a certain historical period, the level of social material civilization and historical and cultural characteristics.Furniture is a country or region in a certain historical period of social productivity development level of the symbol, is a certain way of life in miniature, is a certain cultural form of the show, so furniture condensed rich and profound social.The use makings of certain so called solid wood furniture is board of medium fiber-board, particleboard outside stick stick walnut skin or other wood skin, not be pure natural wood makes.

Constituent elements

Structure refers to a certain combination and connection between the materials and components used by the furniture.It includes the internal structure and external structure of furniture. The internal structure refers to a certain combination of furniture parts, which depends on the change of materials and the development of science and technology.

Additional, the exterior structure of furniture is contacted directly with people’s body. it is the direct reflection of exterior modelling, because this must be adapted to with people’s body on size and shape, this is so-called human body engineering, for example the chair with appropriate height of seat back, depth, back inclination can remove the fatigue sense of the people.

Material

Furniture is made of a variety of materials through a series of technical processing, material is the material basis of furniture.So furniture is designed besides the basic requirement that USES function, beautiful reach craft besides, also have close connection with material.To this end, designers must do the following:

1. Familiar with the types, properties, specifications and sources of raw materials;

2. According to the existing materials to design excellent products, to make the best use of everything;

3. Be good at using all kinds of new materials, in order to improve the quality of products, increase the beauty of products, in addition to commonly used wood, metal, plastic, there are rattan, bamboo, glass, rubber, fabric, decorative board, leather, sponge, glass fiber reinforced plastic, etc.However, not all materials can be used in furniture production.

The application of furniture materials also has certain selectivity, among which the following factors should be considered:

1. Processing technology: the processing technology of materials directly affects the production of furniture.To woodiness material, in processing process, want to consider its to be affected by moisture and the generation of shrinkage and expansion, and porosity.Plastic materials should consider their ductility, thermoplastic deformation, etc.Glass material should consider its hot brittleness, hardness, etc.

2. Texture and appearance quality: the texture and texture of materials determine the special feeling of appearance quality of products.Wood belongs to natural materials, natural texture, beautiful, realistic image, good hand feel, and easy to process, color, is the production of furniture quality materials.Plastic and its synthetic material have the characteristic that simulates a variety of natural material quality of a material, and have good coloring property, but its easy ageing, be subjected to heat easily deformation, use this production furniture, its service life and use limits.

3. Economy: the economy of furniture materials includes the price of materials, the processing labor consumption of materials, the utilization rate of materials and the richness of materials sources.

4. Strength: in terms of strength, the gripping force, anti-splitting performance and elastic modulus should be considered.

5. Surface decorative performance: under general circumstances, surface decorative performance refers to its coating, adhesive paste, sculpture, color, hot, burning and other decorative feasibility.

Appearance of the furniture

The exterior form of furniture shows directly in front of the user, it is the intuitive performance of function and structure.The appearance of furniture depends on its structure, especially the external structure.However, there is no corresponding relationship between appearance form and structure, and different appearance form can be expressed by the same structure.The exterior form exists bigger freedom, the combination of the space has quite selective, if the basic structure of dresser is same, but its exterior form is in various positions however.

Function

The function of furniture product is divided into 4 respects, namely technical function, economic function, use function and aesthetic function, as the development of economy, the best in furniture had maintain value and add value function more, for instance old teak in furniture of Europe type and old style in furniture of Chinese style.

Classic style (3 kinds of classic style)

Colour collocation is the first element of dress collocation, in household adornment also is same.When considering to dress up love home, want to have an integral match color scheme at the beginning, decorate tonal and furniture and the choice that the home ACTS the role of article with this determination.If can use colour harmony, you can decorate the love home that oneself more arbitrarily.

Black + white + gray = eternal classic.

Black adds white to be able to build a strong visual effect, and popular gray blends in among them, alleviate the visual conflict feeling of black and white, build another kind of different flavour thereby.In the space that 3 kinds of color collocation come out, the contemporary that is full of cold tone and future move.In this kind of colour situation, can give reason, order and professional sense by simple and produce.

Silver blue + orange = modern + traditional

The color collocation that gives priority to with blue department and orange department, show contemporary and tradition, the confluence of ancient and modern, collision gives the visual experience that holds concurrently surreal and restoring ancient ways flavor.Blue department and orange department belong to strong contrast color department again originally, just go up in the chroma of both sides some change, let these two kinds of color can give a kind of new life to the space.

Blue + white = romantic warmth

Average person is in the home, not quite dare to try too bold color, think or use white safer.If like to use white, and afraid to make the home like a hospital, it is better to use white + blue color matching, like the Greek island, all the houses are white, ceiling, floor, streets are all painted with white lime, pale tone.

About the color difference

Furniture is different because of production batch, production factory is different cause chromatic difference, basically have the problem of the fabric respect such as paint, leather cloth.

The color difference of the wood itself, because of the wood ring problem, the color is not the same.

Coriaceous furniture also has chromatic aberration with respect to dermis and copy leather: because material qualitative is different, the absorption degree of dye is a bit different, production batch is different also may cause chromatic aberration.When choosing and buying, want to be aimed at a problem only, evasive light can.

Teak furniture

Teak furniture is also a kind of real wood furniture, but it is the top grade high-grade furniture USES material.Teak itself is made of different grades.

Board furniture

Board type furniture is to point to with man-made board is main base material, the disassemble outfit combination furniture that is basic structure with board piece.Common artificial board has plywood, joinery board, particleboard, medium fiber board.

Solid wood furniture is to point to the furniture that makes by natural wood, such safe furniture surface can see the decorative pattern of wood beauty commonly.Furniture manufacturer to solid wood furniture besmear varnish commonly or inferior smooth lacquer will behave the natural colour and lustre of lumber.

Mahogany

Mahogany furniture, also be a kind of real wood furniture, but mahogany furniture is the furniture series of a kind of style alone in furniture course of study, differ from other real wood furniture

Cane

Cane makes furniture has colour and lustre simple but elegant, bright and clean cool, light and nimble wait for a characteristic.No matter be placed in indoor or garden, can give a person with full-bodied breath and delicate and refined appeal.Rattan is extremely soft when it is full of water, and especially tough when it is dry.With the gradual enhancement of people’s environmental awareness and the increasing popularity of returning to nature, a variety of rattan art, green craft products began to walk into thousands of households, become a new round of home decoration fashion.Rattan qualitative furniture with its of primitive simplicity, relaxed characteristic gets consumer favour gradually.

Furniture categories

1.According to the style of furniture can be divided into: modern furniture, post-modern furniture, European classical furniture, American furniture, Chinese classical furniture, neoclassical furniture, new decorative furniture, Korean pastoral furniture, Mediterranean furniture.

2. According to the materials used, the furniture is divided into: jade furniture, solid wood furniture, board furniture, soft furniture, rattan furniture, bamboo furniture, metal furniture, plastic furniture , steel furniture, and other materials such as glass, marble, ceramics, inorganic minerals, fiber fabric, resin, etc.

3. According to the function of furniture is divided into: office furniture, outdoor furniture, living room furniture, bedroom furniture, study furniture, children’s furniture, dining room furniture, bathroom furniture, kitchen furniture (equipment) and auxiliary furniture.

4. Furniture by structure classification: furniture, furniture, folding furniture, combination furniture, even wall furniture, hanging furniture.

5. The furniture is classified according to the effect of the modeling, including ordinary furniture and artistic furniture. plastic chairs, tables and metal wire chairs and tables.

6. According to the grade classification of furniture products, it can be divided into: high grade, middle grade, middle grade, middle grade and low grade.

7.According to the use of furniture, it can be divided into: indoor furniture and outdoor furniture, like garden chairs,tables, living room chairs and tables etc.

The style in the different stages and countries  

1.Ming dynasty style

The characteristics of furniture in Ming dynasty can be summarized by three points:

– generally use more rigid tree species to make all kinds of hardwood furniture.

– no paint, fully reflect the original wood texture and color.

— adopt the structure of wooden frame, pay much attention to the shape of furniture

2.European design furniture

This is a luxurious and elegant classical style.True high-grade Europe type furniture is the first selection with whole teak.The downy part of general criterion furniture frame is acted the role of with gold line, the design of wall paper, carpet, curtain, bedspread, valance and adornment picture or thing is classic type.The characteristics of this kind of style is showily and elegant, the residents in the wallpaper, carpets, curtains and bedspread spend more on the design, all kinds of decoration and decorative coordinate with each other, to achieve conditions can also add some classic flavour on the wall act the role of article, such as head of yak, the western clock, it can make your bedroom more elegant and beautiful.

3.The Nordic

Mainly refers to the northern four countries in Europe Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland’s interior and furniture design style.Because these five countries are close to the arctic, the climate is cold, the forest resources are rich, therefore formed the unique interior decoration style.Nordic household returns nature, advocate log lasting appeal, add contemporary, practical, exquisite artistic design style, reflect the direction of another kind of thinking after modern urbanite enters postmodern society.The basic spirit of Nordic style is: lay stress on functionality, design is people-oriented.Nordics furniture appearance is concise have strength, colour and lustre is natural, advocate log lasting appeal, reflected Nordic dweller to the pursuit of high quality life.Nordic furniture shows restraint to form and adornment, respect to traditional value, preference to natural material, unity to form and function, praise highly to manual quality. Europe furniture emphasizes the perfect combination of simple structure and comfortable function, even if is to design a chair, not only should pursue its modelling beautiful, pay more attention to the human body engineering, how exquisite it curve fit together perfectly when in contact with human body, it broke through the process, the technology of rigid idea, melts into people’s main body consciousness, to become full of rationality.

4.American

American style furniture emphasizes especially comfortable, air, practical with multi-function.From modelling point of view, furniture of American style can be divided into 3 kinds big: new classic and village type style.Nostalgia, romance and respect for time are the best comments on American furniture.

The above is some brief introduction about indoor and outdoor furniture. If you would like to learn more,please Follow us and you will find more knowledge about home decoration and new design trend.