Admittedly the most obvious element is styling. But with so many styles to choose, from Chippendale to Art Deco what is the look of furniture today? The answer seems to be minimalist. Typical examples include the
Devonshire Old Mill Solid Pine ranges
Cynics may say that in a world where speed is of the essence, there is no time to appreciate anything more than the most basic of form. It may be argued however, that an understated style is the refinement of a truly developed society.
Whatever styling is chosen, and thank goodness personal taste still flourishes, all furniture today has to conform to standards of safety especially in finishing and adornment, which would have astonished cabinet makers of earlier times. The idea of using crushed beetles, lead or any one of dozens of other compounds would today be regarded by many as completely unacceptable.
Size is also important for modern furniture. The large dressers and wardrobes of the past simply do not fit into modern homes, so furniture today has to meet the dual challenges of accommodating more possessions than ever into increasingly compact spaces. See our furniture categories to the left for modern
Dressers,
wardrobes and
small storage ideas.
Having achieved the right ‘look,’ been made to the right safety standards and correctly scaled for modern homes, the final challenge for furniture today is one of climate change. Central heating is still the greatest difficulty for solid wood furniture. It has to resist a natural tendency to shrink and crack in hot dry environments.
If furniture can meet all these demands it is likely that it is a modern classic and destined to become the collectable piece of the future.