Modern furniture design refers to furniture dating from the modernist design movement of the early 19th century, which changed the nature of furniture design.

1. The History of Modern
Australian Designer
Furniture

2. Characteristics
The Modernist design
movement shifted focus from
visually heavy to visually light
furniture design and from a
primarily aesthetic appeal to
functionality and accessibility.

3. Purpose
The government-sponsored Deutscher Werkbund organization in
Germany and the De Stijl group in the Netherlands were
instrumental in developing the movement, which reflected the the
belief that all levels of society could be provided with well-designed,
mass-produced goods. The Bauhaus School in Germany put these
principles into practice in the 1920s and 1930s.

4. Materials
Modernist designers introduced
non-traditional materials such
as steel, molded plywood and
plastics.

5. Japanese Influence
With the relaxation of Japan's
isolationist policy at the end of
the 19th century, simple and
elegant Japanese design came to
have a strong influence on the
modernist movement.

6. Mid-Century Modern
Mid-century modern design emerged after World War II and
continued to flourish in both the United States and Europe,
particularly Scandinavia, until the mid-1960s. Furniture of this
design features clean, simple lines and organic shapes, with materials
including fiberglass, cast aluminum and acrylics. Many of the iconic
designers, such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and
Isamu Noguchi had backgrounds in architecture.

7. Source:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6755789_modern-furniture-design-history.
html
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