Retro furniture not only sounds interesting—it also has a rich history in its own right. The word “retro” originated in the 1950’s, cutting right through the times with current furniture items. The decade produced a diverse range of ideas and innovative furniture. There were many names and designs that revolutionized the furniture era with modern materials like steel tubular furniture, G-plan and other innovations that form the concept of ‘retro’.
Retro belongs to mid-century classics, including Bauhaus furniture and lavish leather sofas that left their modern impressions and are still much adored. But before we purchase some classic retro furniture, let’s learn a bit about its history. Telling the tale of both unsung and recognized heroes from the times should include:
Eileen Gray:
A relatively unknown name, Eileen Gray was a designer and architect who won acclaim later in her life. Her designs were modern and had an individualistic mark that inspired both modernists and the Art Deco. Her collaboration with architect and critic Jean Badovici led to introduction of tubular steel furniture, rugs and lighting for her studio Galerie Jean Désert.
Joseph Hoffman:
An Austrian architect and town planner, he was popularly known as "Quadralateral Hoffmann” because of his passion for geometric forms. His armchairs and sofas in geometric patterns were all the rage with modern classic designer and craftsmen. Hoffman`s modern classic work combined the rationalism of Wagner with the geometrical, rectilinear style of decoration influenced by Charles R. Mackintosh.
Le Corbusier:
Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, more popularly known as Le Corbusier was a Swiss-born architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter. Also recognized for his visionary architecture, now is called Modern Architecture, Le Corbusier started his furniture design venture in 1928 after inviting architect Charlotte Perriand to join his studio.
Charles Ray Eames:
Charles Eames and his wife started the modern classics trend in the 20th century with their great designs and child-development toys and puzzles. They were a successful couple whose work includes seating furniture in mesh, metal-legged chairs and other revolutionary designs that continue to be admired worldwide.
George Nelson:
George Nelson was a visionary architect and designer with rare talent. His work includes the Marshmallow sofa, the Nelson platform bench and the first L-shaped desk, a forerunner to the present-day modern workstation. He also designed graphic wall clocks, bubble lamps made of self-webbing plastic and developed other forward-looking, occasionally futuristic concepts.
Harry Bartoia:
A futuristic Italian designer, Harry Bertoia envisioned designs that continue to inspire people today. His patented Diamond chair for Knoll in 1952 is an unusually beautiful piece of furniture. The unique quality about the chair is its robustness within the light and almost petite frame, making it a huge commercial success. With the success of the Diamond chair, the world was introduced to wire mesh, a great icon of modern design.
Marcel Breuer:
Marcel Breuer is famous even today for his modern classic designs better known as the Breuer Chairs. Acclaimed for simplistic designs that use clean lines, these chairs are exceptionally popular. The range of Breuer chairs include the Marcel Breuer Cesca Arm Chair, the Breuer Wassily Chair and the Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair. Besides Breuer Chairs, the Breuer label is also known for Marcel Breuer bookshelves.
Mies Van Der Rohe:
A popular architect of his time, Mies Van Der Rohe built the famous German Pavilion at the International Exposition in Barcelona, for which he also created a chair called the Barcelona Chair. He was considered a visionary architect whose work remains much acclaimed worldwide.
Retro design furniture from the 1950’s onwards includes many designers from the USA, as well as Europe and Scandinavia. From the US, designers had a huge impact on furniture production throughout the world. Once you have decided on a retro theme of furniture, whether it’s mesh, steel, leather, or perhaps a combination of themes, look for details like color and the finishes on offer. Retro is back in a big way, and you can be sure that it will remain in vogue. How you team it with your modern furniture is a creative venture by itself.
