Furniture Design

JIM POSTELL is Professor in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati. He has taught design studio and seminar courses for thirty years and maintains an active design practice. He is the coauthor of Materiality and Interior Construction.

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

Foreword xix

Foreword to the First Edition xxi

Chapter 1 Introduction to Furniture Design 1

Furniture 2

Design 8

Furniture + Design + (X) = Furniture Design 10

Data Visualization: Mapping Data from Research 12

Chapter 2 Function and Social Use 19

Human Body Supports 20

Sitting, Working, Resting, and Sleeping 20

Squatting and Sitting 23

Activities: Eating, Reading, Typing, and Writing 25

Containing: Storing, Displaying, and Organizing 27

Defining Space: Enclosing, Shaping, and Partitioning 28

Classifications Based on Social Use 29

Health-care Furniture: For Those Who Need Assistance 30

Hospitality Furniture: Restaurants, Lobbies, and Reception Areas 32

Institutional Furniture: Education 34

Multifunctional Furniture: Sit-Work, Sit-Sleep, and Store-Display 35

Office Furniture: Ergonomic Seating, Workstations, and Systems Furniture 37

Recreational Furniture: Play, Leisure, and Outdoor Furnishings 38

Religious (Liturgical) Furniture: Altars, Arks, and Minbars 40

Residential Furniture: Social Gathering, Resting, Dining, and Organizing 43

Retail Furniture: Displaying, Storing, Transactions, and Sales 46

Storage Furniture: Containing, Organizing, and Accessing 47

Chapter 3 Form, Spatial Organization, and Typological Orders 51

Form 51

Angular 56

Composite 56

Curvilinear 57

Orthogonal 58

Sectional/Modular 58

Spatial Organization 60

Centralized 61

Clustered 62

Grids 63

Linear 64

Radial 65

Typological Orders 66

Assembly Required (Ready-to-Assemble and Knock-Down) 66

Built-In/Stationary 67

Freestanding 67

Inflatable 68

Mechanical (Transformative Pieces) 69

Movable 72

Summary 74

Chapter 4 Furniture Case Studies 75

Overview of Furniture Case Studies 75

700–400 BCE Greek Klismos chair 76

1200–1800 CE European coffer 78

1745–1750 French Rococo commode 80

1754–1780 Chippendale chair 82

1855–1859 Café chair, Model No. 14 84

1917–1918 Red-Blue chair 86

1922 Blocs Screen 88

1925 Wassily club chair, Model No. B301 90

1928 Siège à Dossier Basculant (B301) 92

1932–1933 Stools 60/65 94

1949–1950 Eames Storage Unit (ESU) 96

1950–1954 Antony chair 98

1951 Wire side chair 100

1968 Action Office 102

1987 Ghost chair 104

1992 Cross Check armchair 106

1993 Trinidad chair 108

1994 Living units 110

1994–1995 Aeron chair 112

1999 The Block 114

2000 Pathways 116

2003–2004 Jimmy’s Buffet 118

2004 Knit chair 120

2006 Araneae coffee table 122

2011 Modular Vitrine System 124

Lessons from the 25 Furniture Case Studies 126

Chapter 5 Furniture Design Theory 129

Inquiry 129

Systems Theory 131

Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas 133

Firmitas 133

Utilitas 137

Anthropometrics 139

General Body Characteristics and Dimensions 141

Ergonomics 142

Posture 145

Proxemics 147

Venustas 150

Beauty 150

Geometry 152

Proportion 152

Modernism 154

Built Form and Culture 155

New Formalism: Theories of Digital Form 158

Chapter 6 Design 161

Design Principles 163

Balance: Structural and Visual, Symmetry and Asymmetry 163

Continuity, Unity, and Variety 165

Dynamism and Stasis 165

Hierarchy and Emphasis 165

Juxtaposition 167

Rhythm and Pattern 167

Scale and Proportion 168

Design Thinking 171

Construing and Constructing 172

Bold Studies 172

Making Prototypes 174

Scaled Models 175

Design Ethos 177

Accessible Design 177

Codes, Guidelines, and Standards (Health, Safety, and Welfare) 177

Green Design 178

Universal Design 181

Design Processes 182

Schematics: Sketching, Drawing, Computer Rendering, and Model Making 182

Design Phases 190

Predesign, Research, and Programming 190

Schematic Design 192

Design Development 192

Fabrication Drawings 193

Pricing and Contract Negotiation 194

Shop Drawings, Templates, and Working Prototypes 195

Fabrication 195

Delivery and Installation 196

Professional and Disciplinary Boundaries 197

Chapter 7 Materials 203

Material Matters 205

Material Properties 210

Absorptive Quality 211

Aging and Weathering 212

Cellular Structure (Open-Cell or Closed-Cell) 212

Compressive and Tensile Strength 213

Density 214

Dimensional Movement 214

Ductility 216

Durability 217

Elasticity 217

Expandability 217

Haptic Sensations 218

Stability 219

Surface Qualities 220

Visual Aspects of Finished Wood Surfaces 220

Visual Aspects of Unfinished Wood Surfaces 221

Volatile Organic Compounds 221

Workability 222

Other Aspects 223

Materials: A to Z 224

Adhesives and Glues 224

Composite Boards 226

Fabrics and Leather 229

Finishes 232

Glass 235

Metal 237

Paper 240

Plastics 240

Rubber and Elastomers 245

Stone 247

Woods and Grasses 248

Chapter 8 Processes and Methods of Fabrication 255

Preparing Shop Drawings and a Materials Takeoff List 256

Securing Materials, Equipment, Supplies, and Hardware 257

Bending 260

Carving 262

Cutting, Drilling, Milling, and Planing 263

Assembling and Gluing 264

Joinery, Mechanical Connections, and Fasteners 265

Upholstery 275

Sanding 277

Finishing, Painting, Sealing, Staining, and Surfacing 278

Wood Finishing 278

Delivery and Installation 280

Repairing, Restoring, and Resurfacing 281

A Chronological Overview of Tools 281

Hand Tools 281

Machine Tools 282

Hand Tools Used Today 282

Power Tools Used Today 283

Digital Tools 285

Technology: The Art and Science of Fabrication 287

Craft (Workmanship of Risk) 288

Machine Production (Workmanship of Certainty) 289

Chapter 9 Professional Practice and Marketing 291

Industry 294

Green Marketing 295

Retail and Wholesale 296

Design for Less 298

Alternative Retail 298

Industrial Entrepreneurs: Silent Heroes 300

Furniture Epicenters 301

Paris 301

Northern Italy 301

Scandinavia 302

Other Epicenters 304

The Business of Furniture Design 304

Chapter 10 Historical Overview 307

How Societies Have Thought about Designing, Making, and Using Furniture 307

The Earliest Cultures 309

Ancient Nomadic Societies 309

Prehistoric World Settlements 309

Prehistory to Antiquity 310

Ancient Egypt 310

Archaic and Classical Greece 313

Etruria 315

The Romans 315

Early Christian and Islamic Cultures 316

Emergence of Islamic Furniture (circa 610) 317

Medieval Societies 319

The Rise of Europe 321

The Renaissance 321

Baroque Period 327

French Rococo Period 329

England in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 331

The American Colonies and the Emerging United States 333

The Classical Style 336

The Industrial Revolution 337

Eclecticism 339

Revivals 339

Craft and Design 341

Arts and Crafts in Europe 342

Arts and Crafts in the United States 343

Art Nouveau 345

Modernism and the Machine Age 346

The Bauhaus 348

Rising Heroes of Evolving Modernism 350

Craft versus Design 356

New Craftsmanship 356

The Twenty-First Century: The Digital Age 358

New Digital Tools, New Synthetic Materials, New Design Opportunities 359

Appendix: References and Sources 361

Industry Sources 362

Museums, Galleries, and Exhibitions 365

Glossary 367

Bibliography 381

Index 385