Useful and beautiful

Every piece in our furniture collection has a clearly defined purpose, bringing together practical storage and function with contemporary lines and elegant design, to create a range with a mid-century modern edge that is both useful and beautiful.

We are long-time advocates of the importance of bringing together form and function.  

Form follows function. 

Image: The Wainwright Building by Louis Sullivan | re-thinkingthefuture.com

The phrase 'form follows function' coined by the American architect, Louis Sullivan still resonates centuries on: "It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognisable in its expression, that form ever follows function." 

The Modernist era in which Sullivan crafted these words, and the belief that beauty should come from the pursuit of functionality, as opposed to decoration for decoration's sake, set in motion a design movement that continues to shape the interpretation of good design. 

His principle has influenced good design for over a century, but the impact of his words was felt almost immediately. Modernism became the standard in art and design in the early 20th century, and out of that grew the Bauhaus movement.

Consequently, it is now widely acknowledged that good design has just as much to do with how well something works as it does with its appearance. Ultimately, a purchase is made to perform a function well and if it doesn't it won't be used, but equally if the aesthetic appeal is lacking, a consumer is unlikely to be drawn to make the purchase in the first place. These two facets of design are inextricably linked. 

Applied to furniture design.

The renowned furniture designer Charles Eames once said, “Design is an expression of the purpose, and it may (if it is good enough) later be judged as art” cementing the idea in the late twentieth century that design must have a purpose and that, without function, it segues into the world of art.

In the context of furniture, function can be implied within most pieces, however, the calibre of the design comes through in terms of its usage. An unoccupied armchair sat in the corner of a room can be considered functional but if it's never used because it is uncomfortable can it truly be considered serviceable? 

Developing the idea of functional design, our collection allows for you, the user, to tailor our pieces to your needs with varying dimensions, materials and finishes available to ensure the inherent function designed into the piece suits your unique space and style best. The ultimate aim being that, this way, you will own a piece of elegant, minimalist furniture which fulfils its purpose to optimal effect. Form and function seamlessly combined. 

And beyond...  

Image: The Good Design Awards

So, from the birth of good design standards came the idea that form follows function. Purity of function paves the way for aesthetically enhancing form, as opposed to excessive embellishment and ornamentation.  

Within this construct comes the view that good design focuses on the creation of harmony between all parts of the piece; it aims to create a cohesive whole that is an improvement on the sum of its parts bringing together practical function with an aesthetically pleasing finish. 

The emphasis is on the interconnection of the parts, be it the physical components, the combination of materials to unite the piece or the intricacies of fixings, every element is introduced with purpose and to become part of a harmonious whole. 

From this, designers are fundamentally tasked with the challenge of bringing these component parts together to optimal effect and, how this combination of form and function together can be valuable to the end consumer.