FURNITURE BY DECADE | 1940’S

Furniture in the 1940’s was really getting exciting. It was so tough to decide on which items to put here… and to leave out the Eames DCW Plywood Dining Chair, not to mention Hans J. Wegner 512 or 501 or even the ESU (Eames Storage Unit)!!! Okay you might think I’m crazy but I figured, unless I chose, there would need to be a part two for Furniture in this decade. Here I’m covering the incredible diversity of styles and design of this era. Read about Furniture in the 1920’s here.

String by Nisse Strining can be seen in so many of the interior bloggers homes at the moment. Rightly so, this super stylish storage system is so incredibly flexible that you can start with a simple shelf like shown above, and over time and as needs change, you can add to until you cover an entire wall if you want. The String system keeps evolving and is available in a variety of colours and fittings. It dates to 1949.

Egon Eiermann’s The Rattan Lounge Chair E10, was one of the first rattan designs to move away from colonial styled forms. A beautiful piece of design. 1949.

La Chaise by Charles & Ray Eames is a true iconic of organic design. Interestingly it was never sold during Eames’ lifetime, because of the costs involved. It wasn’t until 1996 that Vitra began manufacturing and distributing La Chaise. What a statement piece this would make in a home. Designed in 1948.

Jean Prouvé’s Guéridon table, is to me the perfect round table. I adore the modern form of this design, it’s strong and yet stands so elegant. The Guéridon belongs in the kitchen of a Parisian apartment non? Or perhaps mine one day. Dates to 1949.

The J16 by the master of Danish chair design, Hans J. Wegner would have to be one of the most iconic of rocking chairs. With his reputation for placing importance on ergonomics and comfort in his designs, this chair would sure be a lovely place to rock and reflect. 1944.

Finally, the Organic Chair by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, was designed for a competition organized by MoMA to counteract the stagnation felt in furniture design. Not surprisingly, the Organic Chair won and is a true classic in chair design today. Like La Chaise, it was too costly to produce the chair at the time and it wasn’t until 1950 before they were able to manufacture and market it.

So tell me, is there anything here that you would just love to have in your home? Any favourites?

Mel xx