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 xiiiAcknowledgments xviiForeword xixForeword to the First Edition xxiChapter 1 Introduction to Furniture Design 1Furniture 2Design 8Furniture + Design + (X) = Furniture Design 10Data Visualization: Mapping Data from Research 12Chapter 2 Function and Social Use 19Human Body Supports 20Sitting, Working, Resting, and Sleeping 20Squatting and Sitting 23Activities: Eating, Reading, Typing, and Writing 25Containing: Storing, Displaying, and Organizing 27Defining Space: Enclosing, Shaping, and Partitioning 28Classifications Based on Social Use 29Health-care Furniture: For Those Who Need Assistance 30Hospitality Furniture: Restaurants, Lobbies, and Reception Areas 32Institutional Furniture: Education 34Multifunctional Furniture: Sit-Work, Sit-Sleep, and Store-Display 35Office Furniture: Ergonomic Seating, Workstations, and Systems Furniture 37Recreational Furniture: Play, Leisure, and Outdoor Furnishings 38Religious (Liturgical) Furniture: Altars, Arks, and Minbars 40Residential Furniture: Social Gathering, Resting, Dining, and Organizing 43Retail Furniture: Displaying, Storing, Transactions, and Sales 46Storage Furniture: Containing, Organizing, and Accessing 47Chapter 3 Form, Spatial Organization, and Typological Orders 51Form 51Angular 56Composite 56Curvilinear 57Orthogonal 58Sectional/Modular 58Spatial Organization 60Centralized 61Clustered 62Grids 63Linear 64Radial 65Typological Orders 66Assembly Required (Ready-to-Assemble and Knock-Down) 66Built-In/Stationary 67Freestanding 67Inflatable 68Mechanical (Transformative Pieces) 69Movable 72Summary 74Chapter 4 Furniture Case Studies 75Overview of Furniture Case Studies 75700–400 BCE Greek Klismos chair 761200–1800 CE European coffer 781745–1750 French Rococo commode 801754–1780 Chippendale chair 821855–1859 Café chair, Model No. 14 841917–1918 Red-Blue chair 861922 Blocs Screen 881925 Wassily club chair, Model No. B301 901928 Siège à Dossier Basculant (B301) 921932–1933 Stools 60/65 941949–1950 Eames Storage Unit (ESU) 961950–1954 Antony chair 981951 Wire side chair 1001968 Action Office 1021987 Ghost chair 1041992 Cross Check armchair 1061993 Trinidad chair 1081994 Living units 1101994–1995 Aeron chair 1121999 The Block 1142000 Pathways 1162003–2004 Jimmy’s Buffet 1182004 Knit chair 1202006 Araneae coffee table 1222011 Modular Vitrine System 124Lessons from the 25 Furniture Case Studies 126Chapter 5 Furniture Design Theory 129Inquiry 129Systems Theory 131Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas 133Firmitas 133Utilitas 137Anthropometrics 139General Body Characteristics and Dimensions 141Ergonomics 142Posture 145Proxemics 147Venustas 150Beauty 150Geometry 152Proportion 152Modernism 154Built Form and Culture 155New Formalism: Theories of Digital Form 158Chapter 6 Design 161Design Principles 163Balance: Structural and Visual, Symmetry and Asymmetry 163Continuity, Unity, and Variety 165Dynamism and Stasis 165Hierarchy and Emphasis 165Juxtaposition 167Rhythm and Pattern 167Scale and Proportion 168Design Thinking 171Construing and Constructing 172Bold Studies 172Making Prototypes 174Scaled Models 175Design Ethos 177Accessible Design 177Codes, Guidelines, and Standards (Health, Safety, and Welfare) 177Green Design 178Universal Design 181Design Processes 182Schematics: Sketching, Drawing, Computer Rendering, and Model Making 182Design Phases 190Predesign, Research, and Programming 190Schematic Design 192Design Development 192Fabrication Drawings 193Pricing and Contract Negotiation 194Shop Drawings, Templates, and Working Prototypes 195Fabrication 195Delivery and Installation 196Professional and Disciplinary Boundaries 197Chapter 7 Materials 203Material Matters 205Material Properties 210Absorptive Quality 211Aging and Weathering 212Cellular Structure (Open-Cell or Closed-Cell) 212Compressive and Tensile Strength 213Density 214Dimensional Movement 214Ductility 216Durability 217Elasticity 217Expandability 217Haptic Sensations 218Stability 219Surface Qualities 220Visual Aspects of Finished Wood Surfaces 220Visual Aspects of Unfinished Wood Surfaces 221Volatile Organic Compounds 221Workability 222Other Aspects 223Materials: A to Z 224Adhesives and Glues 224Composite Boards 226Fabrics and Leather 229Finishes 232Glass 235Metal 237Paper 240Plastics 240Rubber and Elastomers 245Stone 247Woods and Grasses 248Chapter 8 Processes and Methods of Fabrication 255Preparing Shop Drawings and a Materials Takeoff List 256Securing Materials, Equipment, Supplies, and Hardware 257Bending 260Carving 262Cutting, Drilling, Milling, and Planing 263Assembling and Gluing 264Joinery, Mechanical Connections, and Fasteners 265Upholstery 275Sanding 277Finishing, Painting, Sealing, Staining, and Surfacing 278Wood Finishing 278Delivery and Installation 280Repairing, Restoring, and Resurfacing 281A Chronological Overview of Tools 281Hand Tools 281Machine Tools 282Hand Tools Used Today 282Power Tools Used Today 283Digital Tools 285Technology: The Art and Science of Fabrication 287Craft (Workmanship of Risk) 288Machine Production (Workmanship of Certainty) 289Chapter 9 Professional Practice and Marketing 291Industry 294Green Marketing 295Retail and Wholesale 296Design for Less 298Alternative Retail 298Industrial Entrepreneurs: Silent Heroes 300Furniture Epicenters 301Paris 301Northern Italy 301Scandinavia 302Other Epicenters 304The Business of Furniture Design 304Chapter 10 Historical Overview 307How Societies Have Thought about Designing, Making, and Using Furniture 307The Earliest Cultures 309Ancient Nomadic Societies 309Prehistoric World Settlements 309Prehistory to Antiquity 310Ancient Egypt 310Archaic and Classical Greece 313Etruria 315The Romans 315Early Christian and Islamic Cultures 316Emergence of Islamic Furniture (circa 610) 317Medieval Societies 319The Rise of Europe 321The Renaissance 321Baroque Period 327French Rococo Period 329England in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 331The American Colonies and the Emerging United States 333The Classical Style 336The Industrial Revolution 337Eclecticism 339Revivals 339Craft and Design 341Arts and Crafts in Europe 342Arts and Crafts in the United States 343Art Nouveau 345Modernism and the Machine Age 346The Bauhaus 348Rising Heroes of Evolving Modernism 350Craft versus Design 356New Craftsmanship 356The Twenty-First Century: The Digital Age 358New Digital Tools, New Synthetic Materials, New Design Opportunities 359Appendix: References and Sources 361Industry Sources 362Museums, Galleries, and Exhibitions 365Glossary 367Bibliography 381Index 385