Thursday, February 16, 2017

Modern European Furniture: A Beginner’s Guide

Team 7 modern TV unit
Modern European Furniture
For centuries, “European furniture” conjured up images of crown moldings, silk, and lots of pillows. A simple Google search of the term pulls up scores of ornate sofas and beds, but with the occasional exception.

That’s because other side of the spectrum is completely different - modern European furniture does not resemble this type of design. And while neither style is necessarily superior to the other, German Design Center specializes in leading modern furniture brands from Europe.

The following attributes will give a better understanding for those curious about this furniture:


Modern European Furniture Style

Modern furniture emphasizes the practical over traditions. It has origins within the Industrial Revolution, while previously European furniture focused on lineage and tradition. So all components have a purpose, lacking ornamentation that isn’t necessary.

Modern furniture from countries like Germany and Austria uses clean lines and geometric shapes. Storage furniture, such as closets and bookcases, use a modular framework with square units that build upon each other. Handles are small and minimal, or not present at all - a handleless cabinet grip is often preferred because it looks very contemporary.

Custom Designs

Nobilia Kitchen Media combo
Modern European Furniture

As mentioned earlier, modern furniture design was inspired by the idea of streamlined production. This makes it possible to design “furniture systems” that often serve many functions. For example, modern kitchen cabinets might have an extension to create a media stand for integrated kitchen-living room areas. It’s all about finding what is most useful to your situation and designing your furniture around that.

Because the systems are modular, changing the size and shape of furniture to fit the home is also simple. European modern furniture brands usually have many heights, widths and depths to choose for each unit. Some brands such as Hulsta offer closets and accessory furniture that can wrap around the room or have a segmented design involving several matching pieces.

Modern European furniture is very innovative in its usability too. Cabinets, which are excellent furniture concepts for all rooms, might have lots of engineering choices that are very advanced. Your cabinets could be designed with a rising flap door, pullout shelves, electric hinges, or motion activated lighting.

Modern Furniture Materials

Like its engineering, modern European furniture is known for quality material which is designed to serve you for many years. Instead of low quality chipboard that you tend to see in value brands, modern furniture often favors high quality MDF or even warp-resistant solid wood. Nobilia, the leading kitchen brand from Germany, takes quality so seriously, their prototypes undergo a rigorous series of tests which include shutting drawer glides 60,000 times and liquid acetone resistance.

European furniture materials
Modern European Furniture

European furniture companies often use higher quality finishes as well. Regular paint sometimes cracks or flakes off, so German companies prefer lacquer, usually in multiple layers. You can choose from matt or high gloss lacquer, in thousands of colors from the NCS standard chart to get that perfect match. Some other high quality alternatives are classic wood veneers, exotic woods, back lacquered glass, and textured concrete.

Lastly, custom European furniture is actually very price-flexible. If you are budget-conscious, a German laminate finish can mimic natural wood so convincingly, most people cannot tell the difference. And yet, the textured finish is available at a fraction of the price of real wood. You will also have the option to select different door styles and storage add-ons in a range of price groups.

German Design Center specializes in modern cabinets and furniture systems for the kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom. Visit our Free Design Consultation page to discuss modern European furniture with a design professional (it’s free!).

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