history of interiors and furnishings

Modernism started in Germany and France, and it spread from those countries to many other countries throughout the globe. Travel, journals, books and exhibitions were some of the vehicles that carried the lessons of modernism worldwide. The effects of World War II also contributed to the spread. The war forced Bauhaus to close, and compelled many of the designers to emigrate to Britain, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, and Japan. Many of the pioneers of modernism, such as Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe, fled from their original countries and ended up in the United States.  The Unites States was not as affected by the war as many European countries. After the war, many European countries were in a desperate state, and for the years that followed they were still trying to recover from the hit. America, on the other hand, was in good economic shape, and in the years between 1950-1970, it was the world leader economically.  The 1950's in Am...

During the turn of the century (early 1900's), there were Interior Decorators, and Interior Designing began to develop as a secondary profession, other than architecture, in the design of an interior space. Before this, it was the architect who would hire different craftsmen to complete the different parts of the interior. But now an Interior Decorator was in charge of fully furnishing an interior, including getting the furniture, art, floor covering, etc.  "The Rise of the Decorator" is a phrase that Interior historian John Pile used to refer to the phenomenon of the growing need for professionals to help with outfitting the interiors of the houses of the wealthy class so that it reflected their status. What influenced this was the post World War I political and economical culture. More upper middle class people wanted help with their interiors because they were dissatisfied with the Victorian style. There was also a need for office spaces to be professionally desig...

"Art Deco" is abbreviation for "Arts Decoratifs." It was a movement that originated in France after World War I, during the 1920's. The 1920's is a period also known as the "Roaring Twenties" because, in places such as the United States, this was a time of economic prosperity, and technological advancements in transportation electricity, and media. This led to a new focus on luxury, and to a mood of celebration.  The Art Deco movement shows the differing attitudes between the Functionalists and the Decorators. These two groups responded to modernism in different ways. The Functionalists were more interested in mass-production, the value of engineering and assembly line production, and in reaching a wider range of the market place. The Decorators, on the other hand, were interested in crafted exquisite objects that were labor intensive, and they aimed at an elite market.  What makes Art Deco unique is the fact that it is one of the few styles wh...