20 Books on Furniture Design

From the Publisher. The diverse collection of the Faculty of Architecture of the TU Delft, comprising more than 240 chairs, reflects the development of chair design since the 17th century and comprises both world famous designs and rarities. Here, the entire collection is presented for the first time, accompanied by images, descriptions and analytical texts.

From the Publisher. Within a few years of the Manchu invasion, Chinese craftsmen combined their highly refined design aesthetic with exotic woods, veneers, and lacquer to create some of the finest furniture ever made. This fascinating and little-known area of Chinese decorative art from the period of 1640 to 1790 is illuminated in Classical Chinese Furniture. These beautiful stools, desks, chairs, and bureaus have become the fastest-growing area of collecting within China as impassioned experts rediscover the glory of their artistic patrimony. The heart of Classical Chinese Furniture is the presentation of 52 masterpieces that provide an invaluable lesson on the Chinese approach to aesthetics, craftsmanship, architecture, and culture.

From the Publisher. This book offers an overview of developments in design over the past four decades-some evolutionary, some expected, and some extraordinary. It identifies the diverse influences that have generated new directions in design and illustrates many of the most characteristic, most noteworthy, and most innovative objects in this rich and variegated mix. All are representative of their time, and many of the earlier designs have already gained iconic status.

Catalogue of an exhibition of artist Donald Judd’s (1928–94) furniture designs at the Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam in 1993.

A reproduction of the 1956 Dunbar catalogue, which reveals the impact that Dunbar designs had on the American interior under the workmanship of pioneer modernist Edward Wormley (1907–95).

From the Publisher. One of the most celebrated, prolific, and unorthodox architects and designers of the twentieth century, Eero Saarinen has become a beacon of American modernism. While famous for his sculptural and bold architecture, such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri and the TWA Terminal at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Eero Saarinen: Furniture for Everyman is the first monograph to focus exclusively on his furniture designs. Featuring rare and never-before-seen archival photographs that span Saarinen’s technical work to his personal life, a preface by Florence Knoll, and a piece by designer and Saarinen protégé Niels Diffrient, Eero Saarinen is the authoritative and comprehensive guide to the furniture designs and legacy of the modern master.

From the Publisher. Neglected in her lifetime, Eileen Gray (1878-1976) is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers and architects of the early twentieth century. She first worked as a lacquer artist, then as a furniture designer and finally as an architect. At a time when other leading designers were almost exclusively male and adherents to one movement or another, Gray remained stalwartly independent. Her design style was as distinctive as her way of working; Gray developed an opulent, luxuriant take on the geometric forms and industrially produced materials used by International Style designers such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Mies van der Rohe. Her voluptuous leather and steel Bibendum Chair and chic E-1027 glass and tubular steel table are now familiar icons of modernity. Part of the By Architects series, Eileen Gray highlights the work of this singular designer-architect.

From the Publisher. Furniture Design is a comprehensive guide and resource for students and furniture designers. As well as discussing pioneering contemporary and historical designs, it also provides substantive answers to designers’ questions about function, materials, manufacture and sustainability, integrating guidance on all of these subjects – particularly material and manufacturing properties, in one accessible and structured volume. Many leading contemporary furniture designers from around the world are included, with case studies carefully selected to highlight the importance of both material and manufacture-led design processes. The book is also intended to provide an insight into furniture design for those considering a college education in product and industrial design.

A catalogue of the collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, divided into an introductory section, which contextualizes the pieces and provides background, and an illustrated catalogue of pieces from the collections.

From the Publisher. Carlo Mollino (1905-73), was influenced by the Second Futurism movement and the Surrealist avant-gardes, and active in an impressive number of fields, including aeronautics, automobile design, art, photography, set design, town planning, furniture, interior decoration and architecture. The Furniture of Carlo Mollino presents for the first time Mollino's complete furniture and interior design. Including drawings and archival photographs, it represents the most comprehensive record of this part of Mollino's production. Realized in collaboration with the Museo Casa Mollino and written by the Museum's curators Napoleone Ferrari and Fulvio Ferrari, this monograph emphasizes the contemporary significance of Mollino's groundbreaking oeuvre.

Furniture designs by Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1965).

Issued on the occasion of an exhibition held at R Gallery and Sean Kelly Gallery, New York, December 15, 2007–February 2, 2008. Furniture produced by the Danish designer Poul Kjaerholm (1929–80) from 1951 to 1980.

Furniture designed by George Nelson, Charles Eames, Isamu Noguchi, and Paul Laszlo for the Herman Miller Co.

On list of 9 Books from the Good Design Movement.

From the Publisher. This abundantly illustrated monograph tells the story of modern furniture in Czechoslovakia and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, from the first half of the nineteenth century (the Biedermeier period) to the late twentieth century. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the modern history of furniture in this region against the backdrop of significant developments in the field worldwide. Particular attention is devoted to the most distinguished artists-designers, as well as to the stories of furniture manufacturers and institutions. The volume examines the history of furniture manufacturing, sources of inspiration and types of material as well as technological aspects. Profiles of eminent Czech and international furniture designers form an important part of the publication: Jiri Bárta, Leopold Bauer, Jaroslav Benda, Frantisek Bilek, Josef Fanta, Marian Farka, Jaroslav Grunt, Radek Hegmon, Jaroslav Kadlec, Jerry Koza, Josef Macek, Karel Mrkva, Rudolf Netik, Peter Opsvik, Otto Rothmayer, Pavel Rychlink, Karel Teige and many others.

From the Publisher. The history of Knoll is the history of modern design. Founded in 1938 by Hans Knoll and joined by his wife, Florence Knoll, the company is credited for bringing European modern design to America, then nurturing the best homegrown talents at mid-century to build the most successful and prestigious high-end furniture company in the world. Throughout its history Knoll has been at the forefront of cutting-edge and chic design, the first company to produce Mies van der Rohe’s and Marcel Breuer’s tubular furniture for a receptive domestic market, making Bauhaus ideals a reality to an American audience. Knoll also leveraged America’s newfound economic and cultural status after World War II by commissioning now-iconic furniture pieces, such as Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair and Harry Bertoia’s Wire chairs. More recently Knoll has produced instant classics from Frank Gehry and Richard Meier. Equally significant is Knoll’s pioneering foray into office planning, which resulted in Florence Knoll’s iconic furniture and later one of the first office systems. Knoll also fully integrated graphic design into its program, with photography and advertising by masters such as Herbert Matter and Massimo Vignelli. Comprehensive in narrative and scope, this monograph will be a classic in its own right with images and texts on furniture, furnishings, systems, graphics, and unique insight into the modern world that is Knoll.

From the Publisher. Le Corbusier: Furniture and Interiors is the authoritative book on Le Corbusier’s work as an interior designer. A stunning catalogue in scale and scope, it follows the evolution of his style chronologically, making it an easy-to-use resource for both scholars and general readers. Entire apartments by Le Corbusier are described in careful detail with complementary images. Drawing upon previously unpublished material and new research, this equally well-designed book contains hundreds of illustrations, making it an invaluable resource for art historians, dealers, and collectors.

A comprehensive and chronological study of the development of Russian furniture style during the late 18th and early 19th centuries and its recent impact on the West.

Victorian architect-designer E. W. Godwin (1833–1886), tying himself neither morally nor aesthetically to a single style, approached design with what he called “judicious eclecticism.” Seeking to design furniture appropriate to the needs of modern living, he grappled with the problems of affordability, utility, and function and experimented with modular and fitted furniture decades before it became popular in the mid-twentieth century. This book is the first comprehensive study of Godwin’s furniture designs. Taking the form of a catalogue raisonné, the book documents and reproduces all known examples of his secular furniture and related furniture designs. Susan Weber Soros traces the development of Godwin’s style, examines its sources, and assesses the historical importance of his work. She discusses how Godwin combined antiquarian interests with the study of more recent design traditions from different parts of the world, including Japan. Godwin worked in six major styles: Gothic revival, Anglo-Japanese, Anglo-Greek, Anglo-Egyptian, Queen Anne or Cottage style, and Old English or Jacobean. Soros also describes his work for leading art manufacturers; the work he exhibited at great international exhibits in Vienna, Philadelphia, and Paris; and his role as designer of choice for such leading artists of his generation as James McNeill Whistler and Oscar Wilde.

From the Publisher. In this unique 2-volume, approximately 800-page book with more than 2,500 images, Marilyn Neuhart tells the story—to paraphrase Charles Eames himself—of how Eames furniture got to be the way it is. The Story of Eames Furniture is the benchmark reference on the subject. It is a biography—not of an individual person, but of arguably the most influential and important furniture brand of our time.

Through intense and self-critical teamwork, the Eames Office was the first to translate the theoretical approach of the Bauhaus into commercially successful design for a mass market. One can hardly exaggerate the relevance of Eames’s modern concept of design. In many cases the success of the pieces is based on the Office's own development and perfection of production processes for its designs.

The concepts that originated in the Eames Studio made a fundamental impact on modern design. Its furniture still tops bestseller lists and, decades later, the pieces have not lost any of their original elegance, timelessness, freshness, and quality. Its combination of conceptual consistency, aesthetic mastery, and almost scientific persistence is particularly inspirational for young designers today.

The Story of Eames Furniture was written and designed by Marilyn Neuhart together with her husband John. Both have worked at the Eames Office in various capacities since the 1950s. They have looked after the house of Charles and Ray Eames since the designers’ deaths and have supervised the Eames Archive. More familiar with the material and protagonists than almost any other, Marilyn Neuhart has spent the last 15 years compiling the stories, images, and recollections featured in this book.

From the Publisher. Details over 180 of the most innovative office chairs designed and built from the 1840s to the present, with a color photograph, details of the designer and manufacturer, and a short text accompanying each chair. Features designs from numerous well-known designers, including Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames, Gio Ponti, Richard Sapper, Jasper Morrison and Konstantin Grcic. Gives a visual overview of the entire evolution of the modern office chair. Includes ten chapters of technical drawings, comprising over 400 drawings, underlining the exhaustive research and technical prowess behind the book. The fruition of an authoritative four-year research project which will appeal to product designers, furniture manufacturers, design enthusiasts and students, furniture collectors, and anyone needing to buy an office chair.