Modern living rooms are marked by clean lines.
The furniture in a home serves a variety of purposes. It provides places for people to dine and to recline. It might need to be durable enough to stand up to children and pets, while not skimping on style. Part of a designer's job is to explore a homeowner's lifestyle and taste in order to determine what furniture style will best meet their needs with respect to form and function. Does this Spark an idea?
Traditional
Traditional furniture styles can be used to impart a timeless, classic style to home decor. Queen Anne furniture features cabriole legs with pad or drake feet and chairs have fiddle backs. Georgian is a more ornate version of Queen Anne furniture characterized by carvings and gilding, notes Connected Lines in its furniture style guide. In contrast to Georgian style, Shaker furniture was noted for its clean lines; the pieces feature woven chair seats and straight, tapered legs. During the latter part of the 19th century, Arts and Crafts, or Mission, furniture continued the simple and utilitarian style of Shaker furniture. Although some traditional styles, such as Queen Anne, are best suited to formal rooms, others, such as Mission, are often used in family rooms or by those who like a more relaxed but classic look.
Modern
Following World War II, American furniture buyers had more discretionary income to spend on pieces that reflected their positive outlook on the future, according to online interior design magazine Home Decorating Reviews. Modern furniture styles took root during the 1940s and 1950s and were characterized by their distinctly nontraditional looks, designed to be sleek and sophisticated. Modern furniture buyers would seek out matching sets, especially for the bedroom and living room. Pieces were streamlined, smooth and made of light-colored woods. Plastic, space-age furniture was also popular in the beginning of the modern furniture era; the post-war decades also saw Americans investing more money in outdoor furniture, as more people were able to afford homes with yards.
Transitional
Transitional furniture is less ornate than traditional, but not as streamlined as contemporary, notes Green Culture's furniture guide. The style is ideal for those who like to combine elements of other furniture styles. Transitional furniture might marry the rich fabrics of traditional furniture with the metal and glass found in contemporary decor. Sub-categories of transitional furniture are eclectic and casual. Eclectic pieces borrow from a number of other styles; to keep a room decorated with eclectic pieces from looking cluttered, Green Culture suggests unifying colors or fabrics. Casual furniture takes its cue from traditional pieces but is more relaxed and ideal for families or those who like to entertain informally.
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