The origin of furniture can be traced back to Ancient Egypt , although the remains of furniture from that period are not very abundant and correspond almost exclusively to the wealthier classes. Egyptian furniture is characterised by its simplicity in terms of structure; as for decoration, the furniture was decorated with geometric shapes in bright colours. Chests, lamps, tables and stools from this period have been found.
A few centuries later, furniture took a great step forward in its evolution in Ancient Greece. Philosophy had a great influence on the pieces of this period, although at first many of the Egyptian guidelines were adopted, such as the covering of wood with richer materials such as metal or ivory in luxury furniture. One of the pieces that evolved the most in Greek society was the bed; it went from being a simple pile of skins to a frame with criss-crossed leather strips and a mattress.
Later, in the Roman Empire, furniture did not evolve much because the Romans were very austere in the decoration of their homes; they preferred open spaces. The only notable fact of the period is the work of the craftsmen who began to carve animal shapes on the legs; the Romans had a preference for stools, chairs and armchairs.
During the Romanesque period , furniture began to adapt to the needs of society, although it continued to be seen only as functional pieces. Furniture from the 12th century was characterized by being strong and heavy, decorated with paintings from the codices and with applications of other materials such as iron and ivory.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Plateresque style began to be used in terms of decoration, which was of great importance in the palaces and buildings that were built during this period. More attention began to be paid to ornamentation, in which balusters and plant motifs predominated. Little by little, the figuration became more abundant and ostentatious, with small columns, teeth and pediments. The most commonly used materials at the time were walnut, boxwood and bone.
The 17th century was characterised by a general crisis in Europe, ravaged by hunger, poverty and political, social and religious conflict. Naturalistic motifs appeared for the first time and other geometric motifs continued to be used. The predominant material was solid walnut, although other materials such as veneer were also used, as well as tortoiseshell and bone in the most exclusive furniture.
And so it continues to this day. Following the First World War, the Dutchman Gerrit Rietveld built the famous red and blue chair, as well as the zig-zag chair; they were the first avant-garde pieces of furniture.
The art deco style began in 1910 and had its greatest August in 1925, the year of the Paris Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts.
As for modern furniture, it should be noted that it began at the beginning of the 20th century with a simple style that was completely opposed to traditional ornamentation. Some of its main exponents are the Finnish Aalvar Aalto and the Danish Poul Henningsen.
Finally, the contemporary furniture style reached its peak between 1940 and 1950 thanks to its style full of simplicity and clarity. Its main reference is Ludwig Miles van der Rohe, who created some designs together with the Bauhaus School of Art and Design in Germany.
The History of Furniture from its Beginnings
