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TO EVERYTHING, THERE IS A SEASON
Sunday Star , StarMag, July 17, 2005
The late 1940s was a time of transition. People were discarding the highly décorated, grand furniture of the 1930s for simpler designs with clean lines, and shapes with single colours. It was also a time when designers were experimenting with shapes and materials.
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A replica of George Nelson's Ball Clock. |
1947
George Nelson designs the 4755 wall clock, popularly called the Ball Clock because of the balls at the end of the spokes that mark the 12 hours.
1948
The husband and wife design team of Ray and Charles Eames produces Le Chaise. The Eames are experimenting with bending materials like plywood and working with new materials like plastic and aluminium.
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| Eero Saarinen's Womb Chair. |
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In that same year, Eero Saarinen’s Womb Chair is introduced by the Knoll furniture company.
1949
Ray and Charles’ famous Shell Chair, made of fibreglass-reinforced polyester resin, becomes all the rage across the United States.
1952
By the time the 1950s roll in, plastic and aluminium is appearing in all furniture shops. In 1952, Nelson designs the Bubble Lamp for the Howard Miller Clock Co.
1957
Five years later, Laverne Originals produces see-through plastic furniture while Saarinen designs Tulip pedestal tables and chairs for Knoll.
1960s
This decade sees more designs based on geometric patterns and the Space Age. Influenced by the popular culture at this the time – drugs, psychedelic motifs, Pop and Op Art, the hippie movement – design takes on more vibrant colours.
1963
Edward Craven Walker designs the motion lamp, also known as the lava lamp, though he sells it under the brand name Astro Lamp.
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| Pierre Paulin's Ribbon Chair . |
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1965
Pierre Paulin designs Chair 582, also known as the Ribbon Chair because it looks like a ribbon that folds creatively to form the seat and backrest.
1966
In 1966, Eero Aarnio’s fibreglass Ball Chair (also known as the Globe Chair, main photo on page 4) is produced, initially with built-in stereo speakers. Aarnio later designs even more interesting chairs, including the Pastili (1967), Bubble Chair (1968) and the Tomato Chair (1971).
1968
The Sacco beanbag chairs appear on the market; the original beanbag is said to have been created by Zanotta of Milan, Italy.
1970s
With the introduction of the first IBM portable computer – the 5100 – in 1975, high-tech is the new in thing this decade. With that, metal shelving units and file cabinets are welcomed into homes as part of the furniture.
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| The Wiggle side chair made of corrugated cardboard and hardboard. |
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1972
Abstract art, which is also all the rage now, heavily influences home furnishings. This Wiggle side chair is designed by Frank O. Gehry in this year. It's made of corrugated cardboard and hardboard with six layers bonded and screwed together.
1974
Don Chadwick designs Limbo modular seating that can be linked to form an undulating, continuous row that can take on wave, circle or snake-like forms.
Late 1970s, early 1980s
With the television gaining prominence and taking over from the radio as the prime entertainment unit in homes, sofa sets and chairs take on more comfortable forms to cater to the first generation of couch potatoes. This leads to furniture and furnishings in which comfort and convenience rule over form.
Copyright Star Publications (M) Bhd
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Raving About Retro
Blast from the Past
Do the Hustle
Tune in to the Space Age
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