A Recent History of British Interior Design Trends

Interior design and home decorating is an important part in all of our lives, and crucial in creating a space to love. We all gravitate towards a certain interior style, a theme, and a colour palette, which decides what our home will look like, and makes choosing furniture easier.

Whether you wish to create an eclectic mix of bygone eras, or recreate any of the 20th century interior designs, with the help of furniture inspired by Charles and Rey Eames, we hope you can find some ideas and inspiration for your home below.

We will look at design trends ranging for the iconic Art Deco style of the 1920s to the Eclecticism style we see today. 

 

1920s Art Deco Design

 

This era was one of the boldest in history, and the Art Deco design embodies the Roaring ‘20s perfectly. It was a time of ostentation, and people wanted luxury, aesthetic furniture to show their lavish lifestyle. Despite the luxury and grandeur to this movement, there was certainly a class and a stylish taste to interior Art Deco Design. It was not ostentatious for the sake of being ostentatious.

Art Deco design was one of the biggest influencers of interior design in the 20th century. The most notable features of the style include sharp lines and soft curves in furniture design, and the shapes of the furniture are geometric. Art Deco chairs are highly elegant and can come in upholstered versions, either sporting a very high back or a very low back. Find an example of Art Deco furniture design in the chair below.

Art Deco Chair

Another perfect example of the chair suited to this era is our very own school chair, which reflects the retro industrial look and with its sleek lines and soft curves, it perfectly complements an Art Deco. The bar tables and stools inspired by the Art Deco design are a style that have passed the test of time, and are still as prominent now as they always have been.

The Art Deco era was the time where cocktail tables were first introduced. Cocktail tables were successful immediately, and these stand-alone bar tables became an iconic piece of furniture in the modern years too. 

At Chair.Furniture, we have a selection of breakfast bar table for you to choose from such as the High Scandinavian bar table or the side marble coffee table. These bar tables also have the perfect barstools to match, and help bring a relic of design history into the modern interior.

£65.00 £113.00

 

The 1930s-40s — Modernist

 

This period is now referred to as the vintage era. This Modernist interior style reflects simple and clean characteristics. The most popular colours of this interior design were different shades of grey, black, orange. These two decades were focused on providing the most comfortable pieces of furniture, and the perfect interior design for a family home. 

One commonplace item in the Modernist era was the French Modernist armchair. This chair sacrificed comfort for aesthetic!

Modernist Oak Armchair

This French Modernist Chair is closer to a deck chair, than a chair to provide relaxation.

 

Our cosmo chair is a perfect example of what the Modernist design movement aimed to achieve. And without sacrificing any of the comfort!

 

 

The 1950s — Mid-Century Modern

 

This decade of interior decor history is one the most significant of all. The greatest and most well-known designers shone in the 1950s, bringing pastel colours into the decor as well as introducing the Scandinavian home decor. This decade has inspired us at Chair.Furniture and continues to inspire us today. Amazing designers such as Carles and Rey Eames, Harry Bertoia and Saarinen produced most of their work during this period. We are proud to introduce our Eames Lounge Chair on offer, as we pay homage to one of our design heroes!

£956.97 £956.97

We have a wide selection of designer chairs and dining chairs available inspired by these Designers. Our Tulip Chair has been designed to match, and compliment a range of dining tables. You can admire the smooth lines of modernism, safely knowing it is a high-quality durable product.

£175.00 £175.00

Another commonplace item in the Mid-Century Modern era was the first armchairs designed with a synthetic seat, and wooden legs. You can find one of our chairs inspired by Carles and Rey Eames below.

£89.00 £89.00

 

The 1960s-70s postmodern

 

This period is known for it’s colour! Postmodernism aims to break the hold Modernism had on design, by offering something more experimental that makes a home brighter and warmer. The movement came under criticism for being superficial, garish, and even ugly at the time. However, in decades since most design enthusiasts have warmed to it, if they hadn’t before!

One of the most well-known designers, who fully embraced the life and colour of postmodernism was Alessandro Mendini. He is perhaps most known for his creation of the Proust chair shown below.

Proust Chair

If this is a little too much for your home have a look at one of our designer chairs, which takes inspiration from a decade of colour and warmth. 

£99.00 £99.00

 

The 1980s-90s The Evolution of Postmodernism

 

For some designers these decades offered an opportunity to further challenge the questions raised during the 60s, and 70s, about colour, vibrancy, and the evolution of postmodernism was just as controvertial at the time.

Mixed colour schemes, and odd asymmetrical, geometric shapes began to dominate as a design and architectural group, named the Memphis Group, took the centre stage early in the 1980s. They played a large part in driving the movement forward.

Memphis Group Postmodern Design

An interior designed by Memphis Group.

 

The bright colours, and peculiar shapes of the Memphis Group’s work put off many homeowners from redesigning their interior to fit this movement. They preferred to admire the work from afar, but little by little, interior design was changed and with the huge rise of pop culture in the 90s people began to warm to this new era of Postmodernism. 

If you want to add colours and shapes into your home to show off your style, have a look at our designer chairs below.

 

21st century- Eclecticism

 

Perhaps it’s too soon to know how the 21st century will be remembered in terms of design and style. However one thing is for certain, we are no longer afraid to borrow ideas from past eras. Something that has become much bigger since the turn of the decade is eclecticism.

Every person on this earth has a complex personality, so why should they be constrained to one idea? One style? We are now mixing - and not always matching - styles, colours, and shapes from several eras of design. People have discovered that an antique table can actually match a sleek, well-designed Scandinavian style chair. Feel free to try it yourself! 

Try pairing this stylish but simple Scandanavian style chair with a more vintage table.

 

One of the easiest ways to tie a room together that has a mixture of styles is through colour matching. If you pick a complementary colour scheme, where each piece of furniture is brought out to the eye of the observer, it is easier to be more experimental. The most important thing with the eclecticism, which is beginning to shape interior design in the 21st century, is to have fun and enjoy yourself.

 

For more interior inspiration, have a look at our social media accounts and keep up to date with the latest trends  .