Functionality and aesthetics in design have been studied time and again; their validity is argued for and against. Some believe a functional object does not need to be beautiful to be designed well. Others believe that for a product to be well-designed, it must have aesthetic elements that set it apart from the everyday fare. In reality, functionality and aestheticism can and should complement each other.
Designers are tasked with finding a balance between aestheticism and functionality. Tastes vary by individual. A chair is not just a chair. The objective of the design of the chair is to recognize the need for it and to understand how it connects to other parts of the physical world. To quote Eero Saarinen, “Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context—a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.”
In design, the form of an object is supposed to harmonize its usability with its visual distinction. We understand an object is a chair because of its firmly established design characteristics. The chair has a backrest, base, extending armrests, and four legs for support. We know when it is a well-designed chair because it is comfortable, ergonomic, and finished. Take a look at Lumens’ selection of modern chairs for example. We know a modern chair by its clean lines, industrial material, and modularity. The chair’s function is to support a seated person. A modern chair’s function is to support a seated person comfortably, fashionably, and affordably.
Functionality VS Aesthetics: Redefining the Living Space
Modern Chairs: Where Functionality Meets Aestheticism
Our living spaces personify who we are and what it is we believe in. There’s a reason you have succulents planted in cream-colored terra cotta pots on your mantel and a replica Georgia O’Keefe painting hanging above it. Every style decision you make is a choice by design. This includes your furniture. Are you someone who likes a coffee-hued leather couch, or white sling chair? Do you like sitting by an open fire under the stars, or reading a pop novel on the beach?
Innit Designs: Acapulco Chair
The Acapulco Chair sits perfectly in the bright, cheery living room of your beachfront condo or out on the back patio. The chair’s design, inspired by Mayan hammock weaving techniques has an open weave vinyl seat. This allows for ample airflow as you sit and enjoy an ice-cold beverage with an open book on your lap. Ideal for easy cleaning, the Acapulco chair’s pear shape and steel frame give its industrial design a traditional touch and retro appeal.
Fritz Hansen: Drop Chair (Upholstered)
With its tear-drop shape and playful color palette, the Drop Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen has been gracing the modern interior since 1958. Jacobsen once remarked that “people buy a chair and they don’t really care who designed it.” Why? As long as the chair personifies their own style and lives up to its purpose, then the chair has met their standards, their standards being what most matters to them. This is the goal of the designer: to create an object that impacts the user’s experience and identity. Ideal for a subtly toned day room, the Fritz Hansen Company’s Drop Chair is both spirited and soft. The Drop Chair is a model chair for that steely-natured individual who enjoys letting their hair fall every once in a while.
Gus Modern: High Park Chair
The High Park Chair features the clean, stark lines that best define the aestheticism of modern chairs. Modeled after the Club Chair, this modernized creation comes upholstered with sharp French seams perfectly tailored to the soft cushions. The chair’s cantilevered base, reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” with its horizontal planes and sharp pointed corners is constructed out of solid stainless steel. Its steel base is sturdy enough to handle a lot of rough usage. Ideal for the office, your colleagues and employees will feel calm, cool, and collected in a meeting or on a call.
Our environment, natural and man-made helps us to navigate the world around us. When we surround ourselves with things that are both functional and aesthetically beautiful, it’s all the more enjoyable to explore.