Today’s Trends in Furniture Designs & Floor Plans
In many industries, interior designers and architects rely on popular trends to help create spaces people love. When it comes to furniture, the question designers and installers continually ask themselves is: “What do people want right now?” Sometimes, the answer is a conventional product—not necessarily new or exclusive to the industry. Other times, the answer is a bold, out-of-the-box space that’s unique to the individual end user. In this article, we’ll explore a little bit of both.
Modern Minimalism
At Smarter Furnishings, one of the most common design requests we receive from customers is for furniture that has clean lines and modern elements. This is a type of design commonly referred to as modern minimalism and is easily one of the trendiest concepts in recent decades.
Modern minimalists tend to be drawn to neutral color palettes, spacious floor plans, and “cold” metal features. From schools and universities to hotels and healthcare facilities, people living and learning in spaces of all kinds appreciate the simplicity of clean, well-balanced designs and breathable layouts.
Our Apex desk is a great example of how Smarter Furnishings has adapted to meet the evolving needs of our modern-minimalist customer base. With its metal elements and open sides/back, this “see-through” piece creates a more open atmosphere than older, heavier desk designs—making even the smallest spaces feel larger.
Craftsman-Quality
Any designer will tell you that the craftsmanship of furniture is absolutely critical to the function and lifespan of each piece. In fact, strong interest for craftsman-style furniture is why Smarter Furnishings uses solid wood construction, fully-welded metal, and English dovetail joinery in our manufacturing process.
Traditional craftsman-quality pieces made from high-quality materials are largely requested by customers across multiple industries. Our dedication to creating these pieces allows us to guarantee long-lasting products (complete with a 25-year warranty) and the best tensile strength possible.
Craftsman-quality also extends beyond technical skill. In many ways, craftsmanship is a form of artistry used to create spaces that feel like home. If you’ve watched any HGTV home improvement show within the past few years, you’ve probably noticed a trend in country, farmhouse-style furniture. While this heavy use of off-white shiplap and rustic fixtures might feel new to some, it’s actually very similar to the “homey” craftsman look and feel that will probably always be on trend.
Sustainable Living
Comfort and quality have always played a significant role in creating and purchasing furniture. But these days, people expect more from their products than ever before. Now, in addition to being comfortable and long-lasting, customers want the materials used in their furniture to be as sustainable as possible.
The desire for natural, sustainable living and learning spaces is a two-fold trend. On one end of the sustainability spectrum, people want their products to be built using environmentally-friendly materials. To meet this trend, Smarter Furnishings provides furniture made from decomposable farmed wood and reusable upholstery that creates little to no waste.
On the other end of the sustainability spectrum is the trend in making layouts feel more natural and sustainable long-term. Many consumers have become increasingly interested in spaces that can be maintained to fit their evolving lifestyles—and furniture is a big part of that! Sometimes simple layout techniques can help meet this need. For example, our designers and installers always try to arrange furniture in a way that embraces natural lighting and provides the most storage space for future growth.
Modular Living
Another notable trend in furniture design and construction is modularity. Modular furniture pieces are able to be broken down into several smaller components, which can then be used individually (picture a sectional sofa that can be pulled apart or a foot rest that comes detached from a matching recliner).
Modular design is a popular approach to creating furniture for its ability to save space and provide versatile functionality. These pieces are especially welcomed by those interested in customizing smaller living and learning spaces, such as dorms, offices, and hotel rooms.
Furniture that can be easily moved to make smaller spaces feel larger and more functional is great for creating flexible environments with a fresh aesthetic. At Smarter Furnishings, our goal is to design, construct, and install furniture that is comfortable and can be adapted to different lifestyles. In other words, we’re here to provide custom furnishings and modular designs, so you can rest easy.
Let’s meet! We can livestream demonstrations from our showroom or schedule in-person presentations at your convenience. Give us a call at (205) 621-2502 or contact us online.