FURNITURE

FURNITUR DESIGN PROCESS - DESIGN PHASES

 Predesign, Research and Programming

 Entails research of technical standards driven by code,
economic or fabrication limitations.
 Basic questions considered by designers are – who,
what, why, when, where and how.

 SCHEMATIC DESIGN
 First phase in the process of designing furniture.
 Sketches and rough study models are made to
communicate ideas and study compositional aspects.
 Sketching is an important design skill that helps
designers, think visually on paper.
 Types – Esquisse sketch- (from scratch – rough
scribblings)
- Expression of the basic or essential
idea/concept of a design.
- Line quality and weight and medium used are
rough and unclear in technical detail.
– Parti sketch-
- Communicates the basic physical and spatial
components of a design and shows the basic
elements and components of a design in a
simple and direct manner.
- It can take the form of a section, elevation,
plan or axonometric and is helpful in
determining the materials and details in
design.
- It is an analytical diagram, useful in
developing an understanding of compositional
aspects in design.
– Iterative sketch-
 - Help designers evolve and refine design
ideas.
- Includes a series of overlays used to
investigate a detail of furniture while the
overall composition remains constant
- Eg. Table profiles, seat back angles, material
joinery are specific areas that can be explored
using iterative sketches.
- Hundreds of iterative sketches are done for a
single piece of furniture.
- Involves any drawing type (perspective study,
elevations or section study), any scale of
drawing (full-scale, reduced scale or no
particular scale) and the overlay method of
placing tracing paper over an existing drawing
is a conventional means of producing
iterations.

 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
 Designers spend between 15%-20% of their design
time on this phase.
 In this phase, designers refine ideas, formulate general
dimensions and materials and resolve the direction of
the work.’
 Decisions regarding size, proportion, material, colour
selection and visual quality will be explored and made.

 FABRICATION DRAWINGS
 Also referred to as ‘construction drawings’, ‘working
drawings’ or ‘contract documents are given by
designers to fabricators for pricing and fabrication.
 30%-40% of the designer’s time is spent in this phase
of work.
 In this phase, dimensions are specified, material
selection, grain direction of the wood, specifications for
 quality; finish selection, fabrication details and technical
specifications are complete.
 The Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI)
produces references for standards and specifications
for design and fabrication of wood furniture.

 PRICING AND CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

 This phase requires communications and meetings with
fabricators, artisans and craftspeople and this phase
consumes approximately 5% of the total time of the
designer spent on the project.
 The result determines the scope of work and cost
establishes responsibilities of various individuals and
outlines schedules for completing and installing the
proposed work.
 It is impossible to accurately determine the cost of
fabricating furniture until the construction drawings and
specifications are complete.

 SHOP DRAWINGS, TEMPLATES AND WORKING

PROTOTYPES.
 Shop drawings and working prototypes represent the
most detailed and explicit type of information about the
design.
 Shop drawings are the documents referred to if
disputes or problems arise and are made during the
transitional phase between design and fabrication.
 Working prototypes are useful in testing and resolving
aspects of form and structure and they mark the last
phase prior to producing the final work.
 Templates and forms are made in order to fabricate a
working prototype.
 However, due to inherent integration of structure, form
and aesthetics in many designs, the boundaries
between design and fabrication often are not
apparent/transparent.
  FABRICATION (process of manufacturing)
 Designers generally spend 30%-35% of their total time
on this phase of work and observe (but not supervise)
and monitor the process, describe the process to the
client and assist in problem resolution as issue arise.
 Designers are responsible for the design, fabricators
are responsible for the means and methods of
fabrication and the client is responsible for approvals
and payments.

 DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION

 This phase includes:
- Careful preparation to transport the work,
- Repair damaged pieces that result from transport,
Install built-in elements,
- Carefully place furniture throughout a space and
- Provide a schedule to the client for maintenance of
the work.
 Delivery and installation is an important phase of work
that needs to be carefully planned and included in the
overall cost of fabricating the work.

CLASSIFICATION OF FURNITURE

FORM
 Form constitutes the physical and spatial structure of an
entity.
 When shape is governed by structural or cognitive
considerations, it becomes form.
 Forces such as moment, shear, and compressive, tensile
and lateral forces applied to furniture during use, place
significant demands upon design.
 Materials and fabrication techniques influence form.
  Furniture can express personal (private) and communal
(public) space.
 Form reveals physical and spatial sub-components, one of
which is shape.
 Shape is organised into 5 categories;
 Angular
 Composite
 Curvilinear
 Orthogonal
 Sectional/Modular

Angular
 Canted, non-orthogonal and non-curvilinear geometries
are referred to as angular.
 Eg. Gerrit Rietveld’s stackable Zig-Zag chair (1934).

Composite
 This utilizes 2 or more geometric systems – curvilinear
and orthogonal or 2 or more distinct materials – stone and
wood in one piece.
 Eg. Isamu Noguchi’s coffee table (1947)

Curvilinear
 Inflated therapy balls (gym balls) are simple curvilinear
forms.
 They offer a practical, inexpensive and healthful means of
sitting.
 They have neither front nor side, unless implied by a
material, seams or branding logos.

Orthogonal
 It is composed of rectangular geometric forms created by
lines, planes and volumes placed at 90 degrees to each
other.
 Armoires, beds, buffets, shelving and sofas are often
orthogonal due to their size, fabrication cost and spatial
proximity to a wall.
  Eg. Baltic birch plywood box chairs (1991).

Sectional / Modular
 Sectional furnishings are arrangements of components
that can be composed in various ways.
 The components need not be similar or even proportional
to one another.
 Modular furnishings depend upon proportion, relations
between components, having repeatable or geometric
parts arranged in variety of ways.
 Both are flexible, that can be assembled, disassembled
and very often reconfigured.
 Eg. Shelving systems, office workstations, lounge seating
and storage units / Music machines (2002) by Jim Postell.

SPATIAL ORAGNIZATION

 Space and form are co-dependent. Without space, form

would not exist and vice versa.
 The following spatial relationships should be considered
for furniture designing.
 Spatial relationships between people and furniture.
 Spatial composition of furniture and interior space.
 Spatial relationships between various components of
furniture.
 Spatial extensions based upon the geometries of
furniture.
 Types;
 Centralised
 Clustered
 Grid
 Linear
 Radial

Centralised
 Centralised spatial orders draw focus towards the centre
of a space.
  A centralised space is an experienced phenomenon that is
influenced by many factors like furniture, material, people,
activity, lighting and acoustics.
 Eg.

Clustered
 Clustered arrangements are apparent whenever a group
of 3 or more elements (or axial arrangements) share the
same field.
 A clustered spatial organization can appear random in
plan.
 Eg. Action office series (1968).
 Clustered arrangements of furnishings can create zones
of activities.
 Eg. Private sleeping area defined by a bed, social
gathering area defined by seating, coffee table and a rug,
dining and kitchen area for meal preparation and
consumption, recreation area defined by chairs, television,
computer, game table, etc.
 Space when fred from structural columns and walls
partitions can result in ‘Interstitial space’ (in-between
space).

Grids
 Grids are useful in transferring the order of an under
laying spatial organization.
 The spatial layout of office desks and lighting fixtures is
based upon a 5’-0” (1.5m) orthogonal grid.
 Distinctions between grids can vary by measure and/or
geometric order.

Linear
 Lines are made from 2 or more points and generally
meant to be straight but they also curve, wrap and
transform.
  Eg. Bookworm designed by Ron Arad (1994).
 Every line has an underlying spatial structure and the eye
follows lines from beginning points to interesting points.

Radial
 Sociofugal spaces are perceived as outward-oriented
spaces.
 Sociofugal is a term coined by Edward.T.Hall to describe
space that radiates outward from a marked centre.
 Radial spaces are distinct from inwardly focussed,
centralized, sociopetal spaces.
 Eg. Tatlin II sette (1989)

TYPOLOGICAL ORDERS

 Order results from the present conception and

development of design.
 Furniture can be adjustable, but not all are designed to
transform from one form to another.
 The typological orders are determined by whether or not
furniture is;
 Flat-pack / Knock down
 Built-in (casework)
 Freestanding (case goods)
 Inflatable
 Transformable
 Movable

Assembled / Disassembled (Knock down)

 Ready to assemble (RTA) furniture is sold in an
unassembled state and assembled later by the consumer.
 RTA is also known as flat-pack or knock down furniture.
 Alvar Alto has designed a series of flat-pack furnishings
that have been produced by the Artek Company.
 The writing desk, designed and fabricated by Jim Postell,
1989, was designed for easy disassembly and
 reassembly, so that a large writing desk could fit through a
narrow doorway.
 The vertical Baltic birch panels and horizontal shelves are
mechanically fastened to the underside of the tables using
pins and dowels and the curvilinear shape and horizontal
shelves balance the lateral forces generated by writing.
 The Swedish furniture and accessory company IKEA sells
unassembled flat-pack furniture at large distribution outlet
centres across the world.

Built-in Stationery
 Built-ins and casework require on-site installation and
mechanical attachment to a floor, wall or ceiling.
 Reveals, shims and scribed edges must be incorporated
in the design of built-in furnishings and enhance continuity
of architecture.
 Plaster and wallboard partitions are rarely flat, floors and
ceilings are seldom level and thus placement of built-in
furniture is critical in regard to circulation of the
surrounding spaces.
 Wall-mounted panels and cabinets attached to interior
partitions are generally supported by French cleats.
 French cleats are interlocking devices-one applied to the
panel, the other secured to the wall.
 They are conventional means of supporting heavy wall,
mounted panels, cabinets and display systems.

Freestanding
 Most furnishings are freestanding, like beds, couches,
case goods and rectangular tables placed against a wall
or next to other furnishings, coat racks and video shelving
units are typically located in corners, lounge seating,
dining, conference and coffee tables are designed to be
experienced from multiple directions.
 Finn Jull’s leather ‘chieftain chair’ (1949), is as attractive
from the back as it is from the front or side and this
upholstered chair can be seen from all sides.
  Grum-Schwenson’s ‘Water lily’ seating is a sectional
module seating design that suits a large lobby space or
museum seating.
 Its modular nature and curvilinear form gives versatility of
use and flexibility in arrangement, thus makes it an ideal
choice in large and open spaces.

Inflatable
 Inflated furnishings are often designed for temporary use
and can be made compact for easy storage or transport
when required.
 Some inflated furnishings utilize heat-activated expanding
gas or air-activated expanding foam, while others depend
upon rapid inflating and deflating techniques, cellular
substances and integrated components designed to
improve support and experience of the user.
 Water beds, inflatable air mattresses, therapy balls and
beanbags are internally ‘filled’ and externally ‘sheathed’.
 The ‘Blow chair’, designed by Jonathan de Pas, Paolo
Lomazzil and Massimo Scolari (1967) for Zanotta, was
one of the first commercial produced furniture products
that were of a thin membrane of polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
low-voltage weld-seams and air.
 Inflated therapy balls have recently gained popularity due
to their versatility and busy movement through use.

Mechanical (Transformative Machines for Living)

 Mechanical joinery can allow furniture to transform into
different shapes.
 The classic ‘Chair-table’ was an armed chair resembling a
throne with a pivoted back that could be easily converted
to a table.
 Folding chair, butterfly tables, extending draw tables and
transformable cribs can be changed from one state to
another.
 The classic aluminium folding chair, the folding wooden
director’s chair and Trefoldestolen are examples of simple
 furnishings that can physically transform for use, transport
and storage.
 The ‘Wink’ lounge, designed by Kita (1980), utilizes an
internal system to transform its profile, which enables one
to recline close to the floor or sit upright in a conventional
manner.

Movable
 Movement can enhance function.
 Alvar Aalto’s ‘Tea trolley’ serving cart (1936) was
designed to roll easily with large wheels, painted wood are
banded with rubber to reduce noise caused by movement.
 F.L.Wright’s office chairs, produced for S.C.Johnson wax
headquarters in Racine, utilize casters to promote
functional movement.
 The chair was designed to freely roll about the space at a
time when many chairs of the same typology did not.

MATERIALS

 Furniture may be constructed of wood, metal, plastic and

other synthetic materials.
 Each material has strengths and weaknesses and should
be recognised if a piece is strong, stable and durable for
furniture construction.

Wood
 Standard furniture material but primary consideration is
how wood is joined and used in the direction of its grain.
 Wood is strong when compressed with the grains and in
tension wood can be pulled in the direction of its grain, but
wood can be dented or crushed when loaded
perpendicular to the grain or split when pulled at right
angles to the grain.
 Another consideration is the expansion and contraction of
wood across its grain with changes in moisture content.
  These factors bear the way wood is configured and joined
in furniture construction.

Composite Board
 They are built-up boards used for specific applications.
 They have a core of thin piles of wood or other materials
applied to each side of a core.
 Fibre boards, particle boards, plywoods, MDF, OSB
(Oriented stranded board).

Plywood
 Plywood is a sheet material, consists of an odd number of
thin sheets layered at right angles in grain direction to
each other.
 Thus, plywood panel has strength in two directions and
the quality and appreance of the face veneer can be
controlled.

Particle Board
 Particle board is made by bonding small wood particles
under heat and pressure.
 It is commonly used as a core material for decorative
panels and cabinet work.

Metal
 Metal is strong in both compression and tension, but does
not have a strong grain direction like wood.
 Metal is also ductile (capable of being drawn into wire)
 These factors along with high strength-to-weight ratio
enable metal to have thin cross sections, curved or bent in
furniture construction.
 Methods for joining metal – screwed, bolted, riveted or
welded.
 Aluminium, brass, bronze, copper, carbon steel (alloy of
iron).

Plastic
  Plastic is a unique material that can be shaped, formed,
textured, coloured and used. Numerous types and
variations of plastic materials are available today.
 Plastic can be strengthened with glass fibre and can be
easily shaped into structurally stable and rigid forms.
 Thus, plastic furniture always (almost) consists of a single
piece without joints or connections.
 New synthetic materials combine strength with flexilibility
and have the property of returning to their original shape
after being stretched and thus is used in furniture design
to support the body without compressing tissues and
nerves.

Fabric and Leather

 They are commonly used where furniture comes into
direct contact with human body.
 Fabric is a generic name of natural and synthetic textiles.
 Leather is a generic name of animal hides prepared by a
currier.

Glass
 Annealed glass: pouring molten glass onto an iron plate
covered with sand. Then glass is ground and polished.
 Stained glass: used in case goods and casework for its
colour, texture and ambient quality.
 Enamel: finely powdered silica, coloured with metallic
oxide and suspended in an oil medium. It was used as an
inlay material in French Rococo furniture.
 Tempered glass: float glass is heated above 600 degree
Celsius and then rapidly cooled with forced draft of air.
 Starphire glass: glass with low iron content that is
completely clear and without the pale green edge typical
of glass.
 Laminated or safety glass: annealed glass fused with
plastic sheets that holds glass in place when broken.
 Cast glass: beautiful surface similarly to that of ice but is
difficult to control dimensionally.
ACCESSORIES

 Accessories in interior design refer to those items that

provide a space with aesthetic enrichment and
embellishment and are the inevitable evidence of
habitation.
 Accessories individually or collectively provide delight for
the eye, textural interest for the hand or stimulation for the
mind.
 Accessories relate architectural interiors to human scale
and differentiate personal, social and public zones.
 They identify the intended use of space and character of
its users.
 Accessories should be selected to support the design
concept of the space and reinforce design principles such
as rhythm, balance, texture, pattern and colour.
 They serve to tie design elements together or function as
a focal point and add visual and tactile richness to an
interior setting.
 Types – Utilitarian – Useful tools and objects.
 Incidental – Architectural elements and furnishings.
Decorative – Artwork, collective and plants.

UTILITARIAN ACCESSORIES

 They come in a range of designs and their selection is a

reflection of the personality of those who inhabit the
space.
  In work settings, office accessories are specified in
standardised sets for uniformity and hierarchy.

INCIDENTAL ACCESSORIES

 They enrich a space and simultaneously serve other

functions.
 Architectural elements and details, the way materials are
joined are an example of a dual purpose accessory.
 Other examples are forms, colours and textiles of interior
furnishings.

DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES

 They delight the eye, hand or the intellect without being

utilitarian in purpose.
 Decorative accessories and artwork should have
provisions made for display and lighting.
 Decorative accessories include;

Artwork:
 Many utilitarian and incidental items can be considered
art.
 Artwork may be selected from a client’s collection,
acquired to start a collection or commissioned for a given
project.
 The selection and placement of artwork can emphasize
strong design elements or alter the proportion of the
space.
 Art consultants help designers and clients to find and
acquire the appropriate pieces which include paintings,
prints, photos, sculpture and crafts as ceramics, glass,
metal and textiles.

Collection:
 Collection of objects always has personal meaning
whether serious or not so serious.
  Collections often create an opportunity for repetition of
form, colour, texture or pattern.
 Individual pieces may be featured as focal elements.

Plants
 Plants and flowers, as signs of nature, bring expressions
of life and growth to interior spaces.
 Plants improve air quality and raise indoor humidity levels.
 Plants must be carefully selected for their required level of
light and maintenance and scale, form and colour.
 Some businesses hire companies to select, maintain and
replace plants as plants may shelter insects and other
pests.
 Artificial plants closely resemble living plants and can be
used as a substitute for them where there is lack of light or
pest control concerns.
 Artificial plants and floral arrangements are prone to
brittleness and dust collection and require maintenance.