The often cited emergence of furniture manufacturing began around 3000 BC as noted by furniture discovered in a preserved village located in Orkney, Scotland.   In the many centuries since these original pieces were created, humans have been able to improve the design and functionality of furniture.

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries archaeologists uncovered tables and inlaid serving stands that were dated back to the 8th century BC in Gordion, Turkey.   Ancient Egyptian furniture has been known to include beds, boxes and chairs dating from 1550 to 1200 BC.  The early art of furniture making was also present in Ancient Greece.   Research has found Greek vases with images of beds and chairs suggesting that some Greek furniture could be dated as early as the 2nd millennium BC.  Wood was commonly used to create furniture and furniture made with wood was usually heavy and ornamented with carved designs.

During the time of early modern Europe, furniture making became increasingly common and popular. During the 17th century, both Southern and Northern Europe was characterized by opulent and often gilded Baroque furniture designs. Palladianism was a style that belonged to Great Britain while the Rococo and Neoclassicism styles were more common in Western Europe.

By the year 1860s, the Rococo style subsided and the Renaissance Revival took its place as the latest trend in furniture style.  Reform and revolution in the art of furniture was very evident an marked the turn of the century.

After World War II, some furniture makers took a new initiative and began to use other materials – such as metals and plastics – in their furniture pieces. These furniture makers collaborated to create new designs such as the Eames chair and ottoman. These pieces are most known for their composition of curved molded plywood with deeply padded upholstery. Modernism in terms of furniture was introduced during the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Many furniture designers worked to attain this Modernist style.  This is also the era when Transitional furniture was first introduced.  This furniture sought to fill the gap between Traditional furniture and Modern furniture.

During the 1980s, furniture styles had rapidly flourished to the point of hundreds of examples emerging on the scene. The positive aspect of this stylistic era was the enormous range of choices that were offered, from classic modern to high-tech industrial furnishings. Live-edge was introduced as one unique outgrowth of post-modern furniture design.  This design incorporated the natural edge of the wood and blended it with the design of the furniture.

England Furniture, born in 1964, demonstrates the growth of furniture styles that have occurred in the furniture manufacturing industry over recent decades.  England Furniture provides audiences with a wide variety of modern and traditional styles and they supply their customers with custom fabric and pattern options. The England Furniture factory is located in the United States (in the state of Tennessee) and you can view the latest offerings of England Furniture or visit the full England Furniture catalog to see the wide array of England Furniture creations.

Contemporary furniture is known for including different varieties of sophisticated and practical modern furniture. Contemporary furniture design is recognized by the total absence of any ornate designs, carvings or design work on the furniture.  Some people consider contemporary furniture as synonymous with modern furniture.

Contemporary furniture became popular in the twentieth century. This style of furniture design blends materials like steel, chrome and glass along with traditional wood – often used as the base material for the furniture pieces. Contemporary design is simplistic and practical. It tends to lack the glamour of the Victorian era and the design elements associated with contemporary furniture are almost the exact opposite to those present in the original Victorian styles. The contemporary design of furniture originated from Scandinavia and was also popularized by the Danish.

The most significant attribute of contemporary furniture is the need to be unique and modern while maintaining a sense of comfortableness. Contemporary design draws strength from the basic ideology that furniture has the ability to influence the environments that it is placed in.  This often means that these types of furniture pieces tend to complement – and even draw symmetry from – the locale, design and spaces that it is housed in.

Some common attributes of contemporary furniture design are:
• Smooth, clean edges with no ornate cuts or designs.
• Asymmetrical appeal – The shape, cut, layout, assembly or furnishings will bring an asymmetrical finish to contemporary furniture. This differentiates it from the modern furniture which tends to only use new age materials and fabrics in the design.
• Furnishings and feel – The furnishings tend to be sans designs, motifs or pattern. The colors are largely neutral (blacks, whites and tans).  These colors contribute to the environment and are also accented by colors of accessories, lights and other linen. The feel of the furniture will sometimes blend wood with leather, glass, chrome, steel or even stone.

Contemporary England Furniture is easy to mix and match.  They are understated pieces that emphasize a comfortable and clean style, but not necessarily on detailing and color. Blending contemporary England Furniture design into older rooms can bring about a nice, different retro effect while also creating an entirely modern living space.

A common misconception of many people is the notion that “modern” means “in one’s own current time.”   These individuals who tend to believe that modern furniture has to be brand new. Some would even suggest that modern furniture has to be styled in a sleek, futuristic way to reflect the ever-changing times.  By this definition of “modern furniture,” any furniture that looks ahead of its’ time could be considered modern.   Most furniture design enthusiasts interpret the term “modern furniture” differently.  According to these furniture aficionados “modern furniture” actually references back to a school of design known simply as “modernism.”

The Modernism movement began with designers who wanted to emphasize function over form.   Their leading question is “what works?” over “what looks good.”   This movement eventually evolved to consider both function and form and modernists often now seek a form of functional modern art.

Pieces of furniture that are done in this modernism style tend to use a wide variety of different materials. Metal and plastic are popular options because they create sleek, clean lines and can be molded into almost any shape.  Modern furniture, however, is by no means limited to these two materials.  They can include a wide array of raw materials including different types of wood-based materials and different styles of coverings/fabrics.

England Furniture has a considerable collection of modern and contemporary pieces.  These modern England Furniture items can make an easy addition to any room in your home. Manufactured in state of Tennessee, England Furniture provides its’ audiences with simple, clean styles and a wide variety of custom fabric/pattern options to consider.