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Art Nouveau Furniture

Art Nouveau furniture was designed to complement the setting that it was placed in. It was often designed by architects rather than furniture makers. The furniture might display similar characteristics to the building housing it, having rounded edges and contours and flowing lines. Typically it would be decorated with animals or plant life or curvaceous women.

Early designers were the Belgian architects Horta and van de Velde. Horta’s furniture was unique for each client and was bespoke and never mass produced.

Van de Velde was an impressionist painter who based his furniture designs on aesthetic theory by Serat and Signac.

In France, Guimard designed asymmetrical freeform, carved furniture. Galle designed opulent Art Nouveau style furniture covered in plant and flower motifs.

In Scotland, Macintosh produced more formal furniture in dark stained and painted woods inlaid with metals and stained glass. His first commission was to design Miss Cranstons tearoom in Glasgow and Macintosh included designs for everything from the furniture and fittings, to the umbrella stands, to the cutlery.

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