It's fairly possible that the modular an dbuild-in chrome furniture you order today will at some point be sharing in the same category as the old-fashioned Chippendale settee of your great-grandmother. It may
happen because they both were produced in an era of innovative interior design and furnishings.
In fact, to some extent, "Modern" 20th century's design styles are already beginning to be deemed classics. The recent commencement of a new millennium has made its contribution into a nostalgic reconsideration of the styles in furnishing and design we grew up with. Retro and Modernism, two related, but at the same time, distinctive looks, are immensely popular trends in home interior design and furnishings in the present day. But none of these two influences will be a focal issue of this article as we will focus on the other styles - pillars of design, viz. Art Deco and Contemporary Style.
A new set of trends in design developed during the period between the Two World Wars. In the world that was becoming more and more enamored with technology and speed, designers revived the beauty of plain geometric shapes. Distinguished by its moderate use of parallel lines, circles and triangles, the Art-Deco movement spread akin to wildfire from France, all the way through Europe and, at last, to the United States. From the Radio City Music Hall to road-side diners, the energetic Art-Deco movement ruled the landscape, figuratively and literally, in the 1920s and 1930s. Think of the Busby Berkeley movie musicals, the Chrysler Building, the bronzes, and the paintings of Erte.
Well-controlled, rounded lines describe early Art Deco, but the look turned into sleeker, slimmer and less decorated in due course. Later, the Art-Deco movement came to be known as "Modern." It was this very look that slowly led into what we call today Modern design. The other big influence of Modernism developed from the minimalist aesthetic design recognized as International Style, which originated in Europe, was most notably seen at the Bauhaus School of Design and Art in Germany. Similar to their Mission precursors, the modernists were dedicated to absolute simplicity and integrity in design: "less is more" was the motto of architects and designers of the stream. But both Art-Deco movement and Modern advanced through materials and technologies that encouraged innovative and creative design ideas.
The next massive step of Modern took place after the World War II, when American, Scandinavian and Italian designers began to create strong, startling and clean-lined furniture. Whether the squared-off teak pieces of Danish Modern, grace and lightness of decor, as well as the dramatic and brilliant designs of Ray Eames and Charles and other mid-century modernists, the era set up the ground rules for the remainder of the 20th century. This era was made distinct by the notion that there weren't rules that couldn't be broken, and, in actual fact, most rules ought to be broken no less than once. The best of these prominent designs are held in the utmost respect by today's interior designers and collectors.