History of Furniture: Streamline Moderne

It has been my experience that when people speak of the Art Deco movement that happened in the early part of the 20th century, particularly in interior design, what they really mean is a sub-genre of Art Deco actually known as Streamline Moderne.

Emerging in the 1930s from the modern (at the time) aerodynamic design principles developed for airplanes, trains, and especially ocean liners, Streamline Moderne was applied to architecture as well as interiors, products, furniture, and furnishings. It was a sleeker, pared down version of the decorative elements of Art Deco.

Objects made in the Streamline Moderne style have several important elements in common: they tend to have smooth, polished surfaces--almost always curved--with a strong emphasis on horizontal line.

As I mentioned, ocean liners played a large role in shaping the look of Streamline Moderne. Interiors deliberately looked like rooms and deluxe suites on cruise ships of the period. Metallics, chrome, colored mirrors, and silver leaf were abundant.

A good example of Streamline Moderne furniture can be found in the work of Irish furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray. Starting in 1925, Gray created her villa, the E-1027 house at Cap Martin, France, Roquebrune which is between Monaco and Menton. She designed it to look like an ocean liner at sea, and she furnished it with some of her best known creations: the Transat chair (previously here) made to look like a deck chair on a ship, and the iconic E-1027 Side Table (previously here).

And in architecture, we can see the influence of Streamline Moderne in simple buildings like gas stations, train stations, and restaurants...

..along with two landmarks local to me: the Maritime Museum in the former Aquatic Park Bathhouse Building, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge (the largest example of Streamline Moderne architecture and the only Streamline Moderne bridge in the world!).

Happy designing!

History of Furniture: The Eileen Gray Side Table

For this installment of The History of Furniture, let's take a look back at a staple of modernist design, the Eileen Gray Side Table.

Between 1926 and 1929, Irish interior and furniture designer and architect Eileen Gray (above) collaborated on the design and construction of a modernist villa with her lover, the French architect Jean Badovici. Located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the south of France, the house was very forward-looking with a flat roof and floor to ceiling glass windows to take advantage of the views of the Mediterranean. Gray named it the E-1027 “Maison en bord de mer” house, a name which contained a secret code: E for Eileen, 10 for Jean (J is the tenth letter of the alphabet), 2 for Badovici and 7 for Gray.

For this home, Gray designed the interiors and pieces of furniture as well. And one of the most enduring of her designs is the iconic side table she created for her sister, who liked to have breakfast in bed. The table has an open circular base that allows it to slip under a bedside or sofa, letting the user bring it as close as possible. For maximum function, the table itself adjusts up and down. Featuring a tempered glass top, the body is made of stainless steel, inspired by some of the tubular steel experiments of Marcel Breuer at the Bauhaus (previously here).

Here is an archival photo of the table in situ at the E-1027 house in 1929!

As you can see, the design, while minimal and streamlined, is timeless and can go with furnishings from the 1930s, the 1960s or 70s, or with any current styles. It is a perfect accent or occasional table.

The table is now produced by ClassiCon, under authorization of The World Licence Holder Aram Designs Ltd, London. Design Within Reach is an authorized dealer as well.

Happy designing!