As discussed in my previous post, my final project is too design lighting fixtures and a clock to go into a 3D rendered modernist-influenced bedroom.

Modernism as a whole has it’s roots in the post-World War Two era. Post-WW2 was a time of rationing and pragmatism, as shown by modernism, the primary design movement to stem from this time. Modernism subverted the excesses displayed in its predecessors, art nouveau and art deco. After living through the times of rationing and realism that was World War 2, designers continued these ideals in their creations, everywhere from art to furniture.

Many belive that the first traces of modernism, and specifically modernist furniture, go back to the de stijl movement in Amsterdam. While de stijl is distinct from modernism, it’s use of simple forms and geometrics shapes is often claimed to be the roots of modernism.

The Bauhaus school further built on the modernist aesthetic with their focus on technology and industrial design.

Modernist furniture continues to be advanced by firms such as Herman Miller, and even the ubiquitous IKEA.