1960s Mod Furniture

Function Takes on New Forms

• A chair, no matter the materials used, must function as a chair. Furniture designers in the 1960s sought to give that function--sitting--a new shape. One of the more popular shapes was the cube. Influenced by the Bauhaus philosophy of "less is more," the cube shape became ubiquitous in furniture, ranging from simple padded cubes to sectional sofas. Another popular form in the 1960s is the barrel chair, in which the back of the chair resembles a half barrel shape. The seat extends outward, flaring at the edge to create a sweep of geometric shaping.

Plastic Furniture Makes the Scene

• Upholstered furniture remained central to design, and wood frames supported those furnishings, but designers experimented with other materials such as metals and glass. Plastic, though, proved one of the more popular materials used in the manufacturing of mod style furnishings. Plastic is easily shaped and molded, giving designers free reign to create such styles as the baby molar chair, which closely resembles a tooth loosened from a young child's mouth. From the use of plastics in furniture making came inflatable furniture and the bean bag chair, a crossbreed between plastic and upholstered seating.

Color Goes Pop

• Traditional color schemes pale in comparison to the colors found in 1960s modern styles. Plastic furniture, including cube style side tables and organically shaped egg chairs, boasted neon shades of orange, green, yellow and red. Fabric prints included angular geometric shapes, organic shapes and eye-numbing combinations of the two. The colors in these prints were high in contrast; a rug, lampshade or curtain panel may have a three or four color prints combining peachy pink with fire-engine red and lemon yellow with a dash of purple for fun.

Synthetic Fabrics Make Gains in the Market

• Just as plastics pervaded the mod furniture style, so did synthetic fabrics, capturing a market once almost exclusive to natural fiber fabrics. Rayon, acrylic, nylon and polyester, adaptable to the brilliant colors characteristic of modern furniture, quickly nudged out the linen, cotton and wool once common to upholstery fabrics. These new, man-made materials were stain resistant, wrinkle resistant and flame-retardant, and fit in with the modern design sensibility that was sleek, slick and bright.