Review

Megan- Megan's blog was full of information on each furniture designer of this time. Along with the information on each designer, she showed images right next to it to shows examples. I really enjoyed the way she arranged her blog and it was also very full of what we went over in class.

Riann- Riann's blog had a great description of this time period. What I liked the most were the images used. the images represented the chairs and interiors of the mid-century period very well. Overall this blog post was very well done.

Mid-Century Modernism

Mid-century modernism was from 1950-1960. The style of the architecture included flat roofs, expansive walls of glass, bi-level structures, married indoor spaces to the outside and were extremely popular on the west coast. The color schemes of this movement included warm, earthy tones that were nature inspired, such as, olive green, burnt umber, pumpkin and mustard yellow. Along with trendy colors such as, pink, gray, turquoise, black, and yellow. The furnishing were mainly made of plastics, resin, metal composites, laminates, and fiber glass. Some famous architects during this period were Joseph Eichler and Charles and Ray Eames. Along with famous furniture designers, Eero Saarinen, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi. Joseph Eichler was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and developed mid-century tract housing subdivisions for the average american family. Charles and Ray Eames were designers that also designed some furniture. The two manufactures during this time that sold famous furniture where Herman Miller and Knoll.

Images:

Tulip Chair by Eero Saarinen

Lounge Chair by Charles and Ray Eames

Coconut Chair by George Nelson

Current Applications:




Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv7ipQdUrYk

Reviews

Amanda M: Amanda did a great job on her reflection of the Herman Miller presentation. She included information on the designers of the furniture Herman Miller manufactures. She also had great images to show some of the most unique pieces of furniture they carry and the type of fabrics as well.

Haley H: Haley's blog post on Herman Miller was full of information on the company and how it emerged into the Herman Miller it is today. She also went into detail about each architect and designer that had an impact on the company. I enjoyed the images she chose as well. She included popular furniture and important people in the images she posted.

Herman Miller

Herman Miller manufactures classic pieces of furniture. The company started in 1906 when it was called Michigan Star Furniture. At the time they only manufactured residential furniture. The company hired a store clerk by the name of Dj Depree when he was 18. Ten years later the company made him the president. In 1923 they sold the company to Depree when he was 32. Depree did not have the finances to purchase the company so he ask his father-in-law, Herman Miller to help him buy it. Because of this Depree named the company after his father-in-law. In 1930 when Herman Miller was manufacturing all residential furniture, the Great Depression hit. Depree contacted Gilbert Rohde to help him save the company. Rohde told Depree in order to sell furniture during the depression was to start manufacturing modern furniture. By 1933, the first line of modern furniture was available in Chicago, IL. Herman Miller also hired George Nelson, who designed the Herman Miller Logo, Ray and Charlie Eames, Alexander Propst, and Bill Stumpf. Over the years Herman Miller also bought out these companies: Geiger, Nemschoff, Maharam, and Design Within Reach.

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Review

Emma- Emma's blog post on art deco was filled with so much information. She went into great detail about the style of the movement and also details on the important designers and architects during the period. I loved the images she chose for both past and present. I like how she chose a piece of furniture, an interior and an exterior to show what this movement looked like.

Micah- Micah's blog post described the style of art deco very well. She went into a lot of detail and made it very clear to what this movement looked like. I really liked how she added on information to her past images and all the images she chose represented art deco perfectly.

Art Deco and Industrial Design

The art deco movement started in the 1920s. During this movement there was tension between functionalists and decorators. The functionalists were into mass production, common person and the social good. The decorations were focused on labor intensive craftsmanship, elite market, and not concerned with the social theory. The showcase for interior design in this period included furniture, lamps, textiles and accessories. The signature accessories used during this period all had sharply angled and cubic forms, included the use of aluminum, black lacquer and glass, and used zig-zag shapes relating to electricity and radio. Some important architects and designers involved in the art deco movement were Michel Roux-Spitz, Jean Dunand, Maurice Dufrene, Jean Michel Frank, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Eileen Grey, and Paul Frankl. Normandie, the French Ocean Liner, was an iconic ship that sailed from France to the U.S. and introduced the art deco style to the U.S.

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Current Applications:



Extra Credit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vndL5tTTReE

Review

Stephanie- Her blog post was very well organized and written. She described the international style perfectly and incorporated photos that represented it. Overall a great blog post. Very informational.

Ashley- Her blog post explained the international style very well. She went into detail on the important people during this movement and used great examples with the photos she chose. She also described the international style perfectly.