Scandinavian furniture stands out on account of the considerable attention paid to the materials used to produce each piece.
In addition to the aesthetic appearance of Scandinavian furniture, the designers focused on the efficient and easy-to-use aspect of the object. The materials play a part, along with the design, in creating the streamlined and elegant lines for which Scandinavian furniture is so highly appreciated.
The singularity of the numerous innovators in Scandinavian furniture is their know-how in terms of design, but also the realisation of a piece, a quality that helps them understand and use the different types of natural wood species that surround them so as to create pieces of furniture that respect nature and are highly resistant to the ravages of time.
When industrial-scale production of Scandinavian furniture became more widespread, it was crucial for the inventive designers to keep this slogan in mind at all times: "beauty in everyday life", with reach of everyone moreover. The promise has been kept and wood for example retained as the fundamental material for the furniture, while plastic also came in to play in their creation, freeing up their innovative spirit.
Wood is the essential material used in Scandinavian furniture, and handled with great skill, its many species are exploited fully and with great respect, testimony of the exclusive relationship Nordic people have with nature in their region.
Metal is also undeniably used by Scandinavian designers who have fun with all the various finishes - painted, brushed, lacquered and so on. The metal is also cut out and assembled to create lighting, especially suspension pieces, all of which with highly-original lines.
Popular are fabric sofas, though the Scandinavian furniture was the first style to embrace modernism, with an entirely new material: plastic. The furniture is light weight, comfortable and can be handled with ease. The silhouettes became modern and revolutionary, adaptable to all interiors. Designers were well into innovation mode, including the use of vivid colours, which can be easily combined with plastic.
