Modern Furniture: 150 Years of Design Hardcover – March 15, 2013

I got this book to study up before getting a job at a modern furniture business but what is discussed turned out to have little in common with what I'll be working with. The company I work for makes mostly comfortable, versatile, modern furniture for American homes. This book is written by people who work in cutting-edge European design forums & trade shows. Their interest is in novelty & technology, so it's an interesting read concerning design in general, and to learn about manufacturing & sculpting techniques. But about 10% of what is in this book will ever appear in mainstream American homes. Some of it is actually one-off custom pieces made just for design competitions & exhibitions, to be shown & talked about in galleries, but never actually used. One of the essays frankly says that the chair the author is gushing over is uncomfortable, & most of the essayists have a horror of upholstery as unbearably "bourgeois". It's a fun book for what it is, but it's focus is definitely more narrow than "Modern Furniture". A more useful title may be something like, "Furniture as Sculpture: Experimental Modernism in European Design".

This book gives a fantastic, clear visual reference although it is light on text (the only reason I didn't give it a fifth star). It's the perfect go to book for a student or interior designer when struck by a "what is the name of that chair?" moment. Worth purchasing and looks great shelved or stacked.

This is a good overview of the last 100 years in modern furniture. One criticism I have is that it is just an overview and does not offer much details about the individual pieces of furniture and periods of time. Also, the print quality of the book is somewhat grainy and pixelated.

I discovered this book in an older version in a library but this one's handier unless the pictures are a bit smaller !Use it as a dictionary permanently within reach...

this book has a fantastic range of modern furniture, very useful to me as a furniture designer

Excellent product. Very satisfied buyer.

The book is a little compact to enjoy like its international version (Italian, Spain, Portguese). It falls between handbook, for which its too big, and good research catalogue of modern furniture for which it is too small.