Tubular Steel

Marcel Breuer made the first metal furniture from tubular steel in 1924, when he was studying at the Bauhaus. Four years later he designed the cantilevered chair Model No. B-32, made of a single length of tubing, wood, and cane—a design that is still popular. In 1927 examples of metal furniture by other designers were […]

Metal Furniture

Wrought-iron garden furniture was popular in the 1800s. Toward the end of the century, lightweight chairs, tables, settees, and plant stands made of twisted steel wire were used in gardens, indoor greenhouses, and garden rooms. At the beginning of the twentieth century, cast iron was grain-painted to resemble wood. Then chrome and aluminum, much lighter-weight […]

Plastic Furniture

Although the first plastics were invented in the mid-nineteenth century, it was not in general use for household items until the 1920s and 1930s. Plastic was used as an alternative to rubber and for radios cases or kitchen-tool handles. By 1927 plastics like vinyl and nylon were also developed. Research during World War II led […]

Brass Beds

Brass beds became popular in America in the middle of the nineteenth century. Early brass beds had canopies and elaborate decorations, but gradually the canopy disappeared and, by the early 1900s, decorations became more open and symmetrical. Some of the best beds were made totally of brass, with no supporting iron core. They were plain, […]