Le Corbusier: The Father of Modernism and International Design & Style

Le Corbusier (born Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris), pioneered modernism in architecture and what became known as the Bauhaus Movement or the International Style in furniture design. He was Swiss-born but later adopted France as his home and became a French citizen. His work as a modern furniture designer, in particular, set him apart from his peers. He was especially interested in changing the style of sofas and chairs. He called chairs, "architecture," and sofas "bourgeois." His designs for tubular steel chairs broke new ground in both aesthetics and engineering. Decades later, one of his iconic LC-2 chairs gave the famous "Blown Away" Maxell audio tape advertisement much of its overall modern minimalist style. His furniture designs are innovative and original. Simultaneously modern and timeless. Comfortable and functional. Practical and decorative. They are a perfect blend of stylish and relaxing. Contemporary and innovative. Even today his classic chairs, sofas, loungers, armchairs, and ottomans fit perfectly with the modern home or office. This is largely because Le Corbusier passionately believed that shape and function must be expressed in the three-dimensionality of modern furniture that we use daily. Interpretations and reproductions of Le Corbusier"s chairs, loungers, and sofas can be found in homes and offices around the world. Home décor has benefited greatly from his vision and international modernist style. The shape and design of his furniture creations are vibrant and unique. At the center of his design philosophy was a belief that good, tasteful, useful, functional furniture should be extensions of our own limbs. That is why the curves of his masterful designs closely mirror the body's own natural curves. They make excellent use of polished stainless steel and supple, full grain leather. They provide adjustable angles and steel frames, and comfortable, well-cushioned support. They are sophisticated, minimalist, modern, and classic in their design and are characterized by a bold, sculptural expressionism and comfortable full-grain leather cushions. He stressed the simplification of form, a rejection of ornamentation, and use of tubular steel and other modern materials such as supple, full-grain leather. He great goal was to create function and order in objects that we use in our daily lives. He called houses "machines for living in" and his furniture became sculptural, innovative, and sleek. They are ideal for contemporary homes, rooms, and offices that value modern, international style and supple, full-grain leather. They are true mid-century classics. His goals were clearly and beautifully expressed in his designs for simple, elegant, streamlined furniture. He was truly one of the founding fathers of modernism in furniture design. Today his work lives on through both expensive licensed products, and affordable reproduction furniture (often of comparable quality) that has been inspired by his designs.