17.09.2020

Market insights

The future of vintage

How is furniture changing after the lockdown? Being the place where we spend a great deal of our time, the home changes with us. Versatility and upcycling are some of the trends that will influence the world of interiors during the new season that is about to begin.

September calls for a new start, a particularly challenging one after the lockdown, which for everyone has involved a significant upheaval in habits and lifestyles. The transition to smart working has undeniably produced a series of important changes in the home environment; like it or not, in a few months working from home became the new routine, and knowing how to adapt to change in a short time is now part of our existence. So much so that, aside from the pandemic, more and more companies are deciding to keep the combination of smart working and office active from now on.
 
If the house is the space to live and work, how will it adapt to our new needs? Contemporary design collections reacted by focusing almost exclusively on easily washable furniture, without counting the new series of objects dedicated to sanitation and spacing that will enter the home and office furnishing repertoire in the coming months. In addition to cleanliness, the most requested quality of furniture will be its versatility in passing from one situation to another with fluidity and lightness, from the workplace to relaxation, from playtime to conviviality.
 
Think of a 1950s bookcase with built-in desk, a functional Bauhaus, object, a sofa bed by Arflex  a swivel seat by the Eames, or an ergonomic Paimio armchair by Alvar Aalto,  designed for a Finnish hospital, but easily placeable in a contemporary living room: history teaches how apparently new situations find interesting counterparts in past experiences. Epidemics, emergencies, social and climatic changes have marked the home environment from the earliest times. Already since the Victorian era, and in particular during the 20th century, designers have been able to respond to the new housing needs by applying to furniture elements of multifunctionality and efficiency, which distinguish today's most sought-after vintage pieces.
 
Color also comes into play: the doubts triggered by this delicate moment are faced with vibrant shades and bold ways to combine them in unconventional ways. Greenlight also to planters, vases, and vase-holders, which are ideal for apartment plants of great visual impact and aimed to be displayed in any room: because the percentage of time spent indoors corresponds to the desire to surround ourselves with nature and vitality.
 
Finally, the reuse of objects from the past is accompanied by upcycling, an increasingly fashionable attitude in the field of vintage furniture, and a really fun way to revive and adapt it to the mood of a new home without disruptions and excessive expenses. An example? Try covering the interiors and exteriors of wardrobes with wallpaper, drawer fronts, drawer units, shelves, screens or table tops; with a little practice and precision, even an anonymous or damaged piece of furniture can be reworked beautifully. And on the topic of upcycling, don't miss the next intOndo appointments!