Interior trend: Sculptural furniture giving shape to the everyday life

The sculptural furniture trend helps us navigate the chaotic times.

Facing a pandemic, homeowners started to rethink their former interior decisions and discover new, reimagined ideals that promote calm and resilience in the home environment. While the lines between personal and work lives continue to blur, we find ourselves in the new reality we all struggle to navigate.

To give shape to the chaotic world, some looked into concepts of mindfulness, yoga, spirituality and minimalism. Some took pottery classes, tried their luck with DIY projects and gardening. And some turned to sculptural furniture and organic, tactile fabric as tools to help them give dimension to their spaces and make them more sensual.

Unusual pieces of furniture with a distinctive sculptural aesthetic have been trending for a while and, with the recent global events, it is expected that this trend will continue to grow and evolve as we enter the next post-pandemic chapter.

So let’s dig into this fun and playful furniture aesthetic, learn about the most popular sculptural furniture pieces and get prepared for what comes next!

modern elegance interior design — Mood board made with SampleBoard

Tubular furniture

A reimagined nod to the past, the tubular furniture trend is striking a fine balance between maximalism and minimalism. And while the minimalist staple wears the statement Bauhaus signature, the strong scroll stopping potential of these pieces comes from the oversized 70s form and bold material and color choices.

Perfect for introducing a statement to minimalist homes or giving the artistic, contemporary touch to the more is more settings.

Chunky shapes and rounded corners can be spotted in sofas, armchairs, tables, lighting and more.

Tubular furniture trend — Image credit: September Edit

tubular armchair trend — Kos Lounge Chair by Ian Felton Studio

Curved furniture and decor

Tubular furniture trend moodboard — Mood board made with SampleBoard for Italian Bark

All things curvy are trending! With harsh rules and limitations of everyday life, we crave homes that promote comfort and softness. Curved furniture lines and unconventional silhouettes with a fluid form and sensorial textures aim to evoke deeper connections between people and their surroundings. It’s all about mindfulness and creating a safe haven to unwind and recuperate from all the stress we accumulate during the day.

The trend roots from the sleek furniture lines of the 60s and the 70s, but the contemporary color scheme feels much more toned down and elegant. Usually monochromatic.

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curved furniture trend — The Howard Sofa by Egg Collective

curved shapes decor — Image credit: @ellendixdotter

Playful Postmodern furniture design

On the other hand, the need for a more authentic, uplifting experience inside the home supercharges requests for playful furniture designs that feel anything but subtle. These unique pieces doubling as art are breaking the internet, with postmodern meets Memphis and Italian radical designers showing the way forward.

Both vintage (Gaetano Pesce and Ettore Sottsass) and contemporary pieces are into play, but the mix usually feels extra special.

This larger-than-life aesthetic hosts imaginative, almost child-like forms, with bold color and pattern solutions that make everyone stop and stare. Strong pop art and Memphis staple reimagined for a contemporary home offer escapism to the world where form triumphs over function and ratio and practicality sometimes step down for fun to lead the show.

playful postmodern furniture trend — image credit: Sarah Dorio via Apartment Therapy

postmodern memphis furniture trend — image credit: **JESSICA ANTOLA**; design Angela Chrusciaki Blehm, via Domino

An antidote to current world affairs, all these pieces promote the YOLO (you only live once) mindset, reminding us to never stop having fun, no matter the circumstances.