At its core, Interior Design has to do with space management. More specifically, with Interior space management. In order to this task accordingly, Interior Design manipulates and plays with other elements as tools, to get the most of the space. Color, lines, shapes, and textures, are used with the goal of achieving relaxation and energy vibes, beauty, and functionality, all in a balanced way.

Interior space is related mainly with home and office spaces, but is not restricted to it. The structural elements that comes in hand in interior spaces, are basically walls, ceiling, columns, stairs. An Interior Designer must visualize the empty space, only with its structural elements and find the best allocation of resources, and if that’s the case it may propose changes to it, in coordination with the architect.

As with everything in Interior Design, balance is the key. The empty space is known as negative space, while structure and furniture are part of the positive space. In a well-distributed space, all elements coexist in harmony, and your Barcelona Chair looks great like this is the best place in the world to put it.

Modern-style living rooms have earned a special place in people’s taste for being the ideal and comforting spaces to build memorable moments with family and friends. Among all the elements that make up your layout, your Napa sofa is one of those that can best express your tastes and preferences. Such tastes can be as diverse as you can imagine, and they can range from natural wood to metallic finishes, but in any case, leather will always have a special place within your modern sofa options. The Napa sofa is, in this sense, a unique piece due to its tan color and its soft and comforting texture.

There are designs in the Mid-Century Modern catalog that are sturdy and comfortable, like the Luca sofa, but leather upholstery is much more compelling than fabric upholstery for many users. Additionally, elements such as a recliner, a shelf, a coffee table, lamps, and fixtures can constitute a highly enjoyable modern environment. It’s important to keep in mind that modern furniture pieces will always look better in minimalist environments. A midcentury sofa, by itself, has enough presence to define a decorating style and, if it’s a model as outstanding and interesting as the Napa sofa, you’ll already have most of the work done.

They are more popular than ever. Unexpectedly, they are in the center of the action. Whether on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, TV, and movies. The kitchen island is the new center of gravity of the modern house. An in the current times it appears to be only growing. 

The kitchen island is a separate build-in in the kitchen area where you can set some essential utilities and appliances to make your work in the kitchen easier, without losing touch with the rest of the people in the kitchen and the apartment. In the kitchen island, you can cook and serve your plates to your guests and family, facing the living room or dining room.

This is a trend that has several decades already, but right now is gaining more momentum. In its apparition in the 1990s, it was quite a major change comparing to the closed work-oriented kitchens from the 1960s and 1970s. 

Why are the kitchen islands so trendy right now?

Living in these multimedia times, the social networks are full of celebrities that enjoying to make live segments from their homes. Whether with their guests, pals, relatives, Instagram Facebook, TikTok, and so on provide us with myriads of segments where the proud host shares a relaxed evening around the kitchen table. This has propelled the popularity of it to unexpected levels. 

One fine example of this trend was starred by Nancy Meyers, Movie Director of classic films like Someone’s gotta give. In an Instagram post, she showed her kitchen island, which it happens to be identical to another used in an iconic scene of this movie. That was an extraordinary popular post; nevertheless, the rise of the post received a second rise when Meyers declared in an interview for Vanity Fair that she has not one, but two identical islands in the same space. One kitchen island to cook, and another one to serve. 

On the other hand, other celebrities enjoy making live transmissions cooking and serving for their relatives and pals in-home, around the kitchen island, like Gok Wan, a British fashion consultant (@gokwan) that likes to held parties in its apartment, and built a unique kitchen island with a DJ Mixer console incorporated, so he keeps music and food very close an in control.

The kitchen island promotes an interesting way to prepare food, share it, and enjoy it. On the Kitchen island there is movement, fun and the dynamic participation of every people in the house. After the evening finishes, get relaxed in your Barcelona Chair and see satisfied how cool all turned out. 

To learn more about trends, classic furniture, and Interior Designers, go to Manhattan Home Design, the best place for Mid Century Modern style furniture, with classics masterpieces like the Barcelona Chair, the Eames Lounge Chair, and the Shell Chair.  

Note: we recommend you to read the previous article where you’ll learn about modern furniture features.

Now that we have defined the general characteristics of modern furniture it’s time to show the incredible findings I got when I did a brief searching. Let’s dive into it!

LC2 Chair

As its creator is the one and only Le Corbusier, in case you don’t know him he was one of the modernist pioneers, the LC2 chair is the representation of the features we have mentioned before. It is sophisticated, comfy, and shows an excentric frame made of steel.

Barcelona Chair

This is a very authentic chair made by Mies Van der Rohe where he based in this personal motto: less is more. A luxurious and chic piece.

Egg Chair

Designed by Arne Jacobsen for the interior design of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Germany, this striking chair is the definition of originality, if you want to attract the attention of the guest, you must add this chair to your design.

 Womb Chair & Ottoman

This particular chair came with an ottoman for additional comfort.

A chair is perhaps the most common piece of furniture you will see in any space, have you ever noticed it? I mean, I’m thinking of any space right now like living rooms, bedrooms, offices, backyards, kitchen, and in every area, I’m sure I’ll find a chair.

This has inspired me to create a list of some chairs in a specific category. I have chosen the modernist style because its use has increased in these years, why? Because nowadays people prefer simplicity and the attractive appearance of simplicity.

So before sharing with you the list I would like to introduce you to the modernist features you’ll see in the chairs like the LC2 chair and others listed.

Characteristics of modernist furniture

Modern furniture is created based on the idea that form follows function but it is necessary to add an artistic touch. They do this by experimenting with new or conflicting materials and testing how they work.

General features include:

• Clear lines and geometric figures
• Material exposure like metals
• Natural materials
• Size and functionality
• Open Space

These and more you’ll see in the common modern chairs. Click to see the next chapter where we have listed 4 modern chairs.

As we discussed in a prior article, the Big Apple has its own trends and items preferred by one of the most cosmopolitan populations in the world.

While Mid Century Modern, Scandinavian and Coastal Living are the major trends, some items are quite eclectic and don’t necessarily match with any style, like for example with the string lights. Let’s find out 2 more items on the “hot” list of NYCs decor enthusiasts right now.

Rattan

Flexible, natural, endurable but biodegradable. Rattan was at the top of the heights in the 1960s and 1970s and recently it’s been doing very well. A perfect ally in the yoga subculture, Rattan has struggled but has a steady niche in furniture. Beyond the predictable Papasan and Peacock chairs, Rattan is widely used for more different functionalities.

Kitchen Islands

While the open concept house is far from over, the kitchen island is more and more present. One factor that fueled the great popularity of the Kitchen Island is its presence in many Instagram and Facebook Live presentations, where celebrities like to spend a good time with their guests, in a relaxed space, with movement and fun. Kitchen Island promotes an interest in good food and integration with all the family/friends group. Enough reason to keep it hype for a long time.

Go to Manhattan Home Design to enjoy the beauty and functionality of Mid Century modern design pieces, like the Barcelona Chair. 

Color is one of the core elements of Interior Design, among with space and light. Color has a deep influence on Interior Design. Color has to do deeply with our emotions, moods, and personal preferences. With color, you can influence the mood of your guests or family. 

By definition, the palette of colors is used with different purposes according to the particular space we are working on. Generally, a bedroom is supposed to have neutral and calm colors, like white, pearl, grey, beige, and so on. In a bedroom, color must help us to find relax soon and easily. In some particular spots, an accent wall may help us to balance the room.
In a living room, you have more freedom to play with color. Nevertheless, by the dictates of style and trends, right now people tend to go mainly with neutral, soft tones as a base, and then use decor to generate color effects. This way, a white room is enhanced and balanced with colorful rugs, cushions, and furniture. Keep in mind that always balance is our main goal. 

A color is a tool used to create space effects, too. An accent wall or a ceiling painted with a strong tone will make you feel more restricted and with a very delimited space. If your room is small, you may feel kind of overwhelmed; but if your space has a high ceiling, a strong tone in the ceiling will enrich your vision.  

Color has fascinating aspects that are worthy to keep talking about.
Go to Manhattan Home Design to find the beauty of color and shapes with masterpieces like the Barcelona Chair.

The paint you choose for the walls of your compartments can make a very significant difference that can even influence how comfortable you feel in the place and how much or little you can enjoy it. When you discover that colors affect even the perception of space and the way we see shapes, you discover a world of exciting possibilities that you can experiment with. If you have an extraordinary floor lamp like the Arco lamp at home, the possibilities reach their next level, taking into account that this lamp emits an abundant beam of light through its reflector head.

There are different values for each paint color that can have diverse effects. If you build your color scheme with several of these values, you’ll give coherence to your style and a sense of continuity. Warm colors create a feeling of closeness, while cool colors tend to make things seem more distant. A light color scheme and neutral colors are usually good companions for the Carrara marble base of the Manhattan Home Design’s Arco lamp replica and its impressive stainless steel arch, which can measure up to 95 inches in height.

Reinforcing and highlighting the properties of the colors you have chosen is easier with a design like Arco lamp reproduction. Discover the wonderful features of this iconic Mid-Century Modern style.

Large crowds, endless rows of people, and big expectations. The great anxiety from many people for the Black Friday is something that it’s been familiar for us in the last decades. Black Friday is now a big date, and people prepare to be there with months of anticipation.  Let’s talk about Black Friday, its impact, and how it may have changed in 2020.

What is Black Friday?

What is now referred to as Black Friday, is just the following day to Thanksgiving  Day, the most important Holiday for the United States. Due to the fact that Thanksgiving takes place every fourth Thursday of October, the next day is traditionally used for many people for last-minute shopping.

Due to Thanksgiving, lots of people travel to meet their families and spent the whole weekend together, so, in the end, it becomes a four-day period for relaxation, shopping, and share with your beloved ones. Lately, the CyberMonday, the next Monday after the Black Friday, ends the month of November with strong sales and merchandising events.

The first mentions of Black Friday are compiled from the 1960s in Philadelphia, making reference to the crowded streets and the traffic jams the day after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, Black Friday as a name wasn’t really in trend till the 2000s. Nowadays is a very widespread denomination, and the whole concept of Black Friday has been adopted by several countries around the world, like Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa.

Why Black Friday is such a Big Deal?

Nowadays, Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. Commerce adopted it as the official opening of the Christmas period and big discounts are offered. As time goes by, people started to present in the shops earlier than the regular schedule, and large rows and crowds were observed. As a result, shops began to open at 5 am; then to 12:00 am on Friday, and directly on Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 pm and 5:00 pm, to mitigate the potential risks of human over crowding.

There are great merchandising efforts in the prior weeks to motivate the public and the reaction of the social networks in the previous weeks and during the day itself. All kinds of products are part of Black Friday, but durable, luxury goods are preferred. Technological gadgets, furniture pieces (like the Barcelona Chair), and home appliances are part of the most demanded retailers. 

In the last decade, the exponential growth of online stores has an impact and it is a significant factor for Black Friday sales. Online stores offer to decongest public spaces, while the purchase process turns more efficient.

 
Will Black Friday survive in 2020?

The American public is deeply connected with the feeling of Black Friday and it hardly fades in 2020. But the truth is that it will definitely won’t be the same in 2020. Social distancing and biosecurity risks are at the highest level and there is not an easy way to make a traditional crowded Black Friday purchasing, without compromising your security. So, is not desirable, neither possible to see that large crowds at midnight of Thanksgiving. All shops will have to take measures to avoid human closeness, and that will change our experience.

Online Stores and the Barcelona Chair

The online choice will be sure one of the bigger players this year. The internet tool provides a great way to make your purchase without risk, in the security and comfort of home. Your Barcelona Chair will be waiting for you at Manhattan Home Design to provide you with the great experience of this masterwork of Mid Century Modern furniture.

The Big Apple, Capital city of the World, NYC has a very strong sense of fashion, and of course, there are particular items that are preferred by the NYC public, among classics like the Barcelona Chair Let’s see:
Macrame.
One ancient art of artistic knots on textiles. Macrame once was associated with old ladies’ hobbies and hippies trends, but now it has taken some attitude and growth. Many artists are capable of complex works.
Subway Tile
It’s now everywhere in NYC, and not only in houses. How many restaurants and cafes have we seen with this characteristic white, plain tile?;  a lot, for sure, and it doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon. 
String Lights
Wow. How popular is that right now? Not only in NYC but from coast to coast. String lights are used right now almost everywhere: Indoors and Outdoors, and even in bedrooms are really popular. String lights bring fun, light, and a magic moment everywhere. Will we be tired of them anytime soon?
And not only these items are preferred by NYC, classic pieces of furniture, like the Barcelona Chair, and all the Barcelona Collection stay at the top of the tops, always as classic staples. Go to Manhattan Home Design and enjoy the experience.