From dollhouse to living space

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We sleep more comfortably than emperors: the beds in furniture shops today are wider and longer than those in French Napoleon’s (1769–1821) Elba (I) or Austrian Franz Joseph I (1830–1916) Schönbrunn Palace (A). ). Anyone reclining in the narrow, short wooden chaise longue would feel like an overnight wanderer with Procrustes, who cut off the exceedingly long limbs of the Greek mythology guest.

Of course, people are taller today than they were in the 18th or 19th centuries. A hundred years ago, the average Swiss man was only 164 centimeters tall, but today he is 178 centimeters. Of course this has an impact on the living environment: Apartment ceilings are higher today than in old Appenzell farmhouses, for example, the furniture in the rooms is larger – the standard length of a bed is now two metres.

People who are six percent taller need 70 percent more space

Chairs and armchairs with a seating height of 37 to 40 centimeters in the 16th and 17th centuries are now standard at 45 to 50 centimeters. The Swiss company Vitra itself had to adapt the design classics of the 20th century: the Eames Lounger (1956) has a larger seat than the premiere, with longer armrests and a higher backrest. And the Eames Side Chair (1948) for the table has grown by two centimeters.

Tall people in tall buildings with bulky furniture: It is clear that the need for space is increasing and fueling the much-discussed housing shortage. However, while the average Swiss has grown by about six percent over the last 50 years (and with it, furniture, as explained), their space requirements have also increased by seventy percent (from 27 square meters to 46 square meters). . What does he use the space for?

In the past, a custom-made walnut buffet for Sunday meals belonged to the living room. In addition to the furnishings, there was also a heavy stereo system made up of various components, including a large pair of speakers and a diverse collection of large-format long-playback vinyls aimed at getting your ears pricked. And, of course, an extensive library aimed at showing guests how well they read.

Tempi passati: No one wants grandma’s bulky sideboard anymore, music collections are now stored digitally and can be heard via a smartphone through a subwoofer and small speakers that fill the entire room. Contemporary also likes to read material through ebooks or directly as podcasts. You don’t need the dusty spines of faded books to enjoy.

Sitting groups are now called living landscapes.

This shift from digitization reached the furniture business years ago: In 1978, Ikea launched the Billy bookshelf, designed by Swedish designer Gillis Lundgren (1929-2016), in a new version twelve centimeters lower: the frame has been sold. Over 80 million sales counters worldwide must now offer space to display design objects such as plates or vases.

All in all, this sounds like a smaller household item. So today’s people are ready for Tiny Houses, which are small compact residential buildings based on the Japanese model of living culture. 9 million Swiss may come! But it’s far from that: instead of making up for the lack of shelter, the Swiss inflate themselves and scatter in their barns like bloated chickens.

In the face of small household items and ample living space, a dread vacui is gripped by a fear of emptiness. For furniture, they go to the Swedish industry giant, or what’s called XXL, and stock up on oversized furniture: built-in wall units, huge tables, and seating groups called living landscapes almost because they need it. compass so as not to get lost.

“Are you still sitting or are you already sleeping?” A well-known advertising slogan from Ikea could be adapted here. However, the box-spring mattress that fills the swimming pool in the bedroom is actually for sleeping. And the bedsheet-sized TV screen is stunning—now lighting up an entire wall in bright colors for a single person in front of it, while in the late 1950s an entire family was gathered together looking at a small black-and-white tube.

Trendy disposable furniture instead of a worthwhile one-time purchase

From the dollhouse of the Biedermeier era to the vivid landscape of today: Giganticism has erupted in XXL furnished apartments, similar to SUVs on the streets. And suddenly everyone started complaining about the lack of space. It’s a bit like “Alice in Wonderland” (1865), where the protagonist goes to the white rabbit’s house and grows so large it fills an entire room and says, “What am I going to be?” she exclaims.

Living big doesn’t just have a price when it comes to cars, it matters when it comes to housing needs. For example, in February 2023, the item “Household goods and home management” in the national consumer price index increased by 4.5 percent in one year. The main driver here is the higher cost of furniture. One reason is that today only about every ten chairs, tables or cabinets come from local production.

The situation was different in grandmother’s time: Before the wedding, she would go to the village carpenter, have a huge buffet made of precious woods made for a month or more and bring it to the wedding table as a dowry. Like a lifetime bond, furniture should last forever: an expensive, but one-time purchase – no trendy redesign was planned in years.

Today, after the fashion shows held every six months in the world’s metropolises, people change furniture as if they change clothes. If you no longer like the fabric of a sofa, it’s more likely to go to bulky waste than the upholstery (which hardly exists anymore anyway). By the way, among the furniture trends of 2023, there are also vintage items. Maybe grandma’s old sideboard is still appropriate as a piece of furniture – but only for one fashion season, of course.

Source : Blick