Designed for Today

The physical spaces we create and occupy today are very different to those of 70 years ago. Proportions have shifted; rooms are more open, often serving as corridors or multi-functional spaces; large glass areas are more common, so wall space is often restricted. Perhaps the most consequential shift of all has happened in the past decade or so, with the post-pandemic trend towards remote and flexible working patterns. For more of us than ever before, where we live is now also where we spend some or all of our working hours.

People’s tastes and approaches to decorating and furnishing their homes have obviously moved on, too. In our early years, the fashion was to have everything matching, with chairs, tables, cabinets and other pieces all made in the same wood, and to a common design. Our customers today are much more likely to be mixing timbers, finishes and styles, with each piece selected on its own merits for a specific functional or decorative purpose. 

Here at ercol, we’ve noticed a shift in sofa design. Wooden-framed sofas — where beautifully crafted timber forms the structure and cradles the upholstered cushions in the tradition of classic furniture making — were once a hallmark of the well-appointed home. Today, they are increasingly giving way to fully upholstered pieces, finished with elegant show wood legs and feet.

The upshot of these changes is that today, we ask more from our furniture aesthetically and functionally than our predecessors ever did. That presents challenges for furniture designers and makers, who more than ever must balance form and function to make products people want to buy and live with.  

It’s here that our mid-century designs really come into their own. The original principles that underpin them – longevity, durability, respect for materials and a commitment to craftsmanship – are timeless and immune to the vagaries of fashion and trends. That allows us to subtly evolve them so they remain relevant and accommodate new demands; we can also embrace modern manufacturing techniques, and make our products more sustainable by using responsibly sourced timber, without diluting their essential character.

Some of those evolutions are simple and obvious. Modern houses tend to be smaller, so we design and make more compact sideboards to suit them. Smaller houses, and those now doubling as workplaces, often have less designated dining spaces: our extending tables with hidden internal storage for leaves, offer the flexibility to adapt for different uses and events.

The other benefit of not following trends is that, eventually, they tend to come full circle anyway. For a long time, everyone wanted light wood finishes; but now, we’re seeing a big revival in darker stains. Hence we’re now offering our Salina Bedroom in our Vintage (OG) stain, which has always been quietly available and is suddenly regaining in popularity. 

It’s also worth noting that our designs were first created in an age of austerity and rationing. The relative abundance of our modern age has fundamentally altered not only how we live, but the human body itself. Here too our designs, particularly for chairs, have subtly adapted to fit our modern proportions. 

Our predecessors would be astounded not only at how much has changed over the past 70 years, but how quickly. We believe they would also be pleased to see how well their designs have held up – and that we’re still designing and making products that will look good, and last, for decades.