What is your least favorite furniture design trend?

[Jim Tobias]

Agreeing with the idea that trends are not bad in and unto themselves. Bikinis, Mini-skirts, pineapple cuts, Members-Only Jackets, and Lucchese boots were all very cool during their "trend window". Some survived, some did not. Mid-Century-Modern, Rustic, Reclaimed, Queen Anne, all have a cold place in my heart. MCM because I grew up with it. Probably the same reason I prefer not to use red oak or birch. Curlicues, swam-necks, and excessive fluting all live in the "I'd rather not" box in my brain.

I was lucky enough to be raised by a couple who took the kids on Sunday drives just to go look at house and building architecture, historic sites in the area, sculpture in the park, or the latest interactive display at the Science and Industry Museum. End result is that I have a wide range of things that I like. Over time I have also learned that I like some of them more than others. I also learned that there are more people who have a different opinion than mine than there are people who share mine and that's OK. Keeps ya humble . . .

This describes my thoughts on this.....to each his own.
Jim

[Stan Calow]

I for one, am interested in what those other peoples' opinions are. Judging is OK, that's what adults do.

I think the woodworking lessons that need more attention are in design - the aesthetics and proportions thereof. It was a major revelation to me to learn about the golden ratio for example, from a magazine article. Yet, we mostly think teaching art to school kids has only frivolous benefits, when it could be prep for many things in their future.

[Edward Weber]

I guess I would remind some, that the OP's question was,
What is your least favorite furniture design trend?

IMHO, Some responses are a bit too politically correct and a little wishy-washy.
Everyone knows immediately when they don't like something they see.

It's all well and good to see something good in design trends, and so on.... but it also seems some are just skirting around the question.

A large part of design is knowing what you do and don't like and why.

[mike stenson]

A large part of design is knowing what you do and don't like and why.

Most people don't know the why. Or can't begin to articulate the why. The vast majority IME actually. Same with art in general.

[Edward Weber]

Most people don't know the why. Or can't begin to articulate the why. The vast majority IME actually. Same with art in general.

It's really not that difficult to figure out.
Is it the shape/proportions, the colors, the materials or the textures are good places to start. There are other things to consider to be sure but you get my point.

I don't like river tables because I don't like wood encased in plastic with unnatural colors.

[Jimmy Harris]

I for one, am interested in what those other peoples' opinions are. Judging is OK, that's what adults do.

I think the woodworking lessons that need more attention are in design - the aesthetics and proportions thereof. It was a major revelation to me to learn about the golden ratio for example, from a magazine article. Yet, we mostly think teaching art to school kids has only frivolous benefits, when it could be prep for many things in their future.

I completely agree. It's okay to judge things. What's not okay is to insult people. It's only through critique, either from ourselves or others, that we can grow. We, as American's, have a habit of wanting to always be right, rather than wanting to always be better. Rather than learn from our mistakes, we choose to deny their existence. We sacrifice our own ability to improve to the feeble illusion of perfection.

One of the best things I learned in art school was how to critique someone else. How to be brutally honest without making it a personal attack. How to articulate why you don't like something, versus just insulting it. How before you pass that judgement, you must first understand the piece on its own terms. And perhaps most important of all, how to keep your mouth shut or ask questions if you don't understand it. The goal of critique isn't to prove you're smarter. It's to help the other person better themselves. And if they don't walk away better, then you're the one whose failed.

Second to all of that is learning how to balance the details with the big picture to create a harmonious whole so that entire piece is both well thought out and well executed. Every detail is a decision whether you consider it or not. And if one part goes against the whole, the entire castle can crumble.

Indeed, these are all skill that are sadly lacking from both the private and public sectors. But the truly sad part isn't that we lack these skills. It's that we don't value them in the first place. They see art as frivolous. What they don't understand is the truth that eventually, all civilizations are judged by their art, because good art is the closest thing to truth that we can pass on.

[Edward Weber]

I completely agree. It's okay to judge things. What's not okay is to insult people. It's only through critique, either from ourselves or others, that we can grow. We, as American's, have a habit of wanting to always be right, rather than wanting to always be better. Rather than learn from our mistakes, we choose to deny their existence. We sacrifice our own ability to improve to the feeble illusion of perfection.

One of the best things I learned in art school was how to critique someone else. How to be brutally honest without making it a personal attack. How to articulate why you don't like something, versus just insulting it. How before you pass that judgement, you must first understand the piece on its own terms. And perhaps most important of all, how to keep your mouth shut or ask questions if you don't understand it. The goal of critique isn't to prove you're smarter. It's to help the other person better themselves. And if they don't walk away better, then you're the one whose failed.

Second to all of that is learning how to balance the details with the big picture to create a harmonious whole so that entire piece is both well thought out and well executed. Every detail is a decision whether you consider it or not. And if one part goes against the whole, the entire castle can crumble.

Indeed, these are all skill that are sadly lacking from both the private and public sectors. But the truly sad part isn't that we lack these skills. It's that we don't value them in the first place. They see art as frivolous. What they don't understand is the truth that eventually, all civilizations are judged by their art, because good art is the closest thing to truth that we can pass on.

Many don't take a critique well at all, no matter the circumstances. The need to always be positively reinforced more often than not has a negative effect. In woodworking, critique is vital, not just in aesthetic choices but with construction as well.
The idea of learning from your mistakes is all but gone. It's become far too easy find a website or video saying that you're right and didn't make a mistake.
This is how we end up where we are, no one is wrong, everyone is an expert.
There is, IMO, a glaring lack of depth of knowledge (DOK)depth-of-knowledge-7-638-1.jpg
For many, it's far to easy to google an answer than to come up with one on their own. Art and design being no exception to this.
Inert Knowledge, Dunning Kruger effect, whatever you want to call it, it's become more prevalent.
If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it fully.
Sorry for the rant

[mike stenson]

It's really not that difficult to figure out.
Is it the shape/proportions, the colors, the materials or the textures are good places to start. There are other things to consider to be sure but you get my point.

I don't like river tables because I don't like wood encased in plastic with unnatural colors.

And yet, most can't articulate what they don't like about it.

I have a fine arts education, let me tell you how many college students taking fine arts classes couldn't articulate this during critiques.

[Josko Catipovic]

To risk straying even further from the topic, I remember being in a museum where the main display was 100's (if not 1000's) of ~3' paper-mache fingers pointing up at the ceiling. My first response was: What the ####??? Get me out of here. But then something happened, and I realized I was in the presence of genius. I can't describe it, but it was overwhelming.
So, do I now like paper-mache fingers? Noo, I'm not about to go make some for my living room.
Back to my first post; I 'don't like' post-modern steel, but seeing that cantilevered table in a 400-yr cottage just worked. To me, it was beautiful. I wish I could design a roomful of furniture with anything near that level of skill, and I'm glad there are people who can so the rest of us can appreciate it.

[andrew whicker]

For me, a lot of criticism of say, the wildly unpopular river table among woodworkers, doesn't come from the unique idea of the river table. I would estimate that for each of us, when we first saw the idea it was worst case taken as "hmmm pretty cool idea. Not my cup of tea, but I like the creativity". I would proffer that most of the criticism for contemporary designs is the overwhelming popularity and singularity of it. Again, I think the river table could be cool tool in your design toolbox. Work with it, see how you like it, see how can make it better, change it, mold it, whatever. However, when you are scrolling thru you addiction gallery (IG, pinterest, whatever) and you keep seeing the same exact design.. that's when I start to check out.

Same w/ shaker. I actually really enjoy a nice clean shaker or shaker similar kitchen design. I'm just tired of every single house having the same kitchen.

At that point, it's really not design anymore it's just capitalism / business making. It becomes something where companies have figured out the cheapest and most economical way to make something that resembles the original intent. And given enough time, that new watered down design becomes the design. And then we all collectively roll our eyes because we see what used to be at least an interested concept turn into a profit maximizing scheme that has little to no room for play / uniqueness.

So I guess there are two types of criticisms: those based on hearing the same song on the radio over and over again to the point of being "over it" and actual design criticism. Because that song that gets overplayed WAS a good song, it just became bad after getting too much air time.

For me, when I actually get to build my own stuff, I struggle w/ finding design ideas vs not looking at other designs. I think good design just falls into it's own category and doesn't need to be categorized as Arts and Crafts or whatever movement. You can make something that just "works". Pulling from movements waters down good design in my personal experience. For me, I just like to look at the images, the designs. I'm WAY less concerned about when it was made, what movement it came from, where it was made and who made it. That history and context is interesting, but it isn't necessarily helping me make a cool unique piece. It can, but I think the first step is enjoying something about the design, sleeping on it, then having one of those high energy creativity moments.

Well, hope that made sense. I'm a rambling man.

Edit: I really enjoyed reading what Jimmy had to say. Very thoughtful. When I'm older and retired (?) I would like to go back to school for Fine Arts.

[jack duren]

Least favorite? Everybody’s but mine,.

[Michael Burnside]

For me, a lot of criticism of say, the wildly unpopular river table among woodworkers, doesn't come from the unique idea of the river table. I would estimate that for each of us, when we first saw the idea it was worst case taken as "hmmm pretty cool idea. Not my cup of tea, but I like the creativity".

For me, it isn't the design. It is 100% the absurd amount of long-term environmental waste they create. I'm not against epoxy at all, it certainly has a place and I do use it, but good grief, the plastic tape, silicon, broken up melamine, particle board, rubber gloves, buckets, bins, stir sticks and empty plastic jugs upon jugs of epoxy is just too much for me.

[jack duren]

#1….. I hate frameless cabinetry

#2…….I hate super duper fancy pieces of furniture that dont work in average Joes homes.I like practical funiture..Everything else is just a picture to me..

[Christian Hawkshaw]

For those if you that don't like river tables....how about river stairs : https://www.instagram.com/moniquelula/p/C3HT8bzN0Kx/

[jack duren]

I don’t dislike river tables as much as feeling the river table era won’t last long..