One unique outgrowth of post-modern furniture design is a return to natural shapes and textures. The first three-quarters of the twentieth century are often seen as the march towards Modernism. The nineteenth century is usually defined by revival styles. The seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern Europe, was characterized by opulent, often gilded Baroque designs. Furniture design expanded during the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The furniture of the Middle Ages was usually heavy, oak, and ornamented. The evolution of furniture design continued in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, with thrones being commonplace as well as the klinai, multipurpose couches used for relaxing, eating, and sleeping. This era saw constructed wooden pieces, including stools and tables, sometimes decorated with valuable metals or ivory. Complex construction techniques such as joinery began in the early dynastic period of ancient Egypt. The first surviving extant furniture is in the homes of Skara Brae in Scotland, and includes cupboards, dressers and beds all constructed from stone. Early furniture from this period is known from artwork such as a Venus figurine found in Russia, depicting the goddess on a throne. Archaeological research shows that from around 30,000 years ago, people started to construct and carve their own furniture, using wood, stone, and animal bones. People have been using natural objects, such as tree stumps, rocks and moss, as furniture since the beginning of human civilization and continues today in some households/campsites. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflects the local culture. It can be made from a vast multitude of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. Furniture can be a product of design and can be considered a form of decorative art. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work (as horizontal surfaces above the ground, such as tables and desks), or to store things (e.g., cupboards, shelves, and drawers). Short visual history of furniture styles (from left to right): cloisonnГ© plaque ( Assyrian), Chair of Reniseneb (Ancient Egyptian), metal brazier with satyrs from Pompei ( Greco- Roman), fall-front cabinet inlaid with ivory ( Indian), low-back armchair ( Chinese), casket with images of Cupids ( Byzantine), wood and ivory furniture fragment ( Islamic), chest ( Gothic), analogion ( Romanian Medieval), sideboard with two bodies ( Renaissance), gilded table ( Baroque), commode ( Rococo), armchair with cornucopia ( Louis XVI), secretary ( Empire), fauteuil a joues armchair (19th century Eclecticism and/or Revivalism), vitrine ( Art Nouveau), commode ( Art Deco), IKEA kitchen cupboards and a table with glass top (Contemporary)ДЇurniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks).

Study table designs for students