The new wave of furniture is the focus of this lively and topical survey of today’s European design.

This report from the cutting edge of modern design gives a uniquely privileged insight into new interiors, and offers some of the most challenging furniture ever seen.

In the history of the decorative arts there has been no time like the present: so filled with controversy, aesthetic pronouncements and transitions, and raucous spirit. The superstars and the up-and-coming tastemakers in this ever-changing world are discussed in the context of startling illustrations of their often unusual, witty and thought-provoking work. Re-definitions of traditional forms – sofas, chairs, tables, lighting – and decorative objects by such luminaries as Massimo Iosa Ghini, Garouste and Bonetti, and Nigel Coates are all featured, drawn from the creative capitals of Milan, London, Amsterdam and Paris.

Each section in this comprehensive account is devoted to a discernible trend on the current avant-garde scene. The analysis presents the ideas and themes that link advocates of lightening-fast change. Designers and their works are characterised under headings as striking as the pieces themselves: Primitivism, the New Baroque, the New Naturalism, Bricolage, the New Modern and Post-Punk Romantic. Many of the practitioners work in several areas at once, a practice which contributes to the multifaceted character of their innovation.

Clare Downey is a writer on design and architecture. Her work has appeared in Art Papers, Blueprint, International Design, L’Arca, Metropolis, Paris Passion, Progressive Architecture, Architecture and other publications. She lives and works in Paris.

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