Customer Reviews

Sourcebook of Modern Furniture (Norton Books for Architects & Designers)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Habegger and Osman offer up one of the most comprehensive guides to the furniture of the Modern Age. Close up photography accompanies most entries in this massive hardcover volume. A welcome addition to your library, this book has it all- Frank Lloyd Wright and his visionary lighting and Asian-influenced low horizontal lines; Charles and Ray Eames; George Nelson; and the masters of the Modern manifesto, Herman Miller and the soon to be classic Aeron chair. I have dozens of modern design books which I've collected over the years leading up to the recent ressurgence in popularity of retro-fifties design, and if I could keep just one this would be it.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best reference book re modern furniture on the market place. Having said that, the readers should be aware that this edition is 4 years old. Some of the modern furnitures listed have since become modern classics & many important pieces after 1996 are not listed in here. For example, the working chair produced by Steelcase that is comparable with Aeron chair without its high price tag, Solo sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, Vitra & Kartell ranges by Philippe Starck, more lightings by Ingo Maurer & the list could go on & on. Moreover, the authors could include pertinent website & e-mail address for suppliers & manufacturers on top of the snail mail addresses that were provided. It also would be more attractive if the book is printed in colour. Overall, it remains a substantial book. PS: Has the author ever considered updating the book online?

As predicted, the 3rd edition is OFF THE HOOK!!! The 3rd edition, published in 2005, has close to 700 new entries. Nearly half of the photos are in color and the authors have included web site information for manufacturers. This latest edition is in the collection of prominent museums and academic institutions across the globe, especially universities which have significant design and architecture programs. This is certainly a must have edition for the intellectually astute connoisseur of furniture and design.

BTW, many of the listed reviews are referring to the 2nd edition which is now 10 years old!!! Check to be sure which edition other reviewers are referring to before making a purchase decision...you wouldn't want to miss out!!

I was disappointed with the book and returned it. Nothing by Robsjohn Gibbings. Nothing by Harvey Probber. Only a single piece by Wormley. Only two by Finn Juhl. Instead, the selection seems weighted heavily toward austere Italian designs of metal and glass, esp. those produced in the 1960s and later. I did not expect the editors to show such a lack of interest in wood. And given the book's definitive-sounding title, I did not expect them to adopt such an rigid and uninteresting definition of "modern."

When anything is modern, it means that it's from this era=this time=now. But also, "MODERN" things point to the design movement that grew from the 1920's Modernism movement. That is why many of the Modern pieces such as Charles and Ray Eames pieces are considered "classic", despite the tag("Modern Furniture") that follows them. So I think this book shows great examples of furniture designs from Modernism era and its following influences. I disagree with Ping Lim about not having shown all the recent great works, because I think Karim Rashid and Aeron chair are considered either post post modern or futurism, not modernism.

The third edition of Jerryll Habegger and Joseph H. Osman's SOURCEBOOK OF MODERN FURNITURE should be on the reference shelves of ANY serious interior design collection. Appearing in its third revised edition, SOURCEBOOK provides one of the most authoritative guides to furniture and lighting designs of the 20th and 21st centuries in print, pairing color photos with features of works by hundreds of notable designers. Photos arranged by type of furniture or fixture make it simple for quick look-ups, while lists of suppliers and indexes of designers and manufacturers provide invaluable cross-referencing.

This was this single most important thing that we had when we began decorating our house. An absolute must for the classics!

I am a collector and admirer of modern design and the sourcebook really blew my mind. I have an extensive reference library of books and auction catalogs showcasing modern furniture but I find myself going back to this book over and over again. Lavish photos and descriptions, with lots of detail about the item, it's designer, and it's distribution. It's probably about time for an update but if you were forced to choose only one modern design book for your library this is about the most comprehensive out there.

I was very surprised and happy that the book has such excellent pictures, I am not an interior decorator- not even in any business related to design and/or furniture. I just want to buy a few new pieces for my own use. Tired of furniture offered in stores, this book has brought life back into my livingroom. My new chair ideas are very new...new year, new me, new furniture. Amazing a simple (beautiful) book can change my out look.

This is the best compendium of pictures and details about the Modern Furniture movement!