An inquiry on residential furniture market in terms of innovative technologies and materials

Abstract

Innovative technologies in residential furniture design are important for improving the quality of future life. Material characteristics changed their old role of being less important in design, to a new functional performance after the Industrial Revolution. Innovative materials (smart/green) are believed to affect various aspects of contemporary design industry deeply, at all scales such as furniture, interior design, architecture and urban design. Nano technology serving smart materials is expected to change our environment, so it is necessary to take advantage of it and produce healthier, comfortable and humane materials, by considering all aspects of sustainable design and manufacturing. The aim of this study is an investigation on the usage frequency of innovative materials in residential furniture which is less than the expectations due to high cost or lack of knowledge etc. and extracts the positive features for residential furniture. The residential furniture in professional market is scanned through a selected international furniture fair, which collects a high number of companies from all around the world. Through this way, the study is expected to inspire the development, as well as the spread of usage of innovative materials in residential furniture. © Copyright 2017 NCEUB.