Go Modern + Bauhaus influence

The hugely influential Bauhaus movement celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2019. It’s a style that has shaped everything that we now recognise as ‘modern design’. Bauhaus influence is also what we think of as ‘good design’.  However, it’s sometimes hard to understand what all the fuss was about as the Bauhaus look is still so ‘now’.

Contemporary design is at the heart of everything Go Modern represents. Because for us it’s the vital fusion of art and craft, combined with practical design and strong functionality. It’s a rejection of the overly ostentatious.  Clean lines and simple style rule.

The Bauhaus Movement

The Bauhaus was a fine arts and crafts institution founded in 1919 in Wiemar, Germany.  It kick-started an exciting new way of thinking that has gone on to influence the look of many things produced today.  It also created a new type of artist.  They were to be arts and crafts people, taught in workshops rather than classrooms, learning to turn their hands to anything.  This teaching philosophy broke down the barrier between fine and applied arts.

The movement  strongly favoured a return to individual craftsmanship. It also rejected anything overly fancy, a style that had dominated earlier nineteenth and twentieth century design. The look began to emerge across buildings, furniture and home accessories.  It was simple, rational, and functional. Similarly another signature look was circular shapes, angular frames plus abstract blocks of primary colours.

Go Modern and the Bauhaus Influence

In tribute to the special Bauhaus 100th anniversary we’ve selected some of Go Modern’s latest launches.  Above all they represent the very best of this iconic style.

Miniforms Mula dining chairs

The beautiful Mula dining chairs  are designed by E-ggs for quirky Italian brand Miniforms. We love the curved shape, which echoes the ground-breaking Series 7 and Swan chairs by the great Danish designer Arne Jacobson.

Jacobsen was born in Copenhagen and trained as a mason before studying architecture. He worked independently as an architect, interior designer, furniture, fabric and ceramics designer.  An all round multi-tasker in the true Bauhaus tradition. We think he would have liked the Mula chairs.  High on design, comfort and style.

Miniforms Illo dining table

Similarly Miniform’s new Illo dining table is the perfect fusion of art and craft.  This striking design was created by Miniform’s talented in-house team.

The Illo’s  table top can be lacquered in seven bold, bright colours including black, intense blue, Veronese green or Marsala red.  The central column can also be lacquered in any of the same colours. Or for a touch of un-Bauhaus ostentation, choose a striking, shiny copper finish as in the image above.

Alongside this there’s also an lllo coffee and side table to complete the look.

Miniforms Mastea coffee tables
Bauhaus + simple style

We fell in love with these Mastea tables when we saw them in Milan.  The simple curved bases are made from beautiful blown Murano glass.  A truly inspired design.  And there are a number of different colours to choose from including amber, blue-grey or smoked grey.  The tables have been topped and bottomed with Canaletto walnut or ash. Please form an orderly queue!

Lema Taiki armchair

Lema is a brand we work a lot. The produce striking designs of the highest quality. New from them is the Taiki armchair, a reinterpretation of the classic 1928 modernist Le Corbusier design.  It has simple clear lines with beautiful, equal proportions. The Taiki was designed by Chiara Andreatti and is part of Lema’s 2018 ‘modern living room’ collection. The visible frame and legs are in heat-treated, oak tinted ash and the chair is carefully finished with hand-stitched, deeply padded upholstery.

Bauhaus + simple comfort

We’ve also delved into our new bedroom collection for this tribute.  It’s back to ‘basic’ design with Novamobii’s new Dedalo bed.  A simply stylish ‘no frills’ bed but superbly crafted and hugely comfortable.  Understated contemporary elegance.

Novamobili Dedalo bed

Dedalo has Bauhaus clean lines; a tapered headboard and a frame in eco-wood. And it’s also practical as it’s available as a storage bed.  The storage version has an easy-to-use gas-lift mechanism, which enables you to lift the bed while keeping all the bedclothes in place.

Bauhaus + practical comfort

The Geo collection  is a fabulous new range from the talented design team at Saba Italia.  And it’s a perfect piece of Bauhaus influence.

Saba Italia Geo collection

The Geo range was designed by Paolo Grasselli and comprises a sofa, armchair and pouf.  Each piece has deep, comfortable proportions.  Grasselli’s intention was for the shape to ‘hug’ the body. We can confirm that it does this extremely well. We first tried this out in Milan and noticed a certain reluctance to move on to other exhibitors stands. Enough said.

Of note are the slim-line metal legs which subvert the design norm by being placed visibly outside of the frame.

Bauhaus events 2019

So celebrate this great design phenomenon next year.  There are lots of events taking place around the world and here in the UK too.  Look out for them and enjoy finding out more.  We’ll see you there!

Finally, a few of the UK Bauhaus events we’ve found include:

Victoria and Albert Museum

Tate Modern

London Borough of Culture

Nottingham Lakeside Arts

Stapleford Granary