Peter Hunter: Ways of Using Antique Chinese Furniture

Modern interior design is very much influenced by classic Chinese furniture. Most Chinese classical furniture has very plain, clean and simple lines, which is very modern looking, especially pieces from the eighteenth century and earlier. Its simple design and form have had a great influence on the minimalist designs of modern interiors.

The proportion of Chinese classical furniture has also affected design thinking about the modern interior. It is very different from Western furniture in terms of its size and proportion. Some Chinese pieces have heights and sizes that do not appear in western furniture. For example, Chinese chairs are usually higher than Western chairs because they were almost always used with footstools so that the user would not have to touch the cold, stone floor.

The simplicity of Chinese furniture design makes it easy to match with all sorts of interiors. Chinese furniture was made for use, not just to be admired on a pedestal. The symmetry of classic Chinese design is another attraction. Chairs always come in pairs, and together they look fabulous.

I use a lot of Chinese furniture in my work. One reason is to emphasize the contrast between modern and antique. Chinese classical furniture has warmth, while the typical modern, minimalist interior is cool in its sensibility, as well as to the touch.

Another reason I like to use classical Chinese furniture in my projects is that it is much more robust and solid than the typical Western antique. Classical Chinese pieces are made of solid wood, and the texture makes contemporary veneer pieces look like plastic. People love the enticing, tactile nature of solid wooden furniture. For example, if you sit on a classical Chinese horseshoe armchair, you will touch the armrest and the ends with your hands, but you would seldom do the same thing when sitting on a stainless steel armchair or even on a leather sofa.