Interior design embraces a plethora of styles and among these are designs that exceed a definite niche and can only be depicted as surreal or futuristic. Futuristic design goes well beyond imagination, rejecting what is considered the norm. As part of the Futurism movement, this realm of interior design is eccentric and almost non-conforming. Learn everything about futuristic interior design here.
Futurism Credo
Futurism emerged in Italy at the dawn of 20th century. Both an art and social movement, futurism was a radical rejection to everything that was not wholly new, embracing revolutionary possibilities of technological culture. It was founded by poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti whose work Manifesto del Futurismo (1909) took significant effects on Italian art.
The movement was well dispersed among Italian artists and was practised in almost every genre of art, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, interior designer, theatre, literature, music, and architecture. One of the notable figures was architect Antonio Sant'Elia, who translated futurist visions into an urban form of modern cities, which he described as functioning organisms, built with dynamism, straight lines, speed, with man and machine at its heart.
Futuristic Design Elements
Futuristic design is mainly characterized by its strong chromaticism, long dynamic lines, suggesting motion, urgency, and lyricism. Asymmetry is one of the prominent key features. It comes in walls, and corners in the form of angled cutaways. Wavy horizontal lines are also a hallmark in futuristic interior and are often appear in flooring, making a lively illusion to the ground. Materials like metal, plastic, leather and glass are often incorporated. Sometimes, the door and windows are made with round openings. For the colours, grey, white, and black are the dominant hues. Shiny/glossy silver is also quite prevalent in futuristic interior. Other light shades such as red, light green, and yellow are passable for accents.
Futuristic Furniture
The only boundary of futurism is creativity, and it shows in every aspect of interior, including furnishings. Everything must carry the spirit of dynamism in futuristic design. This translates to distinct-shaped furniture, either curved or angular, made of metal, glass, plastic, or leather. Think glass table with stainless steel base, plastic chairs, sofas with leather upholstery, and rounded, fancy shelving and cabinets. Soft furnishings, albeit non-prominent, do at times appear in moderation as to tone down the otherwise masculine vibe exuded by materials with a strong look.
Big furniture with primary colours makes for futuristic interior. These are set to be conspicuous so there will be lots of white, grey, silver, and black in the room, with pops and splashes of lime, blue, yellow, or red here and there. Flooring in futuristic design tends to be laminated or tiled, and often in similar shades with the corresponding wall to create a harmonious look.
Futuristic Appliances
Futurism celebrates the triumph of technological advancement. It is only logical that futuristic design interior makes use of cutting-edge technology, involving a myriad option of modern gadgets and multifunctional home appliances. Touch control of blinds, doors, lighting, and cabinet doors are expected. This is because ergonomic, functionality, and conciseness are the fundamentals of futuristic design.
As time-saving appliances are the key to futurism, anticipate smart electronic system for the whole house. From built-in gadgets, synced range, oven, and hoods, surround sound, Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerator, to smart lighting and home climate regulator, all linked to your phone in one smart system. Futuristic interior also comes with futuristic lighting, which plays a very important role in a futuristic home. Lighting is built into ceiling and walls, sometimes even installed as strip lights under table and shelving, and is definitely LED.
Avant-Garde Decoration
Futuristic design decoration is nothing short of avant-garde. Say goodbye to eclectic decoration and traditional stylings. While futuristic decoration bears a resemblance to minimalist design to some extent, it is always a fusion between minimalism and creativity. Strong geometric wall feature is a great option as well surrealist paintings and monochromatic photographs, creating coordination between neutral background and bright accents. A combination of straight and smooth lines can be applied to exude a spaceship-like vibe and then further complemented with leather furniture.
Science-Fiction Inspirations
A lot of futuristic design interiors draw inspirations from Sci-Fi movies in particular. Themes like parallel universes, time travel, space, digital age, and new age wave are especially popular within the style. These themes include the use of semi-transparent and plain walls with polished finishes, circular furniture counterbalancing stark walls, shiny white Tron-inspired surfaces perfectly reflecting interior lights, and long stretches of glass windows. Another offshoot of futuristic design is dystopian theme reflected in cyberpunk sets and the retro-futuristic steampunk aesthetic inspired from Jules Verne’s sci-fi novels.