Beautiful - OR - Functional? Is there a happy medium?

12 years ago

So many lovely designs seem to work *against* function:

* chalkboards make a ton of chalk dust (and where is the eraser when you need one?)
* horizontally stacked books, topped with decorative items, are impossible to get to (especially the one on the bottom!)
* tufted ottomans rarely provide flat surfaces for beverages (thank goodness for trays!)
* open shelves create more things to dust (or wash, as with exposed kitchen plates/glasses)

What's your preference? Beauty over function, function over beauty...or have you found a way to compromise on both? How do you decide? Bring on the photos! :)

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Beautiful

Functional

Other

Featured Answer

PRO

Rachel @ Ethan Allen

12 years ago

last modified: 12 years ago

The best designs are both beautiful and functional. The clients lifestyle should always be taken into account when selecting furniture, finishes and fabrics. There are so many great products out there that are durable but look fantastic. I think a non functional design is a lazy way to design. It takes time and research to do the homework on what will be appropriate and durable. Some iconic furniture is very uncomfortable and is appreciated more for its form and impact on the design world. (Think womb chair). If the client is more interested in how it looks in the room, than how comfortable it is, that is legitimate design choice. I can't tell you how many times I have had people with a bad taste in their mouths towards interior designers after impractical and uncomfortable pieces where selected. Some brand new commercial projects have had to replace brand new furniture because it wasn't practical for the application. That kind of design does not help our design profession.

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Comments (8)

PRO
User
12 years ago
Unless you just like displaying eye candy, there is no reason why something functional shouldn't also be beautiful, even if it's what I call "simple" or "plain" beauty. I voted Other BTW.
greenyogini thanked User
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raish
12 years ago
with smart design,the and making sure you really like the plans before you start in buying furniture a room can be functional and beautiful
greenyogini thanked raish
groveraxle
12 years ago
I was going to say you can have both, but sometimes you fall in love with a piece that doesn't work very well. That happened to me with the Senufo bed. I had to have it. Coffee table, I thought. Well, it takes up half of my tiny living room and is too long for the couch. So now it's a bench in front of my fireplace and when company stays too long, I can lie down on it and they usually get the hint.
tira_misu
12 years ago
There are tons of beautiful and functionnal trends that I can pass on what's beautiful and disfunctional.
greenyogini thanked tira_misu
PRO
The New England Farm Table Co.
12 years ago
A farm table (and bench) is both beautiful and functional. And, the more it is used, the prettier it gets. The chairs, on the other hand, is where beauty/function may clash. But you can definitely have both!
greenyogini thanked The New England Farm Table Co.
greenyogini
Original Author
12 years ago
Great comments, everyone! :)

I was thinking specifically about things like ghost chairs - *love* the way they look, not sure I'd want to sit in one for any stretch of time. (I had a similar experience while sofa shopping - the most beautiful sofas to my eye were also some of the least comfortable ones.) Same with the above mentioned: I'd love a chalkboard wall, but not the chalk dust, love the look of open shelves, can't imagine dusting (or washing!) all the dishes all the time, love the look of color-coordinated, horizontally stacked books, but the bibliophile in me wants to be able to actually *find* them (by topic, since I doubt I'll remember the color of the binding). I have stacked a few infrequently used books horizontally, but any reference books will be stacked vertically.

It's a personal preference (and a matter of individual habits of use) and I'm just curious about how others make decisions in the "fine line" territory that so many designs seem to straddle. In theory I agree that good design is both beautiful *and* functional, but I guess I tend to think that an uncomfortable chair isn't all that functional (really just an aesthetic prop - a lovely, delightful, and swoon-worthy prop), and that's just my opinion. I'm pretty squarely torn between the two on a regular basis, but I've noticed my tendency is to choose the more functional option for myself...and then just continue to pine for the more aesthetic one. ;)
greenyogini
Original Author
12 years ago
...and probably unsurprisingly, I feel similarly about fashion. ;) I love a gorgeous pair of heels, but if I can't walk or stand in them without pain after only 5 minutes, ain't no way I'm wearing those puppies for more than a photo op!