Furniture for Children in the History of Portuguese Design

Abstract

This article is intended to constitute a contribution towards further studies on Portuguese furniture design for children. Deriving from a broader project targeting the history of Portuguese design, dispersed information was collected and organized towards understanding the place of furniture design for children in Portugal during the political period of the Estado Novo Regime (1933–1974). In addition to identifying specific cases and describing their social and political context, this article proposes a historical synopsis of the production and development of furniture for children, based on the history of Portuguese design. Specific cases of furniture for children are followed by a subsequent analysis of the Portuguese industrial development. As design philosophies were introduced and applied to the mechanized production of Portuguese furniture pieces designed for children, the introduction of industrial design in Portugal allowed the promotion of new design approaches. The subsequent paradigm shift paved the way for new concepts in furniture design for children.