Nostalgia and comfort are strong elements in designs of contemporary furniture

As the media have noted repeatedly in recent months, this uneasy world has triggered a renewed passion for nostalgia. We long for things, clothes and foods that remind us of a happy innocent childhood.
At the International Contemporary Furniture Fair recently at New York's Jacob K. Javits Center, an overriding theme of edgy design was innovative contemporary futuristic style, the New York Times reported. But nostalgia and comfort were powerful pushy elements.
A wooden breakfast table had a scalloped top with a daisy that resembled a childhood breakfast table, and a chair upholstered with stuffed animals seemed willing "to give you a hug," said Times writer William Hamilton.
Another strong trend was home theater chairs. With DVD players, flat screen televisions and surround sound increasingly popular, home viewing rooms are a new wave. The chairs tend to be bulky and ugly but the idea is heaven-sent for the recliner chair industry. La-Z-Boy is introducing one this summer.