The legacy of “Form follows function” and its influence on design today

When architect Louis Sullivan introduced the idea of “form follows function” in the late 19th century, he wasn’t simply reacting against the visual excess of his time. He was proposing a fundamental shift in how design should be understood.

For Sullivan, design was not meant to impress for its own sake. It was meant to serve. He believed that form should arise naturally from purpose, shaped by real human needs rather than decoration alone. In doing so, he placed life, movement, and use at the center of design.

When design reflects life

Design gains meaning when it reflects the way people actually live. Not in abstract ideals, but in everyday actions: how we move through a space, how we reach, store, gather, pause, and return to familiar routines.

A home is lived in. It changes throughout the day, responds to habits, and holds small rituals that give rhythm and ease to daily life. When design begins from this understanding, it feels intuitive because it is rooted in real experience.

Function as the starting point

At Wegner, this philosophy shapes the way we approach cabinetry.

We begin by observing how life happens. The way a family moves through a kitchen. How storage supports daily routines. Where light falls. Where hands reach. How doors open, drawers glide, and spaces connect.

Function comes first not as a limitation, but as a guide. It brings clarity, defines priorities, and ensures that every decision responds to use, comfort, and intention

When form takes shape

Only after function is understood does form emerge.

Proportions, materials, and lines take shape because they are informed by use. The result feels effortless, not because it lacks thought, but because it has been carefully considered.

Here, form and function stop being separate ideas. Together, they become part of the architecture of living, essential to the rhythm of a home.

Beyond solutions

When purpose leads, cabinetry becomes more than a solution. It becomes a framework that supports presence and clarity, design that does not demand attention, but supports the way people live within it.

So, does form really follow function?

Yes, but only when we truly understand how design serves everyday life. When design responds to real habits and real human needs, it becomes something deeper: a considered foundation that supports how life moves through a home.