Cabinetmaking had its beginnings in working with ebony wood - hence its name - which in the past was very rare and expensive, coming mainly from Corsica and North Africa. For this reason, the making of furniture with this wood became a craft of artisanal quality, where along with the technique, the skill of the cabinetmaker was valued, as well as the artisticity of the decoration made on them. Starting in the 19th century, ebony began to be replaced by dyed woods. Since then, cabinetmaking has been understood as the making of furniture with valuable woods, which can be covered with various elements such as lacquered panels, ceramic sheets, metal appliqués or precious stones.

There are not many testimonies left from ancient times, only some archaeological finds and representations of joinery works in paintings and reliefs "Relief (art)"). The oldest examples are found in ancient Mesopotamia, with ebony and ivory furniture for use by royalty, dating back to around the 8th and 7th centuries BC. C. In ancient Egypt we find examples such as the cedar furniture with ebony and ivory inlays from the tombs of Ju'e and Tu'e (Egyptian Museum in Cairo). Various pieces of furniture for the pharaoh's personal use, of great artistic quality, were found in Tutankhamun's tomb. The main typologies used to be: footstools, chests for precious objects, one-foot tables (monopodium), beds with legs in the shape of various animals (bull, jackal, lion), etc. In Greece, furniture was made with ebony, ivory, silver and gold, as described in the making of Ulysses' bed in the Odyssey (1. XXIII). Among his main creations we find: footstools, chairs with inclined backrests without arms (klismós), beds made of boards placed on trestles, ambivalent boxes that served as a container for objects or as a seat, etc. From Ancient Rome, the triclinium—of Etruscan origin—stands out, a bed where the Romans lay down to eat. In the imperial era, furniture with very luxurious Hellenistic decoration was produced, with marble legs in the shape of lions, griffins "Griffin (mythology)"), sphinxes and other animals, often with bronze decorations. The most used furniture was: inclined back chairs (cathedra), round section footstools with scissor legs (sella) and cabinets with interior shelves closed by two hinges.[3]​.

During the Middle Ages, simplicity and severity predominated, as corresponded to the new predominant religion, Christianity, which advocated poverty and austerity. In the monasteries the desk was born, a table with little doors and shelves, with lecterns and shelves for books. Chests proliferated, serving to store clothes and, at the same time, as seats. The beds gained height and were isolated from the ground, often decorated with canopies with curtains. The tables (mensae) were long and supported on tripods. The chairs were folding with curved legs (faldistorium). In the Gothic period, decoration inspired by the architecture of cathedrals became fashionable, with ogives, rosettes and multi-lobed windows. It is also worth highlighting at this time the decorative richness developed in the choir stalls of cathedrals and monasteries. In the Byzantine Empire the furniture was more luxurious than in the West, with inlays of gold, silver and mother-of-pearl, and coverings with cloth and cushions.[4]​.

A first moment of splendor for cabinetmaking occurred during the Renaissance: in Florence, cabinetmaking work was called "outside the norm," because due to its quality, both in materials and in the technique and skill of the craftsman, it fell outside the guild and regulated trade of the carpenter. Considered luxury furniture, they were only available to rich and powerful men, serving to decorate their great palaces. In the 19th century, cabinetmaking incorporated precious materials such as ivory and mother-of-pearl, bone appliqués, tempera paintings with heraldic or allegorical motifs, reliefs with gold and silver leaf, etc. A good example of this were the studioli, the rooms that the great Renaissance magnates with a humanist vocation dedicated to study and collecting, such as that of Duke Federico of Urbino, with walls covered with large shelves with inlay work, made around 1450 by Baccio Pontelli according to a sketch by Botticelli. It should be noted that at this time the use of sketches for the design of furniture was introduced, a clear example of the simultaneously intellectual and artistic nature of this work, especially highlighting the designs of Francesco Salviati "Francesco Salviati (painter)"). In the Renaissance period, the same typologies continued as in the medieval period (beds, tables, chests, wardrobes), but with a composition based on panels and moldings, and a classical style decoration. In the Cinquecento, carving predominated, with X-shaped tables and chairs, like the Roman sella curulis.[5]​.

In the century, paneled or veneered furniture appeared: thin sheets of precious woods were placed on a structure of soft wood (fir, poplar, poplar). A good example is the furniture of the Pitti Palace in Florence, with inlays of polychrome stones and marbles. At the end of the century, the technique of covering was developed in the Netherlands, thin panels of veneered wood that form a decorative inlay, called marquetry. This technique spread thanks to the increase in transoceanic trade, which allowed the arrival of exotic woods, such as amaranth, mahogany, sycamore, etc. Baroque furniture was characterized by wavy, concave and convex surfaces, with volutes and various motifs such as cartouches and shells. In Italy, the following stood out: the two-section Tuscan wardrobe, with bronze balustrades and hard stone inlay decoration; the Ligurian desk with two bodies, with carved and superimposed figures (bambochos); and the fitted Venetian armchair (tronetto), with exuberant decoration. In Spain the bargueño emerged, a rectangular chest with handles, with numerous drawers and compartments. The Spanish furniture continued with the Mudejar style decoration, while the Baroque was denoted in the curved shapes and the use of Solomonic columns in the beds. Even so, counter-reformist austerity predominated, as denoted in the chair called frailero (or missionary in Latin America).

The golden age of cabinetmaking occurred in the France of the Louis - from Louis Among Boulle's works, the two chests of drawers in the Trianon, in Versailles, and the pendulum clock with the Chariot of Apollo in Fontainebleau stand out. French cabinetmaking valued quality and luxury, but also convenience and comfort, laying the foundations for modern cabinetmaking. The most common types of furniture at this time were: the boudoir (a type of living room), the bureau (desk), the chest of drawers, the lady's secrétaire (table with drawers), the chiffonière (nightstand), the cartonnier, different types of chairs and armchairs such as the canapés, the bergères, the chaise-longue, the fauteuil, etc. As names, it is worth mentioning, in addition to Boulle, Charles Cressent, Antoine Gaudreaux, Pierre Migeon, Jean-François Oeben, etc.[6]​.

In the century, gilt bronze applications of mercury "Mercury (element)") were introduced in marquetry decoration. In France, the Louis It is worth noting that at this time, in France, cabinetmakers began to leave a personal mark on the furniture, a signature that was both a seal of guarantee and a way of recognizing their value as true artists. Likewise, at that time numerous treatises appeared that addressed cabinetmaking in both its technical and theoretical and design aspects, such as that of André-Jacob Roubo"), L'art du menuisier en meubles (Paris, 1774). In the United Kingdom, the first furniture catalogs also emerged, a way of encouraging trade but also testimony to the luxury product nature of cabinetmaking, as in the work of Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton. The fashion then was for furniture covered with lacquer or varnish plates, or with sheets of porcelain, bisque or majolica.[7]​.

The work of Thomas Chippendale stood out especially, who gave rise to the so-called "Chippendale style" (second half of the century), characterized by eclecticism "Eclecticism (art)"), with a mixture of Gothic, Rococo, Palladian and Chinese elements. It was furniture made of exotic woods such as mahogany, adorned with inlays of other woods or with gilt bronze fittings. The decorative motifs were of diverse origin, from Gothic ogives and rosettes to Rococo masks and shells, including Chinese motifs such as pagodas and birds. The chairs and armchairs were covered in velvet or silk brocades, while the beds had canopies and sculpted headboards. Chippendale expressed his theory in the work Gentleman's and Cabinetmaker's Guide (1754).[8]​.

From the end of the century and during it, the functional aspect of furniture began to be valued more, introducing different mechanical innovations such as transformable furniture: good examples are the tables called Harlequin, by Abraham Roentgen, and the cylinder desks by Jean-Henri Riesener. Neoclassicism marked a return to more classical forms, represented mainly by Robert Adam, who designed interiors inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition, with a certain archaeological air, as in Syon House (Middlesex, 1762) and Home House (Portman Square, London, 1777). In France, with the so-called Directory style (1795-1805) there was a return to a more sober type of furniture, with a preponderance of the constructive over the decorative, returning to straight planes and lines and cylindrical shapes. The trend was towards solid structures, with smooth surfaces and bronze applications. He went from the pastel tones "Pastel color (colors)") of the Rococo to the pure colors of wood, highlighting the dark shine of mahogany. The floral motifs were replaced by edging made of garnet-stained wood or brass filigree, and symbols of the French Revolution such as the Phrygian cap, the lyctory bundle and oak fronds were incorporated. The chairs had an upholstered backrest and were S-shaped (en crosse), with the rear legs curved “saber”. The backrests were of anatomical type – called “gondola” – or finished in a scroll. The beds and sofas were inspired by the Roman triclinium.

The Empire style developed in Napoleonic and Restoration France, from where it passed to the rest of Europe, replacing sobriety with ostentation and luxury, with a sumptuous style, with a preference for exotic and oriental themes, preferably Egyptian, due to the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt (1798-1801). Thus, decoration with exotic animals, sphinxes, palms, lotus leaves, etc. is common. The headboards of beds and the legs of tables and chairs are usually in the shape of swans, eagles or winged lions, along with spears and sabers and Egyptian or Roman symbols, or the N for Napoleon with a laurel wreath. The best exponent of this style was the Castle of Malmaison, by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine.[9]​.

In contrast, the German Biedermeier style presented a more practical and comfortable design, with simple and homely lines. There is a preference for light woods such as cherry, with sober ornaments such as palmettes and columns. The chairs and sofas are padded and have curved backs. Its main exponents were Josef Danhauser, Johann Nepomuk Geyer") and Michael Thonet. The Empire and Biedermeier styles influenced the Spanish Elizabethan and English Victorians, both with a bourgeois air, dedicated to luxury and ostentation, although without giving up comfort and functionality. Another variant during the century was interior design linked to historicist architecture, especially neo-Gothic, with furniture inspired by this medieval style, with massive shapes and severe, with ornamentation based on arches "Arch (architecture)") and multi-lobed shapes, with a profusion of pinnacles and vertical elements.

In the middle of the century, the English Arts & Crafts movement, promoted by John Ruskin and William Morris, was especially relevant, defending a revaluation of artisanal work and advocating a return to traditional forms of manufacturing, stipulating that art must be as useful as it is beautiful. In 1857, Morris furnished his own house (Red House, Bexley Heath, Kent), in an austere, primitivist style, highlighting the practical and simple nature of the works. Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, founder of the Century Guild interior decoration workshop, worked in Morris's orbit, where he made furniture that stood out for its lines and right angles, such as his famous chair from 1881. In the United States this movement was represented by Gustav Stickley, designer of a type of simple and functional furniture, without ornaments, which he began to build in series, with a view to greater commercialization of his products.[10]​.

At the end of the century, the arrival of modernism "Modernism (art)") (called Art Nouveau in France, Modern Style in the United Kingdom, Jugendstil in Germany, Sezession in Austria, Liberty "Modernism (art)") in Italy, etc.) represented a great revolution both in cabinetmaking and in all applied and industrial arts, highlighting design as a driving factor of a more openness of the relationship between the various decorative elements and their surrounding space: thus, modernist architects jointly designed both the architectural space and its entire container, in which cabinetmaking played a relevant role in the interior design. A clear exponent was Antoni Gaudí, who designed many of the furniture for his works, both civil and religious: thus, from the design of a desk for his own office at the beginning of his career, through the furniture designed for the Sobrellano palace in Comillas "Comillas (Cantabria)"), he made all the furniture for the Vicens, Calvet, Batlló and Milà houses, the Güell palace and the Bellesguard tower, leading to the furniture liturgical of the Holy Family. It should be noted that Gaudí carried out ergonomic studies to adapt his furniture to the human anatomy in the most optimal way possible. Much of the furniture he designed is currently on display in the Gaudí House-Museum in Park Güell.[11]​.

One of the factors that led to the rapid spread of modernist design was the great increase in the media during the century, along with the celebration of special events such as world exhibitions. These factors, together with the increase in an increasing number of public capable of acquiring works of art and crafts, led to an increasingly dynamic and interrelated environment that brought about an aspect of democratization of taste, promoting the fashion trends that would be so important in the 20th century. Among the modernist cabinetmakers and decorators, Henry van de Velde, Georges de Feure, Émile Gallé —author of neo-rococo style furniture—, Eugène Vallin, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Richard Riemerschmid, Carlo Bugatti, Gaspar Homar, Joan Busquets, etc. stood out.[12]

During the century, cabinetmaking evolved rapidly, marked by the use of new materials and more advanced technologies, and with a clear commitment to design as a creative basis. One of the most innovative styles has been art deco (from arts décoratifs, "decorative arts" in French, due to the 1925 Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris), a movement that represented a great revolution for interior design, framed in a luxury production aimed at the bourgeoisie of the belle époque. This style was characterized by a type of furniture with square and geometric shapes, with rich and sumptuous materials. In 1919 Louis Süe and André Mare") created the Compagnie des Arts Français, characterized by traditionally inspired furniture but exuberant decoration, such as its music room for the exhibition Un Musée d'Art Contemporain of 1925. Other exponents were Jacques Émile Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Jean Dunand and Pierre Chareau.

Another great advance occurred with the Bauhaus school, which, compared to the excessive ornamentation of Art Deco, introduced a more rational and functional design concept, more adapted to the real needs of people. This institution aimed to break the barriers between art and crafts, with a clear commitment to industrial production. Its design was based on simplicity, geometric abstraction and the use of primary colors and new technologies, as was evident in the tubular steel furniture created by Marcel Breuer, the Barcelona armchair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the conglomerate furniture by Alvar Aalto, etc. The cabinetmaking subject was taught by the architect Walter Gropius, who trained a generation of highly creative designers. Likewise, the Dutch group De Stijl, with an abstractionist aesthetic (neoplasticism), developed an interior style based on simplicity, geometric shapes and primary colors, such as the famous red and blue chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1923).[13]​.

Cabinetmaking had its beginnings in working with ebony wood - hence its name - which in the past was very rare and expensive, coming mainly from Corsica and North Africa. For this reason, the making of furniture with this wood became a craft of artisanal quality, where along with the technique, the skill of the cabinetmaker was valued, as well as the artisticity of the decoration made on them. Starting in the 19th century, ebony began to be replaced by dyed woods. Since then, cabinetmaking has been understood as the making of furniture with valuable woods, which can be covered with various elements such as lacquered panels, ceramic sheets, metal appliqués or precious stones.

There are not many testimonies left from ancient times, only some archaeological finds and representations of joinery works in paintings and reliefs "Relief (art)"). The oldest examples are found in ancient Mesopotamia, with ebony and ivory furniture for use by royalty, dating back to around the 8th and 7th centuries BC. C. In ancient Egypt we find examples such as the cedar furniture with ebony and ivory inlays from the tombs of Ju'e and Tu'e (Egyptian Museum in Cairo). Various pieces of furniture for the pharaoh's personal use, of great artistic quality, were found in Tutankhamun's tomb. The main typologies used to be: footstools, chests for precious objects, one-foot tables (monopodium), beds with legs in the shape of various animals (bull, jackal, lion), etc. In Greece, furniture was made with ebony, ivory, silver and gold, as described in the making of Ulysses' bed in the Odyssey (1. XXIII). Among his main creations we find: footstools, chairs with inclined backrests without arms (klismós), beds made of boards placed on trestles, ambivalent boxes that served as a container for objects or as a seat, etc. From Ancient Rome, the triclinium—of Etruscan origin—stands out, a bed where the Romans lay down to eat. In the imperial era, furniture with very luxurious Hellenistic decoration was produced, with marble legs in the shape of lions, griffins "Griffin (mythology)"), sphinxes and other animals, often with bronze decorations. The most used furniture was: inclined back chairs (cathedra), round section footstools with scissor legs (sella) and cabinets with interior shelves closed by two hinges.[3]​.

During the Middle Ages, simplicity and severity predominated, as corresponded to the new predominant religion, Christianity, which advocated poverty and austerity. In the monasteries the desk was born, a table with little doors and shelves, with lecterns and shelves for books. Chests proliferated, serving to store clothes and, at the same time, as seats. The beds gained height and were isolated from the ground, often decorated with canopies with curtains. The tables (mensae) were long and supported on tripods. The chairs were folding with curved legs (faldistorium). In the Gothic period, decoration inspired by the architecture of cathedrals became fashionable, with ogives, rosettes and multi-lobed windows. It is also worth highlighting at this time the decorative richness developed in the choir stalls of cathedrals and monasteries. In the Byzantine Empire the furniture was more luxurious than in the West, with inlays of gold, silver and mother-of-pearl, and coverings with cloth and cushions.[4]​.

A first moment of splendor for cabinetmaking occurred during the Renaissance: in Florence, cabinetmaking work was called "outside the norm," because due to its quality, both in materials and in the technique and skill of the craftsman, it fell outside the guild and regulated trade of the carpenter. Considered luxury furniture, they were only available to rich and powerful men, serving to decorate their great palaces. In the 19th century, cabinetmaking incorporated precious materials such as ivory and mother-of-pearl, bone appliqués, tempera paintings with heraldic or allegorical motifs, reliefs with gold and silver leaf, etc. A good example of this were the studioli, the rooms that the great Renaissance magnates with a humanist vocation dedicated to study and collecting, such as that of Duke Federico of Urbino, with walls covered with large shelves with inlay work, made around 1450 by Baccio Pontelli according to a sketch by Botticelli. It should be noted that at this time the use of sketches for the design of furniture was introduced, a clear example of the simultaneously intellectual and artistic nature of this work, especially highlighting the designs of Francesco Salviati "Francesco Salviati (painter)"). In the Renaissance period, the same typologies continued as in the medieval period (beds, tables, chests, wardrobes), but with a composition based on panels and moldings, and a classical style decoration. In the Cinquecento, carving predominated, with X-shaped tables and chairs, like the Roman sella curulis.[5]​.

In the century, paneled or veneered furniture appeared: thin sheets of precious woods were placed on a structure of soft wood (fir, poplar, poplar). A good example is the furniture of the Pitti Palace in Florence, with inlays of polychrome stones and marbles. At the end of the century, the technique of covering was developed in the Netherlands, thin panels of veneered wood that form a decorative inlay, called marquetry. This technique spread thanks to the increase in transoceanic trade, which allowed the arrival of exotic woods, such as amaranth, mahogany, sycamore, etc. Baroque furniture was characterized by wavy, concave and convex surfaces, with volutes and various motifs such as cartouches and shells. In Italy, the following stood out: the two-section Tuscan wardrobe, with bronze balustrades and hard stone inlay decoration; the Ligurian desk with two bodies, with carved and superimposed figures (bambochos); and the fitted Venetian armchair (tronetto), with exuberant decoration. In Spain the bargueño emerged, a rectangular chest with handles, with numerous drawers and compartments. The Spanish furniture continued with the Mudejar style decoration, while the Baroque was denoted in the curved shapes and the use of Solomonic columns in the beds. Even so, counter-reformist austerity predominated, as denoted in the chair called frailero (or missionary in Latin America).

The golden age of cabinetmaking occurred in the France of the Louis - from Louis Among Boulle's works, the two chests of drawers in the Trianon, in Versailles, and the pendulum clock with the Chariot of Apollo in Fontainebleau stand out. French cabinetmaking valued quality and luxury, but also convenience and comfort, laying the foundations for modern cabinetmaking. The most common types of furniture at this time were: the boudoir (a type of living room), the bureau (desk), the chest of drawers, the lady's secrétaire (table with drawers), the chiffonière (nightstand), the cartonnier, different types of chairs and armchairs such as the canapés, the bergères, the chaise-longue, the fauteuil, etc. As names, it is worth mentioning, in addition to Boulle, Charles Cressent, Antoine Gaudreaux, Pierre Migeon, Jean-François Oeben, etc.[6]​.

In the century, gilt bronze applications of mercury "Mercury (element)") were introduced in marquetry decoration. In France, the Louis It is worth noting that at this time, in France, cabinetmakers began to leave a personal mark on the furniture, a signature that was both a seal of guarantee and a way of recognizing their value as true artists. Likewise, at that time numerous treatises appeared that addressed cabinetmaking in both its technical and theoretical and design aspects, such as that of André-Jacob Roubo"), L'art du menuisier en meubles (Paris, 1774). In the United Kingdom, the first furniture catalogs also emerged, a way of encouraging trade but also testimony to the luxury product nature of cabinetmaking, as in the work of Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton. The fashion then was for furniture covered with lacquer or varnish plates, or with sheets of porcelain, bisque or majolica.[7]​.

The work of Thomas Chippendale stood out especially, who gave rise to the so-called "Chippendale style" (second half of the century), characterized by eclecticism "Eclecticism (art)"), with a mixture of Gothic, Rococo, Palladian and Chinese elements. It was furniture made of exotic woods such as mahogany, adorned with inlays of other woods or with gilt bronze fittings. The decorative motifs were of diverse origin, from Gothic ogives and rosettes to Rococo masks and shells, including Chinese motifs such as pagodas and birds. The chairs and armchairs were covered in velvet or silk brocades, while the beds had canopies and sculpted headboards. Chippendale expressed his theory in the work Gentleman's and Cabinetmaker's Guide (1754).[8]​.

From the end of the century and during it, the functional aspect of furniture began to be valued more, introducing different mechanical innovations such as transformable furniture: good examples are the tables called Harlequin, by Abraham Roentgen, and the cylinder desks by Jean-Henri Riesener. Neoclassicism marked a return to more classical forms, represented mainly by Robert Adam, who designed interiors inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition, with a certain archaeological air, as in Syon House (Middlesex, 1762) and Home House (Portman Square, London, 1777). In France, with the so-called Directory style (1795-1805) there was a return to a more sober type of furniture, with a preponderance of the constructive over the decorative, returning to straight planes and lines and cylindrical shapes. The trend was towards solid structures, with smooth surfaces and bronze applications. He went from the pastel tones "Pastel color (colors)") of the Rococo to the pure colors of wood, highlighting the dark shine of mahogany. The floral motifs were replaced by edging made of garnet-stained wood or brass filigree, and symbols of the French Revolution such as the Phrygian cap, the lyctory bundle and oak fronds were incorporated. The chairs had an upholstered backrest and were S-shaped (en crosse), with the rear legs curved “saber”. The backrests were of anatomical type – called “gondola” – or finished in a scroll. The beds and sofas were inspired by the Roman triclinium.

The Empire style developed in Napoleonic and Restoration France, from where it passed to the rest of Europe, replacing sobriety with ostentation and luxury, with a sumptuous style, with a preference for exotic and oriental themes, preferably Egyptian, due to the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt (1798-1801). Thus, decoration with exotic animals, sphinxes, palms, lotus leaves, etc. is common. The headboards of beds and the legs of tables and chairs are usually in the shape of swans, eagles or winged lions, along with spears and sabers and Egyptian or Roman symbols, or the N for Napoleon with a laurel wreath. The best exponent of this style was the Castle of Malmaison, by Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine.[9]​.

In contrast, the German Biedermeier style presented a more practical and comfortable design, with simple and homely lines. There is a preference for light woods such as cherry, with sober ornaments such as palmettes and columns. The chairs and sofas are padded and have curved backs. Its main exponents were Josef Danhauser, Johann Nepomuk Geyer") and Michael Thonet. The Empire and Biedermeier styles influenced the Spanish Elizabethan and English Victorians, both with a bourgeois air, dedicated to luxury and ostentation, although without giving up comfort and functionality. Another variant during the century was interior design linked to historicist architecture, especially neo-Gothic, with furniture inspired by this medieval style, with massive shapes and severe, with ornamentation based on arches "Arch (architecture)") and multi-lobed shapes, with a profusion of pinnacles and vertical elements.

In the middle of the century, the English Arts & Crafts movement, promoted by John Ruskin and William Morris, was especially relevant, defending a revaluation of artisanal work and advocating a return to traditional forms of manufacturing, stipulating that art must be as useful as it is beautiful. In 1857, Morris furnished his own house (Red House, Bexley Heath, Kent), in an austere, primitivist style, highlighting the practical and simple nature of the works. Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, founder of the Century Guild interior decoration workshop, worked in Morris's orbit, where he made furniture that stood out for its lines and right angles, such as his famous chair from 1881. In the United States this movement was represented by Gustav Stickley, designer of a type of simple and functional furniture, without ornaments, which he began to build in series, with a view to greater commercialization of his products.[10]​.

At the end of the century, the arrival of modernism "Modernism (art)") (called Art Nouveau in France, Modern Style in the United Kingdom, Jugendstil in Germany, Sezession in Austria, Liberty "Modernism (art)") in Italy, etc.) represented a great revolution both in cabinetmaking and in all applied and industrial arts, highlighting design as a driving factor of a more openness of the relationship between the various decorative elements and their surrounding space: thus, modernist architects jointly designed both the architectural space and its entire container, in which cabinetmaking played a relevant role in the interior design. A clear exponent was Antoni Gaudí, who designed many of the furniture for his works, both civil and religious: thus, from the design of a desk for his own office at the beginning of his career, through the furniture designed for the Sobrellano palace in Comillas "Comillas (Cantabria)"), he made all the furniture for the Vicens, Calvet, Batlló and Milà houses, the Güell palace and the Bellesguard tower, leading to the furniture liturgical of the Holy Family. It should be noted that Gaudí carried out ergonomic studies to adapt his furniture to the human anatomy in the most optimal way possible. Much of the furniture he designed is currently on display in the Gaudí House-Museum in Park Güell.[11]​.

One of the factors that led to the rapid spread of modernist design was the great increase in the media during the century, along with the celebration of special events such as world exhibitions. These factors, together with the increase in an increasing number of public capable of acquiring works of art and crafts, led to an increasingly dynamic and interrelated environment that brought about an aspect of democratization of taste, promoting the fashion trends that would be so important in the 20th century. Among the modernist cabinetmakers and decorators, Henry van de Velde, Georges de Feure, Émile Gallé —author of neo-rococo style furniture—, Eugène Vallin, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Richard Riemerschmid, Carlo Bugatti, Gaspar Homar, Joan Busquets, etc. stood out.[12]

During the century, cabinetmaking evolved rapidly, marked by the use of new materials and more advanced technologies, and with a clear commitment to design as a creative basis. One of the most innovative styles has been art deco (from arts décoratifs, "decorative arts" in French, due to the 1925 Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris), a movement that represented a great revolution for interior design, framed in a luxury production aimed at the bourgeoisie of the belle époque. This style was characterized by a type of furniture with square and geometric shapes, with rich and sumptuous materials. In 1919 Louis Süe and André Mare") created the Compagnie des Arts Français, characterized by traditionally inspired furniture but exuberant decoration, such as its music room for the exhibition Un Musée d'Art Contemporain of 1925. Other exponents were Jacques Émile Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Jean Dunand and Pierre Chareau.

Another great advance occurred with the Bauhaus school, which, compared to the excessive ornamentation of Art Deco, introduced a more rational and functional design concept, more adapted to the real needs of people. This institution aimed to break the barriers between art and crafts, with a clear commitment to industrial production. Its design was based on simplicity, geometric abstraction and the use of primary colors and new technologies, as was evident in the tubular steel furniture created by Marcel Breuer, the Barcelona armchair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the conglomerate furniture by Alvar Aalto, etc. The cabinetmaking subject was taught by the architect Walter Gropius, who trained a generation of highly creative designers. Likewise, the Dutch group De Stijl, with an abstractionist aesthetic (neoplasticism), developed an interior style based on simplicity, geometric shapes and primary colors, such as the famous red and blue chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1923).[13]​.