For decades, furniture has been eating well, bulking up like a deep-fried country buffet.


But furnishings previewed earlier this year at Milan, Italy, and High Point, N.C., furniture markets show off slimmer figures.

Thin is in. Furniture is showing us svelte curves and trim legs, skinny bottoms and lighter scale.

Take a look at the new Arne sofa from B&B Italia, an international style leader that influences homes from Italy to the American heartland. Designed by Antonio Citterio, the Arne sofa is a modular design that sits up on thin chrome legs reminiscent of the 1970s.

Zanotta, another Italian style leader, showcased thin leather chairs that are light without being spindly. Designed by Roberto Barbieri, the Lella chair has a thin frame in aluminum alloy fully covered in cowhide.

Thin is in on this side of the Atlantic as well. Smaller-scaled sofas have been gaining popularity for several seasons in the United States.

Look for downscaled sofas and chairs on wheels that move easily, says Leslie Stoll of Mitchell Gold, the company that makes upholstered goods for Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.

Chris Nordhoff, senior buyer for Kittle’s, an Indiana furniture store chain, says contemporary is No. 1 among the biggest-growing categories. That means sleek and simple lines and leaner scale.

“I think scale has been coming down to normal for the past three years,” says Nordhoff. “It’s what the consumers are demanding, especially as they mix new things with their existing decor.”