Many works of art serve a functional purpose as well as an aesthetic one. In contrast to their more utilitarian equivalents, functional works of art are meticulously designed and fabricated. A functional work of art could be anything from a designer piece of furniture, a piece of jewelry, a handmade ceramic vase, or a sculpture that doubles as a coat rack. The artists are interested in creating interesting and well-made objects as well as maximizing functionality. A long history exists of fine artists who also create functional works of art. For example, Josef Albers made highly influential abstract paintings but also designed furniture, which shared an aesthetic sensibility and similar sense of balance with his paintings and prints. His wife Anni Albers made highly modern jewelry out of unexpected found objects like washers or paper clips.

Dutch designer Joris Laarman has expressed interest in subverting expectations about the way form and function work together. His project titled Reinventing Functionality (2003) consists of an elaborate floral wall-mounted radiator. While the rococo style design might seem to be more for aesthetics, it actually creates more surface area for the radiator, increasing the function. Laarman has continued to experiment with this duality throughout his career. Laarman works with the Amsterdam-based droog design collective, whose members are committed to creating objects that are both visually engaging and successfully serve a purpose. Other members include Marcel Wanders, Jurgen Bey, Tejo Remy, and Richard Hutten.