Not sure what style of furniture is best for your home? Visually, we all know what we like (and what
we don’t like), but does coordinating furniture styles really make a difference
in the overall design of your home’s interior?
If you are not sure where to start or what the best furniture styles
would be for decorating your home, look no further! We’ve put together a list of the top
furniture styles so you can decide what you love the best for your home!
Let’s start at the beginning.
Back in the 1600’s there were two main styles of furniture, Jacobean and Early American. Jacobean is
an English style that is medieval in appearance with straight lines, sturdy
construction and ornate carvings. Pieces
are typically in a dark finish. Early
American furniture was very basic and made from materials found locally in the
woods. It was modeled after European
furniture styles.
Furniture styles from the late 1600’s through the 1700’s are
still popular today.
This was a very busy period for furniture styles and some of
which you will know when you see them are William
and Mary, which is characterized by trumpet or turned legs and a ball or
Spanish foot with padded or caned chair seats.
Queen Anne style, which is
more refined than the William and Mary style is notable for it’s cabriole legs
with a pad or drake foot. Chair backs
were typically bat-wing shaped or fiddle backed.
Colonial, Georgian
and Pennsylvania Dutch are also of this period, as well as Chippendale, Robert Adam and Hepplewhite. Colonial combined the styles of the above,
but with a more conservative and less ornate style. Georgian style furniture is the
opposite: a more ornate version of Queen
Anne with ornate carvings, pierced back splats and gilding. Pennsylvania Dutch is a simple, county style
of furniture with influences of German design.
Many pieces are characterized by colorful folk painting.
Chippendale, Robert Adam and Hepplewhite are all named for people. Chippendale
was a British designer and architect whose influences are French, Chinese
and Gothic. His style is more elaborate
than Queen Anne featuring ball and claw foot and broken pediment scrolls on top
of tall case pieces. Robert Adam was an architect who
studied in Italy and designed furniture with classical details that would fit
the character of the homes he designed. Hepplewhite was an English designer and
cabinetmaker whose style was neoclassic with a delicate appearance, tapered
legs and the use of contrasting veneers and inlay.
Rounding out the 1700’s and bringing us into the 1800’s are
Federal, Sheraton, and Duncan Phyfe styles.
A combined neoclassic furniture style featuring the details of both
Heppelwhite and Sheraton, Federal
style furniture features graceful, straight lines, light construction and
tapered legs. The use of inlay and
contrasting veneers is prevalent.
Sheraton is named
for an English designer whose neoclassical style similar in character to the
Federal style and was the most reproduced style in the United States during the
Federal period.
American cabinetmaker Duncan
Phyfe is considered by some art historians is an adaptation of Adam, Sheraton, Hepplewhite and Empire styles
with carved or redded legs and neoclassic motifs.
The 1800’s Styles are More Recognizable and Still Popular
Today
Included in the 1800’s styles are American Empire, Shaker,
Victoria, Arts and Crafts, and Art Nouveau.
Influences for American Empire
come from the French Empire with classical influences like coarse carving and
dark finishes. Shaker style is produced by the religious group, The United Society
of Believers, and is characterized by straight tapered legs, woven chair seats
and mushroom style wooden knobs. Named
for Queen Victoria of England, the Victorian
style is heavy in gothic forms and proportions, dark finishes, elaborate
carving and ornamentation.
Arts and Crafts
is also referred to as Mission style and is a simple, utilitarian design and
construction. Art Nouveau is a
naturalistic style with intricately detailed patterns and curving lines.
As you can see the amount of styles and design influences
from early times has created cross-over and blending of styles to create new
styles of furniture. Architectural and
utilitarian influences are prevalent throughout furniture design during the
1600’s through 1800’s. if you are not
sure what style is best for your home’s décor, please contact Interiors by JohnHenry for more information and ideas.
