Furniture Styles

Jacobean (1600-1690) Jacobean is an English style of furniture, which is medieval in appearance with straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings, and a dark finish. Much of Early American furniture was patterned after this style.

Early American (1640-1700) Early American furniture is rudimentary, utilitarian furniture made from local woods. It was brought from or modeled after European furniture styles, particularly from England, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Spain.

William and Mary (1690-1725) William and Mary is a European influenced style, named after the reign of William and Mary of England (1689-1694). William and Mary has Dutch and Chinese influences. It is characterized by trumpet turned legs terminating in a ball or Spanish foot, padded or caned chair seats, and Oriental lacquer-work.

Queen Anne (1700-1755) The Queen Anne style is a refinement of the William and Mary style with a moderate proportion and graceful appearance. It is characterized by cabriole legs terminating in a pad or drake foot, fiddle-back chair backs, and bat wing shaped drawer pulls. It is named after Queen Anne of England who reigned from 1702-1714.

Colonial (1700-1780) The Colonial style combines characteristics of William and Mary, Queen Anne and Chippendale. Colonial furniture tended to be more conservative and less ornate than English and European furniture of the same style period.

Georgian (1714-1760) The Georgian style is a more ornate version of Queen Anne with heavier proportions, elaborately carved cabriole legs terminating in a pad or ball-and-claw foot, ornate carvings, pierced back splats and the use of gilding. It is named after George I and George II who reigned England from 1714- 1760.

Pennsylvania Dutch (1720-1830) Pennsylvania Dutch is a simple, utilitarian American country style of furniture with Germanic influences. It is characterized by colorful folk painting on case pieces.

Chippendale (1750-1790) The Chippendale style is named after British designer and cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale who published his furniture designs in "The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director" in 1754. The Chippendale style can be classified into three types: French influence, Chinese influence and Gothic influence. In the United States, the Chippendale style was a more elaborate development of the Queen Anne style with cabriole legs, ball-and-claw foot, and broken pediment scroll top on tall case pieces.

Chippendale

Robert Adams Furniture 1728 -1792    Robert Adam (3 July 1728 . 3 March 1792) was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He developed the "Adam Style", and his theory of "movement" in architecture, based on his studies of antiquity, by contrasting room sizes and decorative schemes. He replaced the ornate curvature of the Chippendale designs with the straight lines of Roman columns. The chair back usually has the classical motif like the shape of a Greek lyre. Furniture at this time was often made of mahogany and satinwood.

Hepplewhite (1765-1800) Hepplewhite is a neoclassic style characterized by a delicate appearance, tapered legs, and the use of contrasting veneers and inlay. It is named after British designer and cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite whose designs in "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterers Guide" were published posthumously in 1788. This style was reproduced in the United States particularly in the Carolinas, Maryland, New England, New York, and Virginia.

Hepplewhite

Federal (1780-1820) The Federal style combines the neoclassic furniture style characteristics of Hepplewhite and Sheraton. It is characterized by graceful straight lines, light construction, tapered legs, inlay, and contrasting veneers.

Sheraton (1780-1820) Sheraton is a neoclassical style characterized by delicate straight lines, light construction, contrasting veneers, and neoclassical motifs and ornamentation. It is named for English designer Thomas Sheraton who published his designs in "The Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers Drawing Book" in 1791. It was the most reproduced style in the United States during the Federal period.

Duncan Phyfe (1795-1848) The Duncan Phyfe style is characterized by carved or reeded legs and neoclassic motifs. It is named after American cabinetmaker Duncan Phyfe, and is considered by some art historians as more of an adaptation and refinement of Adam, Sheraton, Hepplewhite and Empire than a style in itself.

Empire (1800-1840) American Empire is moderate in proportion with classical ornamentation, coarse carving, and a dark finish. It is patterned after French Empire with classical influences. Napoleon’s Throne

Shaker (1820-1860) The Shaker style is a simple, utilitarian style characterized by straight tapered legs, woven chair seats, and mushroom shaped wooden knobs. It was produced by the religious group, the United Society of Believers, in self-contained communities in the United States.

Victorian (1840-1910) The Victorian style draws its influence from gothic forms with heavy proportions, dark finish, elaborate carving, and ornamentation. It is named for Queen Victoria of England who reigned from 1837-1901 and was the first furniture style of mass production.

Arts and Craft (1880-1910) The Arts and Craft style is characterized by simple, utilitarian design, and construction.

Art Nouveau (1910-1930) A naturalistic style characterized by intricately detailed patterns and curving lines.

Scandinavian Contemporary (1960-1990) A simple utilitarian design style in natural wood popularized by Danish and Swedish designers.