UNDERSTANDING

FURNITURE STYLES
Chapter 20

CHANGING STYLES
How Styles are Identified
Some furniture styles are identified by the person who originated the
design
Some furniture styles are identified by the general design movement of the
time
Some furniture styles are identified by the era in which they were first
made.
Called Period Pieces
Often named for the king or queen who was in power during that time
Classic and Fads
Classics Stand the test of time; now in museums or collectors homes;
replicas created
Fads Come in and out; some fads never return

WHY DESIGNS CHANGE

Several reasons available materials, methods of manufacturing,
changes in lifestyle, tastes
Materials and Manufacturing
Modern synthetic materials have different properties than
traditional wood, thereby creating potential for new designs.
Example Wood chairs are carved while some plastic chairs
may be molded from liquid plastic.
As new materials are developed, furniture makers experiment with
different processes to develop new furniture.

WHY DESIGNS CHANGE

Lifestyle Changes
Designs often reflect the time during which the pieces were
made and the lifestyles of the people who used the furniture.
Example 18th century in France and England much of
the furniture was formal and elegant, reflecting the
lifestyle of the royal courts.
Example Early colonialist of the New World much
plainer and informal.

WHY DESIGNS CHANGE

Changes in Taste
Styles changes from era to era
Influenced by several factors, such as lifestyle, fashion,
and needs
Think about how a computer desk of the 21st century
differs from an earlier century what would some
differences be?

UNDERSTANDING FURNITURE
STYLES
Overlapping Style Periods
No definite beginning and end to a period
Styles typically develop gradually
Often a certain country or region sets the fashion for others
Example 19th century, styles became more popular in
America later than they did in Europe
Transitional Furniture that incorporates design from two
periods
Dates given in this chapter refer to the period when styles were
most popular in America.

UNDERSTANDING FURNITURE
STYLES
Going Through Stages
Most periods begin with simple, basic designs
Decorative designs and features are added as time goes on
A new cycle of design begins when people grow tired of a design
Furniture pieces from different periods are apt to look good
together if the pieces are taken from the same stage within each
period
Example Early New England pine furniture may blend well
with equally simple Modern-style furniture or contemporary
pieces

UNDERSTANDING FURNITURE
STYLES
Formal and Informal
Formal furniture styles originated in Europe in the 18th century
Some styles were ornate
Others had classic lines
Very elegant as they were made for the wealthy
Formal pieces can be grouped together if they have similar
lines

Informal furniture styles were made for the common people

Usually made with simple hand tools
Plainer, smaller versions of formal style
Simple, informal pieces can be grouped together and is often
referred to as country style

DESIGNS THAT LAST

Contemporary vs. Traditional
New, experimental designs will begin as contemporary and as
they gain popularity the piece can transition to traditional

Every day consumers help perpetuate good designs.

Reproductions Accurate copies of originals
Antiques Furniture made in an earlier period
In the US, by law, a piece of furniture must be 100 years
old to be classified an antique
Often used informally to mean old
Generally, if an antique has been refinished or changed
significantly it is less valuable

FURNITURE DESIGN PERIODS

Colonial Period, 1600-1780
Seventeenth Century
William and Mary Style, 1700-1725
Queen Anne Style, 1720-1755
Chippendale Style, 1755-1780
Postcolonial Period, 1780-1840
Federal Style, 1780-1820
Empire Style, 1820-1840
Shaker Furniture
Victorian Period, 1840-1900
Modern Period, 1901-Present

Colonial Period

1600-1780

Future Design Group Project

Danielle Myers
Dana Ahmed
Lindsey Tomasino
Fenisha Houston
Jose Torres
Jaque Bennett
Bassey Effiong

Colonial Era Vocabulary

Turning: A method of adding shape to

wood, such as legs and spindles using a
lathe
Chair Table: 17th century chair with a large
back that protected the occupant from drafts
and could be tipped forward to form a table
Trestle Table: Table with a long rectangular
top and a wide vertical support on each end

Colonial Era Vocabulary

Cabriole Leg: A furniture leg that curves out at the

middle and then tapers inward just above an
ornamental foot
Gateleg Table: Table with legs on each side that
swing out to support drop leaves that are pulled up
from the sides
Highboy: Chest of drawers mounted on legs
Trundle Bed: Low bed that can be stored under a
higher bed during the day

Colonial Era Vocabulary

Jappaning: Process of applying glossy

black lacquer to furniture
Wing Chair: An upholstered armchair with a
high back and highsides
Windsor Chair: A wood chair with stick legs
and a spindle back inserted into a saddleshaped plank seat

Colonial

Colonial- noting or pertaining to the styles of

architecture, ornament, and furnishings of
the British colonies. In America in the 17th
and 18th centuries, many mainly adapted to
local materials and demands from prevailing
English styles.

(source from dictionary.com)

Colonial

Colonial styles are generally fancy, with a

little causality. Building styles in the 13
colonies were influenced by styles from
England, as well as traditions brought by
settlers from other parts of Europe. A lot of
settlers wanted to imitate the Queens style,
but make it less expensive and more simple
for the common person.

Colonial Rooms
These are the insides of colonial homes. The
carving on the chairs and tables proves that
these are Colonial style rooms.

Colonial Style Chairs

These chairs are a
perfect example
of Colonial Style.
They are fancier
than a typical
chair, but more
casual than what
the Queen would
use.

Colonial Table

This is a Colonial Style table.

Colonial

These are Colonial style night stands.

Colonial Dressers

These are Colonial style dressers.

Sources

http://www.colonialfurniture.us/history/historyearly-american-colonial-furniture-155.htm
Dictionary.com

Postcolonial Period

1780-1840

Postcolonial Period 1780- 1840

Federal Style 1780-1820

Most popular in New York, Washington, and

Philadelphia.
The architecture were straight-lined and uncluttered.
Designs were small and rectangular, and the
furniture was light, delicate, and symmetrical.
Two rival English designers- George Hepplewhite
and Thomas Sheraton.
This reduced manufacturing costs and made the
furniture more accessible to the middle class.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the classical
federal style was the leading fashion.

Empire Style 1820-1840

It got his name form the ruler of the French Emperor

Napoleon.
The Empire Style is a continuation of the
neoclassical style.
The empire style was elaborated and much more
dramatic.
Designers incorporated Egyptian decorations.
Duncan Phyfe was the most famous designer in
America during the Empire Style.
With the industrial revolution mass production
caused the quality to decline.

Shaker Furniture

A plain and simple style furniture created by

the shakers.
The Shakers is a religious group that settled
in New England.
Emphasized utility, not ornamentation.

Victorian Period

1840-1900

Victoria
n Era

11-7-11
4th Period
Hillary Morris
Haley Rainwater
Devlin Wenzel
Luis Jandres
Thelma Idiong
David Tillman

General Information

Happened between the 1830s and the

1900s
Known for cross-culture influences from the
Middle East and Asia
Design was very ornate and ornamental
Very orderly

Design

Ornate
Highly ornamental
Parlor most important room
Bare rooms considered poor taste
Dining room was second important, with the
sideboard generally the focal point
Not one dominant furniture style, designers
borrowed from other styles

Influences to Victorian Era

Designers used and modified many of styles

taken from various time periods in history like
Gothic
Tudor
Elizabethan
English Rococo
Neoclassical

Victorian influence in modern homes

Oriental rugs
mantle clocks
Old stained woods
heavy draped curtains

Modern Period

1901-Present

The Modern Period, 1901-Present

A PowerPoint Presentation by:

Savannah
Roberta
Kala
Alyx
Justin
Valerie

Characteristics of Modern Furniture

Furniture of this period is usually made of
marble, wood, glass, PVC, & various types of
plastics.
The shapes of the furniture are designed to fit the
human form.
Modern furniture embraces the idea of the new &
original
There is no single influence that developed this
Period; it evolved out of a combination of diff.
factors: the discovery of unique materials that
hadnt yet been used for furniture and several
innovative methods of manufacturing.

Key Terms:
Modular furniture Can be
arranged & rearranged to suit the
changing needs of the people using
them.
Reproductions Exact copies of
originals.
Adaptations Furniture that has
characteristics of other designs.

Significant Years &

Decades...

1901

Description:
Furniture from 1901 was usually
made of plywood, Balsa, or Pine
wood brushed with black lacquer.
Wooden chairs, tables, &
dressers/drawers featured curved and
straight lines, arches, & exposed
construction.

The 1920s

Description:
The Furniture features strong and streamlined
shapes.
Geometric and angular furniture items became popular
& these pieces echoed the glamour and sophistication
of early Hollywood.
Cocktail cabinets became an essential piece in the
home.
Materials frequently used: Wood, chrome, glass, tiles,
and mirrors.
The taste for the exotic also became prevalent; Touches
of the Orient, Africa and Egypt were obvious
throughout bedroom and living room furniture.

The 1950s

Description:
Furniture created during the 1950s is usually described
as Scandinavian Contemporary.
This style is marked by the use of natural wood & a
utilitarian design.
The furniture employs simple, curvy designs and virtually
no ornamentation.
Often, wooden cabinets & other furniture were stained with
oil varnish or wax.
Comfort played an increasingly important role; almost any
furniture that a person could lay on or sit in was
upholstered.

The 1960s

Description:
Pop art and Op art both had a firm footing in the furniture
of the 1960s, via the work of artists like Andy Warhol &
David Hockney.
Materials Used: Plastic/PVC, Balsa Wood, various Metals.
Styles/Keywords: Disposable, throwaway, multi-purpose, lowlevel, revivalist, fun/whimsical.
Influences: Art nouveau (whiplash lines & stylized flower
shapes), the Space age (in 1969, Buzz Aldrin landed on the
moon; capsule and pod-shaped furniture became popular), &
exotic travels (anything brought back from trips to other
countries).

The 1970s

Description:
1970s furniture was usually laid w/bold fabric
patterns and colors.
Other design elements found in '70s furniture
and rooms include the use of bright & gaudy
fabrics, lacquering, and molded plastic.
Often, the furniture was made of Teak wood, so
pieces became increasingly chunky throughout
this decade.

The 2000s-Beyond

Description:
Difficult to classify today's broad range of
home furnishings into just a few groups.
Present Day furniture styles include
Traditional, Contemporary/Modern,
Country/Cottage, Asian, Bohemian,
Southwestern, & Transitional.
Lines vary; furniture can be elaborate or
simple, big or small, and textured or
smooth.