traditional styles furniture materials characteristics Baroque Period (1650-1700) Regency Period (1715-1720) Rococo Period (1730-1760) Queen Anne Style (1918-1940) Ivory, tortoise shell, silver inlays mahogany, walnut, oak, ebony mahogany, rosewood in veneer form with decorative inlays & details in brass Black finishes with gilded details mahogany was popular with carved & gilded detail oak & walnut were usual with exotic trims of tulip & zebrawood Marquetry, gilding & silver walnut with ebony & other timber inlays veneers with timber grain matched to create various patterns decorative lacquer work Elaborate & ostentatious furniture style carvings of plant forms, figures, allegorical figures & coats of arms were favourite forms of ornamentation inlays of decorative & exotic materials Doors & drawer fronts often had curved or bulging shapes Legs were turned on lathes to create round ball or bulbous type strongly influenced by empire design which borrowed from ancient greek & roman styles, sometimes also Egyptian, Indian & medieval gothic Legs often were carved in bizarre motifs such as lions or winged griffins with head & body tapering to a single foot round & octagonal dining tables with pedestal bases were common Rooms were often richly decorated, simple shapes with panelling in soft pastel colours & surface ornamentation of carved curvilinear ornament Furniture with fluting or reeding influenced by greek ornamental design discovered in pompeiian excavations chairs tended to be square & massive with arms, seats & backs upholstered smaller, lighter & more comfortable than its predecessors Curving shapes, cabriole leg, cushioned seats, wingback chairs The Windsor chair ( pictured) with its slim turnings, timbercarved seat with elaborately turned legs was very popular Georgian Style( 1720-1750) mahogany with satinwood veneer Exotic imports introduced Chinoiserie so that teak tables, & cabinets mingled with Far Easter influenced carved chair backs & table legs Harpischords were the major musical instrument Cabriole legs,ball & claw feet, fanciful decorative elements Consistency of character, order, elegance & restraint of style
furniture materials characteristics Chippendale style (1750-1770) Light yellow satinwood with inlays of contrasting colour, sometimes with painted & coloured detail A restrained form of Rococo combined with various exotic influences. Chinese elements taken from both chinese furniture & forms of Chinese landscapes such as pagodas, carved dragons & lacquer work. Furniture has underlying simplicity, is well made, sturdy & practical, but also florid & decorative. sheraton style (1780-1806) Victorian style (1830-1900) Oriental style (1900 s) Mahogany with satinwood veneer banding Light yellow satinwood New materials were being developed that made new categories of objects to be developed Bentwood, plywood, iron, brass tubing, bamboo, wicker & rattan Chairs often had perforated backs in shield or oval shapes Legs are square, often tapered & usually carved with parallel lines of reeding Small scale & delicate elements. Cabinet pieces have curved parts, creating bulging fronts, curved ends & desks of oval form. Thomas Sheraton was an ingenuous inventor of furniture gadgetry with complex designs. Interiors were quite cluttered & gloomy with colours of brown, black, olive green & mauve Furniture was of massive size with excesses of ornamentation. Pianos were important as decoration & were designed with rich, complex & generally heavy ornamentation Upholstery was a dominant element in seating, cushions fixed to wooden frames were bulging & thick Dark timbers, sumptuous silks timber latticework bamboo porcelain - with crackle glazes stylised motifs based on natural forms found in japanese art circular designs, geometric forms furniture stained ebonised to look like ebony to imitate japanese lacquer
contemporary styles material furniture characteristics shaker furniture (1830-1850) Timber left natural or painted heavenly blue Objects of total simplicity but with great subtlety in regards to proportion & detail Pursuit of simplicity & efficiency were the driving principles Ladderback chairs, rockers & simple chairs of simple wooden parts with woven tape seats gothic revival (1850-1914) Timber with board & batten siding Art nouveau (1900 s) Modern materials ( iron & glass) inexpensive timber with little ornamentation arts and crafts (1900 s) Timber, tiles, ceramics, silver, glass art deco (1918-1940) Glass, macassar ebony, zebrawood, with inlays of tortoiseshell & leather Polished metal glass & mirror Delicate, lacy, rich in ornamental detail Pointed archforms used with applied wood work in spiky decorative patterns furniture with elaborate painted scenes heraldic motifs curvilinear forms predominate. the generally curving & flowing forms of nature gave rise to the S curves or whiplash curves ( art nouveau motif) Decorative ornamentation based on nature forms, flowers, vines, shells, bird feathers & insect wings Preserving & emphasising the natural qualities of materaials used to make objects simple forms with no extravagant or superfluous decoration with actual construction of the object often left exposed natural motifs with patterns inspired but the flora & fauna of local countryside the vernacular. domestic traditions provided main inspiration Sharply angled & cubistic forms use of aluminium, black lacquer & glass & zig zag shapes relating to radio & electricity to represent the modern world An affinity with jazz music of the 1920 s a fashion oriented style, influenced by cubism,african tribal art the architecture of skyscrapers
furniture materials characteristics modern scandinavian (1920 s) teak, birch, elm, maple oak, leather, wool oil varnish, stain & wax finish simple utilitarian style in natural wood continuation of leg, leg does not stop into a foot little ornamentation gently curving lines & straight lines predominate Bauhaus (1919) wood, leather, glass & steel polished chrome & steel pipes Usually black colour predominates smooth shapes consistent with the shape of human anatomy oval & rounded shapes classic box stitched squares often used for upholstery post war american (1946) organically scuplted curving forms in combination with mechanistic, structural details modern, playful details.experimentation with new synthetic tubular steel, vinyl, plastics, acrylics, materials like vinyl & tubualr plywood metal monochromatic colour schemes. inttegrated modular elements Mass production of comfortable, mass produced & stylish furniture matched the new living spaces retro style 1960 s Moulded plastics, vinyls, wood, formica, the Space Race inspired furniture made out of moulded plastic in outrageous organic & geometric shapes it was a jet setting era of luxury flamboyance & excess with bright neon colours, exotic textures, graphic pop colours, & black & white contrasts
provincial styles materials furniture french provinvial style (1650-1900) Rustic simplified ornate furniture Decorative motifs related to country life, grapes & cornucopias represented abundance, shells fertility & doves & hearts love. Practicality was most important so finishes were simple & low maintenance, such as hand applied beeswax & clear shellac Massive & heavy, rectilinear in shape & features details & carvings typical of the Baroque style. Details include exaggerated classial motifs, architectural pediments & columns combined with curving lines. some regions utiilised delicate marquetry & veneering in cointrasting light & dark coloured timbers legs are straight with slight curve featuring carved or fluted decoration Crafted from timber of trees that were indigenous to the region in which it was made. Usually apple, cherry, elm, pear & walnut Built using specialist joinery tech niques such as dovetail & dowel joints italian provincial style (1700-1850) characteristics Painted decoration in water colour sealed with lacquer finish Walnut, mahogany & fruitwoods brass hardware colonial style (1680-1790) federal style (1790-1830) Cane, woven rattan for chair backs Upholstery with cushioning & simple fabric coverings including chintz, damask & tapestries Solid wood with vertical & horizontal slats Various types of woods were used including ash, walnut, elm, fruitwoods & mahogany Finishes included gilding, oil varnish, paint & wax Brass hardware, ocassionally leather & iron Seat material was often made from woven rush or upholstered with damask or tapestry Finishes included gilding, oil varnish & opaque, pigmented paint brass hardware Graceful & refined, elegant appearance of modertae proportions Combined characteristics of Queen Anne Style & Chippendale. More conservative & less ornate than English & European furniture of the same style period. Cabriole style legs used - curved in the shape of an animals leg. turned legs were also often used Combines characteristics of neoclassic furniture style with Hepplewhite & Sherton Characterised by graceful, straight lines, light construction, tapered legs, inlay & contrasting veneers motifs used included shells, birds, pineapples, stars Ornamenation included banding, carving, fluting, inlays, marquetry & stencilling