Furniture Style Furniture Style GuideGuide

PeriodsPeriods Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

Postcolonial Period Postcolonial Period 1780-18401780-1840

Victorian Period Victorian Period 1840-19001840-1900

Modern Period Modern Period 1901-1901-

presentpresent

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

*Jacobean (1600-1690)*Jacobean (1600-1690) An English style of An English style of furniture, which is medieval in appearance with furniture, which is medieval in appearance with straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings and a dark finish. construction, ornate carvings and a dark finish.

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

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

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

William and Mary William and Mary (1690-1725)(1690-1725) trumpet trumpet turned legs turned legs terminating in a ball terminating in a ball or Spanish foot, or Spanish foot, padded or caned chair padded or caned chair seats, and Oriental seats, and Oriental lacquer-work. lacquer-work. Examples: gate-leg Examples: gate-leg table, and highboy. table, and highboy.

Colonial PeriodColonial Period1600-17801600-1780

Queen Anne (1700-1755)Queen Anne (1700-1755) a refinement of the William a refinement of the William and Mary style with a and Mary style with a moderately proportioned, moderately proportioned, graceful appearance. It is graceful appearance. It is characterized by cabriole characterized by cabriole legs terminating in a pad legs terminating in a pad or drake foot, fiddle-back or drake foot, fiddle-back chair back, and bat wing chair back, and bat wing shaped drawer pulls. shaped drawer pulls.

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

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

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

Georgian (1714-1760)Georgian (1714-1760)Georgian furniture is a more Georgian furniture is a more ornate version of Queen ornate version of Queen Anne. It is characterized by Anne. It is characterized by heavier proportions, heavier proportions, elaborately carved cabriole elaborately carved cabriole legs terminating in a pad or legs terminating in a pad or ball-and-claw foot, ornate ball-and-claw foot, ornate carvings, pierced back splats, carvings, pierced back splats, and the use of gilding. and the use of gilding.

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

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

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

Chippendale (1750-1790)Chippendale (1750-1790) The The Chippendale style can be Chippendale style can be classified into three types: French classified into three types: French influence, Chinese influence, and influence, Chinese influence, and Gothic influence. In the United Gothic influence. In the United States, the Chippendale style was States, the Chippendale style was a more elaborate development of a more elaborate development of the Queen Anne style with the Queen Anne style with cabriole legs, ball-and-claw foot, cabriole legs, ball-and-claw foot, and broken pediment scroll top on and broken pediment scroll top on tall case pieces. tall case pieces.

Colonial Period Colonial Period 1600-17801600-1780

Robert Adam (1760-Robert Adam (1760-1795)1795)furniture designed with furniture designed with classical details that would fit classical details that would fit the character of his classically the character of his classically designed homes. The Adam designed homes. The Adam style was limitedly reproduced style was limitedly reproduced by cabinetmakers in the by cabinetmakers in the United States. Adam interior United States. Adam interior millwork and woodwork was millwork and woodwork was reproduced in South Carolina.reproduced in South Carolina.

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

Hepplewhite (1765-Hepplewhite (1765-1800)1800)It is It is characterized by a characterized by a delicate appearance, delicate appearance, tapered legs and the tapered legs and the use of contrasting use of contrasting veneers and inlay. veneers and inlay.

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

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

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

Sheraton (1780-Sheraton (1780-1820)1820)It is It is characterized by characterized by delicate straight delicate straight lines, light lines, light construction, construction, contrasting veneers contrasting veneers and neoclassical and neoclassical motifs and motifs and ornamentation. ornamentation.

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

Duncan Phyfe (1795-Duncan Phyfe (1795-1848)1848)It is It is characterized by characterized by carved or reeded carved or reeded legs and neoclassic legs and neoclassic motifs. motifs.

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

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

Postcolonial PeriodPostcolonial Period1780-18401780-1840

Shaker (1820-1860)Shaker (1820-1860) It is characterized by It is characterized by straight tapered legs, straight tapered legs, woven square chair woven square chair seats and mushroom seats and mushroom shaped wooden shaped wooden knobs. knobs.

Victorian Period Victorian Period 1840-19001840-1900

Victorian (1840-1910)Victorian (1840-1910) The The Victorian style draws its Victorian style draws its influence from gothic influence from gothic forms with heavy forms with heavy proportions, dark finish, proportions, dark finish, elaborate carving, and elaborate carving, and ornamentation. The ornamentation. The Victorian period was the Victorian period was the first furniture style of mass first furniture style of mass production. production.

Modern Period Modern Period 1901-Present1901-Present

Arts and Craft (1880-1910)Arts and Craft (1880-1910) Arts and Craft furniture is Arts and Craft furniture is characterized by simple characterized by simple utilitarian design and utilitarian design and construction. Arts and Craft construction. Arts and Craft style furniture is also style furniture is also referred to as Mission. referred to as Mission.

Modern Period Modern Period 1901-Present1901-Present

Art Nouveau (1890-Art Nouveau (1890-1910)1910) A naturalistic A naturalistic style characterized style characterized by intricately detailed by intricately detailed patterns and curving patterns and curving lines. lines.

Modern Period Modern Period 1901-Present1901-Present

Scandinavian Scandinavian Contemporary (1930-Contemporary (1930-1950) 1950) A simple A simple utilitarian design utilitarian design style in natural wood style in natural wood popularized by popularized by Danish and Swedish Danish and Swedish designers. designers.