A Brief History of Types of Furniture Styles
Furniture has been a staple of wealth and luxury for centuries, from the Jacobean style of the 1600s through the Scandinavian contemporary style of the 1900s. Here's an overview of the many furniture styles we've seen prior to the 21st century, and the key characteristics of each one:
- Jacobean (1600-1690): Straight lines, ornate carvings, dark finish.
- William and Mary (1690-1735): Dutch and Chinese influences, trumpet turned legs, Spanish ball feet, Oriental lacquer-work.
- Queen Anne (1700-1755): Cabriole legs, pad or drake feet, fiddle-backed chair, bat-wing-shaped drawer pulls.
- Pennsylvania Dutch: (1720-1830): American and Germanic influences, colorful folk painting on cases.
- Chippendale (1750-1790): Classified into Gothic, French, and Chinese influences; more elaborately developed from the Queen Anne style; cabriole legs; ball and claw feet; broken pediment scroll top on tall cases.
- Hepplewhite (1765-1800): Neoclassical style, delicate appearance, tapered legs, contrasting veneers and inlay.
- Federal (1780-1820): Combination of Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles, gracefully straight lines, tapered legs, use of inlay.
- Sheraton (1780-1820): Neoclassical style, delicately straight lines, contrasting veneers, neoclassical motifs, and ornamentation.
- American Empire (1800-1840): Classical ornamentation, course carvings, dark finish.
- Victorian (1840-1910): Heavy proportions, dark finish, elaborate ornamentation.
- Arts and Craft (1880-1910): Simple, utilitarian design.
- Scandinavian Contemporary (1930-1950): Simple utilitarian design made with natural wood.
