ART NOUVEAU
Flowing lines depicting natural subjects and incorporating swirls, girls with long luxurious hair, and curls of ivy, etc., marked the art nouveau period from 1895 until 1914 in both the United States and France. While many art nouveau items were popular in the United States, the furniture was appreciated by very few. The French, however, seemed enraptured with it. Many woods were used, including ash, walnut, and oak.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
A very popular movement from 1890 to 1920 in both England and the United States, the Arts and Crafts movement produced solid, simple, handcrafted furniture that displayed a medieval influence. It was usually made of oak. A slated construction was usually exposed as part of the design.
CHIPPENDALE, AMERICAN
Produced from 1755 to 1799, American Chippendale furniture featured either cabriole legs with ball or claw feet or straight, square legs. Chests and desks had bowed serpentine or oxbow fronts. This fine furniture was usually made of mahogany.
CHIPPENDALE, ENGLISH
Popular from 1749 until 1779, English Chippendale chairs, tables, and cabinets had carved aprons and skirts. Pieces were dark in finish and most had cabriole legs ending in ball and claw feet. The finest materials were used, and mahogany was often the wood of choice. Many pieces were japanned or decorated with marquetry mounted in gilded bronze.
COLONIAL
Often used to describe any furniture made in the United States prior to the Revolution, the term Colonial is used here to include only examples made from 1625 until 1689. Most Colonial furniture was made of oak and featured grooved stiles and rails. Carved panels were also commonly used.
COLONIAL REVIVAL
Much reproduction furniture mimicking the American Colonial style was produced in the United States from 1890 to 1925. Most of it was inferior and not true to the original, either in lines or quality. However, there was some fine furniture produced during this period that followed the Colonial style closely. Many woods were used.
COTTAGE
From 1860 until around 1920, inexpensive furniture made of pine was mass-produced in the United States. Lines were simple, and decorations were either painted or stenciled.
DEPRESSION
From 1920 until 1942, furniture manufacturers in the United States produced copies of earlier period styles. Most of these weren't fine quality, and few of them were authentic replicas of the furniture made during the period being copied. However, construction was solid. Veneers were often used as the finishing material. Cherry, mahogany, maple, and birch woods were commonly used.
DIRECTOIRE
These austere-looking pieces, usually made of mahogany, were produced in France from 1795 until 1799. Chairs either have backs that are concave or chair tops that curl toward the back. X supports were used. Often, chair arms were a continuation of the cylindrical, tapering front legs. Bas relief Greek and Roman designs were common.
ELIZABETHAN
Made in England from 1558 to 1603 and named for Elizabeth I, Elizabethan furniture features sturdy, extremely heavy rectangular lines and oak construction. The legs generally featured a large, carved ball. This was not fine furniture. It was extensively, if not expertly, carved.
EMPIRE, AMERICAN
From 1815 until 1840, furniture manufacturers in the United States copied the French Empire style.
EMPIRE, FRENCH
Made from 1805 to 1815, French Empire furniture was massive in appearance and very heavy to lift. It featured large, flat, plain surfaces sometimes adorned with marble. Thick legs curved forward in the front and backward in the back. Round tables had pedestal bases. Cherry was often used.
FEDERAL
A marriage of Hepplewhite and Sheraton designs dominated the Federal style, which was popular in the United States from 1790 until 1820. Ornamentation was often of a patriotic nature. Inlay, painting, and low relief carvings were often used. Most pieces were made of walnut or mahogany wood.
FRENCH RENAISSANCE
Heavily carved and large, French Renaissance furniture was made in France from 1558 to 1625. Oak was the wood of choice. The carving is better than that of the Elizabethan style, and the legs of pieces lack the carved ball.
HEPPLEWHITE
Small, graceful, straight-lined, with slender legs ending in small, spade feet or no feet were characteristic of this popular style made in England from 1780 until 1795. Shield-backed, oval-backed, or hoop-backed chairs were featured. Mahogany was the wood of choice; marquetry was used to make some pieces more elaborate.
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
Made in Italy from about 1400 until 1700, Italian Renaissance is heavy, rectangular furniture. The dark walnut wood was massively carved in a variety of intricate designs. Upholstery was thick and luxurious.