In Britain, furniture styles tend to be categorised by the historical period when the style first appeared. This is helpful as it allows furniture to be matched with architectural styles and furnishings of the same period.
These historical periods are as follows:
Tudor, 1485 to 1603, Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I,
Elizabethan, 1558 to 1603, Elizabeth I,
Jacobean, 1603 to 1625, James I of England,
Carolean, 1625 to 1649, Charles I,
Cromwellian, 1649 to 1658, English Commonwealth,
Restoration, 1658 to 1689, Charles II, and James II,
William & Mary, 1689 to 1702, William III and Mary II,
Queen Anne, 1702 to 1714,
Georgian, 1714 to 1795, George I, George II, George III,
Regency 1795 to 1837, George IV, William IV,
Victorian, 1837 to 1901, Victoria,
Edwardian, 1901 to 1910, Edward VII,
Within these historical periods, furniture styles developed that are named after people, movements or events. So, for example, Art Nouveau furniture appeared during the Edwardian period. Similarly Chippendale furniture appeared during the Georgian period, but so did Hepplewhite and Adam. These styles are as follows:
Gothic, 1500 to 1620,
Renaissance, 1400 to 1610,
Baroque, 1620 to 1700,
Louis XIV, 1643 to 1715,
Neo Classical, 1740 to 1810,
Chippendale, 1754 to 1779,
Adam, 1759 to 1792,
Hepplewhite, 1775 to 1786,
Sheraton, 1791 to 1806,
Gothic Revival, 1840 to 1914,
William Morris, 1851 to 1896,
Art Nouveau, 1880 to 1914,
Art Deco, 1920 to 1939
This is not an exhaustive list, but is intended as a basic guide for anyone beginning to develop an interest in the style and history of their furniture. For more information on period interiors, it may be helpful to visit the
BBC Homes Period Style pages.
(c) Right Price Furniture 2009
Did you know?Perhaps one of the most interesting barometers of changing fashions in furniture is the humble
chair. This is an item that, relative to other furniture, is easier and less expensive to update. The chair was originally the preserve of the leaders in society, while the more humble had to content themselves with benches, stools or the floor. The Rococo period produced flamboyant styles of
chair while these gave way to a more restrained style in the Georgian or Regency period. Even in the 20th Century, the Eames chair or the egg
chair are strongly identified with the 1960s.
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