Dark wood furniture and a feeling of opulence
Dark wood furniture, meaning furniture that is anything from mid brown to almost black, is less fashionable at the moment than it was during the Victorian period and the early part of the 20th Century. Today light coloured, or blonde, wooden furniture is in vogue yet despite this, dark wood furniture, such as a dark wood bed, still has its fans and not without good reason.
The great attraction of dark wood furniture, especially something such as a dark wood bed, is that it has a richness to its appearance that can create a feeling of opulence. It’s a similar effect to getting into a luxury car and being surrounded by polished wood, leather and chrome. Of course dark wood furniture can seem gloomy or overpowering but this is usually a problem caused by inadequate lighting or unsuitable décor rather than the furniture itself.
Dark wood beds by accident and design
So how did dark wood furniture come into fashion in the first instance? Well, the original dark wood furniture in Britain was primarily made of oak and the dark colouring came about largely by accident. Going back to the Middle Ages, most furniture was made of oak and the natural colour of oak is light – not dark. However, over the course of many years, this furniture grew steadily darker due to a combination of environmental factors and generations of soot and dirt.
In consequence by the Victorian era some of this furniture was either a deep brown or almost black colour. It so happened that the Victorians drew great inspiration from the Medieval period and this was reflected in the style of the time which became known as Gothic Revival. Furniture was made to reflect this romanticised medieval ideal, so it was (erroneously) stained in dark colours to imitate the surviving pieces of genuine Medieval furniture.
The other great influence on dark furniture was the arrival in Britain during the 18th Century of mahogany from British Honduras – modern day Belize. It is interesting to think that , had it not been for the activities of British privateers and buccaneers in the Caribbean, Spain would have controlled all the mahogany growing areas of South America and the fine Georgian antique mahogany furniture we have today would not have existed.
Mahogany, with its almost shimmering grain and deep rich colour was an instant success and remains popular today – though it is important to ensure modern stocks of the timber come only from sustainable resources. At present our dark wood selection includes a dark wood bed made of mahogany.
Perhaps the low point for dark wood furniture came during the 1950s and 1960s following the end of the Second World War. In a reaction to the dark, drab days of the 1940s and the shortages of almost every conceivable item, the fashion was for everything to be light, bright and colourful. Fresh, light designs in Scandinavian pine were the new fashion and heavy, dark Victorian-style pieces were definitely unpopular.
Gradually however, improvements in the design of buildings (with larger windows) and improved lighting of interiors meant that the colours of dark wood furniture could once again be appreciated without being gloomy or overpowering. The classic dark colours have returned in all their richness – including some inspiring designs of dark wood beds.
Did you know? An interesting fact about mahogany furniture
One Dr Gibbon, of Covent Garden, is said to be responsible for mahogany becoming such a popular furniture wood in the 18th Century. It had been dismissed as being too hard for the woodworking tools of the time, but Doctor Gibbon (who had received some mahogany from a brother in the Caribbean) insisted his joiners use tools of a harder temper. The results were so attractive his many friends, including the Duchess of Buckingham, then wanted furniture made of the same wood.