Period Furniture Leg Styles

Their motifs range from curvilinear and florid early in the period to angular and almost severe by the end of the period.
Period furniture leg styles. During this period furniture began to exhibit characteristics of the rococo style. Common pieces included bookcases cane chairs chaise longues and drop front secretaries. Federal 1780 to 1820 the federal period introduced a variety of ornamental stylings such as fluting inlays of contrasting woods to create shapes and designs and banding with contrasting veneers as decorative borders. Combining the best of queen anne chippendale and sheraton styles traditional furniture typically features graceful ornamentation straightened lines and tapered legs.
It has a joined straight corner edge and curved inner edges and was often used on georgian furniture like chest of drawers. Sabre legs are typically found on furniture from the regency period of the early 19th century. Look at this leg. Georgian 1714 1760 named after george i and george ii who reigned england from 1714 1760.
But a leg can tell you when a style was first introduced and that is one important step in identifying an antique s age and period. Combined the furniture style characteristics of william and mary queen anne and chippendale. Check out each style below that includes an illustration and write up. Seating became more intimate and comfortable and plentiful decoration in the form of veneers gilt bronze and wood marquetry was popular.
Many victorian legs took their designs from the regency period with the slight outward turn at the. The furniture from this period features straight lines simple turnings and tapered legs made from walnut oak and pine. Learn more about a number of different examples of leg styles developed in both europe and the united states from the renaissance period to the empire period. Colonial furniture tended to be more conservative and less ornate than english and european furniture of the same style period.
It s shapely curves identify it as a cabriole pronounced cab ree ole leg and that type of leg was first introduced in the 18th century. While one could say colonial furniture is a form of traditional furniture it encompasses a wider variety of styles from the british colonial period. Welcome to our furniture leg styles article where we describe and illustrate 16 common types of furniture legs for tables chairs and sofas. Furniture made in this style period reflects how cabinetmakers interpreted 16th and 17th century designs.
Links within each description lead to more information on styles periods and types of antique furniture.