Colonial-style furniture originated in the period before and directly after the American Revolution, and usually is marked by simple woods, clean lines and comfortable, practical pieces. It has characteristics in common with the Federal style of home design. It is popular today among Americans who wish to give a sense of period restoration to a home, yet want practicality and beauty in their furniture.
History
Colonists in the 1700s in the United States were concerned with comfort and usefulness in their furniture. The styles usually were simple and conservative in comparison to English and European furniture styles of the same time. Colonial-style furniture dates from the years 1700 to 1780. Pre-Revolutionary furniture took inspiration from English designers, and was sometimes imported from England. Fine American furniture became more in demand as the affluence of the colonies increased in the early 1700s. Post-Revolutionary designs became more American, discarding English styles and returning to simpler, earlier influences.
Types
Much colonial furniture took its design cues from English styles of the time, including Chippendale, Federal, Georgian, Hepplewhite, Queen Anne and William and Mary. The Federal style is usually associated with the New England colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts, with their Puritan culture. Chippendale-style furniture is more cosmopolitan, with Chinese influences; Queen Anne-inspired furniture is more graceful and curvy, with cabriole legs and fan or sunburst carvings; William and Mary furniture hearkened back to the early settlers with heavy carved and solid wood pieces. The Hepplewhite style is marked by neoclassical influences, creating delicate, simple lines; and the Georgian style is known for the use of mahogany wood and heavier designs, but otherwise is much like Queen Anne furniture.
Identification
Colonial furniture has several characteristics that help to identify it. While there was a wide diversity in furniture designs, Windsor chairs, wingback and camelback sofas and chairs, and simple Shaker-style furniture all were common. Fabrics used in colonial furniture included chintz, damask tapestry, needlepoint and crewel, and decorations often took the shape of leaves, flowers, shells, seaweed and Oriental designs. Woods native to the Americas, including ash, maple, elm, black walnut and hickory, were common. When identifying colonial pieces, attention also must be paid to the specific style. Maker stamps or carvings were not common at the time, so most antique furniture is identified through characteristics.
Northern
The Federal, Shaker and William and Mary styles were seen more often in the Northern colonies, where strong Protestant influences kept decoration to a lower threshold of acceptability. Practicality and craftsmanship won out over style in many Northern colonial homes. New England in particular was the home of cabinetmakers and furniture makers, who set the styles for the region from Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Traditional design motifs from the craftsmen's home countries of Germany, Holland and England were often incorporated into decorations on furniture.
Southern
In the elegant plantation homes of the Southern colonies, imported English and French furniture was not uncommon, but distinctly American furniture developed in the South as well. Southern cabinetmakers designed colonial furniture including Virginian styles and country styles. Furniture made in the Southern colonies took more inspiration from British and European styles, and coastal Southern furniture designs closely resembled those current in England. Southern woods mark these pieces, particularly oak and walnut, with distinctive red cedar and yellow pine on the insides of furniture. Distinct furniture styles also developed in the Chesapeake river region, the Carolina low country and the Southern backcountry.
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