- 1). Note the material and distinctive traits of the furniture. The more details you can list, the more you can narrow the field of potential styles. Contemporary furniture is a relatively easy style to distinguish by sight alone. Tables made from glass or metal, figurative pieces that double as artistic expression or pieces with sharp edges and uniform shape and color are all typical of contemporary furniture style. Design museums around the world, such as the Bauhaus Archive, show many examples of expressive and uniform contemporary design.
- 2). Look at the legs of wood furniture. Queen Anne style furniture has a delicate look, often with cabriole legs and claw feet. Queen Anne furniture rose to popularity during the mid-1800s and is less ornate than William and Mary furniture. A Queen Anne chair may have a curved back and subtle carvings on the arms. William and Mary-style furniture has elaborate spindles and ornately carved legs.
- 3). Consider Chippendale style if a chair or table has curved or straight legs with claw feet but not cabriole legs. If you're looking at a table that resembles a pie crust, with a round top and scalloped edge, the piece is a Chippendale -- or was heavily influenced by this style.
- 4). Refer to a Victorian design reference book. If the piece has plush upholstery and wood that is carved, scrolled or curved, it may be Victorian. English oak and mahogany are two types of wood commonly found in this style. Victorian furniture makers used industrialized tools to mass produce elaborate furniture at affordable prices. Upholstery is often overstuffed in rich, jewel-tone colors with embellishments such as gold colored trim.
- 5). Examine details to determine if the furniture is hand- or machine-made. The Arts and Crafts movement was a direct response to the mass-produced homes and furnishings of the Victorian era. Arts and Crafts-style furniture will have minimal carvings done by hand. Details painted or carved onto the backs of chairs often have nature-inspired themes such as insects or fruit. Clean lines and simple, functional design reflect the spirit of Arts and Crafts furniture.
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