Georgian Antiques: 14 Antiques to Cozy Up With This Fall
Take time to pull up a comfortable armchair, light a candle, warm yourself by the fire and walk through the Georgian era with us. The Danes have a perfect word for this feeling, ‘Hygge’, which derives from the Norse word ‘Hygga’, or ‘Hugr’, which means to give courage, comfort and joy. We encourage you to surround yourself with treasures which give you happiness and that ‘Hygge’ feeling.
The exquisite, clean lines of the Georgian era are highly sought after. The classic style is marked by symmetry and proportion, based on classical architecture of Greek and Roman times. Ornamentation, when not completely absent, is in the classical, restrained tradition.
The Georgian era is the British period in history from 1714 to 1830 during the continuous reigns of the Hanoverian kings. The era encompasses the Early Georgian period of George I (1714-27), the Chippendale period of George II (1727-60), the Classic Georgian period including the Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles of George III (1760-1820), and the Regency period of George IV (1820-30).
One of the major factors influencing the design of the Early Georgian period is the decline of walnut and the rise of mahogany in the mid 18th century. Traditionally, the finest furniture was made of walnut, however the severe winter of 1709 threatened French supplies and the export of walnut was banned. The timber became so scarce that craftsmen had to look to importing mahogany from the colonies. The highly polished mahogany surface quickly became more popular than the fashions of Dutch and French walnut furniture of the first half of the 18th century. The gentry who ordered the furniture and silver from the craftsmen would often get directly involved with the final crucial lines of the design and this enhanced the final product. This personal involvement seems to have partly disappeared by the first quarter of the 19th century and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. A typical example is the elegant and wonderfully designed cabriole leg which appeared in the early 18th century and is very hard to replicate.
Chippendale Period (1754-1779)
Thomas Chippendale was the first cabinet maker to publish his designs, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director, in 1754. The refined and elegant Chippendale style saw Dutch elements disappear and borrowed features from the French Rococo and Louis XV, Chinese and Gothic styles. Cabriole legs with ball and claw foot replaced the typical round Dutch foot. Often embellished with carvings and elaborate fabrics, the furniture harmoniously incorporates the classical elements.
Technological advancements and a boom in the building industry during the 18th century led to towns growing rapidly and the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Three Scottish brothers, Robert Adam (1728-1792), James Adam (1732-1794) and their youngest brother William Adam, set the style for domestic architecture and interiors for most of the latter half of the century. In 1758 the three brothers started their business in London, designing complete projects for the decoration and furnishing of houses. The brothers believed in a unified design for both architecture and interior design, with all elements of the home being designed and installed by them. Palladian design was already very popular by this time, but the Adam brothers introduced further influences including Roman, Greek, Byzantine and Baroque styles. Robert and James published two volumes of their designs, Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam. The delicate, elegant style helped reset taste toward simple and graceful lines and was a major influence on the designs of George Hepplewhite (1727-1786) and Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806).
Hepplewhite Style (1762-1786)
The elegant Hepplewhite style became fashionable in 1765 until circa 1800. It is best known for square, tapered legs often ending in spade feet on sideboards and shield-back chairs. Although no furniture is recognized to exist by George Hepplewhite or his firm, his name is evocative of the graceful and light furniture of the period.
Sheraton Style (1780-1806)
The Neoclassical and straightforward design of Thomas Sheraton made him a master of the later Georgian era. One characteristic of the style was the use of specific woods for certain rooms, often embellished with detailed marquetry or contrasting veneers. Furniture tended to be geometric in shape, and the straight legs slightly tapered.
Regency Period (1800-1830)
King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince Regent, ruled as his proxy from 1811 to 1820. Upon George III’s death in 1820 the Prince Regent became King George IV. The period from 1795 to 1837 is broadly referred to as the Regency era, encompassing the reigns of the latter part of George III, his son George IV. A time of great social and economic change, the period is known for its elegance as well as achievements in fine arts and culture. Stylistically this period incorporated dark, heavy woods such as rosewood and zebrawood, extensive brass inlays and metal mounts, and saber-shaped legs.