Rococo Revival Furniture in the Nineteenth Century
Rococo Revival returned to scrolling curves, flowers, shells and rich upholstery during the nineteenth century. New carving and manufacturing methods allow
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Antique History & Styles
56 published guides on repair, care and the stories behind well-made things.
Campaign Furniture: Made for Travel
Campaign furniture was designed to pack, fold or dismantle for military, colonial and civilian travel. Brass-bound chests, folding chairs, portable desks a
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The Windsor Chair: Construction and Global Reach
Windsor chairs use a solid seat into which legs and back components are socketed, creating a light but strong structure. Regional forms include comb, hoop,
Read guideThe History of the Sideboard
The sideboard developed from serving tables and slabs into specialised dining-room storage during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Pedestals, cella
Read guideThe Grand Tour and the Antique Interior
From the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, wealthy European travellers collected art, antiquities and souvenirs that shaped interiors at home. Classical
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Empire Style: Furniture and Power
Empire design used Roman, Egyptian and imperial imagery to project authority in early nineteenth-century interiors. Mahogany, gilt bronze, strong geometry,
Read guideThe Wardrobe, Press and Armoire Explained
Large clothes storage took different forms across regions: presses, armoires, wardrobes and compactum furniture reflect architecture and domestic habits. S
Read guideThe Age of Mahogany in Georgian Furniture
Imported mahogany became closely associated with eighteenth-century British furniture because it could be worked crisply, took a rich finish and was availa
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Boulle Work: Brass, Tortoiseshell and Marquetry
Boulle work combines cut metal and contrasting sheet materials in elaborate marquetry, associated with André-Charles Boulle and later revivals. Première-pa
Read guideColonial Furniture: Why the Term Needs Care
“Colonial furniture” can describe objects made in very different places under colonial systems, and the phrase can conceal important histories. State the r
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Gothic Revival Furniture in Context
Gothic Revival design reinterpreted medieval architecture and ornament for churches, public buildings and domestic interiors. Pointed arches, tracery, line
Read guideA Short History of British Cabinetmaking
British cabinetmaking developed through court workshops, urban trades, regional traditions, design books, industrial manufacture and modern craft revival.
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