What Period is My Furniture From? Antique Furniture Guide

Jacobean Era (1603 – 1649)

The Jacobean Era sometimes stands for the reigns of both James I and Charles I, while a few call the James I period (1603 – 1625) Jacobean and Charles I (1625 – 1649) as Carolean period. In the first half of this period, the furniture was made from oak and decorated with geometric inlay and broad carvings with pine materials. Gold and silver replaced the materials in the second half, while leather and velvet were also introduced.

Key Features

• Strong furniture designs with deep-straight lines and geometric features are deeply ingrained into the piece.
• These furniture pieces were heavy and massive, and the chairs were without arms, so they were uncomfortable to sit on.
• Gardoons became plainer than in the Elizabeth era while the shapes transformed to more like an oval.

Cromwellian Era (1649 – 1660)

The Cromwellian Era was when England’s Republic political movement tried to replace the traditional monarchy government with a republic. This movement heavily influenced almost every aspect of life. The furniture is moulded to focus on utility and functionality rather than luxury and decoration. This was the point when simplicity started altering the art of sculpting furniture.

Key Features

• Furniture lacks decorations, or you may say excessive decoration.
• Cabinets, chests, tables, and chairs were less derivative but angled sharply to show people’s unworthiness towards nice things.
• Even the decorated furniture was entrenched with simple geometric patterns.

Restoration Period (1660 – 1689)

Once the Cromwellian Era ended and the monarchy returned, furniture craftsmanship evolution caught its speed. This was the period when the baroque style got famous and spread all around the country.

Key Features

• Restoration furniture style is known for its attention-grabbing colours and decorations.
• This era was when birds, acanthus, cupids, and floral motifs became standard design practices.
• The wing chairs, elaborate benches, and upholstered stools became famous. Additionally, the chair frames were often gilded and silvered, and the finest fabrics were used to make the sitting comfortable.
• Bookcases were introduced and became popular.

William and Mary Period (1689 – 1702)

This era is the most persuasive for furniture in England’s history. The pieces of furniture became lighter, more slender, taller, versatile, and more comfortable. Most of the furniture was made from walnut and sculpted with bun feet to make it easy to replace the broken feet.

Key Features

• Flemish, French, Dutch, and Oriental patterns became popular when the lines, shapes, forms, or colours started repeating through a piece of furniture.
• Thin sheets of different materials like metal or wood, called marquetry, started being used to make decorations and significant effects.
• Lacquer, a particular wood finish used in high-end furniture, started becoming a standard practice for providing luxury sense.

Queen Anne Era (1702 – 1714)

Queen Anne Era was another inspiring time for furniture and architecture, where everything evolved beautifully and fastly. Still, walnut wood was the prior choice to make furniture, draw designs, and attract people’s attention.

Key Features

• Furniture became lighter, practical, compact, and comfortable with cushioned seats.
• Cabriole legs are the most distinct feature of this era that mimic the natural form of the animal’s legs. You can use these ‘cabriole legs’ to differentiate a piece of furniture of this era from the others.
• Other noticeable features of this era include ovolo mouldings on the drawer fronts and feather bandings.