Furniture Styles Of Different Periods Which May Be Used Together

To some people, however, the entire house furnished in one period seems rather monotonous, and more variety is desired. In this case different rooms may be furnished in the various periods. In large living rooms Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Sheraton, and Adam furniture may sometimes be used together, and chairs and tables of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI will often blend well, but any further mixture of furniture will usually produce results disastrous to unity and harmony. It is only styles which are so closely related that there are many points in common in their structure and decoration, which may be successfully placed in the same room.

In general it is best to use only one style in each room, and certain styles have been found to be especially well adapted to particular rooms.

The Hall

The hall is the most formal room in the house, and, in even the very unpretentious home, should have a dignity which is given to no other place. It is the entrance to the house, and so should bespeak the character of the inner rooms to a certain extent, but should preserve an atmosphere of stateliness, suited to a room which is not intended for rest or recreation. Very little furniture is desirable in the hall, but that which is placed there should be suited to the character of the place so that it seems really a part of the architectural plan. Some of the early Italian and Spanish chairs, tables, and chests are admirably adapted for formal use in the modern hall, and the Tudor and Jacobean English furniture with the Flemish chairs of the same period are also suitable. Of the eighteenth-century furniture, the early types of Chippendale and Queen Anne have a certain air of stateliness, and the heavier pieces of colonial furniture are also built along lines of dignity. The hall is really a passageway used to form a connection between the various rooms of the house, and this should be remembered in selecting its furniture. It should be so furnished that it extends an impersonal hospitality to the person who enters, but gives only a hint of the spirit which is manifested in the privacy of the rooms beyond.

The Dining Room

Next to the hall the dining room should be the most formal room in the house. It should be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the adjoining rooms, but should also have a certain dignity of its own in selection and arrangement of furniture. As there should be almost no attempt at decoration in this room, the table, chairs, and other necessary furniture stand out in strong relief and so perhaps should be the most carefully chosen of any furniture in the house. Flemish and Jacobean furniture are popular for dining room use because the dull oak used in these types is easily cared for. In mahogany the colonial furniture is most often used, but it is not as distinctive as the Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton. Hepplewhite and Sheraton, being rather light in construction, should be used only in comparatively small rooms so they may not appear trivial in the formal arrangement. The furniture of the time of Louis XIV may also be used in dining rooms. Although it is rather elaborate, it is also heavy enough for this use, but especial care should be taken with the selection of rugs, wall decorations, and window hangings so that there shall be entire harmony.

Attractive Dining-room Furniture of the A ham Style. The Arrangement Shows the Use of Bisymhetric Balance.

(Courtesy of B. T. Lindeberg).

An Example or Occult Balance. The Group Formed by the Chippendale Wing Chair and the Jacobean Table and Chair Balances the Piano at the Other. Side of the Room.

(Conrtesy of John Wanamaker).