Furniture
Glossary A-E
ADAM STYLE FURNITURE -
This is the British
neoclassical style that predominated from about 1760 to 1790. It
was established by architect Robert Adam and his brother, James.
Its characteristics are slender, graceful lines, refined shapes,
and restrained ornamentation. ART DECO FURNITURE -
This furniture style
was derived from an historic Paris exposition in 1925 that
celebrated the marriage of art and industry in rejection of Art
Nouveau. It introduced simple, streamlined forms that were
interpreted in exotic woods and materials. American designers of
the 1930s took this look further, using asymmetry, arcs, sleek
lines, and geometric shapes not only in furniture, but also in
architecture and a wide range of household objects.
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE-
This style is based on the "new
art" of Europe in about 1875. Flowing, nearly freeform shapes
from nature were carved and painted on furniture. An elongated,
slightly curved line that ends in a more abrupt second curve is
its most characteristic design.
ARTS AND CRAFTS FURNITURE-
This is a
furniture style and a movement that emerged in England toward the
end of the 19th century in reaction to the excesses of the
Victorian era and the Gay Nineties. Its craftsmanship has
deliberately simple shapes with exposed joinery and spare
ornamentation. William Morris and John Ruskin were among its
proponents in England.
Furniture
Glossary F-Z
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