Traditional Furniture Design

Material

• Traditional English furniture is made from dark woods such as oak, mahogany and walnut. Italian furniture design employs dark woods as well, using it extensively in inlays and in conjunction with glass and metal. Lighter woods, such as pine are seen in French design, particularly in traditional French country.

Features

• All three cultural styles exhibit ornate carvings, intricate curves and complex embellishments. Bun feet, ball foot and claw, and stepped bracket legs on cabinetry are common characteristics of Traditional furniture, as are cabriole legs and spider legs on chairs. Pediments in cabinetry, curved chair backs and rolled arms are frequently seen in traditional design.

Fabrics

• Complementing the curves and ornamentation of traditional design are the fabrics used for seating. Velvet, brocade and chintz are rich in texture and give furniture a luxurious appeal. In contemporary design, traditional styles may employ suede and leather as well. Fabric patterns include delicate striped or floral designs, as well as paisley and plaids. The plaids, however, are more common to English design styles. The color palette in fabrics includes neutral shades of brown, green and blue with red and pink accents. Sofas and upholstered chairs may have nail head trim, tassels or fringe as embellishments. Cushions may have piping or welting as added detail.

Size

• Traditional furniture may be large and imposing; cabinetry such as armoires and china cabinets may measure as much as six feet in height. Sofas range in size from a more intimate 76 inches in length to just over 100 inches. The sofa backs have considerable height and exhibit camelback shapes or curvilinear design.

Function

• Furniture in Traditional design is intended to fully occupy a room. Rooms in traditional design are filled with furniture, each piece closely relating in both weight and design to all other surrounding pieces. In traditional design, furniture suites, in which each piece follows the same design pattern, may be used. In a bedroom suite, for example, the bed's headboard, the dresser mirror and the pediment on the highboy dresser will all share the same carvings and shape. The function of furniture in traditional design is not only to provide seating and storage, but to bring to the space a sense of elaborate style and visual interest.