American colonial furniture comes from a number of different sources. When buying ‘colonial style furniture’ you can choose genuine and reproduction traditional American designs or those originating from Europe and Asia. Whether you purchase original pieces at the high prices they currently command, or reproduction pieces manufactured by specialist companies such as Southwood Furniture, there is big difference between these styes.
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Traditional American colonial furniture tends to be plainly designed, originating as it does from the pieces hand-crafted by the early setters and pioneers. The original American furniture was made from hand-hewn wood, which was then fashioned into rough chests, tables and benches.
Colonial Williamsburg Furniture
These gradually became less rough and better finished, and proper chairs, chests and cabinets were added to the repertoire of many craftsmen who had left their own country for a new life in America. Eventually, certain centers became known for their own style of furniture such as the pieces designed by William Hay in Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg is now recognized as a style in itself.
Early Pilgrim furniture ranged from simple constructions to intricately turned chair spindles and stretchers. Bible chests, containing the family bible and important papers, were usually heavily carved, and the Queen Anne period represents the beginnings of the era of modern furniture. Much American Colonial furniture reproduces Queen Anne and the succeeding Georgian periods when the great cabinetmakers such as Thomas Sheraton, George Heppelwhite and Thomas Chippendale were active.
Mission Style Furniture Designs
A great deal of colonial style furniture was brought to the colonies by the seafarers and wealthy merchants of New England, and it was only natural for local craftsmen, and later craftswomen, to copy these designs. It was an opportunity for the less wealthy to own such wonderful pieces at a much lower price than the originals.
However, many also began introducing their own designs, the simplicity of Shaker styes representing the mission designs of the day. These then because more ornate, though still simple in design, as ‘mission stye’ furniture. Mission furniture is now very popular in the USA, and offered by most furniture manufacturers such as Stickley, American Craftsman and Simply Amish.
Before buying colonial style furniture it is important that you are aware of the various styles of American colonial furniture available to you, and also what style would suit your home. Some rooms can tolerate the more ornate, highly carved and turned style of furniture, while others would be better served with a simpler style, such as mission or Shaker furniture.