How to Identify Furniture Styles
Whether you're considering buying or selling a piece of furniture, identifying its style will help you assess its quality, authenticity and value. You can identify the furniture's style by the type of wood from which it is made, the year and location of construction and even the furniture-maker's name.
When this information is not available, a number of furniture styles are identifiable by overall form, leg shape and details such as carvings on the legs.
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Instructions
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Ask a furniture appraiser to date the furniture piece. The exact year is not as important as identifying the century and era during which the piece was built. For instance, Queen Anne furniture dates from the early 18th century; Chippendale was popular from around 1750-1790; American Empire furniture was made during the early 19th century; and Victorian furniture would date from about 1840-1910.
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Note the materials that were used to make the furniture. Victorian furniture is often mahogany, rosewood or walnut, while Queen Anne furniture is commonly heavy oak.
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Look for distinguishing curves, rails or straight backs. Elaborate curves are characteristic of Victorian furniture. On the other hand, chair arms with a slight curve may indicate an American Empire piece.
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Lift the piece to get a feel for its weight. Queen Anne pieces typically weigh less than their counterparts from earlier eras. The lighter weights accommodated the mobility of wealthy families during the early 18th century.
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Observe the detailing on the legs, feet or back. Queen Anne furniture has simple lines. Victorian furniture often features floral carvings. Feet curved into the shape of a claw or animal paw, occasionally made of brass, are common traits of American Empire furniture.
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Feel the fabric. Leather upholstery and delicate silk with Oriental patterns were often used on many Chippendale-style pieces. However, if the material is plush, with horsehair stuffing, bold, bright patterns and fringe, the furniture may be Victorian.
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Tips & Warnings
A browse through any antique furniture catalog will show that there's a lot of overlap in furniture materials and shapes. Identifying that a table is mahogany does not automatically mean it is Victorian, but it does eliminate a number of furniture styles. Sometimes, furniture style identification often comes down to a process of elimination.
To identify furniture styles easily, use a furniture style guide to learn at least one defining characteristic of each major furniture style that you expect to encounter.
When you're beginning the process of identifying a piece of furniture by its style, it helps to write down every detail you can observe. A classic piece is sometimes hard to identify until you step back to consider all of its features as a whole.
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