Home Furnishing Styles

Contemporary furniture is simple with clean lines.

Many factors go into deciding how to furnish a home. An important one is the feeling you want your home to have. If you want a formal feel, you might aim for traditional furniture with polished wood and regal lines; if you want homey you might go more cottage with big cushions, floral patterns and simple, painted woodwork. Other factors to consider are cost and what kind of wear and tear your family puts on furniture.

Traditional

Traditional furniture spans many styles from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It can reflect French, English or Early American tastes. Traditional furniture can be ornate as in Louis XIV or Victorian, or it can be spare as in Early American. But it always evokes a sense of formality and history. Replicas of traditional furniture are generally easy to find since the style is popular. But authentic pieces can be purchased at antique stores or less expensively from estate sales or at flea markets. It is possible to mix styles, but people often stick with one era. The website Eco Furniture offers a guide to traditional furniture (see Resources).

Contemporary

The website Value Created quotes a 1950s booklet put out by the Museum of Modern Art in New York that describes contemporary furniture, in essence, as furniture that serves its purpose and never appears to be what it isn't. Contemporary furniture focuses on function and follows geometric shapes without ornamentation or veneers. Designs often echo Scandinavian or Japanese styles. To some the styles appear clean, to others overly sterile. Because this style resurfaces periodically, it is not hard to find both used and new furniture in contemporary style. Ikea is one example of a well-known superstore for Scandinavian furniture.

Rustic

Rustic furniture is only mildly altered from the materials it is made of. Chairs made of willow bark, headboards made of logs, tables made of barn wood and chandeliers made of antlers characterize one kind of rustic furniture. Often people use rustic furniture in cabins or homes decorated in a cottage theme. It evokes a homey, natural feel.

Chinese

Chinese furniture is often carved, painted with designs and lacquered. Colors are often bold in black, golds and reds. Murals and accents depicting Chinese legends and mythical figures such as dragons are common. Chinese furniture can be found at antique stores and stores that specialize in imported home decor items.

References

• Value Created Review: Furniture Design
• HGTV: Decorating Asian Style

Resources

• Eco Furniture: Guide to Traditional Style