1. American furniture
American furniture is more complex. Any furniture made between 1608 and 1830 is classified as early American or colonial style. At that time, solid and practical furniture was made with hand tools for storage, eating, sitting, and sleeping. Furniture combinations mostly used wooden nails instead of iron nails; the legs of furniture were mostly made by cutting. Later, colonists from various European countries brought the best furniture with them. Influenced by designers from France, Britain, and other countries, colonial furniture gradually became more ornate, and bulky furniture was gradually replaced by lighter and more practical models. American furniture is more complex. Any furniture made between 1608 and 1830 is classified as early American or colonial style. At that time, solid and practical furniture was made with hand tools for storage, eating, sitting, and sleeping. Furniture combinations mostly used wooden nails instead of iron nails; the legs of furniture were mostly made by cutting.
Early American furniture was mainly made of maple, birch, and a few pine trees. Popular painting methods are dark brown or light honey maple. The wood most commonly used in American traditional furniture is mahogany, and the paint is mostly dark red or brown.
Early American furniture showed a rough, unprocessed texture in materials and tones, and free combination into various needs was also the focus of American furniture. Influenced by traditional Mexican craftsmanship, aboriginal totems were mixed with various straw-woven fabrics and heavy logs. Colors make American furniture very popular among Chinese people, and the use of woven fabrics makes American spaces more distinctive. Most of the woven fabrics are more original than the original ones. In terms of color, they can be lively and bright or warm and elegant, and they can all be American-style. Performance.
2. French furniture
France has been the center of European cultural exchanges since the Renaissance and the French Bourbon dynasty has a stable political situation and strong national power. From Louis XIV to Louis XVI, French furniture has been the leader in European and American furniture, and its level of prosperity and luxury is unparalleled. Outstanding, and still loved by people today.
French furniture has a rich aristocratic palace color and is rich in artistic flavor. Emphasis on hand carving and elegant retro style. For example: French antique furniture is made of mahogany as the main material and is completely hand-carved and exquisitely carved. The color and luster are mainly made of walnut and logs, retaining the elegant shape and delicate lines, giving the furniture a more primitive flavor. French furniture is the most common type of furniture with beautiful lines and is derived from France and Europe.
During the imperial period, France's national power declined, and people's aesthetics also shifted from the graceful and graceful Rococo style of Louis XV to the concepts of the Renaissance, and the furniture at this time also changed.
Another characteristic of French furniture is that there are small black scratches on the surface of the material called antique paint. These scratches are specially made to imitate ancient furniture. To decorate a home with a French flavor, you must first be a master of color matching because French homes are known for their plain, simple, and even rustic colors. The French, who love cleanliness, prefer bright colors in the color of their furniture, among which beige, yellow, white, and solid wood colors are the most common.
3. Italian furniture
Italy is the birthplace of the Renaissance movement and a hotbed for the creation of Renaissance furniture. At the end of the 15th century, Italian furniture art absorbed the essence of ancient modeling. Italy is also the birthplace of the Baroque style, and the Baroque decorative patterns it originated were widely used in the palace. The furniture is engraved with mythological nude statues, lions, eagles, scrollwork, clam-shaped, and other comprehensive patterns, and is decorated with gorgeous paint and gilding.
This Roman-centered palace Baroque style reached its peak in the 1750s. In the second half of the seventeenth century, Italian Baroque furniture was centered in the northern region. The furniture is mostly made with skilled and sophisticated techniques and good structural forms, showing extremely strong characteristics.
Italian-style furniture imitates the ornate furniture of the time in Rome and other big cities, simplifying its design and omitting some decorations. One of the characteristics of Italian-style furniture is the use of straight lines. Commonly used woods are cherry wood or walnut and are often painted in light brown.
Modern Italian furniture likes the splendid European style metal copper series furniture and home decorations, such as pure copper beds, copper furniture, etc.
Italian furniture often gives people a very varied feeling, with different product forms and the courage to innovate, which can always give people a refreshing feeling; so when you encounter Italian classical furniture in the Baroque style and are still immersed in that kind of luxury, If you turn around, you may encounter completely different, simple and stylish Italian modern furniture.
Recently, rattan beds have become popular in Italy, they are ergonomic and rational. Coupled with the high-quality requirements for furniture in Milan, the center of industrial design, Italian furniture is displayed as high-end products in various countries around the world.
Italian furniture's emphasis on fine stitching and leather goods is most obvious at a glance. The environmental trend in recent years has also had an impact on the style of Italian furniture. In the past, the strong metallic feel made people feel overly rational and cold. At the end of the century, we will return to nature and create furniture with a sense of warmth.
4. British furniture
Early British-style furniture was beautiful, elegant, and harmonious; it preferred to use mahogany with decorative strips and carvings.
The subjects of the British Empire are always very "gentlemen". The most popular saying in Britain is "Everyone else's furniture is a goose!", which means that other people's things are stupid. Because of this, British furniture has a better series. Changes have not been big and they are relatively conservative; however, the British are very alert and smart when encountering great social changes. For example, tanks and aircraft carriers were invented by the British; the same goes for furniture. During the Georgian period in Britain, a large number of furniture that influenced the world appeared. Trend masters, are good at learning and innovating and have written a glorious page in the history of world furniture.
The development of decorative furniture in the UK was relatively slow. When the furniture style in Paris and other places had shifted from the High Renaissance to the late Renaissance, this style was introduced to the UK and became popular. It was not until the Elizabethan era that British furniture art embarked on a new path. British furniture gives people a more calm and elegant feeling. If wooden patterns are added, it will have a more classical charm. Early British furniture was mainly oak, and during the Gothic furniture period in the 15th century, it was particularly serious and simple. style; using framed panel construction typical window pane decorations and folded linen decoration.
Entering the Baroque period, two very significant changes occurred. On the one hand, the rough Jacobin-style carved oak furniture in the countryside was replaced by simple walnut furniture.
On the other hand, the royal palace and the nobility were influenced by Italian and French court decorations and adopted extremely luxurious decoration styles. At the end of the 17th century, Britain abandoned this trend and concentrated on the development of local walnut furniture. The appearance showed a simple and elegant feeling. Moreover, because the British people paid special attention to practical needs, There was also remarkable success in the design and production of practical furniture.
5. Chinese-style furniture is famous for its carvings. The carvings are especially characterized by review, palindrome, full scroll meaning, trapezoid, chicken feet, cat feet, and geometric shapes. The materials are mainly precious wood, and the decorations are carved lacquer, inlay, and stickers. There are many attachments; direct painting, starting lines, and inverted ripples are the most common.
In the long history of the development of Chinese classical furniture, the four most important design styles have formed.
1. Chu-style furniture (Zhou Dynasty to Southern and Northern Dynasties)
2. Song-style furniture (Sui and Tang Dynasties to Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty)
3. Ming-style furniture period (mid-Ming Dynasty to early Qing Dynasty)
4. Qing-style furniture period (after the mid-Qing Dynasty)
Ming-style furniture has simple lines and straight and light shapes. Because the color and texture of the wood itself are beautiful, Ming-style furniture rarely uses paint. Simply applying transparent wax can fully display the texture and natural beauty of the wood itself. The production process is exquisite and reasonable, and all components are combined with precise and ingenious mortise and tenon joints. The large flat plate is embedded in the frame groove using the edge-save method. It is solid and firm and can adapt to changes in cold, heat, dryness, and humidity.
Ming-style furniture is mainly decorated with plain surfaces and is partially decorated with small-area lacquer carvings or openwork carvings. The furniture lines are strong and smooth. The overall length, width, and height of the furniture, the balance between the whole and parts, and the parts and parts are all very appropriate. The shape is thick and comes in many forms.
6. Nordic furniture
Humanized life awareness and high-quality furniture materials have given Nordic furniture a high reputation among tastemakers. The emphasis on creating a home with warm colors is the key style of Nordic furniture. Therefore, beech, woven cloth, mottled-toned ceramics, and Straw are the main materials, and Nordic furniture presents a diverse and environmentally friendly concept.
Northern Europe includes Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, etc., with Scandinavia as the main country. The main characteristics of Nordic furniture are based on its organic shape and light feeling on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is rooted in its beautiful texture and skilled production techniques. Nordic designers deeply understand that "mature shape is the most perfect style." ", so organic shapes that are round, natural, and have an abstract sculptural feel are used as the main basis for furniture modeling.
At the same time, Nordic designers believe that "maximizing the characteristics of materials is the first step in any perfect design." Therefore, they use clever techniques to capture the special texture of all furniture materials such as wood, rattan, textiles, and metal. Seeking the most perfect combination and performance, and giving people a very natural, rich, comfortable, and friendly visual and tactile feeling.
7. Southern European furniture
Southern European-style furniture is mainly produced in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. Since they are all Latin-based ethnic groups and share the same environment, the furniture of each Southern European country has its common characteristics.
Before the Christian era, the ancient Egyptian style was the main object of research, with rough shapes and simple structures. At the beginning of the century, Roman furniture was a major feature. The style adopted an extremely rigorous rectangular structure, using copper materials, and mainly imitated the shapes of natural objects; medieval furniture was mainly Characterized by imitation of Roman style and Byzantine style; Southern European furniture is mainly produced in Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. Since they are all Latin-based ethnic groups and share the same environment, the furniture of various Southern European countries has common characteristics.
The so-called Gothic style entered in the 14th century, still imitating the simple and rigid forms of the Middle Ages; the Renaissance style in the 15th century was derived from ancient simple forms, and the splendid Baroque style entered in the 17th century, using curved materials and the spirit of Romanticism as the form design.
The 18th century was the birthplace of the Rococo style, with shapes decorated with curves such as rocks and clam shells. At the end of the 18th century, the neoclassical style became popular again. In the 19th century, there was no certain style or special type. In the 20th century, modern furniture was in shape. Taking simple streamlines as the theme and emphasizing functionalism.
Developed in Italy and Western Europe between the Romanesque and Gothic periods, imitation Romanesque furniture is mainly decorated with animal heads and claws, and its main feature is simplicity. The characteristic of Spanish and Portuguese furniture is the use of leather treated with embossing, carving, dyeing, hot stamping, etc. as furniture upholstery.
Southern European furniture is the mainstream furniture in Western furniture, and the development clues are very obvious. Basically, religious and palace furniture are the mainstream, and then gradually penetrate the countryside; from the initial Egyptian furniture to the later Rococo furniture, they all belong to the palace. Furniture; from Gothic furniture to later Barot furniture, they all started from religious churches.
8. Southeast Asian furniture
Strictly speaking, Southeast Asian furniture, or Southeast Asian style furniture, does not belong to an innovative mainstream furniture. It, like Korean furniture and Japanese furniture, is a furniture product developed based on a fusion of local culture and foreign culture.
Southeast Asian furniture design gradually integrates Western modern concepts and Asian traditional culture. Through different materials and color combinations, Southeast Asian furniture design retains its characteristics and produces more colorful changes, especially the integration of Chinese characteristics. Southeast Asian furniture, with designs that pay attention to detail decoration, is becoming more and more popular.
Southeast Asian furniture should more often be called home style, which belongs to the living culture atmosphere formed by the "mix and match" of furniture, home textiles, and home decorations. Its most obvious feature is the mix and match, which is a bit like the "braised dishes" of Central my country. , the "one-pot cooking" flavor of the Northeast, all kinds of soft, hard, wood, stone, rattan, and textile products are mixed, just for nature and comfort; because of this, Southeast Asian style homes are particularly popular. Favored by fast-paced urbanites.
Southeast Asian furniture design gradually integrates Western modern concepts and Asian traditional culture. Through different materials and color combinations, Southeast Asian furniture design retains its characteristics and produces more colorful changes, especially the integration of Chinese characteristics. Southeast Asian furniture, with designs that pay attention to detail decoration, is becoming more and more popular. The use of materials in Southeast Asian furniture also has its unique features. Most Southeast Asian furniture is made from a mixture of two or more different materials. Rattan and wood chips, rattan and bamboo strips, the width, narrowness, depth, and shallowness of the materials form interesting contrasts. The mixed use of various weaving techniques turns the furniture pieces into handmade works of art, every detail worth savoring.
