American Period

Around the same time (1776 and 1789), France and the US overthrew their monarchs. France and the US were allies at the beginning of the 19th century with a common distaste for England. Both the French and the Americans wanted a democracy and a design do represent it, so the Federal Style, America's version of Neoclassical, was born. Two architects stand out as the fathers of American architecture. They are Charles Bulfinch and Benjamin Latrobe. Bulfinch is responsible for the Massachusetts State Capitol Building and Latrobe for the US Capitol. Characteristics of the Federal style include: arm chairs with curved armrests and straight legs, daybeds, motifs such as lyres, harps, a crown of laurel leaves, and the American eagle. A notable craftsmen of this time was Duncan Phyfe. He was a Scotsman known for his beautiful veneers and expert carvings; he specialized in daybeds and incorporated ornamental fittings such as the metal claw foot tips on table legs. Phyfe was also known for his simplified klismos chair with its rolled back, lyre motif, and cornucopia legs. Lambert Hitchcock was also a well known craftsmen of the time. He was one of the first people to employ production line methods. He made chairs with black and gold paint, a woven cane or rush seat, and stenciled designs of fruit, leaves, arrows, flowers, and eagles. Another design style that can be taken from this period is the Shaker style. The Shakers were a group of people who believed in political and religious freedom as well as hard work and discipline. Their buildings included two entrances, two stairways, two sleeping quarters, and two dining tables; pretty much two of everything, one for men, one for women. Their interiors were sparse, clean and well ordered. They are known for their round barns built on sides of hills with entrances at different levels. They are also known for their ladder back chairs which they would hang on the walls when not in use. Because machine production started to become popular during this time, many people were experimenting with techniques. The results were inferior furniture with ridiculous proportions, details, and embellishments which were used to hide the poor construction. Craftsmen often combined many different design styles into one piece of furniture. With the emerging middle class, they wanted to show their success and comfort with the overstuffed furniture. Another design style to come out of the American Period was the Victorian style. Named after Queen Victoria, the Victorian style included large brightly colored houses, with small dark rooms. The architecture was elaborate, romantic, and emotional. The architecture was a way to show your wealth. Each small room in a Victorian house had a specific function. The home had two entrances and two staircases, one for guests and one for servants and children. The Victorian style borrowed some from the Gothic style with its tracery designs, rose window shapes, and pointed arches. A popular furniture piece of this time was a "Whatnot" which was a shelving unit used to display various collections. During this time the coil spring was invented so furniture proportions changed. Chairs were lower to the ground and had thicker, deeper seats. Victorian designers used a lot of black walnut and rosewood as well as brass and mother-of-pearl inlays, heavy draperies, and large figured wallpapers. Chairs had oval or horseshoes shaped backs that were button tufted and seats that crowned in the center. Rockers were popular as well as tables with marble tops and central pedestals. Beds were large with head and foot-boards, sofas had sweeping curves, and dark horsehair upholstery was used. John Belter was a well known furniture designer of this time. He's designs were Rococo in form using twigs, flowers and vines. His delicate fruit carvings are what set him apart from other designers. Another well known furniture designer was Charles Lock Eastlake. He wrote the "Hints on Household Taste" a book about Victorian decoration. His design concepts were easily produced on machines, with a simple construction, natural wood and jigsaw fretwork.

Classic Examples:

Duncan Phyfe chair

Hitchcock chair

Shaker chairs hung up

Shaker Barn

Victorian Interior

Victorian Whatnot

Modern Examples:

Modern Victorian Interior

Modern Victorian Exterior

Modern Shaker Kitchen

Modern Whatnot


Peer Review:
Samantha: I liked how she split up her blog into two parts, describing the different design periods and she had great pictures.
Maggie: I liked how she talked about her personal experience with shaker design.