Queen Anne Style
Queen Anne Furniture Hardware Turns Elegantly Simple into Stylish
As very British as the name Queen Anne furniture sounds, the distinctive style reflects a blending of foreign and English furniture styles. The more elaborate French and Dutch styles are brought under control by the penchant the English had for sparing decoration, practicality and comfort. However, Queen Anne furniture cannot be called plain or uninspiring by any stretch of the imagination. It is simply not as elaborate as the ornate French Rococo style and reflects the reasonableness of England.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Timing Is Everything
Queen Anne furniture appeared during the Georgian Period, which is also called the Golden Age of furniture making. Queen Anne reigned from 1702 to 1714, but interestingly she never had any personal influence over the furniture. The style was popular in England by 1705, and then 20 years later it became popular in the colonies which eventually became the United States.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
The particular new features of this style that are so very British included simple lines, curves, and a carved motif that was almost always a scallop shell or cockle. The straight legs typifying previous periods of furniture was replaced with the cabriole legs, which are curved and graceful. The legs would often curve out where connected to the furniture, then gracefully curve inward towards the “ankle” and then back out yet again at the feet. The distinctive feet on the furniture include the Dutch foot, the three-toe Drake foot and the carved line Spanish foot. Some of furniture has the claw-and-ball feet at the end of tapered legs. Another typical feature on Queen Anne furniture is the absence of stretchers on the legs of many chairs, which are crossbars that connect or brace the legs.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Classic Style That Endures
Originally, the English furniture was made mostly out of walnut. In the U.S. the early pieces were made out of walnut, maple, cherry and sometimes oak. Classic Queen Anne furniture pieces include the drop-leaf dining table, gaming or card tables made of hardwood with 2 leaves that folded one on top of the other when not in use, and cupboards or cabinets with bombe sides. The one type of furniture that lapsed into ornateness was the lacquered cabinets and furniture with gesso design. Gesso design is often seen reproduced on mirrors today. It is a composition that was used to make carved intricate pieces of acanthus leaves and scrolls that were gilded in gold and attached to tables and mirrors.
Queen Anne furniture is so stylish and classic that it is still reproduced today, and the style is found in almost every furniture store. There are hall tables, nesting tables, chairs, desks, coffee tables, dressing tables, high chests, bookcases with desks, and winged armchairs to name a few of the most popular pieces. The period and reproduction hardware is made so that you can maintain the classic beauty of the Queen Ann furniture.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Replacement Hardware With Even More Style
When you are repairing antique Hepplewhite furniture or new reproduction furniture, it is important to maintain the same style of hardware. You don’t want to replace Federal style hardware with something more modern looking because it will change the furniture’s appearance.
Most of the reproduction hardware pieces are either a:
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
Authentic looking Queen Ann pulls with plate or escutcheons often have a wing design with a post hole in each wing. This style is called the Chippendale pull. The pulls with a plate attached or separate pull and escutcheons are authentic recreations of the typical original pieces. However, there are also oval shapes with elaborate brass stamping available for those Queen Anne furniture pieces that need a bit more ornateness. In all cases, you will discover the reproduction hardware has plenty of curves that continue the curved style of the furniture itself.
- Solid Brass or Bronze Handle Pulls
- Drop Pulls and Ring Pulls
- Bail Pulls (Ornate Styles)
- Chippendale Pulls
- Hepplewhite Pulls
There are Eastlake style pulls, swan neck pulls with rosettes, decorative bail pulls, brass and glass knobs, and so much more that can adorn your Queen Anne style furniture. Manufactured from brass, most pulls are meant to add a touch of elaborateness to the plainer furniture pieces. Replacing the hardware with pieces that are correct in design and style is important whether you are restoring an antique or repairing a reproduction.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |