What is Period Furniture? An alternative to modern furniture, period furniture is something that was produced during a particular time. Otherwise known as antique furniture, it has certain properties that place its origin and production period to a specific date, place and style. For example, Italian baroque and Palladian styles were used and popular during the Georgian era. Designers such as William Kent, pioneered such styles by taking inspiration from the wider world and bringing them over to the UK. The fashion of these times seeped into all of British culture and many homes throughout the UK, including those in Alderley Edge.
Hawthorn Restoration, Alderley Edge recognise the value of such designs and period furniture. Having a knowledge of antiques helps us to know what styles and objects are worthy of restoration firstly from a monetary value viewpoint, and secondly how best to restore a piece to emulate the time it was produced in and the techniques that was used during production.
Let’s have a brief look at some of the trends that influenced the production of furniture.
Pressing onward from the Georgian period, the Regency times moved away from the tendency towards Roman or Greek styled furniture design, and instead tried to recreate furniture seen in popular artwork of the time. Egyptian artefacts provided intrigue and inspiration to the designers, artists and architects of the time. Motifs of ancient gods, and mythical animals were used to decorate furniture and furnishings.
The Victorian period often used gothic styles to influence the production of furniture. Using dark finishes or gilding, and lots of carved embellishments, the Victorian time period is often unmistakable. Fabrics were heavily patterned as a minimalist room was not favoured. Patterns on fabrics and wall coverings with orderly repeated shapes and styles, and marbleized finishes on woodwork were in frequent use during these periods.
Alderley Edge has been populated all though these periods of time and has a number of stately homes and historical locations that no doubt saw and immersed itself in the culture and styles of the times mentioned above. However modern-day technology and mass production have meant that some of the craftmanship, styles and techniques have been lost when it comes to period furniture restoration. However, not only does a good furniture restoration company know how to restore antique period furniture, but they place value on the original techniques and historical styles from each period of time.
Hawthorn Restoration, Alderley Edge, place value on what matters to you. An heirloom, a treasured possession, or a historic antique can be given a new lease of life. Whether you wish to restore you piece to its former condition, or you see the potential in a piece of furniture by recreating a new aspect of its structure with upholstery or a fresh coat of paint, we can help. We believe in restoring the past, and investing in the future. That can mean we recreate the past, or it can mean we use modern advancement to press on to new restoration techniques.
Contact Hawthorn Restoration today to discuss your period furniture restoration, Alderley Edge.
