History of Furniture: Duncan Phyfe

Let's look back at a truly timeless genre of furniture for this installment of the History of Furniture.

Duncan Fife was born in Scotland in 1768 where he served as a cabinetmaker's apprentice but immigrated with his family to Albany, New York in 1784. After changing the spelling of his name to Phyfe, he opened his own business in 1794 and became a famous furniture maker. Known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage", he made Neoclassical furniture for the social and mercantile elite of New York, Philadelphia, and the American South where he was particularly popular.

While he may not have developed a style of furniture, he refined and elevated Neoclassical pieces, bringing them to the United States, and leaving a lasting impression of what fine furniture looks like. His pieces echo through what we consider "antique furniture" to be today.

A hallmark of his furniture was the lyre motif which you can see below on a chair splat, the base of a game table, and the sides of a bench.

Another feature of Phyfe furniture is the curved X-shape on the legs and backs of the curule chair, a design that dates back to ancient Rome.

Here is an ancient Roman coin showing Emperor Tiberius seated on a curule seat!

Happy designing!

What Is Button Tufting?

There are some funny terms in interior design, and I believe the term "tufting" falls into that category. The word can produce a quizzical look on faces, but the concept is quite simple. Tufting refers to depressions at regular intervals on a piece of fabric or leather (such as a cushion or on a piece of upholstered furniture) by passing a thread through it. This can be left as thread, but most often this technique is seen as button tufting. The most famous example of this is on the classic Chesterfield sofa, previously featured here.

The iconic Chesterfield sofa features button tufting arranged in a diamond pattern which imbues it with a very sophisticated and traditional look. But if a button tufted sofa is arranged not in a diamond pattern but in a linear pattern, the effect is quite different. As you can see by the example below, what we end up with is a more contemporary feeling along the lines of a Mid-Century Modern piece of furniture.

Tufting can be also be used on headboards to add further softness and luxury to a bedroom...

...or on benches...

...or on chairs...

...and of course, on pillows and cushions!

Happy designing!