History of Furniture: Chippendale

In our last installment of History of Furniture, we examined what is known as the Adam Style, based on the work of brothers Robert and John Adam, here. So it seems right to examine a style that was happening just before, a style known as Chippendale.

Chippendale is the first style of furniture not be named after a monarch but after a cabinet maker, Thomas Chippendale, born in 1718 in Otley in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Coming from a long line of wood workers, Thomas was trained by his father, and it is presumed he apprenticed with the aptly-named York wood worker Richard Wood.

He moved to London and married Catherine Redshaw at St George's Chapel, Mayfair. And in 1754, Chippendale relocated to 60–62 St. Martin's Lane in London, where he operated his business for the next 60 years. This same year he published a book of his designs entitled "The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director," the first work of its kind solely devoted to the furniture and furnishing of the 18th century British interior, which made him instantly known. He tapped into a certain style that was popular at that time and became the most famous name in the history of English furniture at a time when such craftsmanship was at its zenith. Chippendale’s patrons included aristocracy, gentry and public figures.

His furniture designs include chairs, settees, tables, desks, mirrors, bookshelves, and cabinets. Chippendale designs fall into three main styles: Gothic, Rococo (called "modern" in the book), and Chinese. And while he operated his own workshop and crafted pieces of exquisite beauty, others made furniture and furnishings based on patterns in the "Cabinet Maker's Director," so the term Chippendale refers to English furniture of the 1750s and ’60s made in a modified Rococo style.

Among his furniture designs, it is his chairs which garnered the most attention. Many of the Rococo designs were French in origin, but Chippendale modified some of them for the less flamboyant English market; among these are his French chairs, based on Louis XV designs.

Many of his chairs had yoked top railings and intricately pierced and carved back splats.

A feature of many Chippendale chairs is the ball-and-claw foot, so named for the literal claw holding a ball. This element left over from the Queen Anne period, seen here, also shows up on corner chairs, writing desks, and tall chests of drawers.

But Thomas Chippendale also espoused another simpler chair foot, the pad or club foot which looks much like a golf club.

Chippendale eventually developed an even simpler leg and foot: a square leg with a square foot called a Marlborough leg.

To honor his contributions and legacy, it is important to note that he was much more than cabinetmaker or furniture designer. He operated in the capacity of what would now be an interior designer although that term and job title did not exist at that time. He advised on all aspects of decor such as soft furnishings like rugs and drapery, and even the color a room should be painted. During Chippendale's period of greatest success, he worked with other specialists for the supply of fully decorated and furnished rooms or whole houses, once the principal construction was done. His son, Thomas Chippendale Jr. assumed management of the business in 1776 and worked in the emerging Neoclassical and Regency styles but eventually bankrupted the company in 1804.

There is a statue and memorial plaque dedicated to Chippendale outside The Old Grammar School Gallery in Manor Square, in his home town of Otley, near Leeds, Yorkshire. And in London, there is a full-size sculpted figure of Thomas Chippendale on the façade of the Victoria and Albert Museum created in 1906 by Albert Hodge.

Happy designing!

History of Furniture: Sit Like An Egyptian

When we look at the history of furniture and furnishings, we can travel pretty far back in time (see furniture from Ancient Greece here). Of course we don't know for sure but we can guess what primitive cave dwellers used to furnish their caves: hides, straw, fire pits...the essentials for sleeping and waking and eating. But there are ancient cultures that have left behind a treasure trove of artifacts. So let's look at one of those cultures for this installment of the History of Furniture.

Thankfully, ancient Egyptian pyramids were buried and hidden by wind, sand, and time. Only when tombs started being discovered in the late 1700's did we, as a modern civilization, begin to see how Egyptians lived, first from depictions and scenes painted on tomb walls, then to finding actual furniture, furnishings, and everyday objects. The Ancient Egyptians believed that once dead, a person's soul lived on in an afterlife where they would need all the personal comforts of life on earth. Since many of the furniture pieces were made from wood, which rots over time, we have a better idea of what they sat on from images on tomb walls. But anything made of metal or stone has of course survived.

Since much of the wood in the immediate area of Egypt was of a soft variety not possessing the characteristics of strength to be made into furniture, they imported wood from surrounding areas like Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon. The most common item in an Egyptian household, whether commoner or nobleman, was the stool. It proved practical as it could be moved from place to place as needed. Styles ranged from simple to elaborate. Egyptians were surrounded by a plethora of animals which were very important to their religious beliefs--there are many animal deities in their pantheon of gods and goddesses. All indigenous cultures look to the natural world around them to explain phenomena and creation stories and animal forms play an important part in ritual and everyday objects as well. Therefore, Egyptian stools for the wealthy class had legs fashioned into the feet of animals, whether herd creatures like gazelle or one of the holiest of Egyptian animals, the feline. They ranged from simple pieces made of reed and woven rushes to carved and inlaid wood, but nearly all of them had the typical concave seat that rises to points at each corner.

Seats were more common in wealthier households, and they retained their characteristic animal legs.

Of course the gold seats and thrones that have been discovered in tombs like Tut's are incredible objects studded with stones and featuring relief scenes and carved animals at the seat and arms.

Egyptian architecture reflected the natural world as well with columns representing the lotus, the papyrus, and the palm.

Happy designing!

Wattles Mansion Showcase House, Los Angeles 2017

I am eagerly awaiting the opening of the San Francisco Decorator's Showcase in a few weeks--and regular readers know I always post photos--but in the meantime, here are some images of the second annual Wattles Mansion Showcase House in Los Angeles, which was just held in the historic Wattles Mansion.

The website of the production company responsible for the Showcase says:

About Wattles Mansion:

This year the City of Los Angeles will allow a Designer Showcase to be presented in one of the historic homes owned by the city. Wattles Mansion, a 1908 Mission Revival built by the firm of Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey (Rose Bowl, Huntington Library & Ambassador Hotel). The house has been recognized as “the only remaining intact example of the once plentiful Hollywood estates from the period preceding the film industry”. Gurdon Wattles, originally from Omaha Nebraska, was responsible for bankrolling much of early Hollywood and the movie studios.

About the showcase:

In the spring of 2017 (March 24th-April 16th), REITZHAUS will team with acclaimed interior designers for this event for the second year. The theme for the showcase, ‘Historic Hollywood; The New Classics’. We look to this historic Los Angeles home and how it would be deigned and lived in today, while keeping all of the homes original historic features. This creative process will be a unique endeavor. Wattles Mansion and Gardens benefits from this event with restoration and donations provided by talented designers.

And the designers lived up to the brief with interesting, eclectic, and modern furnishings and finishes in this historic home.

Designer David Dalton created a marvelous, welcoming entry to the mansion. This foyer sets a tone both modern and antique, befitting the stature of the building.

Because it is an historic site, the original kitchen in the mansion cannot be removed and renovated, but a design team from Williams-Sonoma Home gave the kitchen and butler's pantry a funky, cool modern edge with dark grey paint and interesting accessories that support the original era of the house.

Here is a BEFORE image of the lilving room. Clearly the spacious room has good bones. But the design duo of Woodson and Rummerfield got a hold of it...

...and hung art salon-style (including a large painting, center, of Norman Talmadge that was found deep in the basement of the house!), and furnished the room with pieces that evoke different times and locales. It feels collected and curated over time which is the goal of good interior design!

This BEFORE picture of the dinign room shows elements typical to a Mission Revival home like the coffered ceiling and the Arts and Crafts lighting.

But Patrick Dragonette lined the walls with purple velvet, and added modern art and a stunning chandelier to create a sultry, sexy dining room perfect for dinner parties by candle light.

Fernando Diaz showed great respect for the library by keeping the walnut paneling and bookcases as well as the original ceiling painting intact. His choice of furniture--and lighting fixture!--is a fitting compliment to the room.

The large second floor landing is a luxurious spot to sit thanks to designer Jessica Brende.

Nicole Gordon added lots of art, not only on the walls but also in the form of art pieces like the Chuck Moffit coffee table to this light and airy sitting room.

The Jonathan Winslow and Fariba Cohen-designed game room feels casual and inviting.

Connecting the game room and sitting room is a gorgeous bar area created by Nicole Gordon (who also did the sitting room). I love the wallpaper she used (Tiger and Magpie by Krane) and the ethnic, dramatic feel of the entire space. The doors on the casework are lovely and the best part is the carved wooden  jungle cat console table under the window!

The master bedroom by Kym Rodger is particularly stunning. I adore how all the eclectic elements come together in a surprising way to create a truly unique feel and vision.

The Ladies' Lounge by Kelley Jackson brings an expected feminine color, pink, together with the Mission style of the home... and it works!

For every Ladie's Lounge, there must a Gentleman's Lounge, and this one designed by Mae Brunken and Melinda Ritz is pretty cool. The retro elements are superb--I love the Art Deco blue glass mirror--especially the neon "Haircuts and Shaves" sign! It feels like an old fashioned apothecary or barber shop.

And the grounds got some sprucing up with a new landscape design by Anna Hoffman.

You can learn more about Wattles Mansion here. For information about visiting or renting Wattles Mansion, click here.

If you are in the Los Angeles area next year, keep an eye out for a possible third annual Wattles Mansion Showcase by visiting this site.

And stand by for coverage of the San Francisco Decorator's Showcase, coming soon.
In the meantime happy designing!