Historical Style Index

Decorating styles: the style can determine whether you'll be shopping for antiques or looking for modern furniture. You may wish to mix and match various styles to create a very unique decor and eclectic look.

American Colonial period

American Colonial period refers to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when America was still a colony of England. Architecture had a simple utilitarian design. Compared to Europe, early American style was based more on necessity, using local materials. The style integrates English and European influences and was concurrent with the Georgian period in England. Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia is an entire Colonial town.

Art Deco

Art Deco was seen in the 1920s and '30s, between World War I and II. The name comes from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925. Geometric designs and bright colors were typical. The Chrysler Building in New York City is a prime example, and in South Beach, Miami, the Art Deco style was widely used and has been restored in recent years.

Arts and Crafts movement

In the Arts and Crafts movement, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the focus was on craftsmanship. Interiors were handmade using traditional methods where possible. English designer William Morris was its most famous practitioner.

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau , or "new art" in French, was seen in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Europe and the U.S. Distinctive asymmetrical lines and organic forms are typical of this style. The Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and early works by the Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh were influential in Art Nouveau.

Baroque style

Baroque style was first seen in the late seventeenth century in Europe. It was characterized by elaborate ornament and opulence. St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome and Versailles in France are examples. St. Paul's Cathedral in London is also an example of Baroque architecture. In Quito, Ecuador, the city center is built in the Baroque School of Quito style and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Empire period

The Empire period was in the early 1800s during the reign of Napoleon in France, but it was also seen elsewhere. Egyptian motifs and classical influences were common. The Empire style is quite grand.

Fereral period

Fereral period, an American style, came about shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Neoclassical influences were seen. Duncan Phyfe, a Scottish-born American, was a particularly well-known cabinetmaker at this time.

Georgian period

The Georgian period is divided into early Georgian and late Georgian. In England the reign of King George I began in the early eighteenth century, and the late Georgian period was late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, during the reign of King George III. The English cabinetmakers Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite, and Thomas Sheraton were designing furniture during this time. In early Georgian design cabriole legs and ball and claw feet were typical. Neoclassical elements define late Georgian style.

Gothic period

The Gothic period was approximately mid twelfth century to the beginning of the sixteenth century. Windows with pointed arches, flying buttresses, and elaborate tracery are typical. Charles. Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral in France and Westminster Abbey in England are examples of Gothic architecture. The Brooklyn Bridge in New York city has Gothic-styled pointed arches.

Modern Movement

The Modern Movement in architecture developed in the twentieth century. There are a number of different styles and influences within the Modern movement, but an overall simplicity and scarcity of ornament or molding runs though all. The lines in the architecture and decoration are clean.

Neoclassical Style

Neoclassical Style, in the mid-eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, was inspired at least in part by the discovery of the ruins of Pompeii. Classical Greek motifs, rectilinear lines, and classical form were widely seen. The Scottish architect Robert Adam was particularly influential at this time. Neo-classical elements are seen during the late Georgian and Regency periods in England and during the Federal period in America.

Regency Period

Regency Period, in early nineteenth-century England, refers to the period when George, Prince of Wales, was a regent before becoming King George IV. Classical design was often used and proportions were smaller than had previously been seen during the Georgian style. The English architect Sir John Soane's work is associated with the Regency style.

Rococo

Rococo lasted for approximately 35 years in the early to mid-eighteenth century during the reigns of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary VI. These monarchs were all from the Tudor family. Characteristics of the style include whitewashed plaster between wooden supports on the exterior and oak paneling on the interior. Hampton Court Palace in England is a typical example of Tudor architecture on a grand scale.

Victorian Period

The Victorian Period , during the reign of Queen Victoria of England, was in the mid- to late nineteenth century. There is a British Victorian and an American Victorian style. Both combined and revived historic styles such as the Gothic. American Victorian was influenced by England but also showed some European influences. Gingerbread architecture, mansard roofs, and dark wood and heavy trimmings on the interior were typical.