Amongst this industry today, two key influences have been
recognised upon the development of furniture; one being the materials that are
made available to manufactures and secondly, customer demand. The fact is that
fashion trends are constantly evolving (as is the case with clothing). However
when the issue of furniture is raised amongst society, heavy comparisons are
generally made between the types of antique furniture and modern furniture that
are made available us within the market, today.
Many people in the present day tend to make a mockery of
surviving antiques, and fail to appreciate their true value; surviving antiques
are more often than not found in form of chairs, tables, wardrobes, a vast
variety of different furnishings that would be suited all over the everyday,
working home. Many fail to realise that antiques, of up to almost five hundred
years old, are extremely durable and are completely safe to continue using
today. People tend to wonder how it is even possible that furniture of such age
and maturity can possibly last over a period of decades; the answer is simple;
materials. Solid, top quality wood was once used to manufacture such
furnishings, preparing them for everyday wear and tear. The very distinctive
styles carved and imprinted in to the furnishings were also an example of the
hard work and efforts but in to the manufacturing of these pieces. In such an
era, fine craftsmanship was very much appreciated by consumers; due to this
mass admiration, furnishings were in high demand due to the spectacular
quality, durability and talent behind such sculptures.
As a result of this fine artistry, furniture, rather than
regularly purchased, was instead passed down through the generations, keeping
pieces within the family. As this furniture was able to withstand time, and
wear and tear, furniture managed to accrue in value, right up until the end
when they were no longer needed. During the Elizabethan era, oak was the key
material used; using oak would ensure that furniture could endure a variety of
harsh conditions it may have been exposed to. Furniture had a quality finish;
all beds would have been built as a four-poster bed, complete with a canopy
above and carved posts, boasting grandeur. In the seventeenth and eighteenth
century, chest drawers had also been introduced to collections boasting
gracious and decorative carvings. The popularity of such furniture became more
and more evident as, what is still commonly known as the Queen Anne chair
complete with curved lines exquisite upholstery and curiously shaped legs,
dominated the majority furniture shops. However moving in to the twentieth
century, carpenters began to make use of much finer woods such as walnut,
mahogany, cherry and rosewood; such materials have now become very costly and
having furniture made from such materials will not fair cheap.
At present the more popular materials used for the likes
of kitchen furniture, dining room furniture and bedroom furniture sets would be
chrome, PVC, plastic and glass, used in conjunction with a vast majority of
colours. Laminating certain materials has now also become a cost effective
solution to manufacturing furniture such as chairs and tables. This particular
mechanism also allows for unique and exclusive designs to be produced with
other materials. Also, the once popular armchair has now been refined as
settees with padded cushions, making the most of a range of versatile textiles.
Progression brings about change; however modern interiors do not necessarily
suit every household. Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian properties still exist
today and which define what a 'home' should be and how it should feel. Such
properties will only benefit from interiors of the yesteryears.
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