Regency Furniture History

History

• The Regency period began with the publication of architect Henry Holland's "Etchings of Ancient Ornamental Architecture" in 1799-1800. The book reproduced classical objects found by Holland's designers who visited Rome in 1794.

Influences

• During the Regency period furniture design changed from being influenced by different periods of history to the production of copies of furniture from ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt and China.

Design

• The reproduction of classical furniture was made fashionable by designer Thomas Hope in his 1807 book, "Household Furniture & Decoration," in which he created exact copies of ancient furniture using wood and bronze.

Materials

• Regency furniture used mahogany as its main wood but added wood with strong veneers such as rosewood and zebrawood.

Style

• The style of Regency furniture reduced the use of curved and shaped surfaces, replacing them with plain, straight lines. Ornamentation was added with the use of ancient symbols such as animal legs, Roman gods and winged griffins on the legs of tables and chairs.