Colonial Versus Federalist Furniture

Wood

• During the Colonial and Federal periods, vast forests provided furniture makers with virtually unlimited supplies of walnut, oak, maple and cherry woods. Maple, which was the preferred wood for Colonial furniture, is a hard, durable wood that bends well with steam and produces a highly polished surface. Other popular Colonial-era woods were black walnut, hickory and mahogany. Cherry was a favorite choice in the Federal era because of its fine grain and attractive finish. According to Furniture Styles, Federal-era craftsmen used potassium chloride to stain walnut red so that it resembled the more expensive mahogany. Inlay, painting and scorching techniques added color contrast to Federal wood furniture.

Ornamentation

• Colonial and Federal furniture featured ornamental turnings and chipped or cut carvings. Colonial furniture makers added turnings to cabinet tops, chair legs and bedposts, while Federal craftsmen carved vertical fluting into legs and posts. During the Colonial era, popular low-relief carving motifs included flowers, acanthus leaves, shells and seaweed. Federal-era furniture featured pineapple, conch shell and acanthus leaf motifs. Furniture Styles notes that during the late Federal era, after the American Revolution, star and eagle motifs celebrated America’s independence from Britain.

Shape

• Furniture from the Colonial and Federal periods shared graceful, curved lines and simple shapes. For example, Colonial chairs had outward-curving arms and square seats. Colonial chairs and tables had straight legs with decorative turnings or Queen Anne-style cabriole legs with carvings at the knees. Furniture makers sometimes carved table or chair feet to resemble paws or flattened spheres. Federal chairs usually had square or horseshoe-shaped seats and curved arms which sloped downward to the concave, tapered or straight legs. Each foot continued the shape and line of its leg.

Hardware

• Colonial and Federal drawer pulls and hinges were often made of brass, and some Colonial hardware was made of leather, iron or wood. Drawer pulls from each era had distinctive styles and shapes. Colonial-era drawer pulls had carved or turned wooden handles or knobs, or brass batwing-shaped plates with bail handles. Federal drawer pulls had rectangular or oval brass plates with stamped or rounded bail handles, or smooth brass knobs.

Seat and Backs

• Both Colonial and Federal-style chairs had wood or upholstered backs, and some Colonial chairs had caned or woven backs. Damask, needlepoint and tapestry were common Colonial upholstery materials, while damask and tapestry were popular during the Federal period. Colonial and Federal chair backs had a wide range of styles, including fiddle-shaped with a central splat and solid rectangular. Some Colonial chairs had ladder-shaped backs with curved or straight horizontal slats. During the Colonial era, rush, cane or upholstered seats were common, while during the Federal era, rush, upholstered and wood seats were popular.