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Furniture within the home has evolved dramatically over the last 400 years, from being basic and functional to becoming stylish and comfortable says THOMAS PLANT. And where better to pick up that signature, period piece than at auction

A fter a hard day’s work, we all look forward to sitting down and relaxing, enjoying dinner and a good night’s sleep to prepare for the following day. It’s hard to imagine not having these home comforts, so how has furniture changed? In the early days, around the 4th–5th centuries, only chairs, stools, benches and chests were used. The chest was the basic type of medieval multi-purpose furniture – it served as a cupboard, trunk, seat, and, if necessary, as a simple form of table and desk.

play a part too, upholstered furniture and inlaid designs becoming key features. Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures and this technique was used for small decorative objects, as well as large pieces of furniture. One of the most famous French cabinet makers was André-Charles Boulle, who was renowned for his inlay designs and was commissioned by Louis XIV of France and other notable people of the time.

Another French designer of note was Jean Berain the Elder, whose style of light arabesques and playful grotesques were also used for royalty and led to the French rocaille and European rococo designs. Parquetry is the decorative effect of block patterns created when wood pieces are put together in geometric patterns. Parquetry is most commonly used for flooring and as veneer patterns on furniture.

This primitive furniture was hand-crafted, usually from oak, using wooden mallets and metal chisels. It was from this versatile piece of furniture that several other types, such as the cupboard and the box chair, were evolved. One hundred years later, noblemen who had more than one dwelling carried their furniture from house to house. Therefore, it became more mobile; it was easily transportable as well as practical and comprised

Georgian furniture is easily identifiable by its diminutive stature and well-proportioned dimensions. As well as being practical, the designs were visually appealing because of the high standard of craftsmanship. Latterly, the Victorians heavily carved Georgian furniture with floral and scroll designs, typically adding a mask pediment or stepped cornice to a piece. They considered the carving an improvement and also a reflection of their creativity. Fast forward to the 1950s and the retro-style furniture (1950s-70s) which is popular among collectors today. Until the rationing of wood stopped in the early 1950s, utility

pieces such as folding chairs, collapsible beds, storage furniture and compartmentalised boxes. It was from these designs that campaign furniture used in warfare by high- ranking officers was developed. Domestic comfort really came into play during Elizabeth I’s reign with the evolution of the chair. These pieces of furniture that we very much take for granted these days were considered a symbol of authority or a mark of honour and they began to replace the stools in Elizabeth’s palaces and latterly in people’s homes. From this time, the aesthetics of the furniture began to

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