The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Furniture Finishing

Though chairs grew in use among the lower classes during the Cromwellian period, stools continued popular and were greatly elaborated, in many cases built to extend the width of the fireplace and provided with turned legs and stretchers. Of other pieces there were carved four-post beds and chests, and cupboards provided with drawers in place of doors and shelving as heretofore.

In style Jacobean remained rectangular though somewhat more movable. From Dutch sources came the ball or bun foot for chests and Flemish scrolled instead of straight stretchers. Chair backs were perpendicular, wide and generally low, either carved, railed or spindled; seats were high, for use with foot stools, and were of plain wood or padded with leather. Bulbous legs on tables were carried over from the Elizabethan period and cabinet fronts were panelled in pleasing geometrical designs. During the Commonwealth everything was of the plainest construction, heavy in form and rather lacking in grace.

With the Restoration the lingering architectural note finally disappeared. Walnut and chestnut replaced the time-honored oak and with them came a host of French and Flemish influences, notably high, carved chair-backs framing a caned or upholstered central panel, spiral carved legs and pierced scroll stretchers. Dutch marquetry on chests provided beautiful drawer panels in ivory and bone patterns representing flowers, leaves and elaborate arabesques. In carving the so-called "crown and tulip" was a favorite Carolean motif.

Jacobean is interesting as the first period to show a vital influence on the design of modern American furniture; it was also the first to be imported into this country in Colonial times. Present day styles take the form of moderately priced dining room suites, although there is also a considerable representation of odd hall and living room pieces, all very much modified and brought up to date. Cromwellian is rather too ascetic for twentieth century tastes, but it continues to provide inspiration for some very fine adaptations in the bedroom line. Restoration reproductions for choicer living room pieces include chairs, cabinets, footstools, daybeds and chests of drawers.