Styles in furniture - Sheraton

Talking about old furniture and trying to find the representative elements of that style took me back to the wonderful world of antiques. It's a field that delights me, and the articles written in the Styles in furniture I really enjoyed it. The world of wood is so vast and full of interesting topics that it's been a while since the last addition to the series. But now, after many days of antique furniture taking up much of my time, it's time to add to the famous styles a name that brought delicate and understated elegance to furniture design, Thomas Sheraton.

Who was Thomas Sheraton

Alongside Thomas Chippendale and George Heppelwhite, Thomas Sheraton form the golden trio of 18th-century British furniture design who introduced neoclassicism to the field. Unlike them, Sheraton is known more for his published books and less for the furniture he designed. To date only one piece of furniture has been identified as being attributed to him - a bookcase, one of the drawers stamped with the initials T.S.

Thomas Sheraton was self-taught. He didn't go to school, but had a native talent for drawing, at one point even teaching drawing lessons for a living. He was supposedly apprenticed to a cabinetmaker of the time, hence his passion for furniture. He was a very technical person with a keen sense of proportion. He became known after the publication in 1791-1792 of The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing-Book (The Cabinetmaker's and Upholsterer's Sketch Book), four volumes of sketches which also contained very precise technical instructions for execution. The volumes quickly spread throughout Britain and then, through the colonists, to the United States.

In 1803 he published The Cabinet Dictionary (Furniture Dictionary), a book that was intended to be a dictionary of terms used in furniture production. However, it was not appreciated as it was considered a mixture of heterogeneous and even antagonistic terms. In 1805 an encyclopaedia of furniture and upholstery artists (The Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and General Artist's Encyclopaedia) which was to comprise several volumes. Unfortunately he only managed to publish the first volume, illness and death stopping the project.

The style Sheraton proposed in his books was neoclassical, that is, a refined and simple style that rejected the ornamental charge of earlier styles. It is a style based on the revival of Greek and Roman aesthetics, the mathematical harmony of forms, the grace of proportion and simple, unadorned geometry.

What is specific to Sheraton style

Sheraton furniture embraces neoclassical simplicity, giving a lighter and more elegant visual feel. The shapes are rectilinear, the backs of sofas and chairs are rectangular, the legs are straight, slender and delicate like a ballerina's. Unlike Chippendale, the leggy cabriole or by Heppelwhite, who preferred the square ones, the legs of Sheraton chairs are straight, often tapered, rounded and with workmanship reminiscent of Greek columns. Sometimes the legs are attached to the base with equally delicate elements that stiffen the whole system.

Sofa backs are straight, with the top uncovered by upholstery and arms that slope slightly down from the backrest, forming a common body with it. The same way of joining the arms to the backrest is found in armchairs. The legs of heavy pieces of furniture, although more solid, are just as delicate. Mahogany wood, prevalent in other neoclassical styles, is sometimes replaced by maple, rosewood, ash, birch or mahogany. Sheraton-style furniture is inlaid and inlaid, often using several contrasting species of wood. Brass is used to make the edgings, the plates around keyholes or the lion's head handles on drawers. Specific decorations are lyre, urn, rosettes, knotted ribbons, columns, lion heads. The carvings are smaller, with low relief. Specific to the style is also the use of silk behind glass in cabinets or bookcases. He enriched the furniture with drawings and paintings.

Sheraton was also an innovator in furniture design. His furniture, despite its delicacy and simplicity, is multi-functional with mechanisms that operate, for example, hidden countertops in the cabinet or that make the desk more functional. Hidden compartments or drawers that allow access to other drawers are also characteristic. The aesthetic of the furniture is provided by the combination of contrasting veneers forming complex patterns, inlaid brass or black lacquer coating, an influence of Japanese style.

Characteristics that are also found in contemporary styles

Although it didn't bring him wealth, Sheraton's designs quickly reached many ebony makers who produced furniture with the specific features. Towards the end of the century, the designs also began to be mass-produced, their elegant simplicity much appreciated. Sheraton was the most copied style in the U.S. in the second half of the 19th century and even later. In Europe, it influenced many cabinet makers who created true works of art over the years.

The classic Sheraton sofa with its straight back and delicate legs, emblematic of this style, has become a source of inspiration for contemporary designers. Not infrequently the Scandinavian style, with its round, tapered legs and simple geometry, takes me back to the old neoclassical style which, by doing away with opulence, has become elegant and timeless.

If you want to discover other classic styles of furniture go to the series Styles in furniture. And if you have any questions or want to discuss other styles, write below in the comments. I'll certainly reply.

Cover photo source: themsv.org