Sleep in Style...With French Antique Beds

Again, I find it easier to categorize antiques into different periods and styles than in form or function. Because all antiques of a certain period share a few characteristics, it is sometimes easy to identify an antique, especially furniture, to the time period in which it was produced.

Louis XV Period
This period in French history showed furniture that relied heavily on curves, not necessarily straight lines. This is evidenced in the head and footboards of the period, with their curving lines resembling waves on an ocean. Two or three of these large curves are generally found on a bed piece. Another interesting aspect about this time period was the type of materials used. Wood was generally used as a backbone, but some pieces incorporate material or wicker. You also see painted wood and stately carvings, more trademarks of the period. A style of carving and molding called "rococo" was also popular during this time. Most of the beds produced during this period featured darker woods, like rosewood and walnut.

Louis XVI Period
As we go from the Louis XV period to the Louis XVI, several structural changes can be observed in French furniture. Beds, and furniture in general, of this period takes on a more rectangular or straight line than the curves of the previous period. In this period carving and molding became much more popular, making beds much more ornate. Again, wood is the main component in the construction of these beds, but wicker and other materials were sometimes used. Darker woods were again popular but we begin to see the emergence of some lighter woods, such as oak. Some of the more ornate beds of this period began to feature large corner poles, allowing a canopy to be draped above the bed.

Louis Philippe Period
The Louis Philippe period continues the straight lines and rectangular pieces of the previous period. This furniture is still quite popular in main stream stores as it was produced only a little over 100 years ago. Dark woods again are popular, a French tradition, and these pieces are a bit more minimalistic than the ornate carvings of the Louis XVI pieces. Walnut, rosewood, cane, and other hardwoods were popularly used. Headboards and footboards again come as matching sets in this time period. As with the Louis XVI period we begin to see the development of taller beds and canopies with the Louis Philippe models.