Canadian Home Trends Kitchen & Bath/Holiday 2013 | Page 24

royalty royalty royalty royalty Louischair? which Can’t tell the difference between the three Louis chair styles? We’ve broken it down for you! Text Glen Peloso mid 1600’s End of Franco-Dutch War early 1700s Marie Antoinette Marries Louis XVI Marie Antoinette is Born Louis XIV Crowned King Louis XV Crowned King The Style Louis XIV The Style Louis XV The Era The furniture from Louis XIV was at its peak in the late 1600’s under the reign of King Louis the XIV and Versailles was decorated in his style. The Era The Louis XV style was most popular in the mid 1700’s and may have the lines that most people think of as being “French antiques”. Traces of the Louis XIV style were still present in the styling of Louis XV furniture. The Legs The chair had a very heavy base, with much ornamentation in the arms and apron of the seat. It was most heavy in the legs and stretchers (stretchers are the details, part of the way down the legs to add stability to the base). This detail was either in the shape of an H or an X. The Back The look of the chair was square and quite tall with a fully upholstered back. The Arms The arms are stately and meet the front leg directly at a right angle. The Details The carving and gold gilt details in animal heads and paws, musical instruments and leaf details are distinctive to this chair. AIDA Arm Chair Chair Source www.chairsource.ca 24 CanadianHomeTrends.com The Legs The soft curve in the legs of the chairs suggests a feminine natural hip line. The stretchers were no longer present. The Back The gently curved back of the chair now has a show wood, as opposed to full upholstery. The Arms The arms don’t meet the legs squarely but slope in to the frame of the chair. The Details The carved details on the back and legs are still present however it is now much more subtle. It has ornamentation in the middle of the apron and chair back as well as some fluting or reed details carved into the legs. The details were depictions of leaves, shells and ribbons. Arm Chair Chair Source www.chairsource.ca late 1700s Louis XVI Crowned King The Style Louis XVI The Era This look from the late 1700’s is delicate but far squarer than the previous Louis chair. The Legs Straight legs with a fluted detail resolving to a rosette or garland where it meets the apron of the chair. The Back The Louis sixteen chairs have an oval or square back. The Arms The arm once more comes to a right angle over the front leg of the chair and the fluted detail of the apron is repeated in all the show wood of this chair. The Details The details lend themselves well to a transitional style as well as a traditional style home. The wood details can be painted into a white, black or stain detail to lend an appeal to most décors and therefore is the chair most often referred to as a “Louis.” Arm Chair Decorium www.decorium.com