The design and development of furniture over the centuries had been steady and predictable. It was largely influenced by the availability of materials, and the changing fashions of the eras. Armoires were designed for suits of armour, but later became wardrobes for clothing. Chairs lost their arms to accommodate wide skirts, and became upholstered and comfortable to fit in with the drawing rooms of fashionable ladies.
To quote William Cowper: Necessity invented stools, convenience next suggested elbow-chairs, and luxury the accomplish’d Sofa last.
The 18th century had been dominated by fine cabinetmakers such as Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton, and their craftsmanship and designs are still loved and admired today. However, more change was on the horizon in the later part of the 19th century, with the Arts and Crafts movement, as it became known, which integrated craft traditions with mass production techniques aimed at the growing mass markets.
Thomas Hope (1769-1831): Hope was born in Amsterdam, Holland, and was descended from a Scottish family of successful London merchants. At the age of 18 he began a tour of Europe, Asia and Africa which greatly affected his later artistic designs. His furniture was in the style of ‘English Empire’ which was defined by extravagant and heavy designs, and he became an exponent of the Regency style of decorative arts. Like his predecessors before him, he published a book of designs in 1807 called ‘Household Furniture and Interior Decoration’.
