Best Foot Forward
Posted on October 11, 2012 by mhorgan in Design Dictionary
When it comes to choosing furniture, you always want to put your best foot forward. The feet of a piece of furniture are a specific detail that can be overlooked. But, as you’ll see, with so many different styles of feet, this little detail can bring you one step closer to falling head over heels in love with your furniture!
For this week’s Design Dictionary, let’s look at a few different styles of feet – all beginning with the letter B.
Bracket Foot
This is a decorative right-angled foot shaped like a bracket and placed at each corner of the piece of furniture. Typically seen on wooden furniture (also known as case goods), bracket feet have a timeless and classic feel, as seen here on our Madison Cherry II Entertainment Center.
Our Madison Cherry II Entertainment Center
Bun Foot
Originating from the William and Mary time period, the bun foot is shaped like a slightly flattened ball and typically used on the bottom of chests of drawers, seating pieces and upholstered chairs. Here, bun feet are used on this Colusa Credenza Buffet Table from our Celladora Collection to give the piece a sophisticated touch.
Our Celladora Colusa Credenza Buffet Table
Block Foot
The block foot is a square foot at the base of a straight untapered leg. The Wilson Console Hall Chest from the Adaptations Collection is a great example of a piece with block feet. With so many intricate details, the block feet balance the elements of this piece and give it a polished finish.
Our Adaptations Wilson Console Hall Chest
Ball & Claw Foot
True to its name, this is literally a type of carving used at the foot of a chair, table or small chest that looks like a sphere grasped by a claw. This kind of foot has Oriental origin and is said to be a Chinese symbol of evil with a dragon clutching a pearl. The Wilshire Recliner from our LP Leather Collection has ball & claw carvings on the front two legs of the chair, giving the recliner a refined and almost regal feel.
Our LP Leather Wilshire Recliner
Design Dictionary
Posted on September 20, 2012 by mhorgan in Design Dictionary
After going through the whole alphabet, it’s time to start another round of Design Dictionary! With Design Dictionary, we explain and describe the design details and style trends of the season so you can become the furniture-fashion expert. Starting back at “A,” this week we are going to look at armoire and apron.
The armoire is a tall, upright cupboard or wardrobe with a door or doors closing at the front. Not only does an armoire give a room a sense of sophistication and French elegance; it can also serve many purposes.
Use an armoire, such as our At Home in Belle Maison Armoire of Prosperity, in your living room as an attractive place to stow away your television and media devices. In the dining room, it’s the perfect place to store china and linens used only for special occasions. And, of course, in the bedroom an armoire serves as a beautiful statement piece to use as your wardrobe.
At Home in Belle Maison Armoire of Prosperity
Beautiful but often overlooked, an apron is the horizontal banding or framing beneath a tabletop or chair seat. If you’re shooting for a classic, ornate design, consider pieces with a curved or scalloped apron such as our Gourmet Dining Provence Arm and Side Chairs (pictured below). For those with a taste for the more contemporary, the clean apron of our Essence Side Chair from our Synchronicity Collection may be the right fit for you.
Gourmet Dining Provence Arm and Side Chairs
Design Dictionary
Posted on July 27, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Looking for that perfect chair to add style and, most importantly, comfortable seating to your living room? Then look no further than this week’s Design Dictionary term – the wingback chair, a large, often overstuffed chair with sidepieces attached to the sides of the back known as “ears” or “wings.” With its distinct style, it can give a sophisticated twist to any room without sacrificing any of the comfort that you are seeking.
For a classic wingback that will add traditional flare to your room, try our Leighton Chair. Elegant feet and custom upholstery create a refined style, while the characteristically over-stuffed cushions and wings create a seat so comfortable you’ll never want to get up. For more masculine appeal, upholster the Leighton Chair and matching ottoman in a rich brown leather that any man would approve.
Our Leighton Chair
Try the Stansfield Chair to add a more sophisticated vibe to your room (picture dark mahogany, plenty of book shelves and dim lighting). Beautiful nailhead trim accents the leather and adds just enough detail to complement the chair’s attention-grabbing shape.
Our Stansfield Chair
While the wingback is traditionally used in the living room, we love the idea of using a smaller wingback for dining seating. Our Bialy Chair puts a modern spin on this classic when used in a dining room setting. Smaller in shape and sans arms, the Bialy Chair is just the right size to fit around the table and creates a comfortable, chic style. Short on space in your dining room or kitchen? Try adding a small wingback chair just at the heads of the table to cut back on bulk without sacrificing any of the style.
Our Bialy Chair
Design Dictionary: Tufting
Posted on July 2, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
This week’s Design Dictionary is all about tufting, a furniture and textile-weaving technique that occurs when the thread is sewn and tied inward with the embellishment of buttons. The result? The fabric is gathered, giving the piece a tight, finished look that adds a new level of dimension to the upholstery.
If you want to incorporate just a touch of tufting into your design, then our Hexham Chair is perfect for you – sophisticated, yet fun, this piece features understated stylish tufting on the chair back. Make the Hexham Chair your own by choosing from 21 fabulous frames and 54 beautiful fabric options. Or, go even further with individualizing your chair by selecting the buttons and piping in a contrasting color to make an extra bold statement!
Our Hexham Chair
Experiment even more with this design feature by upgrading your old, simple headboard to the Serendipity Upholstered Bed, which features stunning tufting and a beautiful walnut frame. Upholster the headboard panel in any of Drexel Heritage’s custom fabrics, or, for more masculine appeal, select a rich leather upholstery.
Our Serendipity Upholstered Bed
For a mix of fashion’s latest trends and this classic upholstery technique, try our Laurie Chair, which combines tufting and the runway trend crochet, which we recently highlighted in our Crochet Craze blog. Distinctively individual, our Laurie Chair features tufting on the seat of the chair, rather than the chair back where tufting in typically created.
Our Laurie Chair
For a fun summer project, practice tufting on your own with this DIY diamond tuft pillow. Then, add it as an accent to your favorite Drexel Heritage piece whether it is a throw pillow on the Serendipity Upholstered Bed or an accent pillow on the Hexham Chair.
Sideboards vs. Sofa Tables
Posted on May 31, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
It’s time for another Design Dictionary exploring the age-old question: what’s the difference between a sofa table and sideboard?
Sofa tables and sideboards are long, narrow tables that are functional and attractive pieces to add to your home’s dining room and family room.
Break up a long wall in the dining room with a sideboard—a table with a wide drawer at the center flanked by drawers and cupboards on the sides. Because of its narrow width, this table fits comfortably along any wall in the dining room and is ideal for storing and serving food for big family meals.
Our Beecham Sideboard
The Beecham Sideboard is from one of Drexel Heritage’s newest collections, European Market, and we love it for its warm finish and practical storage (two front drawers plus an extra bottom shelf).
Like the sideboard, the sofa table is a long and narrow, often featuring drawers and drop leaf ends for maximum function. Designed as a place to store game boards, car keys, etc., this piece fits snugly behind the back of a sofa for easily accessible and stylish storage.
So what’s the big difference between the two pieces? Well, aside from built-in storage components like silver liners in a sideboard, it can often be hard to tell the difference. Here’s an idea: take advantage of our custom upholstery options to create a piece that can be used as both!
The Drexel Heritage Console Table (pictured below) gives this timeless classic a modern facelift. The custom upholstery options add texture and visual appeal. Add a glass top for easy cleanup when you’re serving food.
One of our upholstered console tables straight from our High Point Market showroom.
Likewise, our Encounter Sofa Table, featured in a durable leather fabric, (we also recommend an easy-to-clean Sunbrella fabric) will look fabulous in the living room and dining room. Plus, who doesn’t love nail head trim for a little extra pizzazz?
Our Encounter Sofa Table
Tell us about how you’re doubling a sofa table as a sideboard, or vice-versa!
Design Dictionary
Posted on May 4, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Do you hear those sleigh bells ringing? We sure do, and year-round, too! Why, we love these classic silhouettes so much, we’ve decided to dedicate an entire Design Dictionary post to just that – the Sleigh Bed!
The sleigh bed, as you know it, is defined by its curved (or scrolled) headboard and footboard. Designed to emulate a horse drawn carriage, the style became very popular in 19th century France and America. Drawing from ancient Roman and Grecian influences, the bed is still widely popular today.
Because sleigh beds are most often made of wood and are heavier in scale, we recommend pairing them with lighter scale furniture. For those of you with an eclectic sense of style, we recommend our Faustine Mirrored Night Stand – it creates the illusion of light. Wanting to go for something more traditional? Try our Bouquet Bedside Table.
Another trick? Finish the bed in one of our lighter custom paint finishes. We love the look of our At Home in Belle Maison Sleigh Bed finished in Antique White.
Hoping to make a bold statement? Place your sleigh bed in the middle of your bedroom, allowing it serve as a stand-alone piece.
Any other sleigh bed aficionados out there? We’d love to hear about why this bed style is so special to you!
Settee and Slipper Chair
Posted on March 30, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Whether you’re hosting a small family get-together or throwing a cocktail party, one thing is certain — it’s always good to have extra seating on hand. For today’s Design Dictionary, we’d love to introduce you to two of our favorite styles of chairs, the settee and the slipper chair: the perfect answers to your seating shortage.
Settee
Developed in the 17th century, the settee is the predecessor to the sofa and is the perfect chair for two. This elongated armchair can accommodate two or more people and looks oh-so-stylish in any of Drexel Heritage’s custom upholstery options, such as a fabulously fun floral design. We love the Christelle Settee and its classic form, which blends seamlessly into any room. The settee’s size makes it easy to move and use wherever extra seating is necessary!
Slipper Chair
Another great way to add seating to a room is the slipper chair. Designed in America in the 18th century, this style chair has a characteristically high back and a low seat with short legs. Our Abigail Chair is a fabulous example of how trendy and functional the slipper chair can be. This chair’s double-curved leg and tufted chair back make it fashionable, while its wide seat and customizable upholstery make it practical.
Are you in need of some extra seating? How do you accommodate for all of your guests?
Design Dictionary
Posted on March 1, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
It’s the details that take a piece of furniture from just blah to voila. For this design dictionary, we’d like to introduce you to some types of decorative detailing (beginning with the letter R) that make our Drexel furniture one-of-a-kind.
Relief Carving
Relief Carving
This ancient style of woodcarving has been used to create sculptural details on furniture throughout history and is still popular today. In this technique, the background material is carved away allowing the design to be prominently raised above the surface. Depending on the depth of carving and the prominence of the projection, there are several styles of reliefs including: low, bas, deep and pierced. Our Armoire of Prosperity employs this relief carving technique, giving the piece more depth and visual interest.
Rope Molding
Rope Molding
Resembling the twists of a rope, this type of decorative molding is a classic technique used to add intricate detailing to a variety of types of furniture. When added to a cabinet or armoire, rope molding instantly adds a touch of elegance. If you want to dramatically display this detail, try our Celladora Celo Poster Bed or Colusa Credenza buffet.
Rosette
Rosette
This design detail is characterized by its carved or pointed circular decoration, formed by rows of leaves in a circle around a bud or center. It has been a common design detail since the early fourth millennium BC, and has been seen in various civilizations throughout history including: Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece and Egypt. The rosette is easy to incorporate into your home with our Casa Vita Russo End Table. And the best part? The piece customizable, so it will blend seamlessly with the rest of your furniture!
Design Dictionary: Queen Anne
Posted on February 3, 2012 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Queen Anne’s reign might have ended in 1707, but her legacy lives on through every chair, secretary and china cupboard that is inspired by her iconic style.
Curvaceous features were a sign of wealth in the 1800s, and that build certainly carried over into Queen Anne-style furniture. Rich woods, soft lines and rotund-bodied furniture are benchmarks of this classical era that can still be seen today.
This Queen Anne Side Chair was recently highlighted for its parrot slat, but it also features the soft lines and curves indicative of Queen Anne style.
With its rich finish and rounded edges, the Greco China cabinet is another great example of a Queen Anne piece.
Queen Anne will forever be found in history books, as will the decadent furniture inspired by her personal style.
Design Dictionary
Posted on November 23, 2011 by jbutler in Design Dictionary
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we can’t stop thinking about some of our favorite things that start with the letter “P”: pumpkin pie, potatoes and a little pigskin (the Packers, anyone?). Speaking of the letter “P,” we’d like to introduce the two newest additions to our Design Dictionary series: Palladio and Parrot.
Palladio
Andrea Palladio, a famous Venetian architect of the 16th century, is widely known for his series of villas and urban palaces in Vincenza. He is also widely known for what we’ve come to describe as the Palladian arch. Though the arch was not invented by Palladio himself, he made it famous when he employed this characteristic in his design of the basilica in Vincenza.
Today, the Palladian arch is still around. Featuring a semi-circular top flanked with two flat-top openings, it’s featured in the designs of everything from architecture to furniture. The Mirror of Enlightenment, from our Philosophies collection, is a great example of this timeless element of classical design.
Parrot
While we can’t stop dreaming of a delicious turkey this Thanksgiving, we’ve got another bird on our minds for this next Design Dictionary term: the parrot (or parrot splat, to be exact). This bird-like feature is usually found on Queen Anne-style chairs (like our Queen Anne Side Chair) and is characterized by the rounded head and beak shape visible in the open space between the chair splat and backpost. Can you find the two “parrots” in this chair?