Napoleon focused on a heavy use of symbols to convey the message of Napoleon's power. The designs were an inspiration of the Greek, Roman Period, but with bold colors, and costly elaborate design. The look was on a grand, massive scale with ornate decoration including ormolu with Egyptian influence. Lions, griffins and symbols references to Napoleon's reign were very common. (Read More.....)
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Empire Style was a result of Napoleon's reign in 1769 through 1821. It was the second phase of neoclassicism (which is also called "Directoire") which is simply a style engaged by the government during that time. The Empire style furniture is usually massive in scale and often has very severe look to the furniture, resulting in a heavy masculine look . Previous furniture styles (before this time) were slowly moving away from the heavy ordimented furniture to more simplier lines. Gradual change became apparent with simplier looks, but they still employed some intricate detail in the hardware. The Empire style often features the best wood veneers with metal gilts that adorn the furniture, leaving some fancy detail to balance out the sharp shapes of the furniture. The Empire look satisified the best of both worlds,- being that of some fancy ornate detail; simple shapes, and outstanding wood detail.