Empire Furniture: Powerful Empire Sofas

Mike Bell featured this lovely Empire style canape in an unusual dazzling pink fabric. Mike Bell Antiques are known for their period furniture, reproductions and prestigious antiques. What is a canape anyway? Its shape is distinct from other sofas of the period, including the chaise longue, and is a variation on the "sofa". Frequently matching chairs were made to go with it. A canapé is a piece of furniture much the same as a couch or a settee. What is a settee exactly? A Settee has been described as a long wooden bench with a back, and other dictionaries describe it as a small to medium sized couch. Are you confused yet? You should be. Have you ever heard any one describe a couch using the term "chesterfield"? If you are a Canadian, you might. A chesterfield is basically a sofa. I grew up with my grandparents referring to the sofa as a "chesterfield". Today the term is rarely used, and has gone out of style in Canada. In the UK, they use the generic term 'sofa' or 'settee' for living room furniture. They once used the term 'couch' for seating that was often seen in a psychiatrist's office. In some sense, they would describe a couch as being a piece of furniture used for lying down, while a settee is used for formal settings and sitting upright. In the old French language, they also describe a 'couch' as a place to sleep or lie down. Like other terms, ..........settee, canape, and longue, they all come out of different countries to describe a type of sofa to some degree or another.

Empire Style Swan Canape

The traditional meaning of couch is a type of sofa that features a half back and one end that appears to be raised. If you were to visualize this type of couch, you might think of a bed that looks much like a day-bed or chaise longue. As early as 2000 B.C., the Egyptians used sofas much like these. The ancient Romans took design principles from the the Greeks, and used their wood longue frames in their kitchen. The coverings would be composed of animal hair or plant fiber that was often wrapped snugly in some sort of material which sat on the sofa than being nailed down like we see today. It wasn't until the late sixteenth century during the Renaissance that soft cushions were attached to the frames of benches and chairs. The Roman sofas usually had an armrest to one side, which a person could recline back on, having back support, and a longer styled bench which the legs could rest straight. I am sure they would be fans of the modern day recliner that extends the legs with a flip of a handle, but unfortunately those modern days comforts weren't seen until our modern day. The Romans created a number of couches and beds which we today associate with lounge chairs, much like you would see at the pool except with exceptionally beautiful craftsmanship. (Picture to the left from J. Clayton Spears & Co)

Medieval furniture was highly uncomfortable. Forget about the lush padding that we sit on today, as only the richest people had sofas and chairs through the medieval time periods. The poor had to make due with wooden benches and stools. The floor might have been more comfortable! Furniture was made entirely made from wood and BUT was functional. Animal skins were used to cover chairs with, and the basic design was sturdy. Baroque sofas took the simplistic design of the medieval furniture and added decorative carvings and seat coverings. Rich Baroque styles originated in Italy very quickly spread throughout Europe.

Then came Thomas Chippendale who was one of the first to feature patterns for furniture that had padded arm rests and backs and comfortable cushioned seats with the beautiful frames still being visible. In 1828, springs were introduced into furniture, where they were originated for the seats in carriages to minimize the bumpy rides. Empire furniture combined the functionality but were highly decorative. Empire furniture often features rich motifs and carved details. They are some of the nicest furniture in history. The heavy masculine frames looked wealthy and were accented with lavish carved details. But it wasn't until the early twentieth century that upholstered furniture became common to every household. The modern day couch evolved from the settee. Fully upholstered settees made for middle-class families only were brought to the market not that long ago in the early 1920s.

Today upholstery is common. Chairs, sofas, ottomans and footrests are seen everywhere. Many new lines come out with unique fabrics every season but nothing that compares to Empire period furniture. Not only do we see supreme quality with Empire furniture, but the overall size was robust, wealthy and glamorous. Upholstered furniture was once a symbol of wealth and affluence. We don't see the decoration on furniture as it was once was made for show. Having Empire furniture in ones home is still an indulgence in the best that luxury has to offer.