Embrace Your Vintage Era with Our Cheat Sheet for Identifying Antique Furniture Styles
- America's Antique Mall
- Aug 11
- 8 min read
It doesn’t matter if you rent a tiny one-bedroom apartment or own a sprawling estate—you can spruce up your home décor with vintage and antique furniture from decades past for a trendy yet timeless look. From Empire-era wooden armoires for the guest room to mid-century modern bedside tables and everything in between, there really is something to suit every style.
What’s the secret to finding those must-have vintage furniture pieces? A little bit of research, of course! With our help, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of all the different furniture style eras, making it easy to discover your preference and find exactly the pieces you’re looking for.
Why Decorate with Antique Furniture?
When it comes to choosing kitchen tables and bookshelves, why settle for the same-old, retail pieces everyone and their mother seems to have when you could choose completely unique vintage furniture and décor? From collectible stained glass decorations to sturdy desks, each item in a room contributes to creating a one-of-a-kind home.
Antique furniture is also notoriously more durable than its modern counterparts. This is due to a mix of the types of materials used, handcrafted techniques, and artisans who held a deeper appreciation of building pieces that were made to last. When you buy a well-made piece of antique furniture, you’ll be able to enjoy it for decades to come.
Each vintage furniture purchase you make has the potential to pay off in the long run. Every design holds a rich history from the time it was constructed, ensuring that both sentimental and monetary value are sure to grow as more time passes. Many design and furniture style eras have a certain collectability, making them the perfect family heirlooms to pass down to your children.
The Difference Between Antique and Vintage Furniture
When you browse an Algonquin antique mall, you’ll notice that the terms “antique” and “vintage” are often used interchangeably. But, when you get down to the nitty gritty necessity of dating furniture styles, these words are one of the most important clues for figuring out which year a piece of vintage furniture was crafted.
Vintage furniture refers to pieces that are between 20 and 99 years old, while antique furniture was constructed at least 100 years ago. With countless design eras to choose from, rest assured that both vintage and antique furniture have their dedicated fan bases.
Online Research Aids for Antique Furniture
Let’s get one thing clear: anyone can buy a piece of antique furniture. All they have to do is walk into an Illinois antique mall, find a furniture style they like, and take it home. But if you want to become a real pro, investing a little time into researching different vintage furniture eras is key.
Consult these reputable guides to get an inside look at the authentication, dating methods, and lingo used by vendors and collectors in the world of vintage furniture selling:
Kovels Antique Trader: information on dates and pricing of similar antiques and collectibles
Journal of Antiques & Collectibles: a social platform for enthusiasts and vendors alike
The Encyclopedia of Furniture: a photograph and info book covering each furniture style period, famed designers, and types of materials
Learn to Identify Antique Furniture Styles on Your Own
If you want to walk the aisles of a Highland antique store and be able to guess when certain antique furniture designs were made or gain an in-depth knowledge of your favorite styles so you can spot them in a snap, then it’s time to roll your sleeves up and learn how to identify pieces from the most popular vintage furniture eras.
Antique Furniture Eras
William and Mary: 1690-1730
The William and Mary era marked a significant shift in more than just the English monarchy—it transformed furniture styles as well. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, King William III of Orange and his consort, Queen Mary II, were offered the throne as joint monarchs, introducing a new, previously unseen Dutch style to furniture manufacturers.
William and Mary furniture styles are easily recognizable for tall, slender, and practical builds decorated with elaborate ornamentations such as carvings, ivory inlays, or lacquer work. Walnut became the preferred choice for wooden furniture pieces, with artisans using the dovetailing method to ensure stability in joints and legs. This type of antique furniture quickly gained popularity worldwide as designs were shipped to colonies and other countries, including the United States, which began to replicate the same styles.
Popular William and Mary Era Pieces
William and Mary remains one of the top-selling furniture styles year after year. Keep an eye out for these era-defining antique furniture designs:
Highboys
Gate-leg tables
Slant-front desks
Boston chairs
Queen Anne: 1720-1760
The Queen Anne furniture style is most often used to describe pieces made after Queen Anne of England’s reign ended. Furniture producers drew on inspiration from the time of her rule to invent showstopping, elegant styles.
In contrast to previous furniture style eras, where straight lines were all the rage, Queen Anne designs are known for flowing lines, as seen in the curving cabriole and S-shaped leg. These walnut wood pieces were made with comfort and practicality in mind, forgoing the over-the-top carving and decoration for cushioned seats, useful writing desks, and wing-back chairs.
Chippendale: 1755-1790
The Chippendale furniture style was named after the most influential cabinetmaker at the time, Thomas Chippendale. A blend of Rococo, Chinese, and Gothic aesthetics, Chippendale designs are known for peak craftsmanship, much of which can be seen in the Englishman’s book, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director.
Furniture styles from the Chippendale decades combine high-quality materials, such as mahogany, with beautiful, functional designs. Tables and stools, for instance, featured ball-and-claw feet, where the decorative foot of chairs and tables resembles a bird’s claw gripping a ball.
Federal: 1790-1815
There’s no point in discussing antique furniture if you aren’t going to bring up the Federal style. This furniture style reflects the growing patriotism felt in the newly created American states. Determined to develop their own distinctive furniture aesthetic, the States stepped away from ornate, curved designs and began to produce balanced and symmetrical pieces.
For Federal antique furniture, quality was key, with mahogany, maple, birch, and satinwood being the preferred materials. Legs were straight, and chairs were comfortable with thinner cushions. Most notably, two new furniture forms emerged in this era: the sideboard and the worktable.
Note: The Sheraton furniture style overlaps almost year for year with the Federal era. Preferred by more rural areas in the United States, lines in Sheraton antique furniture were straighter, and designs were plainer.
Empire: 1805-1830
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Empire furniture style emerged, drawing inspiration from the classic influences in Greece, Egypt, and Rome. American craftsmen incorporated patriotic motifs into primarily dark wood designs, such as ebony and painted mahogany, designed to help the gilt and metallic accents stand out.
New Furniture Styles from the Empire Era:
Sleigh beds
Softa tables
Armoires
Victorian: 1830-1890
Queen Victoria famously adored ornate styles in clothing, fashion, and, above all, furniture. When you think of Victorian antique furniture, think of maximalism and over-the-top designs. This period encompasses a few different furniture styles, so it’s important to look into each one of these five eras:
French Restoration: dating from 1830 to 1850, was considered the plainest of the subcategories, featuring sweeping, undulating curves and added upholstery with Empire-inspired motifs.
Gothic Revival: dating from 1845 to 1860, directly corresponds to the architectural Gothic movement, characterized by carved details, quatrefoil shapes, and a new shelving form known as an étagère, which allowed owners to display their treasured collections.
Rococo Revival: dating from 1845 to 1870, features nature-inspired carved decorations, cabriole-style feet and legs, and cast-iron elements.
Elizabethan: dating from 1850 to 1915, this style only partially existed during the Victorian era and is known as the most feminine of the categories, characterized by floral details, high and narrow chair backs, and needlework upholstery on sofas.
Louis XVI: dating from 1850 to 1914, this style featured a shift towards classicism, with straight legs, slightly fluted legs, and restrained ornamentation.
Arts & Crafts: 1895-1915
During the Arts & Crafts era, vintage furniture artisans rejected the mass-production methods popularized during the previous decades and made an effort to revive traditional craftsmanship. With natural finishes, copper hardware, straight legs, and small feet, the antique furniture designs from this movement are increasingly popular amongst modern-day collectors. If you’re in an antique furniture store near Chicago, look out for signs of visible furniture construction, such as dovetails and hand-hammered metal accents.
Art Nouveau: 1896-1914
Most popular in France, the Art Nouveau movement featured sweeping lines and flowing curves that were not conducive to mass production. With nature-inspired motifs, whiplash curves, and intricate inlays, this style is the perfect blend of fine art and functionality. If you’re searching for an extra-feminine touch for your home, keep an eye out for Art Nouveau collectible antique furniture pieces at your local antique mall.
Vintage Furniture Eras
Art Deco: 1920-1945
When it comes to vintage furniture, Art Deco pieces will never go out of style. Defined by bold geometric shapes, streamlined designs, and luxurious materials, vintage furniture from this era incorporates traditional craftsmanship with the industrial aesthetic popular during that time. Glamorous, vibrant, and modern, Art Deco vintage furniture is always worth seeking out at your local Indiana vendor mall.
Mid-Century Modern: 1940-1970
These days, Mid-Century Modern furniture is the hottest trend. Inspired by the Space Race, designers in this era experimented with new materials, such as plastic, aluminum, and molded laminates, often blending the unconventional with wood to create contemporary pieces. With clean lines, organic shapes, and bold pops of colors, these vintage furniture pieces give any room a retro, minimalist feel.
Is Vintage Furniture Expensive?
If you’re on a budget, we have good news for you—vintage and antique furniture can be found in a wide variety of price points at your Melbourne antique mall. While it’s true that specific eras of furniture styles tend to be more expensive than others, vendors work hard to stock their booths with a wide range of collectible and beautiful designs. Before you visit, we recommend setting a realistic budget, so you know exactly how much you’re comfortable spending on the antique furniture you find.
3 Essential Considerations Before Buying Vintage Furniture
We know—there’s no better feeling than finding a dreamy piece of antique furniture that makes your heart skip a beat. But, as hard as it may feel, try to avoid an impulse purchase. Before you hand over your credit, make sure you’ve given the design a closer look (and measured it to make sure it’ll fit into your space!) and considered these important factors:
Condition: similar to most collectibles, from trading cards to music memorabilia, vintage furniture doesn’t necessarily have to be mint to be worthy of your home. Just make sure to inspect each drawer, leg, handle, and surface for any scratches, scuff marks, or structural issues. If something seems beyond repair, don’t discard it yet—consider its upcycling potential!
Age and rarity: the year a piece of vintage furniture was built and its current rarity are two vital factors in determining value. Trustworthy vendors can provide this information to back up their asking price.
Cohesiveness: If you’re looking to incorporate antique furniture into your already-decorated home, it’s important to consider whether or not it will blend in with your current style. If the answer is “it won’t,” are you willing to have to redecorate your space to suit the new design?
Where’s the Best Place to Find Antique Furniture?
Although there are numerous online auction websites and ways to find pieces on the internet, the best place to find antique furniture is a nearby vendor mall. When you stop by your local store, you can connect with other collectors and build relationships with trustworthy vendors who won’t hesitate to give you shopping tips. When it comes down to it, nothing beats the in-person experience of searching through each booth at your favorite Melbourne antique mall to find the vintage furniture you’re after.
Whether you’re interested in becoming a vintage furniture seller or just searching for a one-of-a-kind piece of antique furniture for your home renovation, we can’t wait to see you at America’s Antique Mall. Study up on the different furniture style eras and swing by!
