What Does it Mean if a Piece of Furniture is "Antique", "Period" or "In The Style Of"?

 All of this can be confusing . . .  Hopefully this will help clarify things  bit . . . 

The terms "Antique", "Vintage" and "Modern" refer to age. It is generally accepted that a piece of furniture is "Antique" if it is older than 100 years. A "Vintage" piece generally ranges in age between 50 - 100 years. "Modern" refers to pieces less than 50 years in age.

When a piece is referred to as "Period" it is identified as a piece that was created in the original time period and geographical location as the time and place when the original style originated.

When you start talking "In The Style Of" you're talking about the design and place of creation - i.e. Who was the designer? Where was it designed? Where was it made? On the Work of Man website we categorize our collection into the primary style categories listed below. Obviously each of these categories can be further divided into sub categories depending on how precise one wants to be - for example "Georgian" can be further categorized by "George I", "George II" and"George III".

 The time periods associated with each style category below refer to when that particular style was first introduced and considered the "modern" design of the time. Often times the style was named after reigning monarchs who influenced style such as "Louis XIV" in France or a dynasty of monarchs such as the Tudors in England. Other times a styles name is derived from the geographic location from where it emanated - for example "French Provincial" refers to provincial furniture made in the French countryside that was of lesser craftsmanship being made to furnish the French palaces and chateaus of the time.

A piece of antique furniture is considered to be a "Period Piece" if it was created during the original time period of its particular style. If the piece was created after the original time period it is considered to be "In The Style Of". If a piece is antique (i.e. more than 100 years old) but not of the period then it is referred to as an "antique produced in the style of . . . ." If the piece is not antique then it is referred to as "a modern reproduction in the style of . . . .".

Note that for more recent styles such as "Art Moderne" or "French Art Deco" a piece of furniture could be a "Period" piece because it is an example from the original time period of that style, but is not antique because it is not more than 100 years old. This is also true for pieces that fall under the Mid Century Modern category.

 Primary Furniture Style Categories Used on This Website

English Tudor (1485 - 1603)

English Henry II (1530 - 1590)

French Henry IV (1589 - 1610)

Louis XIII (1590 - 1660)

English Windsor (1600 - 1725)

Spanish Baroque (1600 - 1750)

Spanish Colonial (1600 - 1850)

English Jacobean / Stuart (1603 - 1625)

Louis XIII (1610 - 1643)

American Colonial (1640 - 1700)

Dutch Marquetry (1640 - 1720)

English Restoration / Charles II (1660 - 1714)

Louis XIV (1660 - 1715)

William & Mary (1680 - 1730)

French Provincial (1700 - 1800)

Queen Anne (1702 - 1760)

Georgian (1714 - 1830)

French Regency (1715 - 1730)

Pennsylvania Dutch (1720 - 1830)

Louis XV (1730 - 1770)

Gothic Revival (1740 - 1900)

Louis XV / XVI Transitional (1750 - 1775)

Chippendale (1750 - 1780)

English Regency (1762 - 1830)

Hepplewhite (1780 - 1810)

American Federal (1780 - 1820)

Louis XVI (1770 - 1789)

French Directoire (1789 - 1805)

Sheraton (1790 - 1820)

French Empire (Napoleon) (1805 - 1815)

French Restoration (1815 - 1830)

Biedermeier (1815 - 1848)

Shaker (1820 - 1860)

Classical (1820 - 1840)

English William IV (1830 - 1837)

Louis Philippe (1830 - 1850)

Victorian (1830 - 1900)

Rococo Revival (1840 - 1860)

Napoleon III (Second Empire) (1848 - 1880)

Anglo - Indian (1858 - 1947)

Aesthetic Movement (1860 - 1900)

Renaissance Revival (1860 - 1870)

Art Nouveau (1880 - 1910)

Arts & Crafts (1880 - 1910)

Mission (1890 - 1920)

Edwardian (1900 - 1910)

Art Deco (1920 - 1940)

Art Moderne / French Art Deco (1930 - 1940)

Vintage (1920 - 1970)

Mid Century Modern (1950 - 1970)

Modern (1970 - Present)

Chinese

Japanese

Portugese

African

German / Austrian

Italian