Federal style furniture, also known as neoclassical furniture or American neoclassical furniture outside the United States, is the style of furniture that gained prominence and became synonymous with the Federal period in American history. This period converged with the period right after the Revolutionary War around 1789, when the Federalists and anti-Federalists were at loggerheads over the new proposed direction of the United States Government.
The peak period for Federal furniture was said to be between the 1780's and the 1820's. The areas that were most captivated by this style were mostly the large port cities on the Eastern coastline like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston and Baltimore. The reason for this was primarily the collection of affluent wealthy families in these cities that had close ties to European culture. And after all, it was the European culture and the English furniture designs in particular of Sheraton and Hepplewhite that influenced the American Federal furniture. Sheraton and Hepplewhite also emerged as influential furniture styles around the same time period. Inadvertently, these cities also became the production and manufacturing centers of this furniture.
Federal Style Furniture Characteristics
It is worth noting that the main inspiration for Federal style furniture, or even European neoclassical furniture, are ancient Greek and Roman designs and influences. The trend began when the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum were discovered in Italy, and a great influence of Roman style furniture began spreading.
The most defining characteristic of Federal furniture is that the furniture pieces are almost always made of Mahogany, and they feature several colored inlays and geometric designs imbibed in them. Some more of the instantly recognizable characteristics of this style of furniture is that it is extremely light, feature long straight lines, tapered legs and contrasting veneers. If all these characteristics are easily noticeable, then the furniture item is Federal, or has at least derived its design from it in some manner.
The defining feature of this style though, was that it greatly contradicted the furniture styles that were present at the time, the most predominant one being the American Chippendale style. This style relied on using really heavy wood and heavy intricate designs, which in some respects made the furniture item appear overworked and extremely pretentious. Here are some more distinct characteristics of Federal style furniture that helped distinguish its separate identity that has lasted many decades now.
| Appearance | Graceful and refined. |
| Chair arms | Sloping downwards to meet the posts from the seat. |
| Chair back material | Upholstered and wooden. |
| Chair back shape | Fiddleback, rectangular and square. |
| Chair leg | Straight, tapered or turning. |
| Chair seat material | Rush, upholstered or wood. |
| Chair seat shape | Horseshoe or square. |
| Drawer pull | Mushroom shaped brass knob,loop bail handle. |
| Fabric | Damask or tapestry. |
| Finish | Oil varnish or paint. |
| Foot | Continuation of leg. |
| Hardware material | Brass. |
| Joint | Dovetail. |
| Line | Gently curving lines. |
| Motif | Pineapple, eagle, star, shell, conch shell. |
| Ornamentation | Banding, carving, fluting,gilding, inlay, marquetry, reeding, stenciling. |
| Wood | Black walnut, cherry, fruitwood, maple, rosewood, satinwood. |
Initially, the Federal style furniture was put into use in homes of wealthy people of high social standing, as it signified a great taste for contemporary European culture, over a period of time though, the common man became more familiar with this style of furniture and started acquiring lesser grade and cheaper forms of this style, till it was entirely ingrained in the culture and lifestyle of Americans all over the country. Even libraries and other public buildings soon began adopting this style furniture in their midst.
Federal furniture is more than just a style or a trend, as it became synonymous with the times. History cannot be complete until all facets of civil life adopts the prevalent trends and cultures, and studying the rise and prominence of this furniture style simply highlights this fact.
