Furniture Terms: Mini Dictionary, Part 2

ARMCHAIR  : a comfortable piece of furniture designed for one person to sit on, with a back and with or without armrests. A formal armchair can take the form of a throne, a curule chair or a papal chair. An armchair usually has soft padding and upholstery in fabric, leather or fur. An armchair can feature inlays of fine wood species or metal.

BIEDERMEIER ARMCHAIR : The Biedermeier style is defined by strength and solid construction. The style includes smoothly curved backs and armrests on armchairs, sofas and chairs, along with turned and bent legs on tables and writing desks. The main measure of quality for a household object, a piece of furniture or any interior item is sound construction and comfort. Biedermeier furniture places decorative detail behind practical use. Biedermeier furniture avoids architectural excess, while simple forms are balanced by warm wood colours, including rosewood, red wood and light wood, brightly coloured upholstery and functional furniture construction.

JACOB ARMCHAIR. Jacob is a general name for examples of French furniture made from the late 18th century to the early 19th century that share similar styles and production techniques. The name refers to a famous French family of furniture makers. Georges Jacob the Elder worked with his sons, Georges and François. The family produced furniture in the Empire style. Jacob furniture from the first half of the 19th century is characterised by strict outlines and thin brass mounts. From the middle of the 19th century, Jacob style referred to mahogany furniture with glued, ribbed brass strips made in the workshop of Georges-Alphonse Jacob.

CLASSICAL ARMCHAIR  : The refined royal court of 18th-century France, eager for fashionable innovations, gave rise to armchairs for classical interiors. New models and forms appeared at the whim of royal figures and because of strict, pragmatic rules governing everyday leisure. The period produced specialised seats for bathing, smoking, sitting by the fireplace, playing cards, private conversation, afternoon rest and other activities. Queens inspired the soft additional cushion known as a marzipan cushion and armchairs with a completely straight back tilted slightly backwards. Fashion also changed furniture design during the period. Women's dresses with wide pannier and framework skirts made armchairs considerably wider and deeper.

TYPES OF CLASSICAL ARMCHAIRS

CABRIOLE ARMCHAIR (Cabriolet) : a light armchair that appeared during the reign of Louis XV (1723-1774). The Cabriolet armchair is distinguished by its ergonomically curved back. The first version had a cello-shaped back, while later periods applied the format to traditional rectangular, medallion, gondola and other forms. The name came from a light vehicle used in the late 18th century, and the armchair was designed for placement in the centre of a room.

À LA REINE ARMCHAIR (A la Reine, «queen's chair») : a light interior armchair that appeared in the second half of the 18th century at the request of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, the wife of Louis XV, and became especially popular during the reign of Louis XVI (1774-1785). The defining feature is a straight back, slightly tilted backwards, with a waisted shape. Unlike the Cabriolet armchair, the À la Reine armchair was placed along walls.

BERGÈRE GONDOLA ARMCHAIR : an armchair with solid side panels serving as armrests and a rounded back that recalls the shape of a gondola's bow.

MARIE ANTOINETTE BERGÈRE ARMCHAIR : a tall, formal armchair with a slightly curved back and low, solid side panels ending in armrests.

BERGÈRE MONTGOLFIÈRE ARMCHAIR or BERGÈRE POMPADOUR : the most unusual creation of the 18th century, which became well established in England. The armchair has a tall seat, solid side panels and a hemispherical dome.

 MARQUISE ARMCHAIR (Marquise) : a heavy, low armchair with a low back, armrests and an especially wide seat. The armchair appeared in the 18th century when voluminous crinoline and framework skirts became fashionable.

MONTESPAN ARMCHAIR  (Montespan) : a comfortable armchair with an additional seat cushion filled with horsehair. The armchair appeared in 1720 and commemorated Françoise de Montespan, one of Louis XIV's favourites.

DUCHESSE ARMCHAIR  (Duchesse) : an armchair for reclining afternoon rest that appeared during the reign of Louis XV and acquired the name chaise longue, literally «long chair», in the 19th century. A late-17th-century bed with a lambrequin served as the prototype. From 1745 to 1780, the Duchesse armchair was made with a deep, curved back and bergère armrests.

 CAUSEUSE ARMCHAIR  (Causeuse, «talking chair») : a low, heavy and wide armchair designed for two people and created in 1760.

CHAUFFEUSE ARMCHAIR  (Chauffeuse) : a miniature, low armchair for sitting by the fireplace. The chair was created during the Regency period. The back was generally solid and curved to follow the back and protect the sitter from draughts.

CONFIDANT ARMCHAIR (Confident) : a salon furniture piece consisting of two connected armchairs for private conversations. The design appeared in the second half of the 19th century. During the reign of Napoleon III, the two armchairs were arranged diagonally with an S-shaped curve.

INDISCRET ARMCHAIR  The Indiscret (Indiscret, «tactless, talkative») was also created during the reign of Napoleon III. The design adds an armchair for a third participant to the Confidant arrangement.

ROCKING CHAIR : an armchair for relaxation with a mechanism that allows the sitter to rock backwards and forwards.

The rocking motion is provided by two curved pieces attached to the chair legs or by a special hinged or roller mechanism.

BOUDEUSE ARMCHAIR  (Boudeuse, «frigate») : salon furniture in the form of two armchairs with one shared back. The design appeared in the 19th century.

VOLTAIRE ARMCHAIR (Voltaire) : an armchair with a very high back and padded armrests, created during the reign of King Louis-Philippe I (1830-1848) and named after the great philosopher.

CRAPAUD ARMCHAIR  (Crapaud, «toad») : a small, low, upholstered armchair for sitting by the fireplace, with a gondola-style back. The legs are often covered by fringe or a lambrequin. A variation with a fully upholstered base and seat appeared later. The design also originated during the reign of Louis-Philippe.

CHESTERFIELD ARMCHAIR  (Chesterfield) : Lord Philip Stanhope (Philip Stanhope), the fourth Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773), asked his craftsmen to create an armchair suitable for a gentleman's stature that would not crease the cuffs of long coats. The result was a substantial armchair with a straight back and large, rounded armrests. At the Earl's request, the armchairs were tightly filled with horsehair and covered in leather secured with nails with polished heads. The Chesterfield style of decoration for armchairs and sofas originated from this design.

PRAYER CHAIR : an armchair with a high back and a low seat designed to support the knees of a person praying.

BED (from the Greek κράββατος [kravvatoc]) : a piece of furniture designed for sleeping while lying down.

DAYBED : a piece of furniture designed for one person to lie on, with or without a headboard and/or headrest.

DIVAN : an upholstered daybed or a daybed supplied with cushions, with a raised head end for daytime rest.

LOMBER TABLE : a square or rectangular folding table for card games. The name comes from the Spanish card game of the same name.

MODEL : a small-format piece of furniture created as a model before work begins on a larger format.

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