The very popular Louis Philippe Style took its name from the French king who reigned from 1830 to 1848.
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Who was Louis Philippe?
Louis Philippe reigned in France from 1830 to 1848, until he was exiled during the Revolution. Under Louis Philippe, there was a fast development and improvement of manufacturing. Additionally, his reign continued until the revolution of 1848 when the revolutionists forced Louis Philippe into exile.
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About the Style
The Louis-Philippe style took interest in comfort and economy. Further, it tried to satisfy those who were looking for comfort, giving them a feeling of being socially legitimate. However, it was less concerned with originality than it was with new methods of creation. Moreover, lines present in this style are massive.
Impact on housing decoration
The Louis Philippe style can be seen in all rooms of the house, most notably within the bedroom and living room.
The signature piece of bedroom furniture in this style is the sleigh bed. Often, the headboard is higher than the footboard, with the curvy lines of a sleigh. It is usually made of dark woods, and some contemporary beds are also available in blonde woods or steel.
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Most of the iconic furniture from this time are living room pieces, including:
- Armchair: Featured with a straight shape, some models had a pierced purchase, which allowed them to move easily. Often, they had carved flowers or volute decorations.
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- Commode: Often, these pieces were rectangular with few drawers. The top shelf was usually of gray, black, or white marble. Further, dark woods, such as mahogany, ebony and walnut, were important to this style.
- The ornamental repertory was limited because of machine-assisted production techniques. Bronze appliques and marquetry were rarely used.
Info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Philippe_style
