by Christopher Gryniewicz

Created on: June 25, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

The Origin

One cannot discuss Chippendale style furniture without first discussing the man behind the movement, cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale. Chippendale was as fine a businessman as he was a craftsman. He knew the importance of marketing and publicity at a time long before the information revolution of today. When he first published <!- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } ->"The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director," in 1754, it is certain that he knew the draw his designs would have on the finest families in England.

Chippendale blended the fashionable styles of the day into unique works of art. His 161 plates in the design book included influences from English Rocco, Gothic, Neoclassical, and Chinese designs, and were meant as a portfolio from which buyers could pick and choose the styles of their liking, customizing Chippendale's own hand carved mahogany pieces.

Even being the visionary that Thomas Chippendale was, I don't think he could have foreseen the impact his work would have on furniture design within his lifetime and for generations to come. If mimicry truly is the highest form of flattery, then Chippendale must have been blushing from such praise. Every furniture designer in England wanted the royal clientle that Chippendale had captured, and to get them they needed Chippendale's designs. Copies of "The Gentleman's and Cabinet-Maker's Director" flew off the shelves. Chippendale's designs became a movement of their own, quickly spreading throughout England, then Europe, and then the world.

The two most commonly referenced styles besides Chippendale's own work are American Chippendale furniture and Chinese Chippendale furniture, each having it's own distinct features that set them apart. Before we get to these, let's look first at the similarities in style and design between the various works. In other words, what makes a Chippendale a Chippendale?

The Similarities in Style and Design

Given the numerous influences of Chippendale Furniture, it is difficult to define any one thing that is universal to all furniture of this style. What binds all pieces that go by the name Chippendale together is nothing more then their use of the Chippendale designs as a starting point. Some pieces diverge drastically from these patterns, taking on a style of their own, but still hold the name because the Director was their basis. Here are some of the features:

The wood - Good furniture

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