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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Home Design -> Country Furniture
 Country Furniture: Village Cabinetmakers Craft a Style
Fit for Kings
By Carol Ward
In 17th and 18th century Europe, ornately carved and
veneered furniture may have been crafted in the courts of the French kings, but
village cabinetmakers took note of the details. They made their own
interpretations simpler and more appropriate to country living. Rather than
expensive imported mahogany, the local pine, oak and cherry woods provided everyday
tables, chairs and cupboards. Country furniture originated as farm versions of royal
grandeur, spreading throughout the French
provinces of Brittany, Normandy and Provence, eventually to Germany’s Black Forest, Swedish
villages and England.
Farm folk didn’t need and couldn’t afford a lot of
furniture. Houses were small and most families were too busy surviving from day-to-day.
There was the
requisite table and chairs and a few other practical pieces. Charm was born from
necessity. For modern collectors, basic needs haven’t changed, either.
 The
rest of this story is now contained in "Colorado Antique Lover's Guide" by
Front Range Living and Fulcrum Publishing. It can be purchased through www.fulcrum-books.com
or at bookstores, such as: www.tatteredcover.com,
www.barnesandnoble.com,
www.borders.com
or www.amazon.com.
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