America’s rich history in furniture making has inspired many decor styles. Thankfully these pieces have survived a couple of hundred years by families taking care of them. Museums boast collections of period furniture from the best designers once located in Philadelphia and Boston. Helen from Picked and Painted carries on the tradition of taking care of these early furniture pieces with her fresh paint and conditioning.
American Empire is characterized by antiquities-inspired carving, gilt-brass furniture mounts, and decorative inlays such as stamped-brass banding with egg-and-dart, diamond, or Greek-key patterns, or individual shapes such as stars or circles. It was made popular by furniture makers around 1820. As you can see in Helen’s piece the drawers have brass keyhole slots and curved feet.
The beauty of the original design is not diminished by the paint and the black stain allows you to focus on the details of the piece. These pieces were beautifully crafted and still have years of service left in them.Helen gives a detailed explanation as to how she transformed hers into this beautiful charming piece of furniture. Wonderfully restored, this piece will add to a traditional decor for years to come.