Louis Philippe Mahogany Furniture

Louis Philippe & His Influence on Mahogany Furniture

In the first of our two-part blog post on mahogany furniture we looked at its original heyday in the pre-French revolution era of the eighteenth century. In this second part we will look at its subsequent revivals, starting with its most famous protagonist, Duke Louis Philippe (elected King of the French 1830-1848).

The Revival of Mahogany Furniture

Whilst not being a furniture designer, Louis Philippe did much to encourage the development of the French furniture industry as the industrial revolution spread accross Europe, and as such the main style of furniture from this period is known as Louis Philippe furniture.

Time and a revolution did nothing to dilute the sheer magnificence of mahogany furniture design. It was almost as if the aristocracy had never left. Again mahogany furniture was at the pinnacle of the movement, and again, flowing lines with sculpted bases and cornices were the order of the day. So much so that you could easily mix and match Louis Philippe mahogany furniture with a mahogany sleigh bed from ninety years earlier!

Hand Crafted Solid Mahogany Furniture

Of course, an original piece of Louis Philippe mahogany furniture or an antique mahogany sleigh bed will cost you tens of thousands of pounds; however, unless you are a collector, there really is no point.

Mahogany Cornice Closeup

Buy Mahogany Furniture at Oak Furniture Land

At Oak Furniture Land we have designed our own versions of these French furniture classics. They are hand made from the finest solid mahogany timbers, using the same traditional techniques employed by the master craftsmen of days gone by. Everything is solid mahogany, even the bed slats! The Sleigh solid mahogany range concentrates solely on bedroom furniture, whilst the Louis Philippe range caters for all your living room furniture and dining room furniture needs.

As well as these ranges inspired by the French, we also have a full range of solid mahogany furniture inspired by the Orient. The Tokyo solid mahogany range puts a whole new twist on what can be done with mahogany furniture design.

No matter what hand crafted solid mahogany furniture you choose, you can be proud that you really are buying furniture that’s fit for a king.

Sleigh Mahogany Bedroom Suite

Mahogany Furniture – A Gift From France

In the first part of this two-part blog special we will be looking at how French mahogany furniture took Europe by storm before being snuffed out in its prime. Then, in the second part, we will look at its revival and longevity.

The deep reddish tones and regal lines of traditional mahogany furniture will forever hold a certain place in furniture history. There’s nothing quite like the grandiose of a Sleigh bed to bring a sense of opulence to your home.

In fact, opulence is a perfect word to describe the distinctive style of the sleigh bed and the related furniture that sits alongside it as they both originate from France! The word literally means wealth through work, again drawing uncanny parallels to the furniture.

Mahogany Furniture – In a Class of Its Own

Mahogany furniture became popular with the aristocracy of France in the middle of the 18th century. Furniture design had recently swung away from intricate patterns so common in walnut furniture towards using bold flowing lines. Mahogany leant itself ideally to this new styling. The grain of mahogany was easier to work and carve into these designs than walnut, and the simpler, wide grain structure of mahogany took stain far more evenly.

Mahogany and Flowing Lines

Mahogany Furniture – Not Just Sleigh Beds

This era saw mahogany furniture throughout the home, but most notably as bedroom furniture. The instantly recognisable sleigh bed was accompanied by matching mahogany wardrobes, mahogany chests of drawers, and mahogany dressing tables, etc.

Mahogany Furniture & The Revolution

It’s a crying shame that much of the original French mahogany furniture from this time was destroyed in the French revolution, when the French common men destroyed the aristocracy and everything that went with it.

However, the irony of mahogany furniture is that its major revival was brought about by a French king, some fifty years later! We will look into the lasting influence Duke Louis Philippe had on the world of furniture in our next blog post.