Styles and eras
Baroque and rococo, neoclassicism and Empire, the 19th century, Art Nouveau, the avant-garde, the mid-20th century and minimalism: how lines, proportions and ornament changed.
Articles
Articles
This page gathers the threads that make up the guide, along with a catalogue of standalone articles. Some topics deal with styles and eras, others with crafts and materials, and others with people and with how to look at an object. You can read them in any order: each topic leads on to related sections.
A cabinet, an armchair or a chest of drawers often outlives its owners. That is why history can sometimes be read in furniture in more detail than in letters.
How this section works: a topic belongs here if it can be shown on any old chair, cabinet or sofa, whether in a museum, a historic house or your relatives' home, without reference to stores, factories or specific models.
Guide topics
Six threads around which our material is built.
Joinery
Frames, tenons and wedges, frame-and-panel construction: the joints that hold furniture together, and why good construction outlasts any glue.
Carving and ornament
Carving in high and low relief, gilding, mounts, shells and leaves: how ornament can emphasize the form of an object or argue with it.
Bentwood
How steamed wood was bent into flowing lines, and why this technique changed the very idea of a light chair.
Upholstery and marquetry
Webbing, springs, stuffing and tufting, and alongside them patterns made from pieces of veneer in different woods: two crafts responsible for the surface of a piece.
Classic sofa (in Russian)
Careful handling
Why you should not sand down an old chest of drawers or repaint a chair, how to store furniture, and when it is better to call a conservator.
Catalogue of articles for English-language readers
This is where standalone articles written specifically for the English version of the guide will appear.
- Exploring ARC Raiders quest progression: Gaming Culture
How quest progression fits ARC Raiders' extraction loop, how players share knowledge about it, practical options for getting through it, and the risks.
- Aion 2 Abyss Points: Mechanics, Preparation and Common Questions
What is known about Aion 2 Abyss Points, what still needs checking in-game, how to prepare for faction PvP, and the account risks of paid farming.
- Dota 2: Coaching — Seasonal Planning
How to plan Dota 2 coaching across the year: prerequisites, goals per phase, replay work, free alternatives, and the account rules players should know.
- World of Warcraft Endgame: Raids, Mythic+ and Player Progression — Comparing Common Approaches #1
An editorial look at five WoW endgame routes, from raids and Mythic+ to rated PvP, catch-up and paid carries, judged on time, people, rewards and risk.
- GTA 6 Story Mode Progression Guide: Player FAQ
A player FAQ on GTA 6 story progression: confirmed facts versus guesswork, completion goals, accessibility questions and paid help.
What we are working on
- How a London pattern book reached cabinetmakers in the American colonies
- Windsor chairs: a lesson in spindles, wedges and green wood
- What the back of an old chest of drawers can tell you
- Shaker furniture and the long history of plain form
- Marquetry and inlay: what is the difference?
- Tufting on old sofas: the ornament that holds the shape
Editorial guidelines
- Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
- Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
- We do not sell furniture or publish advertising for shops or manufacturers, rankings, prices or reviews.
Read next
- Collections
Routes through the guide: by style, by craft, and a short path for first-time visitors.
- Close looks
A step-by-step way to examine a piece of furniture, plus a table of its main elements.
- Archive
The guide's table of contents and an explanation of the three archived addresses on this domain.
Sources
- Reference works on the history of furniture and the decorative arts
- Museum catalogues and guides to furniture collections
Historical information is drawn from reference literature on the history of furniture and the decorative arts. Opening hours and visiting rules at museums, historic houses and workshops change, so please confirm them with each venue.