Dining Room Furniture Styles

Nineteen waves of furniture styles have left their mark on dining rooms over the past four centuries. Most of what you'll find in a furniture store today still mimics one of its predecessor movements, from the Jacobean style in the 1600s to the Scandinavian contemporary, first introduced in the 1960s. While antique collectors may scour the country for priceless originals, the modern remakes of certain historic periods remain the most sought-after furniture in dining room design today. Does this Spark an idea?

Mission or Arts and Crafts (1880 to 1910)

Best known for its simple, clean lines, mission style furniture features little detail or ornamentation, relying solely on straight posts as a decoration. Traditionally, the arts and crafts movement represents large, heavy wooden furniture in a medium-color stain. Most dining room sets include a serving sideboard with iron hardware and matching posts and legs. Chairs have ladder or slat backs in a rectangular or square shape with a straight and slightly tapered leg. Often, the chair seats are wood, but occasionally they're available in a leather or canvas upholstery.

Duncan Phyfe (1795 to 1848)

Originally named after the cabinetmaker, Duncan Phyfe, this style of dining room furniture is renowned for its graceful, delicate look achieved with carved legs and neoclassic motifs carved in the designs of a leaf, circle, arrow or drapery. Chairs from this period have upholstered seats in a myriad of fabrics and patterns and the chair backs are most often carved in an x-mark or scroll pattern. The dark-stained wood is usually a selection of walnut, satinwood, rosewood, fruitwood, maple or cherry.

Victorian (1840 to 1910)

Victorian-style dining room furniture is crafted from a heavy dark wood with Gothic-inspired molding in a scroll or foliage motif. Each piece of the dining room set boasts detailed carvings, adding to the formal and somber look. Curvy-backed upholstered chairs and a massive china hutch compliment the molding and trim on the table. Some styles include grates in front of the glass on the china cabinet.

Contemporary (1960 to 1990)

Sometimes referred to as Scandinavian contemporary, this utilitarian style of furniture first surfaced between 1960 and 1990, inspired by Danish and Scandinavian designers. The natural-stained furniture is constructed in simple, straight lines from a pale wood like ash, pine or birch. Chair backs feature a flat rail at top and a polished wood seat without upholstery. Hardware and drawer pulls are traditionally constructed from wood in square shapes.