Early American Dining Room Set

Early American furniture design is inspired by American pioneer style. Its "back to basics" approach references a simpler time, before highly engineered products. Often called American primitivism, Early American style uses natural materials and reclaimed or inherited furniture and embraces the imperfect -- meaning that furniture is mended when broken, rather than replaced. Does this Spark an idea?

Background

Early American style looks at the past through rose-tinted glasses, picking out the best bits and romanticizing them for use in contemporary interiors. Primitive methods of construction are cherished along with the natural, folksy lifestyle. In interior design this translates to a house filled with simple, handmade furniture and thoughtfully chosen objects imbued with personality. This means that a certain roughness and rusticity are seen in Early American dining room sets.

Material and Methods

Early American dining room sets would, at the time, have been handmade out of readily available materials such as oak and pine. Table and chair designs are simple and unadorned with unnecessary or complicated decoration. The construction would be simple, with handmade joints like mortise and tenon clearly visible. Basic pieces of wood turning might be seen on table legs or chair tops, but more often table legs would be straight. Chair seats would be of wood or woven wicker, and simple motifs such as maple leaves might be carved in.

Inherited, Secondhand and Vintage Style

As early Americans kept inherited furniture for generations, it would be common for the chairs around the dining table to be mismatched -- in different styles and materials. You can recreate this look by getting secondhand chairs from vintage shops or asking relatives for any unused chairs. Unify the look by making sure the chairs and table adhere to the Early American principles of simple, handmade beauty.

Reappropriation of Other Objects

As money was scarce with the early American pioneers, objects other than chairs would be reworked to serve as chairs. Wooden crates or beer kegs can be used as spare seating, with a cushion on top for comfort. Choose gingham for a primitive American look. A reclaimed church pew down one side of the table would make ideal seating for an early American theme.