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Different Styles of Furniture Leg

 

Furniture legs can tell you so much about the origins and history of a piece so, when buying furniture, they are always the first thing I look at. In this blog, I aim to share with you a bit of history regarding six of the most popular furniture leg styles. I hope you find this guide useful and that is makes the process of identifying antique furniture leg styles much easier.

  1. Cabriole Leg

This leg style is probably one of the most well-known. It was inspired by the shape of a jumping goat’s leg and is most associated with Queen Anne furniture, which was originally produced in the 1720s to about 1750s. This style is also often seen in French Louis XV furniture.

  1. Fluted Leg

Fluted legs were inspired by the Greek columns of ancient times and were particularly popular during the Neoclassical period in the second part of the 18th century. Fluted legs are straight with concave (as opposed to raised) grooves.

  1. Spiral-Twist Leg

Originating from India, this twisted-rope style of furniture leg is thought to be one of the oldest. It travelled westward to Europe in 1650 and arrived in England around 10 years later, where it stayed popular for about 40 years. The spiral leg then saw a comeback over 100 years later, in late Empire pieces. It then revived for a third time in the mid-19th century during the Victorian period.

  1. Flemish Scroll Leg

This style of leg is also sometimes known as the “S-Scroll Leg”. It is distinguished by scrolls at both the top and the bottom. It first emerged in the latter half of the 17th century and was common in the late Baroque styles.

  1. Trumpet Leg

The Trumpet leg flares outward and upward from a narrow base and is generally topped with a dome. It was particularly common during the Baroque era and was often seen in accent tables, lowboys and highboys.

  1. Reeded Leg

This style of leg is very similar to the “Fluted Leg” however this one is straight with convex (as opposed to concave) grooves. Once again, this design was inspired by the Greek and Roman characteristics and thrived during the latter part of the Neoclassical period.