Hepplewhite Style Hardware
Hepplewhite Furniture Deserves Hepplewhite Hardware
Hepplewhite furniture is a well known furniture style dating to the period of 1780 to 1810. What is not so well known is that there are no original pieces of this neoclassic style of furniture remaining that were made by the designer. George Hepplewhite was an English cabinet maker and a bit of an enigma. Though his designs have had an enormous influence on the furniture industry since the early 1800s, little is known about the man himself.
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Famous George's Enduring Stylishness
After Hepplewhite’s death in 1786, his wife published “The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer’s Guide”, a book containing 300 furniture Hepplewhite furniture designs. The book sparked furniture building in the Hepplewhite style after Hepplewhite’s death, but the largest revival of the style occurred in the 1880s. The furniture considered to be original Hepplewhite furniture consists of the pieces built in the period immediately following Mr. Hepplewhite’s death. The furniture made in the 1880s is considered to be antique, but does not have as much value as the original pieces. The style endures to this day, and new furniture pieces manufactured in the Hepplewhite style remain popular.
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The Hepplewhite furniture designs are stunning in their simplicity and enduring stylishness. The typical chair pieces are graceful in appearance and have straight or tapered legs. The original and revival furniture is usually made out of more than one type of wood to create contrasting inlays. Typical woods chosen for construction included rosewood, mahogany, maple and satinwood. Veneers were often made out of sycamore.
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Hardware with Charm and a Touch of Patriotism
The furniture details make Hepplewhite furniture highly collectable. Older pieces tend to have more ornate designs than younger ones. The pieces are frequently inlayed with elements carved out of wood. The chairs usually have the distinctive shield or oval designs for the backs made of carved wood. Larger furniture pieces like desks, sideboards and chests usually have bracket feet. All of the antique and modern furniture have distinctive hardware pieces.
People who appreciate the Hepplewhite furniture style buy antiques and reproductions. The style is so classical it is still reproduced today by furniture manufacturers. The pieces are simple in design, but they have plenty of embellishments. There are the inlays mentioned earlier, but Hepplewhite furniture also has small carvings and beautiful brass hardware.
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The distinctive hardware on Hepplewhite furniture is part of its charm. Even the furniture with the simplest designs had interesting hardware pieces like the Federal ring pulls named after the Federal period during which the original furniture was built. Since the furniture was built shortly after the War of Independence, it is not surprising that many of the Hepplewhite drawer pulls have designs that are patriotic in style.
Like the federal buildings you see in Washington, D.C. that were built during the same time period, the Hepplewhite hardware has a distinctive classical style reflecting ancient Greek and Roman influences. Stamped and embossed brass ring pulls and drawer pulls have simple but elegant designs and shapes.
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Replacement Hardware
When you are repairing antique Hepplewhite furniture or new reproduction Hepplewhite furniture, it is important to maintain the same style of hardware. You don’t want to replace Federal style hardware with something more modern looking because it will change the furniture’s appearance.
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The types of Hepplewhite hardware that typically need to be replaced include:
• Oval Hepplewhite pulls with concentric designs and stampings of castings
• Hepplewhite brass drawer pull with Federal design (reminiscent of eagle with spread wings)
• Hepplewhite oval shaped handles with decorative backplates stamped with period designs like the Urn-Festoon
• Hepplewhite decorative brass embellishments like ovals with lamps or leaves and beaded edges
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The hardware is made with different finishes that include antique brass, polished and lacquered brass, and oil rubbed bronze. The pulls are made in the drop, drop ring and curved drop styles.
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Hepplewhite furniture has been popular since its introduction in the late 1700s. The style is beautiful, classic and enduring. When you need to replace the hardware, a top priority should be to maintain the same style. Thanks to the popularity of the Hepplewhite furniture style, that is still easy to do.
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