TUDOR FURNITURE

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The Tudor furniture was made of solid wood, and though decorated, the work was dependent rather on
form than decorations.

The furniture of the period was made of European woods, oak, walnut, and elm. Oak was used plain and
solid, or slightly inlaid with sycamore and yew.

The Tudor period style was a mixture of Gothic with Italian, Flemish, and French influences, especially
early in the period (1509-1558).

The linen-fold motif, introduced in England from France or Flanders in the 15th century, appeared
together with Tudor details on chests, choir stalls, and footboards of beds.

The acanthus was introduced from Italy, and also the cartouche and the guillouche, a strap ornament
forming a succession of circles. There were also Italian furniture forms and terminal shapes.

THE MAIN TUDOR STYLE DECORATION WAS THE FINE CARVING, SOMETIMES WITH SYCAMORE INLAY.

The panels of pieces like chests, cabinets, or beds, were decorated using a variety of biblical or
mythological subjects.

The square panels could have superimposed diamond shapes. Round-headed arches and the semi-
circular or fan pattern were used.

Animal forms like the dolphin or the lion head were used, together with floral forms like the Tudor rose,
carnation, or vine.

A Court cupboard was a style of buffet made from the time of Elizabeth to that of Charles II. Some
models had the two sides angled off, to leave display space for pieces of silver. Handles and hinges were
generally made of iron.

The Tudor period chairs, still rare, were heavy, with straight backs and flat seats, with cushions of
embroidered velvet. Later in the period, high-backed carved chairs, and turned chairs were common,
together with stools with ornamented backs.

The large Tudor style bed was the richest piece of furniture, with elaborated carving of the headboard,
canopy, tester, columns, and panels. The most used subjects for columns’ carving were religious,
representing The Four Evangelists, and angels.

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Tudor furniture, which dominated England through Henry VIII's reign, was heavy, bulky, and nearly
always made of oak. It was visually grounded and very medieval in character, based on the English
Gothic aesthetics. Tudor furniture makers did carve a number of patterns into most surfaces,
however. One of the most popular in this time period was the linen-foldmotif, which was basically a
set of narrow, vertical shapes that resembled folded cloth. Still, very few people could afford fine
furniture outside of the royal household, and most nobles still lived in castle-like conditions.
In the early 1530s, Henry VIII separated England from the Roman Catholic Church, in response to
the Pope's refusal to annul his marriage. The Church of England was consolidated and Henry VIII
was excommunicated from the Catholic Church. So, Henry wasn't too happy with Rome, and had no
desire to bring Italian styles into England. The Renaissance would have to wait, and as a result
Tudor furniture remained overwhelmingly Gothic in nature.

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Tudor Furniture
The style and quality of furniture found in homes in the Tudor
period varied according to the wealth of the individual. The majority of
Tudor furniture was made from wood, oak being a popular choice. For
the poor man, something as luxurious as a real bed was out of reach,
and furniture of any real substance was lacking in the houses of the
poor working men. For the wealthy of course things were much
different with many heavily carved, luxurious items.

Tudor Furniture: Beds

You would not walk into the house of a poor working man and see a
bed. It was far more common for a mattress to be made from straw
pallets. The straw would be covered with a sheet. Neither would there
be soft pillows instead many people used a log to lay their heads on.
The poor man relied on blankets to keep him warm. The nobility had
things much better. Four poster beds were a popular choice.

The more expensive the bed, the more heavily carved and ornate the
headboard and posts would be. The bed was draped with heavy
References
Muscato, C. (n.d.). 16th Century English Furniture: History & Styles. Retrieved from Study.com:
https://study.com/academy/lesson/16th-century-english-furniture-history-styles.html

Tudor Furniture. (n.d.). Retrieved from European Furniture Styles: http://www.european-furniture-

styles.com/Tudor-Furniture.html

Tudor Furniture. (n.d.). Retrieved from Elizabethan Era England Life: History & Facts:
http://elizabethanenglandlife.com/thetudorsfacts/tudor-furniture.html

Tudor Furniture, English Tudor Style Furniture. (n.d.). Retrieved from Furniture Styles:
http://www.furniturestyles.net/european/english/tudor.html

Tudor interior design - Building & houses. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Trust:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/tudor-interior-design---building-and-houses

tains, which not only afforded the occupants some privacy it also
helped to keep out any chilly drafts. The mattress would be soft and
packed with feathers, as were the pillows. Only the finest materials
would do for the sheets and blankets, which were often heavily
embroidered.

Tudor Furniture: Chairs and Tables

Chairs were not a common item of Tudor house furniture, instead it
was more common to see long benches used for seating. Individual
chairs could be found in the houses of the nobility, though they were
still wooden and made with a straight, high back. Occasionally the
arms and seat of the chair would be cushioned, with reeds used as the
filling.

Wooden benches were also used as tables. In the houses of the gentry,
trestle tables were used for banqueting as this meant that after
feasting the tables could quickly be folded away and removed and a
space made for entertainments.
Tudor Furniture: Chests
Heavy wooden chests were common in most homes, rich or poor. Of
course they differed in size and style depending on what an individual
could afford. The chest was a sturdy piece of Tudor furniture which
served a variety of purposes. They often had legs as this meant that the
chest was raised away from the floor, which kept the chest and its
contents away from vermin. A chest, as well as providing storage was
also suitable for use as a table when needed.

The Tudor Stepped Buffet

The ‘stepped buffet’ was the original sideboard or dresser that we use
today. The number of shelves that were available on the ‘stepped
buffet’ was a reflection of the rank or status of the owner. They were
brought out for feasts and banquets, draped with fine cloth and used
to display the finest plates of the family, often of gold or silver from
which the servants would serve the guests.
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The tudor period in English history begins with the ascent to the throne of King Henry VII in 1485, this event
signifying the end of the Middle Ages in Britain and supposedly the historic beginning of the English
Renaissance. The tudor era, for our purposes, continues through the reign of King Henry VIII and ends with
the crowning of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558.

The tudor era of sixteenth century England saw many interesting developments in the arts, fashion,
architecture, theater, and of course also in the realm of home decor and furniture to a certain extent.

Tudor Furniture Characteristics

Early tudor furniture, what there was of it, was little distinguished from the medieval furniture and gothic
furniture periods preceding it. Ordinary, poor people had very little furniture possessions and even in the
large houses of the wealthy there would only stand beds, benches, stools, tables, and chests. Chairs were
reserved for the owner of homes when presiding over meals in the hall - their guests made do with stools,
perhaps with cushions, as a small nod to comfort.
 Furniture & Interiors

Such Tudor English furniture as existed in this era was made of oak, was imposing, heavy, strong, and
uncomfortable. Tudor interiors, in contrast to the lack of grace and quantity in furniture, were often
beautifully decorated with tapestries, embroidery, carpets, and fabrics.

Tudor Hutch Table

With Gothic carving, used for placing jugs and cups on, an original cup board.

Housing Boom

The time of Henry the 8th onwards saw a boom in private housing construction, see Tudor houses, and this
caused an increase in furniture production.

New Knowledge

At this time of King Henry Tudor furniture construction methods improved as well with more advanced
joinery techniques putting an end to plank construction and allowing furniture to be moved around houses
more easily.

New Ideas

Panelling for walls was a fashion of tudor times in fine homes. Chests were pushed up against panelled walls
which perhaps gave rise to the idea of freestanding panelled settles, forerunners of settees and sofas.

Tudor Chest

From about 1530 tudor style furniture began to come under the influence of Italian Renaissance styles and
this saw the use of more carving and ornamentation. Traditional gothic linenfold, Tudor Rose, and other
designs derived from architecture saw themselves being mixed with Italianate garlands and profile heads in
roundels. A more widespread impact of Renaissance ideas in furniture design did not take place until
the Elizabethan age however.
 Tudor Bed
More Old Than New

To summarise, the early tudor period in England before the Elizabethan age was, in matters of furniture and
interior design, mostly part of the gothic tradition only changed somewhat by incipient continental ideas
flowing across the channel in very small waves and by new wood crafting knowledge.

Antiques & Reproductions

Antiques of the tudor era are exceptionally rare and command hefty prices and are largely confined to
museums. Some antique tudor furniture was built so massively that it is likely to stand for some time still
however. Reproductions of tudor period furniture in revival spirit are made by specialist woodworkers mainly
in England. Our tudor resources section may be of use in contacting some of them.

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It marked an age of prosperity, money from expanding trade,

and the gift of land to royal favourites enabling them to build
lavish houses. Dark oak panelling, rich velvet fabrics and
wooden four-poster beds are all part of the Tudor style of
interior décor. 
Tudor style at a glance incorporated: symmetrical architecture; around an ‘E’ or ‘H’ shaped plan;
multi-paned, lattice work and casement windows; stained glass with heraldic and ecclesiastical
motifs; rich oak panelling, plasterwork and stone hearth surrounds; walls adorned with
tapestries and embroideries; colours of dark brown, gold, red and green; walls adorned with
tapestries and embroideries; velvet, damask and brocade fabrics for bed hangings and drapes;
decorative symbols of Tudor rose, thistle and fleur de lys; trestle tables, benches, heavy chests
and carved four-poster beds; and wooden floors, encaustic tiles and plaited rush matting.

Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product
of the glaze but of different colors of clay. They are usually of two colours but a tile may be
composed of as many as six.