Victorian Furniture Company

To identify Victorian furniture, look closely at the details. Victorian furniture is regal, ornate and luxurious. Growing out of the earlier Gothic and Louis XV styles, it came into its own in the mid-1800s, during the reign of Queen Victoria in England. Some key characteristics of furniture from the period include curved lines and stately proportions, floral and geometric patterns, highly detailed embellishments and the use of rich, often exotic woods. If you are unsure whether a particular piece is Victorian, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer can assist you. Find a wide range of Victorian furniture on 1stDibs.

To tell if furniture is Victorian, look for a maker's mark or stamp on the piece. Not all pieces will be marked, but if yours is, you can begin identifying your furniture by researching the maker using trusted online resources. The Victorian era lasted roughly from the 1830s to the 1890s, and its furniture style spread from the UK to Europe and the United States. If the maker of your furniture was active during that time frame and produced pieces similar to yours, then it is likely to be Victorian. If you cannot locate the mark, you'll need to understand the characteristics of Victorian furniture to assess your piece. Victorian furniture is usually regal, ornate and luxurious and often features curved lines and stately proportions, floral or geometric carvings and inlays, richly colored woods and highly detailed embellishments. A certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer can also help you determine what period your furniture is from. Shop a diverse assortment of Victorian furniture on 1stDibs.

Yes, most Bombay Company furniture is real wood. The furniture maker produces pieces out of rubber wood, cherry wood and other hardwoods. Some pieces also feature other materials, such as bamboo. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Bombay Company wood furniture from some of the world's top sellers.

What happened to the Drexel Heritage furniture company was that the brand went out of business. In 2014, the last plant operated by Drexel Heritage — known to mid-century modern furniture collectors as Drexel Furniture — closed its doors. The North Carolina company rebranded as Drexel in 2017. Then, in 2018, the Heritage Home Group, which was formed years earlier by an equity investor called KPS Capital Partners when it acquired Drexel Heritage and other manufacturers such as Lane and Broyhill, filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. Production of Drexel furniture never resumed.

Find vintage Drexel dressers, sofas, dining tables and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

The difference between Eastlake and Victorian furniture is that one style is a reaction to the other. The Victorian era began with the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne in 1837. During the period, furniture makers created highly ornate pieces with ornamental details, such as intricate carvings of floral and animal motifs, and plush upholstery. The period also saw the start of the mass production of furniture. In 1868, Charles Eastlake published a book on design that criticized the Victorian style as overly ornamental and urged a return to traditional handcrafting. His work inspired the Eastlake style. Eastlake furniture tends to be understated and has fewer decorative embellishments and more angular lines. On 1stDibs, shop a diverse assortment of Eastlake and Victorian furniture.