History Of Furniture

Background

Sometimes called a couch or a davenport, a sofa is a long upholstered seat with both arms and a back. Now a days, it is a very common luxury that shows humans' progression away from the nomadic "pack and evacuate" lifestyle of our recent past.

India is a country of varied cultures, languages, sects, castes, religion, styles and fashion. Artistry has been one of the most important part of Indian history. Be it the temples or the forts, the clothes or even the ancient cave designs. Art is deep rooted in our Indian history and culture and is one of the irreplaceable parts of it. Furniture wasn’t exactly a part of Indian way of living as since historic times people used low chairs, cushions, mattresses etc for activities like sitting, eating or sleeping. Furniture was mostly used in the royal households. Pieces such as royal thrones and many others were utilized. As the civilization grew it brought various changes in the way of living. Many invaders had a lot of influence on the style of furniture in India.

History

In the 19th century, the advent of industrial technology had a major impact on modern methods of upholstery. Coil springs were invented in 1850. A modern sofa or sofa set typically, though not always, contains springs to even out weight distribution. The sewing machine was developed in this period, speeding up the process. New improvements would not be possible without the sewing machine.

The British Impact

When the Europeans and the Portuguese visited India they were astonished by the lack of furniture. Hence they used Indian craftsmen and carpenters to create furniture similar to their own home country. The Indian artisans were super skilled and the resultant furniture was the unique amalgamation of the European and Indian style. The great artistry done by Indians artists and carpenters on the wooden surfaces and great pieces made by them using wood, timber etc were impeccable.

Raw Materials Used

Wood was the major raw material that was utilized as it was available in surplus amounts in India. Indian carpenters carved great designs and adapted their skills to make some great furniture out of wood. The other materials used were ebony, shisham, teak, rosewood and ivory from elephants tusks.

The Multifarious Furniture styles

As many countries and cultures ruled India the furniture styles has been influenced by many places on the globe.

In the North India you will find Moghul style furniture which is majorly made up of dark wood and consists of writing desks, tables and much more.

In the south the furniture is more inclined towards Goan-Portuguese style. This furniture consists of large cabinets with intricate designs.

The English or the British style is also largely found all across the country which consists of special dining sets and much more.

The modern day furniture is a rich mixture of all the ancient styles twisted in a modern way and at SPNS furniture we maintain the authenticity of the furniture and induce modern ways and styles to give you a customized design which would mirror your personality!