| Furniture during the Middle Ages was usually heavy, | | | | During colonial times, one famous American |
| oak, decorated with designs carved into the wood, in | | | | cabinet-maker Anthony Hay made reproduction |
| fact, in Britain, a wardrobe was often referred to as an | | | | furniture in Colonial Williamsburg, and in Fredericksburg |
| "oakley," because of the oak wood used in the | | | | alone, more than a dozen manufacturers made |
| construction. The Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth | | | | European-style furniture, mostly in the British style, |
| and fifteenth century saw a change in designs, largely | | | | including Chippendale, until German and Scandinavian |
| inspired by Greco-Roman influences. During the | | | | immigrants began bringing more varied designs to the |
| seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern | | | | country. |
| Europe, designs became far more extravagant and | | | | As labor costs have risen, much of this reproduction |
| opulent, often with gilt Baroque designs incorporating | | | | furniture is now built in Asia and the far East rather |
| flowers and scrolled ornamentation. In the eighteenth | | | | than Europe or America using a variety of woods |
| century, furniture designs began to develop more | | | | ranging from bamboo and pine to cherry and teak |
| quickly, although there were some styles that belonged | | | | woods. China is starting to break into this market also, |
| primarily to one area such as the Neoclassicism | | | | with many factories being created in Beijing and other |
| dominant throughout Western Europe. | | | | major cities, although there remain a few more |
| As heavy oak became more expensive, and more | | | | traditional manufacturers in Europe and the United |
| importantly, harder to obtain, reproduction furniture | | | | States still offering bespoke services ranging from |
| makers began experimenting with other forms of | | | | upholstery and leather and using traditional cabinet |
| wood such a Yew and Walnut. As Asia and other | | | | making techniques as well as the more mass |
| parts of the world were discovered, more exotic | | | | produced types of furniture. Some popular woods |
| woods such as Mahogany began to be used. | | | | used in China include elm, beech cypress and fir. There |
| Cabinet makers have been producing reproduction | | | | is also a type of oak grown in Korea used which is |
| furniture almost since the first piece of furniture was | | | | commonly referred to as Korean wood or "Goall mu." |
| built. Thomas Chippendale, for instance, the famous | | | | Advances in wood working equipment such as lathes |
| British cabinet maker, has his designs copied to this | | | | and off center turning have also seen changes in the |
| day. Even as far back as the 1700s his designs were | | | | way reproduction furniture is created and much |
| widely reproduced, to the point where there were a | | | | furniture-making nowadays is done by automated |
| great many instances of the use of his name, and | | | | machines that can copy original designs down to the |
| dealers still refer to Gothic, Chinese or even Irish | | | | millimeter, whereas in the early days of cabinet making, |
| Chippendales. A great deal of these later designs with | | | | it was made exclusively by hand. |
| his name on bear little relationship to his original designs | | | | There are many types of reproduction furniture |
| and certainly no relation to his company or family, | | | | available: English antique, American, French, and |
| although many of these copies have since become | | | | traditional designs, alongside more modern styles, and a |
| sought-after antiques in their own right and in some | | | | growing variety of Asian styles including traditional |
| cases the copiers have managed to surpass the | | | | Japanese and Chinese furniture designs. Beds, |
| originals in style and quality. Buying a copy is more | | | | cabinets, Computer Desks, tables, dining room sets, |
| often than not a far less expensive way of obtaining | | | | almost any piece or style imaginable are created round |
| the quality and style you prefer and in any case, a | | | | the world using modern tools. |
| genuine Chippendale is likely to be difficult to obtain. | | | | |