Furniture with original designs made
by the cabinet-maker Chippendale was available. His genius was in
combining various motifs into one harmonious design. Cabinet
makers had to keep abreast of his standards and to imitate them to
conform with their customers' orders. Cabriole legs with claw and
ball feet came into fashion with Queen Anne about 1712. Between
windows were tall mirrors. There were pictures on the walls. From
1760, glass chandeliers hung from the ceiling to reflect
candlelight coming from standing candlesticks or glazed hanging
lanterns with brass frames. The fireplace had an elaborate mantel.
The fire was kept going all day. It was lit by a tender box, which
was unreliable. An iron fire-back was behind the fire. The
firewood was placed on andirons. Fire grates were used from about
1712. At a corner of the building was added a closet. On the
second floor was a dining room, continuation of the closet below,
and a drawing room, dressing room, or bedroom, and perhaps a study
or music room with harpsichord. The dining room had a fireplace,
curtains over the windows looped up at the cornices, one or more
mahogany tables, a set of mahogany chairs with leather or hair-
cloth seats fixed with brass nails (perhaps with some sort of
metal springing), two mahogany sideboards with marble tops,
cupboards or shelves or cabinets with displays of china porcelain,
a wine-cooler, a dumb-waiter, and a folding leather screen.
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