Antique Eastlake Victorian Sideboard c.1880s 

Features a marble top serving area. Lower cabinet has three drawers under serving area and one drawer under three cabinet doors.

Measures approximately 54ʺL × 24ʺW × 80ʺH

In the late 19th-century, over-the-top Victorian furniture decorated most English homes. The pieces’ exaggerated curves and plush upholstery combined with thick, textured draperies. They create a self-contained living environment that allowed for little outside light or air.

Though the Victorian style was very popular, not everybody was a fan. British architect Charles Locke Eastlake wasn’t afraid to speak out against this dominant trend. Eastlake strongly disliked Victorian furniture styles, especially pieces that reflected the Rococo era and Renaissance Revival.

Eastlake was equally displeased with mass-produced pieces’ lack of creativity and substandard workmanship. Many artisans shared his concern. They were afraid that their artistic prospects were rapidly diminishing.

Determined to fight this trend toward mediocrity, Eastlake penned a book entitled Hints on Household Taste in Furniture, Upholstery, and Other Details. In this 1868 work, Eastlake emphasized that home furnishings should be carefully crafted by workers. He wanted them to take pride in their handcrafted or machine-made work.

Eastlake’s book laid the groundwork for a markedly different furniture style. He became an advocate for “simple, sturdy furniture.” This focus on simplicity and fine craftsmanship. It was a dominant tenet of the upcoming Arts and Crafts Movement. The Eastlake style of furniture also mirrored elements of the era’s Queen Anne furniture style.