Louis XV

Also known as Louis Quinze, was a style popularized by King Louis XV of France. The Sun King reigned in France between 1715 and 1774. The furniture style from this period is similar to Rococo with soft, flowing lines, shell and flower ornamentation, S-curves, rich padded upholstery, rare wood veneers, inlaying and painted furniture.

Marquetry

A flush pattern produced by inserting contrasting materials in a veneered surface. Rare, grained, and colored woods are usually used, but thin layers of tortoiseshell, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and metals are also seen. If the pattern is of a geometric nature, it is called parquetry.

Commode

French form mimicking an English chest-of-drawers, dating from the mid 17th-century and very popular in the 18th century. Fashion greatly determined variances in styles and decoration, but commodes generally are wider than they are tall.

Kingwood

A variety of Brazilian hardwood known for its violet-hued fine wood grain. It is used often in cabinetwork and comes from the Dalbergia tree.

Veneer

A wood finishing technique in which thin sheet of fine wood is applied to a the surface of a coarser wood or other structural material for decoration. Veneer is used to give furniture pieces a finer, more pleasing appearance. It was first used in ancient Egypt, classical Greece, and Rome, but did not appear again until the 17th Century in the Netherlands.