Just start looking at estate sales. Since it's been out of style and demand, you'll find some great buys of well-kept pieces from not only the 60s and 70s, but earlier in the century.

BTW, some American-made lines are becoming collector's items and prices are rising, but not drastically yet. For instance, I have a Willett Furniture hutch and sideboard made in the '50s that would have been collector-priced right out of my husband's comfort zone (i.e., cheap!) except that it's missing two of its original bail pulls (they have their own unique shape and authentic replacements extremely hard to find). I was very happy with a defect that allowed me to give it a new home in my sitting room. :)

D, I haven't noticed the style coming back. But I haven't been to any furniture stores lately either.

I loved the old two tiered end tables. Very functional! It all had a homey feeling and looked great with red.

I always thought when 'country style'(geese/mauve/blue/etc.) was 'in', it was considered to be early American or Colonial. Aren't they one and the same? Was it Oak or Maple furniture? ;o)

Mostly maple and to this day my very favorite!!! I hope that Dainaadele is correct, as I would love to buy a couple of pieces to replace some that have been handed down 1 too many times :^)

I bought all maple colonial furniture when I got married in 74. We did call it "colonial" then. My mom still has her tables and buffets, etc...from that era except they bought leather couches and updated their decor with a more ecclectic look.

It used to be sold in full suites, everything matching.

I personally don't see it making a big comeback in my lifetime.

It's sort of back in a retro way. Those Saarinen tulip tables and Eames loungers are a little pricy now. So for those who want a mid-century vibe but don't have the pocketbook or the truly modern house to support it, a little maple Early American can do the trick. But you need the Betty Page bangs to really rock the look.

I have an inexpensively made but cute 3-level end table with pretty detailing. We're pretty sure it's solid walnut, and the 3 levels (one halfway between the floor and main one) make it nice and sturdy. I picked it up for $25 at an "antique" mall.

Jakabety, I'm not talking about the tulip tables even though they were MCM. The Early American style wasn't a modern style.

Rosie, your table sounds cute! I think I'll do a websearch on EA furniture and see what comes up.

There was a lot of Early American that I hope never comes back (ugly flowered or plaid sofas and chairs with almost ruffled skirts, pine wooden arms on upholstery, etc).

I am seeing a lot of Willet pieces at a local auction house and on Craigslist. What I am seeing is basic, clean lines, yes, mostly maple and some oak, but very pretty and well made classic pieces. I have actually been tempted. The only thing holding me back is the lighter woods which do not look good with my decor.

Let me back up! I just googled Willet on Craigslist and found some beautiful cherry. That is NOT what I call
ugly Early American. I could certainly live with that

Tuesday

Here is a link that might be useful: Willett dining table

Or this piece....

But I have seen it much cheaper in the past.

Here is a link that might be useful: Willet chest

oakley - I didn't say it was a modern style . . . I said it was a mid-century style. There are folks that are all about retro, but since MCM is a bit pricy and a bit specific, plain old MC will work. That's where the Early American comes in.

I have this chair, that I dearly love. It is mid-century, but not modern. It might fall into the Early American category.

I'm with you Tuesday - there's alot of that stuff I hope I never see again! LOL Not fond of much of that style.

You need to look in antique stores, craigslist, etc., not furniture stores. Magazines, blogs, etc. seem to be much more indicative of what is coming back and much of it is found antiquing/thrifting, not in furniture stores.

I see alot of the tiered tables. There's a couple of gals near here who have a furniture painting business and I've bought a couple of pieces from them. They almost always have some of the tiered tables - painted in scrummy colors!

tina

Colonial Revival furniture or especially the more formal Federal and early Empire 18th and 19th c. styles of furniture have never been completely out of production. Stickley has made some pieces all along but it has been eclipsed again by their Craftsman furniture.

Colonial revivals in general seem to follow cycles. There was one in the early 1900s both in architecture and furniture, followed by one in the late 20s during the Sesquicentennial, and then there was one in the 50s-60s that peaked around the Bicentennial. During this period Ethan Allen and Heywood Wakefield made a lot of pieces, among others.

Each one has been a bit different with the 1920s-50s being heavy on the maple and chintz. Along with the anniversaries of the US, the redevelopment of Williamsburg by the Rockefellers, and the post-war move out of the city (idealized by such movies and "George Washington Slept Here" and "Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House") all created interest.

Right now even genuine 18th and 19th c. furniture is relatively low in price if the pieces are "ordinary", but there has never been a lack of interest in fine pieces by collectors.

There will probably be a resurgence because of the low pricesand sturdy construction of a lot of revival pieces. Designers will start using it: Cushman Colonials pieces (chairs especially) are popping up in some very high end interiors published in the magazines. Also in 2026, the quarter millenium of the US will probably cause some interest.

...and it also included a style of furniture that we certainly wouldn't call Colonial, but refer to it as French Country. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: colonial..........

Early American 'revisited'.........

Here is a link that might be useful: EA furniture

My MILs house (built in mid-80s) is Early American style. I don't mean the cookie-cutter 'colonial' style houses from the 80's. I'm talking they took multiple trips to Williamsburg to take pictures of and study the architecture, reading books and doing research, and then working closely with an architect to re-create the look. The inside is decorated with many actual period pieces and reproductions. Anyway, she subscribes to the magazine linked below, so there must be at least enough people decorating in this style to support the magazine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Early American Life Magazine

I think the Early American fad was more like the late 40s early 50s than the 70s. Maple and ditsy calico prints. Heywood Wakefield made Colonial repros before they made Mid-Century stuff.

I like Shaker and real colonial furniture, but the reproductions leave me cold. I suppose if I lived in a genuine Cape Cod or a saltbox, I could see the charm of the style.

When I read this title I immediately thought of this heinous sofa my in-laws bought. It was a faux velour with an orange and brown print. It was skirted and had wings made of maple. The arms were also maple, but had that horrid fabric on them. It had stick legs...was heavy as all get out and DH and I just gagged when we saw it.

Of course, it was not really EA, but it just fit that whole '70's era of the tole painted oil lamps, heavy maple spindled legged coffee tables with scalloped tray tops, faux copper bed warmers and braided rugs. They called it EA...we just called it UGLY.

Pesky, you and I agree. True early american as I remember was just ugly. Always Maple with the accessories you mentioned. I don't remember ever having this furniture. It would be interesting to see how some of it has been recreated/painted/used in current houses.

Jakeaby...that chair is georgious. I wouldn't call it EA at all. Do you know who designed it and the era? Never let it go.

Wow, that Early American Magazine is amazing. Although that is definitely not my style overall, there are some gorgeous pieces in the articles on that site.

emagineer -

I have no idea about the provenance of my chair. I figured late '40s-50s because of the wood, the finish and the design. But it worked with the A&C stuff I was buying at the time, which was 30-40 years older. It gives me that barkcloth curtains and "Holiday Inn" vibe (the Bing Crosby one, not the roadside hotel) and I just love it.
The poor chair is actually sitting in the barn right now. But a yard sale is in the works and some other items will be moving out so I can make room for it again.

What happened, I'll tell you what it happened, it ended up at my house! That means my decor is not in step or in sync with any trends out there!

I pursue this style quite intentionally, not due to inheriting cast-offs that I'd prefer not to have. Recently I purchased a Colonial Revivial secretary, circa 1940's, for my living room. I get a kick out of it. Sure, it's not museum quality by a long stretch, but I like it.

I love a camelback sofa, wing chair, Martha Washington chair. Chippendale, Queen Anne, Sheraton furniture, Chinese export porcelain, pewter, Oriental rugs, all make my heart sing! 18th century originals make me drool, but good reproductions will have to do.

18th century style ignites my imagination. Style gurus don't talk about decor stimulating the imagination, but this style and era evoke images of history, my Virginia heritage, our founding fathers for me. I am moved by and appreciate, the genteel grace and understated elegance of the period. For me, it's fun to live around things that connect with me on some deeper level, rather than pursue all the "right" up-to-the-minute furniture styles that just sit in the room & don't talk to me!

Older relatives think I'm silly to spend money on "dated" furniture when I could go out & buy new, more contemporary things. New and contemporary just don't speak to me!

The house featured in the current issue of Virginia Living magazine is too splendid for words, imo! The owners did an outstanding job restoring it, then filled it with museum quality antiques. They have impeccable taste ( with the help of top-notch designers & architects of course.) Click on "Top to Bottomely" for photos & slideshow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oh, those shield back chairs...swoon

I can only go by what my mother did. She was a born decorator. My childhood is divided in two stages. The first house we lived in until I was 9. I was born in '54.

Mom had it designed in the ultra modern furniture of the 50s. The kind you'd see in the old Dick Van Dyke shows. lol.

When we moved to a historic home, she did it in EA. Exacly like Lucy and Ricky's country home.

Did you all find L&R's furnishings in their country house "ugly?" Our's was decorated just like it!

But she only did the living room in those styles. The formal DR was done in what I'd call Colonial, but it flowed with the LR and Kitchen.

I'll never forget when she found this large wooden table and matching chairs and she beat it with a heavy chain to put dents in it, then she painted it "Turkey Red" with a black glaze over it. She did the kitchen cabinets the same way.

I obviously didn't get her gene. lol But gosh that stuff was pretty!

Oh gosh Stinky, I just clicked on the link and saw it was Virginia Living! That's where my parents are from and moved to OK after they got married.

One of the rooms shown on the site is the same "turkey red" my mom did our DR table and kitchen cabinets in.

She must have been familiar with the colors before she did our house in them. WTG, Mom! lol

My mom had the "dough box" end table and the "cobbler's bench" coffee table along with the mill on the stream orange print couch with the pine accents. Her next phase was the celery green naugahyde love seats and the glass and chrome tables and the must-have wall-to-wall carpeting. All of this was ugly...

I think a lot of you are mixing up the lowest common denominator of the style with the real thing. This is like taking the ugliest "furniture set" you find at Value City and saying all 2000s transitional/contemporary furniture is ugly.

This is 1960s colonial / early american. I know, the color scheme is the D word, but my parents are in their mid 80s and haven't updated in decades.
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My all original 1960s bedroom with some unfortunate 1980s window treatments. BTW, that "incense burner" ice bucket to the left has a twin listed on 1st dibs for $4000. Ridiculous lol.
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Yes, midcentury ER is a lot sturdier/chunky in look, with typically more turnings and not inoccasional cutsiness (like those butter-churn tables).

Genuine early American, a whole different ballgame as stated, is much daintier and simpler in line (elegant!) and either more formal as in prosperous homes or more rustic from work rooms or more modest homes. They didn't do "casual." :) A lot of the genuine stuff, especially chairs, is also typically too small for most of us these days and can pose problems with scale when mixed with today's stuff.

A real virtue of much of the midcentury stuff is materials. My Willett sideboard is solid cherry, and my cute little end table would never be made of walnut these days. It was actually finished to resemble mahogany (!), walnut apparently being...a glut on market or something?

This D but pretty room shows why this look will be back fairly big, with some updates and not for everyone, of course, but it's really quite nice and has tons of nostalgia going for it too.

Lucy and Ricky moved to the country and decorated their home in EA.

Guess I missed that. I don't remember them leaving the brownstone. Found some clips on youtube.

I Love Lucy -- Housewarming

My brother's bedroom set looked a lot like Palimpsest's. My mom also decorated the TV room in that style.

Ha Pal! I know what you mean. My grandmother is 93 and while her decor is not quite that dated, it certainly needs updated, but I guess it is comfortable (comforting?) for them.

Not a fan of that style myself. We never had quite that style but I am remembering those desk chairs and also table chairs in that style.

tina

Natal, you missed the Lucy shows when they moved to the country and Fred & Ethel moved on the property in a guest house? That era was my favorite!

Pal, I'm not confusing anything. It was a certain style of the late 50s through 60's which was called Early American. Like the way we decorate in "Country" compared to "Traditional.'

We had almost the same white FP in your pic above but it had built in bookshelves across each side, wall to wall, stopping at the mantel.

The living room you show looks like the "formal" living rooms some of my friend's parents had, and never used. lol.

Oakley, nope, don't remember that at all. When I searched I found that was the last season for the show.

OMG I don't care if that maple skirted junk ever comes back. I had a few friends where their parents had that stuff.

Then there is real colonial style, which I didn't care for either. I remember when the pages of Country Living were filled with that back in the seventy's. The pewter, the old antique coverlets, english riding paintings with the hunting dogs,robe beds, antique candlesticks everywhere. My cousin had her living room and bedrooms done like that and I felt like I was in a museum. It was cold and uncomfortable.

But things usually come back full circle, only with a twist, I hope not. But does it really matter? I won't be doing it.

....Jane

My dining room is a nod to Early American. I had the hutch/cabinet & table custom made:

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Oh Jane - I can always count on you to crack me up. I know what you are talking about. I actually do like some of the hunting pictures and a couple of other items you mentioned, but mixed in - more of an eclectic mix I guess.

Pal really does know his *stuff*.

Kelly - you may "nod" to early american but your rooms are lovely. More updated I suppose. Almost a bit of the primitive style.

tina

Kelly your rooms are gorgeous. Great job! I bet your friends just love being invited to YOUR house for dinner! Very inviting & cozy.

I'm not in my 80's or 90's. Heck, I'm not even approaching 60, but I'm just an old-fogey at heart I guess!

Oakley, glad you enjoyed something about the photos from the VA mag. Long live Turkey Red!

Kelly your rooms are very welcoming, and well done, not what I was talking about at all.

The bedroom I show is all Ethan Allen which is the casual form of "colonial" mid century. But it was part and parcel with a wider trend that includes the living room I pictured. Although that is not Ethan Allen, they made furniture like That, too, and it is all based on furniture from the same period. The only antique in that room is the girandole over the fireplace and it is unclear whether that is actually Federal, or a Centennial piece from the 1870s or later. Plenty of hideous plastic "reproductions" of those, but again it shouldn't all be lumped together.

As for the chunky maple and chintz stuff, a lot of the midcentury or early 20th century stuff is quite nice and very sturdy. And some of it is hideous. As with most things, I think it was the Combinations that were so bad, not the individual elements themselves--the taste level of some people putting all the stuff together: that is what varied so much (and still does).

PAL -- OMG!!! I have the EXACT same ice bucket -- sitting under my buffet -- DH found it at Goodwill for $1.99!!!

LOL!!! :)

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

It's at my house! well pieces parts anyways and I think it will fit in with my cottagey vibe when I am finished.
I think of Pal's parents' house and Kelly's as having traditional furniture - with classic lines.I don't think that will ever go out of style.

Are those the Cushman Colonials? I have seen them in either ElleDecor or House Beautiful, --or both, recently.

Since Cooperbailey showed those chairs I have seen them in so many magazines lately too Pal.

Pal those tilt top tables like the one sitting in your parents living room what are they called? I have one that was given to me (one of my first antiques) and it is old old with wooden pegs and the top tilts up. Wonder what something like that would be worth? If Linda C. is around I would love to hear her thoughts too.

.....Jane

They don't have any real tilt tops: the one with the lamp growning out of it is a 20th century adaptation of a tilt top candlestand, and the ones back by the fireplace are demilune tables.

The prices for revival furniture and even the real thing are kind of whatever someone will pay for it right now, to the best of my knowledge. I have seen some kinda ordinary, worn but genuine 18th and 19th c. tilt tops go for a few thousand tops at auction. However, a few years ago, an anonymous billionaire paid over $8M all told for a piecrust table (tilt top, I believe) by the fabled Garvan Carver.

OMG the man that gave me this piece some thirty five years ago was a very weathly man that was born in England, it belonged to his grandparents. And he told me it was very valuable. I use to cut his hair and he was just being nice, he liked me.
I understand he gave most of his antiques away and then blew his brains out. Isn't that sad?

For some reason my computer does not reconize my camera any longer or I would post a picture. Geez I would even sell it for five hundred or a million. (lol)

Thanks Pal you are so helpful.

....Jane

I adore the staircase and fireplace in Lucy's EA living room!

Cottage seems to be popular here. A lot of Early American/Colonial pieces turn up in those rooms, frequently painted. My3dogs house comes to mind, an alltime favorite home. I think she has a lot of Early American/Colonial pieces. New England styling is just beautiful.

This tacky Early American/Colonial ottoman was perfect for my living room!

Before:

After:

It's solid as a rock, and I like the legs.

Franksmom, that's the style! lol. I thought the rooms were beautiful if put together right along with the right color scheme on the rugs and walls.

Stinky, we had a turkey red toile wallpaper in the dining room. Are you and I the only one's who remember "turkey red?"

I always loved my mom's decorating.

Country Living got way too rustic in the 70s and 80s and I stopped subscribing. Now it's a decent mag.

Kelly, your rooms are beautiful and so cozy looking.