Early Middle Ages Furniture: History & Design

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Medieval, Middle Ages

I still remember my visit to Florence, where the missus and I went to a lovely Medieval palazzo, smack in the middle of the city. The massive doors could be bolted from the inside. The staircase leading to the bedrooms was overlooked by an interior balcony that allowed those upstairs to release volleys of arrows and bolts at any intruders attempting to climb them. And it was winding, to provide many opportunities for the defenders to take out as many assailants as possible. This wasn’t a castle or anything of military significance — just a regular home “built for the perils of everyday life in the Middle Ages,” as our pocketbook guide drily described it.

Housing in the Middle Ages was supposed to be a fortress capable of protecting or sheltering from a real threat. The main influence on the formation of the interior in the Middle Ages was provided by Christianity, the feudal system, and a typically sparse way of life.

Furniture was not divided, as it is now, into adult and children’s. There were no playgrounds for children, unlike modern interiors and exteriors where furniture is chosen individually and children have entire children’s playsets where they can have fun. During the Middle Ages, people could move frequently and had to work from an early age. Their children didn’t have enough time to play so indoor and outdoor furniture was far more utilitarian than it is now.

Interior of houses in the Middle Ages

Ever since the Minoan times, people understood the value of building a house that combined wood and stone. The latter was typically used for the foundation and columns, or even for entire walls. Wooden structures with beams were the norm for ceilings, which were often decorated with carvings or paintings while the walls were whitewashed and painted. The themes for painting were very diverse: scenes from court life, images of hunting, or military battles. In Italy, walls could also be decorated with fabric — a material that also served as insulation against the cold. When it came to tapestries, green was considered one of the most expensive colors, but yellow or red-brown was also often used.

The floors in rich houses or castles were made of wooden planks and stone or ceramic tiles. The tiles could have a smooth, monochromatic glaze and simple geometric patterns, or contain images of plants, birds, and animals. Poor houses had earthen floors. In such cases, to insulate the floor, it was covered with grass, straw, or hay.

In the Middle Ages, most houses also had fireplaces, both for cooking and warmth. They could be whitewashed, painted, or laid with faience tiles. The fireplace was sometimes located in the center of the room and had a round hearth and an open flame, which made it possible to cook food on it.

Furniture in the Middle Ages

Medieval furniture typically came in massive and bulky shapes. Iron plates or carvings were often used as decoration. To hide the rough treatment, the wood was sometimes painted or covered with fabric. Only the rich could afford pieces of furniture, of course: the poor often did without it, sitting on straws and eating without a table. A unique item of this time, recognizable to anyone who’s played an AD&D game, was the ubiquitous chest. The chest made it possible to store supplies, clothing, and utensils. In addition, it could be slept on or used as a bench. And if the worst happened and you needed to flee your home, you could always carry your meager belongings in the chest while fleeing.

Outdoor furniture was even more modest — mostly made of wood and not richly decorated. Basically, these were benches, tables, and umbrellas, which trendy medieval young ladies used to preserve skin from the sun. The best outdoor furniture was the one that could be used by several generations. Home and outdoor furniture passed as a dowry to brides, as well as from one generation to their children as a family heirloom because it was very expensive.

Beds, tables, and chairs

The most important pieces of furniture in the Middle Ages were beds, tables, and chairs.

A bed was usually understood as an ordinary frame with legs. It allowed sleepy dwellers to rest without worrying about creepy crawlers biting them and were often stuffed with straw mats.

The chair resembled the shape of an antique one, only it wasn’t foldable.

The table, on the other hand, could often be folded out and removed when not needed.

In the 11th century, frame-panel knitting was revived, a mechanical saw had appeared, and carving techniques had been mastered. This made it possible to create a new style — Gothic. In the Gothic style, rectangular shapes still remain, but the frame is divided into separate fields with carvings. Lancet arches, cruciferous flowers, and other architectural details began to appear on furniture. The gothic style also introduced new versions of cupboards into everyday life, such as credenzas and dressings.

Another novelty was the carpet, which soon became a luxury item no home could be without. It could be hung on the wall and used to cover beds and even cabinets.

Today, similar design techniques are often used for manors and hotels styled in the manner of the Middle Ages, with hotel furniture selected in accordance with the chosen style. Even today, my mom’s house is filled with antique furniture that is eerily similar to many objects from the medieval style. I have also spotted on occasion modern reproductions of antique-looking wooden furniture in homes, restaurants, and hotels, complete with gothic motifs and stained wood.

So, if you’re an author of historical fiction, now you know where your knight or lady of the manor spent their days when not going on adventures.

Photo: Pexels