Furniture legs and feet encompass a whole family of products including sofa and chair legs, Queen Anne legs, Ogive (Ogee) brackets, bun feet, toe caps, ball and claw feet, and more.
In this post I will cover:
Furniture legs and feet include many furniture categories and styles.
Bun feet are great for any style furniture. Popular, cost-effective, always in style!
History of the ball and claw foot.
What are Queen Anne legs?
Van Dyke’s Restorers has over 650 styles of furniture legs and feet.
Bun Feet – Always in Style
Bun feet for furniture is one look that will probably never go out of style. Whether large or small, square or round, wooden bun feet make a long-lasting, rock solid foundation for furniture, cabinets, and more.
These versatile feet are used for chairs, sofas, vanities, cabinets, chests, armoires, dressers, ottomans, kitchen islands, and trunks.
bun feet on a kitchen island
Most bun feet are machined turned, but many are hand-carved by skilled artisans to create one-of-a-kind works of art. Favorite bun styles include Tulip, Charlotte, Emma, Mission, Shaker, Celtic, English Estate, French Country, Traditional, Pumpkin, Apple, Abbe, Bullnose, Octagon, Leaf, Lillie, Danish, Tipt Toe, Square, Round, Contemporary, and Reeded.
Bun feet are generally 2-in. to 4 5/8-in. in height with more modern feet reaching up to 9 inches tall. Van Dyke’s Restorers has 166 different styles of bun feet in several wood types to suit any application. Bun feet are sold with attached mounting bolts and without bolts.
The Ogive Foot Gives an Elegant Look
The Ogive (or Ogee) foot is a corner bracket style furniture leg that gets its name from the complex curves that give a scalloped edge appearance. They are offered in a variety of sizes and wood types to suit any design style.
ogive foot bracket on hutch
History of the Ball and Claw Foot
The Ball and Claw Foot, popular in England and the American Colonies, traces its roots to the Chinese symbol of a dragon’s claw grasping a crystal or flaming ball. Other variations include an eagle’s claw and a crane holding a river rock.
The English sign of nobility is the lion and thus furniture makers used a lion’s paw grasping a ball or globe. These legs were at the height of their popularity from 1710 to 1750 and as late as the 1790s in America.
Cabriole and Queen Anne Legs
The Cabriole leg dates back to ancient China and Greece and features two curves – the upper one convex with the lower being concave. The cabriole leg often uses a Ball and Claw foot on the end.
queen anne leg on dresser
A version of the Cabriole leg, which became part of the Queen Anne Style, emerged in England during Queen Anne’s reign. A more delicate version was introduced in the 1750s as part of the Chippendale furniture designs.
In addition to the Queen Anne leg and Ball and Claw leg, Van Dyke’s offers the popular Lawson leg, as well as, a new line of Contemporary legs and posts with metal sleeves from Designs of Distinction.
With over 650 styles of furniture legs and feet, Van Dyke’s has the decorative leg in the style and finish for most any application.
How to Select Furniture Legs and Feet
Bun feet are offered in many styles and heights with most being 2” – 5” high.
A sofa seat is normally 17” – 18” from the floor.
Chair legs are various sizes from 6” – 16”, and more and include the classic Queen Anne leg, Ball and Claw, Lawson, or block styles.
Dining table legs feature rustic to modern styles in turned and hand carved options and are generally 28” – 29” tall. Leg thickness should be determined by the thickness of the table top and the length of the table to keep everything proportional.
Island legs are usually 35” – 35 1/2” and feature every period style from Shaker to Country to Mission.
Bar legs are generally a little taller at 42”.
