The objets d'art and antiques from the Restauration era were influenced by the Empire style but were lighter and more elegant. With its softer contours and more discreet decorative work, the furniture is charming and comfortable. Using turned wood, curved cornices, and curved or spiral legs, the outlines became increasingly rounder. The contemporary artistic movement of Romanticism inspired greater subtlety and softness.
Bronze was rarely used and the martial motifs disappeared. Symmetry was no longer a prerequisite. The most commonly carved motifs included foliage, florets, rosettes, horns of abundance, chimera, horses, and so on. The Empire palmette was a common feature but in a reduced and more rounded form. Mahogany was a favourite choice of wood, but the continental blockade obliged craftsmen to use other woods such as satinwood, ash, cherry, maple, and elm.
