HGTV Home Town's Erin and Ben Napier are synonymous with their ability to blend English country eccentricity with sweet, Southern charm – and no furniture achieves this quite like bobbin.
The designer, who recently moved into a new farmhouse in Laurel, Mississippi, recently shared footage from her bedroom where bobbin furniture is in abundance – and we can't think of a more fitting space for these antique-style pieces.
Characterized by its construction, bobbin (also known as spool) furniture emerged in the 17th century when furniture makers experimented with factory offcuts to make sweet beds, cots, and chairs.
Bobbin's overall shape has not changed much in the last 400 years, but today, furniture designers have kept the design trend alive by playing with more vibrant and colorful shades that serve as beautiful statements in playful homes.
In her bedroom, Erin has paired a bobbin chair (made from a light terracotta wood) with a similar-hued bobbin bed with slightly bigger bobbin curves. The pieces create an instant-talking point in the room – complete with pale yellow paint and neutral window treatments that lead out onto the terrace.
These bobbin pieces fit seamlessly in Erin's country-inspired space, but design expert Simran Kaur explains that this furniture trend shouldn't be reserved exclusively for traditional spaces. Instead, she says these pieces are just as fitting in more modern homes.
'Bobbin furniture is the perfect blend of minimalist materials and maximalist designs,' she says. 'It effortlessly brings a sense of antique taste and an artsy look to our traditional homes – while serving as an accent piece in more contemporary spaces.'
Versatility aside, Simran adds that bobbin furniture has sustainable qualities, too.
'Since the design industry is going back to sustainability without compromising on beauty and aesthetics, bobbin furniture is the perfect fit – it fulfils both criteria,' she says. 'It similarly arouses those childhood emotions of feeling those ornamental designs with your hands, their sturdiness, and the texture they bring to any room.'
Simran Kaur is a furniture expert from Room You Love, where she helps clients design both functional and beautiful rooms. Her expertise is frequently featured in design publications both nationally and internationally.
'Besides its nostalgic associations, we owe bobbin's successes to its versatility, sustainability, and its ability to add interest to any space whatsoever,' Simran adds.
It's uncertain where Erin picked up her bobbin pieces; however, we'd hazard a strong guess that they were produced in her woodworker husband Ben's workshop – potentially even from trees surrounding their property.
'Ben loves all the woodwork, of course, and I love the autumnal British style, the warm rooms where you can always find a huge velvet chair and a book,' Erin previously shared in a discussion of their home via Instagram.
Sadly, we can't all have Ben Napier create bobbin furniture for our homes, but we can pick up similar pieces below.
This classic armchair features exposed wood with bobbin carving for the entire outside back, the arms, and the front legs. It is made to order, so we can choose our favorite color for the wood and seat cushion.
This piece was designed to remind us of an earlier life when the 'rolling pin' would be used to make a lumpy bed into a smooth bed. The turned legs and stretchers add a classic and elegant touch to any bedroom.
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