Thomas Johnson (designer) "The Book of the Carver" in 1758 and monthly between 1755 and 1758, "One hundred and fifty New Designs". He also had a great influence on Ince and Mayhew's book, "The Universal System of Household Furniture". He participated in the Antigallican Association, an informal group opposed to French fashion and influence. Thomas Johnson (designer) Thomas Johnson (1714–1778) was an English wood carver and furniture maker. He worked in London and is particularly known for bold or extreme use and mixture of rococo, Chinese, and rustic motifs. He was said to be one of the most successful exponents of the rococo
Metamorphic library steps ceilings and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The topmost shelves were difficult to reach, so movable library steps or library stairs were created as a form of domestic furniture. During the second half of the 18th century a succession of talented German-born cabinet-makers passed through the French courts. Jean-François Oeben, Jean-Henri Riesener and David Roentgen had successively introduced the courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI to a wide range of finely made and exquisitely finished mechanical furniture. The ingenuity of these cabinet-makers, especially David Roentgen who became master cabinet-maker to Marie Antoinette, led to a fascination for "meubles à surprises" ('surprise furniture').