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Tuesday, February 7th, 2017
Hooker Furniture Dining Room Sanctuary Windsor Side Chair-Ebony 3005-75330: Wood is timeless, period.
Traditional – also known as classic style – is a timeless design for a lot of reasons. It is always symmetrical, it is conservative, comfortable and charming.
A Little History
French design played a huge role in the creation of the traditional style. The furniture styles, to begin with, became unique and quite popular during the reign of Kings Louie XIII till the XVI. The open-arm chair, for instance, was then paired with the console table. This duo became the predecessor to the Neo Classical style.
The fluted legs were a clear stray from the curvy legs that Louis XV loved. The design then hearkened to the ancient yet classic looks that the Romans and Greeks popularized. The extensive appeal of parquet flooring made Louis XIV use it for the rest of Versailles.
Use Period Pieces
What’s the bedroom without the traditional four-poster bed? This lovely piece was introduced during the 15th century with an original purpose of merely supporting fabric hangings. These, when closed, can reduce drafts while keeping the sleeper warm.
Minus the draperies, the homeowners are still charmed with the look that’s offered by the four-poster bed.
Establish Symmetry
French doors offer space that create balance. Use period chairs in a formal look and have them surround the equally classic table. A hutch complete with plate railing is the best way to highlight your collection of chinaware.
Endless Charm
Create a look that’s simple, one that’s airy and light. Begin with using white balusters and pair them with polished black railing. This is a fundamental yet always trendy look for any traditional design. Arrange your family photos using lovely frames and have the line the hardwood steps on your stairs.
Wool can be chosen for its timeless and durable appeal.
The English Impact
White and black toile wallpaper can set the classic tone to an open entryway as well as in the dining room. Use a drop-leaf table and pair it with classic chairs such as a Windsor chair. This kind of chair is portable and lightweight, thus, it can be used either indoors or outdoors.
English expats were the ones that brought the classic chair to the American continent where the look has become popular till this day.
The classic style may look predictable but in a good way. For the dining room, you can use upholstered chairs with painted frame and durable fabric. Pair this with a glossy wood table, add a matching buffet and this should be the best ensemble for your dining area.
The Patterned Paper
This is a useful element in any traditional home. Use patterned wall covers which became quite popular, first in Europe, then the rest of the world. These are referred to as tapestries. The thick fabrics acted as insulators as well as artwork. Add more timeless look by backing colorful fabrics with sizing. Apply these to the walls right above the dining area’s wainscot with white trimming.
It’s All About the Details
Ornamentation is the key to using the traditional design. An element that you can use is a white piece of furniture that features curved legs, leaf as molding, ornate rosettes and motifs. The classic touch can be completed with a gray and white marble backsplash with an S-shaped edge.
Hooker Furniture Bedroom True Vintage King Fabric Upholstered Canopy Bed
Architectural Drama
Moldings and wood carvings are the hallmarks of classic style. Whether streamlined or ornate, these are the best ways to provide a small space with a more upscale design. No traditional home, of course, is complete without the classic beauty offered by a crystal chandelier.
Show Your Collections
Collections are meant to be displayed and not enjoyed by just one person. So go ahead and have the lively living room become the gallery to your artwork. If you love collecting porcelain ware, then have a china cabinet placed in your dining room.
Tags: classic design, classical design, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, timeless design
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on Your Home and Its Timeless Appeal
Monday, February 1st, 2016
This lovely Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Gianna Chest 638-50066 fuses the Old World and the New in a seamless manner.
The Tudor monarchs, according to history, were able to bring comparative peace and prosperity throughout England, Ireland and Wales. The wealth of many landowners was invested in buildings. Theirs was a moment of cultural bursts and classical architecture revival for Italian style. The Tudor style is a class of its own.
Europeans had a moment when gothic was at the center of their style. The perpendicular style has broken away from all this. The Tudors were the ones who developed fan vaulting (evident in the Gloucester Cathedral cloisters).
Now let’s go to a dating feature known as the Tudor Rose. This is a red rose badge with a white rose badge within. This signified the union of Henry VII to Edward IV’s daughter. This is now a decorative piece that is used to signify posh and sophistication to the highest levels.
Renaissance features can also be seen inside Tudor dwellings. These features are confined to the wealthy and the elite members of society then. Henry enthusiastically built Italianate motifs.
Then came Elizabethan homes where old homes were torn down only to be built anew. Most homeowners were then yearning for improvement as that was the great period of building. If you have ever seen those narrow yet all townhouses complete with borough walls, then these are the homes of artisans and merchants who built their homes slowly through the years.
Homes of the wealthiest members of the society are often built with huge windows and decorative chimneys. Glass was then used in Elizabethan homes with glittering glazing designs. The most elaborate fireplaces are set up and ceilings were slowly decorated with strapwork.
Hooker Furniture Living Room Melange Gianna Chest 638-50066 comes with a feminine pair of cabriole legs but with a masculine Old World design.
Tudor Is Symmetry
Symmetrical plans will always be favored in Tudor settings. Otherwise, Renaissance in classical details appears so then you can find fireplace, doors, and columns. Round-headed arches and niches together with all the other features of Tudor style were revived during the Victorian period.
Tudor may be an old fashioned style but it can become a part of modern living, too. The styles come originally from the UK during the 15th to the 16th centuries and are now a huge part of tourist attractions.
Genuine Tudor design can now be recreated but your place doesn’t have to look like a tourist spot, though. Only a few are lucky to live inside a genuine Tudor dwelling so for the rest of the world, repros are the answers.
Mock Tudor generally refers to black and white semi timbering on the facade of buildings. Interior design, however, is much more distinct. If you are careful enough in making your design decisions, then you can even recreate the Medieval era of trade, arts, crafts and intellectual awakening right inside your home.
There is no architectural detail that is more recognizable under the Tudor style than the iconic half timber structures. The exterior of homes can be laden with stucco, wood or stone. Imitate this same style by exposing the very structure of your home.
Hooker Furniture Bedroom Rhapsody Urn Pedestal Nightstand 5070-90015 comes with classic designs and a rustic finish.
Gable roofs are also common which give the homes their gingerbread appeal. Modern-day Tudor replicates the genuine Tudor Dynasty through architecture and interior design revivals. If you haven’t yet, you should install tall, narrow windows with small panes. Modern day cladding is acceptable such as flagstone, brick and stucco.
As for the outdoor landscaping, be sure to have manicured hedges, brick walkways, fencing and pool houses. These amenities should set you apart from the neighbors but in a nice way.
The Old World style can also be brought inside the kitchen through wrought iron and wood combinations in furniture pieces. Custom islands and wrought-iron lighting fixtures are also a huge part of Tudor interiors.
Are you ready to take on Tudor design, a unique style right inside your home?
Tags: 16th century, classic, classic design, classic home, classic interior design, classic interiors, classic style, classical design, designing based on culture, designing with glass, European interior design, European interiors, European style, fireplace, glamour, glass, glazing, Italian style, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, old home, old homes, revival, symmetry, traditional, traditional interior design, traditional interiors, traditional style, traditional theme, Tudor, Tudor architecture, Tudor design, Tudor furniture, Tudor interior design, Tudor interiors, vaulted ceiling, Victorian, Victorian interiors, Victorian style
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2016
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE. Hooker Furniture Home Office European Renaissance II 39.5 Lateral File 374-10-466.
Renaissance style came into existence because of the emergence of architecture and art in ancient Rome. Though people think of the greatness of Rome when it comes to the beauty of this style, it goes without saying that it was truly born in Italy during the 14th century.
English designers embraced the motifs that they read in Renaissance books. Artisans who were in London were also influenced by this style.
Grotesque, Moresque, Myths, etc.
Grotesque is a kind of decor which has its foundations in Ancient Rome’s wall paintings. In the 15th century, many of these works of art were discovered; they featured scrolling plants, mystical creatures, figures, vases and masks.
Strapwork, on the other hand, is like the leather strips. These are daring shapes that come in three dimensions. English designs, especially during the 16th century, are laden with this style. This style is especially useful in framing motifs and architectural forms.
Moresque, on the other hand, is called such because of its link to the North African and Spanish Moors. If you see those interwoven leaves, stems or tendril patterns, then you have a pretty good idea of what moresque is.
Romans and Greeks are known for their busts. The Renaissance style is also quite popular with what’s known as the roundrel. This is a decorative motif which originated from the Roman coins.
This Universal Furniture Dining Room Double Pedestal Table 409658-C spells royalty.
But what are Greeks and Romans without their myths? The Renaissance culture in England spurred a revitalized interest in classical mythology. Paintings and prints featured these mythical characters as the motifs.
The beauty of the Renaissance style does not end with the Romans. When Henry VIII became king, he inspired the rest of Europe as he became a patron of the arts. People marvelled at his court and the many luxurious objects in his kingdom. It was because of his love for the arts why he also commissioned foreign artists to design more than 50 of his royal palaces. The beauty and splendour of his court proved just how powerful and intimidating looks can be.
One of Henry’s favorite palaces is the Hampton Court Palace located in Surrey. He did not spare any expense in developing this traditional style palace. The ornaments that were used here are indicative o the strong influence of the Renaissance. This building’s Great Hall still stands today.
Going back to its home, Renaissance style was further developed with the help of Italian architect Sebastiano Serlio. Serlio published a series of books discussing architecture and the Renaissance. Buildings of antiquity were recorded in those books, thus, promoting classical style for both the interior and exterior features.
Fireplaces and ceilings became canvasses of sorts to many patterns, textures and works of art.
Hooker Furniture Home Office European Renaissance II Double Bookcase with ladder & rail 374 10 225. Learning was also a huge part of the Renaissance so to depict this on your style, take home this bookcase and start displaying your most treasured books.
Styles that are related to the Renaissance is the Neo classical style. It was during the 16th century that books containing decorative motifs offered inspiration to many British designers and artists. The Classical as well as Renaissance Revival during the 19th century became quite popular as archaeological discoveries were being made in Greece and Italy.
Renaissance and Your Home
You do not need to have a degree in interior design just to use this classic style in your home. Do not feel intimidated. Just remember as you start putting the elements together that the chairs, tables, cabinets and drawers have to be ornate, luxurious yet still comfortable. Choose oak, Remember to overlay but not overdo. Say yes to a lot of brocades, candelabra, tapestries, Oriental rugs, embroidered items, and velvet.
There is still a huge difference between mess and a concoction of different arts, elaborate walls, decorative pieces and the most inspiring furniture so take it easy in designing a Renaissance-inspired home.
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Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
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