Shaker objects

Jul26

The beauty of handmade shaker furniture and household objects lies in their high quality and simplicity. Their subdued, warm colors make the puritan furnished living spaces cozy.

Edwardian-style

Jul16

In the Edward-era (1901-1910) interiors, besides classic and formal furnishing, there are much lighter overall effect, more comfort and clearer lines compared to the preceding Victorian period. It’s main colors: magnolia, white and off-white, cream, pale greens, light greyish-blues.

Diorama

Jul8

Diorama is a three-dimensional scene in a glass box/box with glass front or under a glass bell. It can be a scale model (e.g. ship, building, battlefield, genre) or a still life made of stuffed animals, dried or faux flowers, seashells and other natural resources. In the Victorian era, it was fashionable to make them at home, which was then used to decorate the apartment.

Historical interior design styles

Jan21

To create historical interior design styles, let’s study the interior paintings of contemporary painters. Since neither photography nor interior magazines existed yet, they give a loyal picture of the furniture, wall and floor coverings, decorative elements and spaces proportions of those days.

Gingerbread trim

Nov24

The so called gingerbread houses were built during the Gothic Revival style in America. Their characteristic is the wooden, elaborately detailed, carved border that runs through the lining of the roof and the top of the balconies and patios.

Piano nobile

Oct9

Piano nobile is a specificness of baroque architecture. The first floor was architecturally highlighted: representative rooms (e.g. saloon, ballroom) placed there have much higher ceilings than those of the rooms on the ground floor or on upper floors – this is shown by the sizes of the windows. Mostly it has a balcony above the entrance which frequently runs all the length of it.

Georgian style

Nov13

The English Georgian style lasted from 1714 to 1830, named after the four reigning kings George. Its two periods are early and late Georgan, the latter is also known as Regency. Light colors (e.g. powder blue, sage, cream), open spaces and rich ornamentation are its main features. The influences of Classicism, Palladianism and Industrial Revolution are strong.

Renaissance

Oct11

Renaissance has three periods in history of art:
– Trecento (1300s) – early Renaissance. Major artists: Giotto, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Antonio Pisanello
– Quattrocento (1400s) – high Renaissance. Major artists: Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Brunelleschi
– Trecento (1500s) – Mannerism. Major artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Michelangelo