Popular TV-series in authentical surroundings
– Murdoch: Victorian (Canada)
– Tudors: English Renaissance
– Doc Martin: English country style
TV series 2.
Archives
Victorian eggs
Victorian style Easter eggs
Jules Hardouin-Mansart
Jules Hardouin-Mansart was the chief architect of France under the reign of Louis XIV. He earned his fame by his marvelous plans, exactitude and versatility.
He was born in Paris in 1646. He took the name of his uncle, the architect François Mansart, he even studied under his uncle after whom the mansard roof was named. He was worked for directly the king since 1677 and became First Architect of the King in 1681 was also raised to the nobility in 1682.
His buildings were perfectly fit for the requirements of the baroque era and the grandiose visualizations of the Sun-king. He was a versatile architect, since he designed castles, urban squares, churches, just like private houses and pavilions. He demonstrated an ability to adapt, modify, enlarge and rehabilitate, without losing the character of the original building, but adding his own original variations on the theme. His architecture is characterized by large smooth spaces, the repetition of arcades and detached columns – he used these to give an air of grandeur to the interiors. He selected very well the collaborators to work with during a building (e.g. Le Notre, Le Brune, Cotte). He keenly used the mansard roof also. His main works: Les Invalides, Grand Trianon, Place Vendôme, Palace of Versailles.
He died in Marly-le-Roi in 1708.
For Chinese New Year
Chinoiserie for Chinese Lunar New Year
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian seats
Biedermeier
Biedermeier style was popular in Middle-Europe between 1815 and 1850, first of all in Germany and in the Monarchy. The meaning of the word is a bit pejorative, the „good Mr. Meier”. It was typical in bourgeois interiors.
Main points of view were saving, expediency and comfort in furnishing a biedermeier interior. Homes were light, wide and bright, the walls were painted commonly white or covered by floral/striped wallpapers. Clean room was its attribute which was separated from common life, it served the representation – also for sparing. One of the main furniture could be found here was the display cabinet. It could have one or two-doors. It wasn’t the invention of that time but was very popular then. Family heritage and valuable decoration objects were kept in it.
Carpentry had a boom. Lines of furniture became simpler compared to styles before, less, but more accented decoration elements were used. Curves have appeared instead of straight lines. The legs of chairs commonly had a rectangular intersection, their backs were inwrought. The seat was padded with horsehair. Upholstery was striped or floral which was matched with fabrics of curtains and draperies. Combined furniture, that had more functions, was also popular. For example: chair convertible to library ladder, turnover/wind-wing table, hidden drawers. Only the outer (visible) sides of furniture were veneered, the inner part remained the base-wood, commonly pine. The material of the veneer was a lighter wood: cherry, maple, pear, ash etc. Settee was present in various types as the synonym of comfort.
Many original furniture has remained from this era. Most of the inherited furniture are biedermeier. It’s hard to place them for many people in today’s (modern) interior because of not only their design but their color also, although they still look good. Ask for help of an interior designer for worthy safekeeping of your heritage.
Renaissance houses
Representative renaissance houses (French, English, Italian)
Art Deco
Art Deco was the determinative style of the 1920-30s. It was named after the abbreviation of Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes exhibition in 1925.
The style included almost all innovations of the age (e.g. aviation, electricity) but willingly used ancient cultures’ symbols as a source (e.g. rising sun, pyramid). These appeared as stylized geometrical figures. The human bodies on statues and relieves were a bit angular, masculine (even the women!) and dynamic. In architecture, skyscrapers were the breakthrough (e.g. Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Chrysler Building).
Chrome and bakelite – the new materials – specified the interiors. Extra shiny surfaces could be created by both. At the same time, they were combined with very expensive materials: ivory and silver on furniture, diamonds and platinum on jewelry. Black, white and yellow were dominant colors of the strong and high contrast palette. The style itself embodied luxury and elegance. Both mass production and unique manual production had a role.
Renowned artists were requested for furnishing not only private houses and public buildings, but for example the interiors of ocean liners and luxury trains. The style became simpler after the world-wide economic crisis, but still remained extravagant.
Art Deco is popular again. Accessories, wallpapers, furniture in the style can be bought in several shops. Take care not to overdose the used patterns. Ask for help of an interior designer for this.
The European Grand Tour
Grand Tour was a part of the education of noble youth in the 17th and 18th century. This meant a couple of months, even 1-2 years European round tour to the cradle of western culture, Italy. Firstly it was important to the English and Scandinavian nobility to directly meet the ancient culture. This was almost compulsory for those who learnt arts (architecture, painter, sculptor etc.) in those days.
They visited several other countries during the tour where they spent weeks or months and studied the ancient monuments and artifacts there. Commonly Paris was the first stop, from there they went further through Switzerland to Italy. Naturally Rome was the final goal, after Florence, Pisa, Torino, Padua, Bologna, Venice and Genova. On the way back, these was followed by the universities of Germany, then cultural heritage of Flanders and Holland, they went home only after these. It is important fact that these tours weren’t led by religion, so this didn’t affect on destinations.
Commonly departure took place in reaching adult age, so when they became about 21 years old. Although servants didn’t go with them (commonly a valet and a cook), the young nobles were escorted by a male family member or a male friend (e.g. their teacher or doctor). At first the tour was taken by a kittereen, then the railway came to the fore after its appearance. Many of them visited also Greece, Austria or even Turkey.
The studied knowledge and artistic learning were taken home not only in their heads. It was a general custom to shop during the tour. Original ancient artifacts, marble statues, coin collections, frequently books for a whole library, paintings etc. were collected there. Naturally they didn’t take them all at once but from time to time they sent them (mail service) home. Commonly a whole room was furnished for the collection in a noble man’s home who did the Grand Tour, but some of them were placed in the representative rooms of the house. It was very fashionable to be painted with a famous ancient ruin or a renaissance building in the background. This wasn’t for flaunting their wealth but spreading this knowledge at home and giving proper reports for those who couldn’t go there (women, less wealthy etc.). But they focused not only on the arts of men but the beauty of the nature and wildlife also. Science went for an elite thing, so it was the aim to acquire proper skills in every discipline of it, so they could minimum talk about it. The more talented of them even wrote a book of their own tours.
Collections of nowadays can be arranged also to give the effect of the Grand Tour. Ask for help of an interior designer for this.
Antique-vintage-retro
The following three words are commonly used in interior design and related books. Sometimes still it’s not obvious when to use which.
Antique: marker of furniture, objects of art, or artisanship older than 100 years, independently of style. Its age, originality, condition, the manufacturer and rarity is important for collectors (full collection in case of a set). A restoration gives them back their original pomp.
Vintage: marker of objects that are younger than 100 but older than 15 years, concerning rather to their condition than age. It is a classification of strongly used, shabby surfaced furniture and household objects which marks even a style. It means rethought, reused, modified/renewed objects also. Giving vintage look to a new object is a distinct genre. It is not equivalent with the shabby chic style.
Retro: marker of household and decoration objects of years from the 50s to (presently) the 80s. Their age is old „only”. It is also a marker of objects that are new but made look like in the style or shapes of this era. Collectors are motivated by nostalgia and emotional bondage but of course originality and condition are also important. Retro has a pejorative meaning, “out of fashion”.
In case of uncertainty, ask for help of a professional dating an object.
