Different historical eras give out different impressions in terms of beauty. Each one has esoteric significance and has its own particular look that is suitable for that period.
Many of the lingering period interior designs have a unique beauty that is revealed in the fusion of proportion, outline, textures, colors, ornamental details and many other elements. The significance of the period pieces that can still be seen today depends upon these elements. That Renaissance chair evokes royalty and do does that Kazak rug.
As to the right proportions and the yielding curves, it is always the Louis XV sofa that stands out. At times, a Greuze canvas appears and also catches your fancy. Truly a talented designer, though he has never been acquainted with the Louis XV style, he could create a room full of the same emotional intensity. This is achieved through pure talent and artistic means. Also, the emotional qualities of color and form are also effectively used.
Adherence to Style
Where your home’s architecture permits, it can become a haven of design expression. This is not true with rooms that have been furnished in an eclectic manner.
Adjoining rooms can be designed with different styles. This is a common practice in many American homes where one room can pass for a Henri II hall then the adjacent living room is set to have a Georgian feel. Travel to the nearby dining room and you can find an Italian setting where the music room – just a step away from this room – has a Louis XVI setting. While this is commonly found, it does not make it right. Having this sort of setting in your home is confusing and absurd.
You may be one of those unconscious homeowners that fuses everything into your place but it is important to adopt a certain period and then build upon it. Once you have chosen a period that works for you, you must see to it that the furniture, walls, flooring and decorative materials all fit into the theme and the scale. These things must concur with the emotional objective of that room. Line, proportion and coloring must also be considered. Without harmony, the physical and emotional significance of the chosen period will be lost in the process.
Another thing that you must also learn to forget is your concern for names. While certain brands are equated to durability and beauty, it is more important to keep yourself busy with the acquisition of pieces that will work in your chosen period. This is especially true these days when historic styles are now being used as a means of drawing ideas.
Period furniture pieces that are now sold are identifiable to the historic styles that preceded them. Yet all these pieces are now mere shadows – beautiful shadows though – of the ornamental details that were used in the original pieces.
It is more important to be inspired with the designs of the periods that are past. Using the elements that have been effectively used back then, you can use these to meet the requirements of a contemporary age.
As you analyze your interior design needs, you fix your sight upon these goals and approach it with intent. Take in the beautiful patterns, lines, forms and textures of the past and arrange them in your own environment. Do not think that you can achieve this through an accident, though. It is one’s rational mind that can provide unique designs that will go well together.
You can, through your own creativity, choose pieces that you can use in your home environment. This is, after all, your chief goal; to make your home a haven of style, comfort, and beauty.
