It is difficult to place the accurate time when the Renaissance actually began but if you look closely at history, you will see that Leonardo Da Vinci was named the director of painting and architecture in 1494 and then the first thing which he did was to consign every Gothic artifact and artwork.
Furniture making flourished during the Renaissance. There were two central pieces that many citizens, during that time, invested in – a bed and wooden chest. Observe the wills that were created at that time, you will see how a lot of people bestowed their wooden chests to their loved ones.
These wooden chests were not for exclusive use inside homes but they were also widely used in traveling, too. The chests had all sorts of patterns and sizes and were manufactured using different kinds of woods. Known as marriage or dowry chests, these large Cassonis were used by brides. This was an interesting tradition and it quickly catapulted these wooden chests into the most desired pieces during the period. The solid wooden chests became even grander as the person’s financial standing and social status became the basis for the design. Noble families were often owners of the large ones with gesso
Beds were also important pieces for people in the Renaissance era. Artisans created all sorts of beds but rope beds were probably the most common. These beds had an oblong-shaped wooden form and they come with interlocked ropes.
An Important Cultural Movement
The Renaissance, based on these records, was more of a European cultural movement from the 14th till the 17th century. It started in Italy then it quickly spread to the rest of Europe. This is considered as the rebirth of humanism as it includes many cultural achievements.
Renaissance also gave music and interior design their needed rebirth. Artistic freedom was obvious since this period stimulated creativity, offering artists to let go of their previously developed methods of the Medieval Era.
Two ideas were fused to bring about intellectual awakening – both old and new social constructivism ideas. It was during this period that the European nations went through the transition from being exclusively religious to being secular. Science and Mathematics were subjects that were finally taken seriously; Christopher Columbus also discovered America as Guttenberg went ahead and perfected the printing press. Add Copernicus’ fact-shattering theory that the earth actually revolved around the sun, Michelangelo and Da Vinci and you would see the huge development in architecture, learning and the arts.
It was also during the Renaissance period that home builders used a lot of Greek and Roman designs. This is no surprise since these two cultures makes sense out of home construction by providing the perfect guiding principles such as symmetry and geometry. Rich colors and details were also widely used as large, aesthetically pleasing paintings were hung on the most beautiful walls. There were even cases when entire walls were transformed into the most beautiful canvases for works of art.
Since Renaissance was born in Italy, the primary raw material that was used was walnut trees. Walnut wood was used in designing cabinetry and furniture. The distinctive styles of this period were the intricate and inlay carvings. Tables, on the other hand, were predominantly created using marble.
One interesting part of the Renaissance architecture and design is the addition of monsters and gargoyles in homes. These figures, despite popular belief, did not have any religious meaning at all. So, yes, they were not used to ward away evil spirits but were only used to amuse the homeowners.
If you want to have a Renaissance feel inside your home, then focus on beautiful artworks; be they furniture, paintings, sculptures, animal imagery or human forms.