What stands out to me - History of Interior Design

History of architecture and design is very rich and can be used in many ways to develop new designs, ideas and interiors. You can mix old designs with new and make it look fresh and contemporary. 

For the past few weeks i have been studying the history of architecture and design and made notes on what stood out to me the most, as well as what i seemed to like and dislike. 

What was one of the first things that stood out to me is that i don't seem to like houses and interiors who have a lot of details in them. 

For example:

Elaborate mid-19th century dining room in the Gothic Revival style, Lyndhurst, Tarrytown New York, designed by Alexander J. Davis.

This Gothic design is too dark for me, there's not a lot of natural lighting and i value natural lighting a lot. For me natural lighting is one of the most important elements in a design. This design is a bit too much for me with the details it has in the room and everything is dark. Everything looks intense and i realised i like simple and spacious and open designs. The carpet is intense, as well as elaborate details on chairs and windows. Everything is patterned, dark and heavy looking. The Gothic pointed arches which was very popular in the Gothic era is replicated in the details of the windows and details around the room. It looks and feels heavy and not the sort of room i would relax in. It is beautiful but not for me.

What i found very interesting from the Renaissance period is that a lot of new ideas were developed in architecture, painting and sculpture . A re-birth period where:

"Visual art and literature flourished and where Architecture and art had been considered “crafts”, during the Renaissance, these skills were promoted and considered alongside the work of mathematicians and musicians."

In Renaissance painting was considered decorative and was important part inside architecture. Artists work such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, was integral in the later Renaissance years, not only in their art, but through their art in Architecture – where the interior decorating and design was an inherent element of the entire building. In the present day we use paintings to decorate the room, however in the Renaissance it was more than that, the paintings were the centre of attention and enhanced the architectural details around. It was a vital element of the building. Nowadays we can change the painting in a room in a flash, replacing it with a different one. Before, everything went around the paintings and architecture, now it is more about our preferences in design, what we want to see in the room. 

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Fresco, 1508-1512 (Vatican Palace - Rome, Italy)

You can see that this fresco was designed around the architectural features inside the chapel. They are inseparable and work together. This has given me the idea of using modern painting and art as a starting point, both assessing the space that needs designing, its features and unique points and bonding the painting or art with it. For example, choosing an existent painting and using its colours, shapes and forms to develop the rest of the interior of the room, based just on the painting and the room it is in. I think its a rich enough starting point where ideas can be developed.

Arts and crafts movement has also grabbed my attention. Art & Crafts movement was a reaction to the mass production and highly decorative Victorian era, Art & Crafts was noted for handmade, simpler forms, inspired by nature and the use of quality materials. Art & Craft interiors are full of heart and harmony.

I like that they use quality materials and craft in their interiors which i believe brings a personal touch, compared to if you bring a mass production furniture. I love wood in interiors as i believe they give warmth to the room and relaxed feeling. The room is more casual and calm due to softness and warmth of the colours.

There's something about minimalism that i absolutely love. Its clean, sharp and simple. Minimalist Architecture simplified living space to reveal the essential quality of buildings. Minimal houses usually have big windows which allow a lot of natural lighting to come through into the interior space. I value natural lighting as well as big windows as it connects the space outside with the inside more. There is more of a relationship between outside and inside space, compared to more structurally complicated houses, which have elaborate Designs and smaller windows.

Although i really like the simple, sharp and clean buildings of minimalism from the outside, for me the inside space should have a bit more life to it. I love patterns and colours, however minimalism was more about neutral colour palette, simple shapes and materials. I would add more colour and pattern but leave the shapes and materials quite simple, enough to make them look in harmony with the building itself. For me colours, texture and pattern brings life to the space, making it look more vibrant and positive, compared to the interior you can see in the image above.

History of architecture and interior design is rich and often overlaps, and because it is so rich there are many ideas that can be developed and a lot of room to play around as there are many styles that are distinctive and very interesting.

~ Ev

 

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