American Reflections

I read Rachael's blog post this week and she focused on the classic colonial style.  The American design period took place over a long period of time, but the colonial style was present throughout.  She discussed some of the historical aspects of the time and emphasized that early homes were built simply but had a European twist.

I also read Kristina P's blog and she also discussed some of the history of the early American colonies.  Her comment about the earliest of homes and colonies being about survival rather than the latest design styles struck me as very true and great insight.  She then went on the discuss the  major movements within the overall American design period.

American

Early design styles in America were influenced greatly by outside sources.  These outside influences include Dutch, French, German, Swedish, and Spanish.  Each home built in one of these styles has very distinct characteristics.

Dutch style homes are steep roofed with decorative brick work.  Dutch doors, that are split in two and can be opened at the top or bottom as well as opened as a whole, were also used.  Shutters and ornamental tiles were also distinct characteristics.  Most Dutch style homes can be found in the Hudson River Valley.

Colonial Dutch

Modern Dutch

French style homes can be found predominantly in New Orleans.  They are characterized by wrought-iron balconies, exterior stairs, full length porches, french doors, and were raised to avoid flooding.  There were also French Creole Cottages that are found along the Gulf Coast, that have full porches and are located close to property lines.

Colonial French

Modern French

German and Swedish style homes were located in Pennsylvania and are characterized by thick walls, exposed timbers, and beams throughout.

Colonial German

Modern German

Spanish style homes can be found in the South (Florida, Texas) as well as in the West (Arizona, California, New Mexico) and are characterized by the use of stucco and thick adobe walls.  They have smooth surfaces with heavy ornamentation on the doors and windows.  Spanish style homes also have tiled roofs, floors, and courtyards.

Colonial Spanish

Modern Spanish

English Renaissance Reflections

I looked at Kristina's blog this week and she focused her discussion on the development within furniture design during this period.  She included a lot of pictures to help explain the different furniture and their design details.  Furniture transitioned from being built based on decoration to being built based on comfort.  Upholstery also became popular during this time.

I also read Jessica's blog post and she discussed the Neoclassic period.  This was a time of revival for classical design.  She blogged about 3 different houses, the Chiswick House, Lansdowne House, and Syon House, and explained their importance during that time period and their major characteristics representing the English Renaissance.

Early English Renaissance

Because the English Renaissance encompassed such a long period of time and had many different smaller design periods within the renaissance as a whole, I decided to focus primarily on the earliest of the English Renaissance design styles.  Since England is somewhat isolated from the rest of Europe the renaissance took a long time before it was brought to England.  Their isolation, however, allowed them to develop forms and styles for themselves, without major influence from other countries that were deep into their renaissance styles.  Outside influences did have some influence on certain aspects of design styles in this time period.

The first style to appear during the English Renaissance was the Tudor style.  Characteristically Tudor style buildings have a timber framed construction.  There is a somewhat Gothic spirit to Tudor homes and other buildings.  Furniture was sparse and interiors were plainer than in future design periods.

The next style to appear was the Elizabethan.  Names of the design styles usually corresponded with the ruler of the time, in this case Queen Elizabeth.  The Elizabethan period was a time of great wealth in England, and this style serves to display that in furniture and interiors.  Formal gardens and other luxurious aspects were added to manors and country homes, which were built in abundance during this time.  

Finally, the last design period during the early renaissance was the Jacobean.  Plaster, as well as paneling painted white became very popular.  Carvings were abundant during this time period, as well as the use of upholstery, usually with a floral motif.

Examples of the modern Tudor style include the home below.  The architect used stone to mimic the timber frame on the facade, but incorporated timber into the window frames.  But you can see that the overall style of the house is very similar to what it was during the English Renaissance.

Jacobean influenced design appears to be popular today.  The use of carving and white plaster and paneling, especially in dining rooms, is found often.  As well as Jacobean inspired fabrics which one can find somewhere in almost every home.

French Renaissance

For this period I looked at Ali and Katrina's blog posts.  I liked how Ali talked a lot about how history and the ruler of the time played a much bigger part in determining the design styles than in any previous period. The styles were really determined by the taste of the particular ruler. She also talked about the focus on private residences rather than public buildings during the French Renaissance.  Katrina focused her blog post on the Rococo period during the French Renaissance. I liked how she tied in the Rococo period to design styles today, and the multiple ways details from that period are used today. She also discussed how interiors and furniture were made to impress, which I find very true because there was nothing simple about any aspect of Rococo design.

French Renaissance (Baroque)

I have always really enjoyed the French Baroque period.  All of the history, architecture, interiors, and art have been inspiring to me and being able to visit Versailles in person was an amazing experience.

Louis XIV created a national style of art, largely through the design and construction of Versailles, which is located 12 miles outside of Paris.  Versailles began as a hunting lodge but expansions allowed for an eventual capacity of 10,000 people.  Multiple people were responsible for the construction of different aspects of Versailles, including Le Vau, Andre Le Notre, Charles LeBrun, Puge, and Jean Berain.  The actual structure itself incorporated the classic orders, rectangular shapes (most prominent in the garden facing facade), and symmetry throughout (for example, The Hall of Mirrors).  Louis XIV used a double "L" as his monogram and this was used throughout Versailles.

Rectangular Facade

Hall of Mirrors

The gardens are perhaps one of the biggest achievements at Versailles.  They go on for what seems like forever, and even though I was there in February and none of the flowers and trees were in bloom, it was still beautiful to see. The way that the fountains and grounds are laid out is so intricate and I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see the gardens when they are in full bloom.  The man who designed the gardens made sure that they tied into the architecture of Versailles, and many of the pools reflect the buildings, creating a very cool effect. 

Versailles is on a sprawling property that has grown throughout the years as new monarchs have come and gone to now include multiple estates that were built to serve multiple purposes.  The Grande Trianon was built, as well as a small estate for Marie Antoinette, to name just a few. 

Marie Antoinette Estate

French Baroque design is still used as inspiration for modern interior design.  Some characteristics of the modern designs include heavily decorated interiors, patterned walls and textiles, and use of certain colors.

French Baroque inspired furniture

Wood flooring detail and ceiling detail

Furniture and decor styles

Spanish Renaissance Reflection

I read Chanel's blog this week and really liked how she compared and contrasted the Italian Renaissance and the Spanish Renaissance. It is important to realize that they share similarities but are still different in some aspects. She also talked about the 3 styles of this period which I found interesting.

Melanie's blog also discussed two Spanish Renaissance styles in some detail. First she described the Plateresque period and then moved on to the Desornamentado period. I really liked that she put pictures of each style to help to visually show the differences between them. What I enjoyed most about her blog was the use of her own pictures to show applications of design elements during the Spanish Renaissance.