Where did it all come from?
Roman
753BC – 480AD
Roman classical styles were based on mathematically expressed laws of proportion that were applied not only to buildings, but also to much of the interior decoration. The Roman house, like the Greek, was centred on a courtyard. Most houses also adopted the peristyle with columns that help up the roof. House exteriors did not have as much detail as the interiors. Apartment-like buildings became increasingly popular as the demand for housing was on the rise. Country villas became housing for the wealthier. They were elaborate houses with platforms, terraces and galleries. In addition to the retail spaces centred in the city forum and urban markets, many residential areas offered spaces on the front perimeter of houses that could be rented out for business.
Renaissance
1400 – 1600AD
Renaissance design replaced the culture of the Middle Ages. The secular nature of culture and the interests of man and his activities, appears in ancient culture, as a "rebirth." The interiors of palaces impressed with monumental spatial effects, magnificence of marble staircases and rich decor. Living rooms and bedrooms were furnished with expensive furniture, performed in the spirit of antiquity and characterized by clear form & construction and with numerous architectural elements. The floor, walls and door frames were lined with marble, ceiling logs were coffered with wood trim and gold leafing adorned wood carvings.
Georgian
Early 1714 – 1765, Late 1765 – 1811
During the Georgian period, the United Kingdom experienced a huge surge in construction. It also saw a lot of urbanization. This led to a larger use of professional architects to plan and design buildings. Homes tended to be more symmetrical and featured orderly elements, such as uniformly cut stonework and columns. Designers also tended to draw on classical rules. Inspiration from Greek and Roman design can be seen strongly in the late Georgian style. In the early days of the Georgian period, the style blended with the earlier Baroque, this was eventually judged to be tasteless. Advances in manufacturing also allowed greater access to well-made fabrics and rich colours. The industrial revolution, which was happening simultaneously, greatly influenced the aesthetic. Ultimately, the Georgian style gave way to several revivals in the convention of the way we approach the interior industry.
Neoclassical
1780 - 1880
In the Neoclassical period classical order became extremely popular as people desired to escape the overwhelming frivolity of the Rococo and Baroque period. Several different styles developed in different countries and as history occurred, it influenced and shaped the world, from architecture to interior design and furniture. Each style differs from one to another; Louis XVI, French Empire, German Biedermeier and American Federal styles are only a few very distinctive examples of this period. A feeling of grandeur is seen in features such as panelling and moulding, particularly imitating classical columns. Additionally, the style utilizes a lot of wood elements in furniture. The style is marked by its elegance and timelessness.
Victorian
1837 – 1901
During the Industrial Revolution, the middle classes were able to increase in prosperity, thus for the first time were able to invest in the decor and design of their homes. The period during the reign of Queen Victoria saw the cheap mass-production of countless household items, making them accessible to people who could never have afforded them before. They immediately began to emulate the aristocracy and filled their homes to bursting point with accessories, furnishings and fabrics, all designed to showcase their new wealth and emergent social status in their modern Victorian homes. A bare room was considered to show a lack of taste and so Victorian interiors appeared to be very cluttered compared to modern minimalist ideas of later.
Arts & Crafts
1860 – 1910
The Arts & Crafts movement grew out of several related issues during the mid-19th century. It was first and foremost a response to negative social changes initiated by the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Critics such as the writer John Ruskin and architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin rallied against these problems of industrialization. They contrasted its vices with the Gothic era before the Renaissance, which they viewed as an idyllic time period of piety and high moral standards as well as a healthful, green environment.
The spark for the Arts & Crafts movement was the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first world's fair, held in London. Initiated in reaction against the perceived impoverishment of the decorative arts and the conditions in which they were produced, the movement grew and then flourished into Europe and North America between about 1880 and 1920. In Japan it emerged in the 1920s as the Mingei movement. It stood for traditional craftsmanship, and often used medieval, romantic, or folk styles of decoration. It advocated economic and social reform and was anti-industrial in its orientation. It had a strong influence on the arts in Europe until it was displaced by Modernism in the 1930s, and its influence continued among craft makers, designers, and town planners long afterwards.
Art Noveau
1890 – 1910
Art nouveau interior decorating emerged in London and Paris and aimed to incorporate art and design into everyday living. Even functional objects were beautified and turned into works of art. Art nouveau style was promoted at the 1910 Paris Exposition Universelle, although it was still considered to be quite avant-garde and revolutionary at the time. Those who had grown up during the Victorian age found the style too extravagant and overdone and were appalled by the over-elaborate nature of art nouveau. Different art styles influenced art nouveau. From Celtic art to Japonism, art nouveau could be applied to many artistic aspects including architecture, decoration and fine art as well as jewellery, glassware, and illustrations. Art nouveau furniture, as well as art nouveau postures, were popular forms of interior decoration. The movement spread worldwide, although it took on different names in different countries, is known, for example as Stile Liberty in Italy, Jugendstil in Germany, Sezessionstil in Austria and as Tiffany style in America. The iconic style of art included floral motifs, elongated curving lines, strong linear shapes, and feminine silhouettes. Like all art movements, nouveau has had fluctuations in popularity. Art nouveau found itself out of favour by the 1920s when the Art Deco movement took hold, although it did see a brief resurgence in the 1960s.
Art Deco
1920s – 1930s
Art Deco is a style of visual arts, architecture and design that first appeared in France post World War I. Art Deco influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, movie theatres, trains, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. It took its name, short for Arts Décoratifs, from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) held in Paris in 1925. It combined modernist styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.
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