Custom Interior Design
According to many, interior design in Ancient Egypt, when people decorated their basic mud huts with textiles or animal skins, but also with murals, clay vases and sculptures. The impressive gold ornaments found in the tombs of ancient pharaohs of Egypt show once more the importance of interior decor items for the wealthiest Egyptians.
A Brief History Of Interior Design
The Egyptian period of massive ornaments didn’t last for too long. Next, the many Medieval wars that shattered Europe and the rise of the Christian Orthodox church generated a movement toward austerity. The Dark Ages were a time of minimal furniture, stone floors, and heavy wood paneling. Even the wealthy class individuals used dull colors and basic textiles to decorate their homes. Once the Dark Ages were over, Europeans started to add color and ornaments to their dwellings. The appealing Gothic style of the 12th century was renowned for its wide interior spaces and windows that captured natural light.
Interior Design During The Renaissance
The 15th and 16th centuries saw a revival of the French Renaissance that led to an intense focus on creating art and beauty in interior design. Architects used complex decorative elements such as inlaid woodwork, exquisite marble floors, paintings, and furniture made from precious wood essences. Royal palaces, villas and chapels of Europe are the best representations of the Renaissance style. After the Renaissance, it was time for the heavy Italian Baroque style to conquer Europe. As seen in the Palace of Versailles nearby Paris, France, Baroque used colored marble, twisted columns, intricate ceilings and stained glass among other such decor elements. By the middle of the 18th century, European architects and interior designers started to shift toward the Rococo style, featuring accents such as Asian porcelain, flower designs, and furniture inlaid with exquisite materials like tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl. By the end of the 18th century, it was time for the Neoclassical look to take over, with elements like velvet, satin, silk, and bronze.
Starting with the early 1800s, both America and Europe have opened toward eclecticism and freedom in interior design. Two centuries of innovative interior design styles have followed, starting with Art Deco, moving on to Art Nouveau, and then to the minimalist look, and to the severe and cold Bauhaus style. The 19th century was the beginning of the popularization of interior design. What once was reserved to royal palaces and the wealthiest individuals has begun to reach the middle class.
Interior Design And the 20th Century
The 20th century brought a huge challenge for interior designers, due to the various home appliances such as washing machines, stoves, televisions, refrigerators, and telephones. These items needed to be both beautiful and functional, so interior designers had to find a way to integrate them into the overall look and feel of a space. As you can see, there’s a long way from the mud and brick huts of the ancient Egypt to today’s homes. Nowadays, designers have access to a wide array of natural and synthetic materials. They can use influences from the past to create new design trends.
