Architecture from Ancient Rome

When broaching the topic of historic architecture in Italy, it is necessary to go allllllllll the way back to the ancient Roman Empire, which existed for nearly 1000 years, from 509 B.C. to 476 A.D.

It is astounding to consider that this civilization, which began over 2500 years ago, is still considered to have been one of the greatest political nations ever to exist on Earth. 

The Roman Empire was considered a period of enlightenment. 

• There was a quest for knowledge and beauty. 

• It was a period of wealth and prosperity. 

• There were great advancements in language, art, architecture, literature, law, and democratic government.  

How, so very long ago, were these people able to be so advanced politically, socially, and culturally??? 

Well, not everything in this culture was so dignified and venerated. These were the same people whose idea of a fun family outing was to go to the Colosseum to watch gladiators fight to the death, or a condemned criminal being brutally eaten alive by a wild beast. 

Fun times!!

When considering the historic architecture of Great Britain, Harry Potter’s Hogwarts school—with which we are all familiar—is not a bad starting point! The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was, of course, fictional and was never actually built (except in parts as movie scenery and theme park attractions). 

In the movies, images of how Hogwarts looked reveal both Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. The set designers for the movies likely modeled Hogwarts Castle after various actual historic buildings in Great Britain. 

Romanesque architecture was a style used throughout Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries. Features used in ancient Roman buildings were emulated—thus the name Romanesque—such as half-round arches, barrel vaults, and decorative arcading. The overall appearance of Romanesque buildings is heavy and sturdy…

France and French culture are known for many notable contributions, including cuisine, fashion, wine, art, and more. But a visit to France uncovers centuries of unique and beautiful architecture to behold. A full summary of architecture throughout the many centuries of French history would be extensive, so only the most notable are highlighted here.

Rather than going all the way back to the beginning of civilization in France, let’s begin with the Gothic style, which was very prevalent in France from about 1150 to 1500. This was the Middle Ages, when life expectancy was a mere 31 years; while most of the population lived in extreme hardship, poverty, and constant danger from foreign invaders.

It’s critical for interior designers to have a basic understanding of historic furniture styles. If your client wants a French Country look (and this style will probably come around again in popularity at some point), you want to make sure you aren’t including a Chippendale-style chair (oh no!!!, that would be British!). Or, if your client wants you to work with an antique Biedermeier secretary desk they inherited from their grandmother, you’ll want to know what stylistic qualities to look for in pieces that accompany it. 

So, we’ve got you covered. In the upcoming weeks, in this HISTORY SERIES, we will cover French, British, Italian, German, Spanish, and American furniture and architectural styles.

Here we are completing our series on the Design Elements. The elements of design are like the ingredients that a designer adds in just the right amounts to arrive at a delicious finished product. 

 Although the list of the design elements varies by author or theorist, I consider these to be the definitive design elements:

• LINE

• SHAPE

• PATTERN

• TEXTURE

• COLOR

• LIGHT                                                                                                      

We have covered several of these in previous editions of The Design Brief™:

• Using LINE Effectively in Interiors

• SHAPE and FORM

• Color Theory 1

• Color Theory 2

• Using Color to Alter Spatial Perceptions

• Effective Interior Design Lighting Strategies

In today’s edition of The Design Brief™, we’ll delve into using PATTERN & TEXTURE to manipulate a final design aesthetic. 

Our in-house tenured design professor and certified interior designer, Gloria, always says that the Design Elements (that every interior design student learns about early on) are like the ingredients that go into a recipe. Add more sugar, and you'll have a sweeter dish; add more spices, and you’ll have a more savory one. 

Likewise, interior designers are adept at adding line, shape, pattern, texture, and color (the design elements) in thoughtful amounts to arrive at a desired design outcome and aesthetic result.                                                                                                           

We’ve covered some of the other design elements in previous editions of The Design Brief™:

• Using LINE Effectively in Interiors

• Color Theory 1

• Color Theory 2

• Using Color to Alter Spatial Perceptions

• Effective Interior Design Lighting Strategies

In today’s edition of The Design Brief™, we’ll delve into how you can use SHAPE and FORM to manipulate a space and achieve a specific outcome.

As an interior designer, when it comes to specifying kitchen, bath, and office cabinetry, there are several options available. In some respects, there are significant differences. But in other respects, specs for cheaper or less customized cabinetry options can be swapped out with few discernible differences. Variations with cabinetry selections exist within internal structure, joinery methods, wood species quality, hardware, and of course, cost.

Let’s begin with top-notch, premium cabinetry options.

It could be argued that no single person has influenced American architecture and design more than Frank Lloyd Wright. You likely have some familiarity with his life and work. But you may not realize the extent to which his life was filled with controversy, eccentricity, scandalous love affairs and marriages, tragedy, family desertion, perilous debt, and financial ruin. He was hugely charismatic, also pompous, a narcissist, a curmudgeon, a control freak, a self-promoter, a manipulator, an adulterer, a home wrecker, and a genius.

Read on. His story is just too interesting not to delve into.