Dining Room in Authentic Elizabethan Style - Assignment Example

How to Create a Dining Room in Authentic Elizabethan Style By s Elizabethan: Style and History Elizabethan Style is a period between the Gothic and Renaissance styles. It reached its peak in the late 1500s, toward the end of the extensive reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and is often considered the last phase of the long-lasting Tudor style. Although the Elizabethan age produced a certain amount of characteristic sculpture and painting, the Elizabethan style can best be seen in the period's architecture and the great country houses of the new nobility. Elizabethan style was diverse, borrowing decorative motifs from Continental Gothic, Italian, and Flemish design; exteriors and interiors were elaborately ornamented with relief work, mullions, ornate chimneys, and friezes. The main impulse of Elizabethan architecture was toward a well-ordered symmetry; Elizabethan symmetrical fronts, often filled with huge windows, were different from those of the heavy castle-like Gothic and early Tudor country residences. A typical building of the period is Wollaton Hall (1588), Nottinghamshire, built by Robert Smythson; it was the first English house to abandon the traditional central courtyard and to place in its stead a high-ceilinged great hall lighted by gallery windows and surrounded by classically proportioned, multi-windowed wings. Did you know Facts about Elizabethan Furniture Heavy bulbous tables - bulbous turning often with many carved ornaments such as gadrooning, nulling and acanthus leaves. Tables with 4 or 6 bulbous legs with stretcher rails at the bottom as a footrest to keep feet of the floor rushes. Elaborate four poster beds with solid or draped testers to protect from draughts. Turning was produced using a foot lathe, producing asymmetrical objects. Court Cupboard - the court cupboard was developed for holding plates and eating utensils. Cupboard space and flat top for serving food. Hardware was handmade and rather conspicuous. Bible box - the bible box appeared, these were small side chests designed to hold the family bible. They were later made with a sloping top to facilitate writing and reading. It was the forerunner to the writing desk. They were oak, left natural or finished with oils or beeswax. The Main Ingredients: Colour and Wallpaper Colour: During Elizabethan times, color schemes varied depending upon the location of the home. Lighter colors tended to be avoided in town and city dwellings due to pollution. Another factor in color choice was often determined by the availability of pigments. In country areas, interior decorations were often carried out by traveling craftsmen who carried limited supplies. Paint had to be mixed on site with whatever locally available ingredients could be found. For example, the blue-green color wash used on wooden paneled walls in country areas was derived from the earth pigment terra verde, mixed with egg whites and buttermilk. It is, nevertheless possible to make some general statements. For example, during the first half of the Victorian era, walls were usually light colors except for dining rooms and libraries. The second half gave way to much more vibrant, rich colors such as vivid greens and mahogany brown typically found in bedrooms. During this period, the general feeling was that deep, rich colors enhanced the importance of a room. Owen Jones, architect and theorist of color and ornament, published a handbook, in 1856, called The Grammar of Ornament. The basis of Jones's theories on the use of color was that it was aesthetically correct to use a complex pattern consisting of one main color and many subsidiary colors. Considerable thought was given to creating the right balance of both color and texture between wall, molding, ceiling and woodwork. Adding texture to a room was achieved through the use of wallpaper; stenciling and specialist paint finishes such as sponging, marbleizing and spattering. In most cases it was very difficult to distinguish wallpaper from paint. The simulation of various kinds of wood grain was another texture adding technique. Wallpaper: In the early and mid-Elizabethan period elaborate scrolled floral patterns were favored and primary backgrounds of red, blue and green overprinted with shades of cream and tan were common. Later in the 19th century Gothic inspired trellises painted in rich earth tones with stylized leaf and floral work was frequently used in all rooms of the house. The most authoritative and influential designer of wallpaper and fabrics during this time was William Morris, architect, designer and founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. Morris's patterns were inspired by Medieval and Gothic tapestries. He was known as a genius for mixing strong, pure colors to harmonious effect and giving a flat pattern a narrative quality which was unsurpassed. Embossed papers were used on ceilings in order to counterbalance intricately patterned and colored papers. In many cases the chairs were covered in fabric to match the wallpaper. The Dining Room: Making the Right Choices The decor of the dining room has passed through three significant stages during the 19th century. In the years of Queen Victoria's reign, the Georgian legacy of restrained, dignified decoration was popular. During the middle of the century the heavier, more masculine style of, for instance, Francois Premier and Renaissance Revival was more in vogue. Finally, by the 1880's the style had changed once more to a lighter, brighter and in some respects more feminine style of decoration. The walls were generally dark paneled with mahogany, walnut or stained oak, up to the dado rail. Above the dado patterned papers by William Morris was popular. Designs included mazes of tangled lilies, brambles and vines. Tapestries and fabric, for example damask, were also used as wall coverings. The ceiling could have discreet stenciling in the corners or, in grander homes, wood paneling. The drapes were usually heavy velvets and often looped back with gold tassels. Lighting was provided by chandeliers and wall sconces. Even after the Introduction of electricity, candles were still used. They provided an atmospheric light which the Victorians considered the most suitable for dining. The furniture was fairly substantial and generally masculine in appearance. Empire, Gothic and Renaissance Revival styles in mahogany, walnut and rosewood were popular. Other than the table and chairs, the most important piece of furniture was the sideboard. It was fitted with a mirror, shelves, drawers and cabinets. The woodwork was often embellished with carved decorations. At dinner parties most dishes were placed on the sideboard and served from there by servants. This left the center of the table free for elaborate floral arrangements. Dining Room Furniture Furniture design was influenced by notable improvements in the technology of furniture making during the Elizabethan era. New mechanical methods of production facilitated an enormous increase in the number of pieces being produced, many of which were inexpensive reproductions of previously hand-made and costly items. The curved shapes augment with scrolls and volutes afforded that ideal combination of being luxurious to look at and easy to make. Near-Eastern-style furniture was fashionable especially after the 1860's. Typical pieces included ottomans and over-stuffed divans and couches. Below are some of the choices of styles in chairs that may be available. Some may be from different eras whilst still pertaining to the Elizabethan look. Today balloon back chairs are popular, although originally they belonged in the parlor. Above is a William IV armchair with heavily scrolled arms and circular, tapering fluted legs. Late Victorian Italian embellished with paintwork. Gray-painted and parcel-gilt chair with a paneled back carved with scrolls and foliage. Spanish gilt wood dating from the second quarter of the 19th century. The curved "serpentine" seat is upholstered in brown leather painted with flowers on a trellis ground. A Victorian walnut three seated sofa with a pierced and scrolled "surmount" in the middle of the back. It is upholstered in green velvet. Sources Used Buxton, J, Elizabethan Taste, New York; McGraw-Hill, 1963. Lewis, Susan A. Interior Design Sourcebook: A Guide to Resources on the History & Practice of Interior Design Detroit: Omni graphics, c.1998. Lucie-Smith, E, Furniture: A Concise History. London: Thames & Hudson, 1985. Pile, John F, Color in Interior Design, New York: McGraw-Hill, c.1997. Robbie G. History of Interior Design & Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe Blakemore, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, c.1997. The Elements of Style: A Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Details, from 1485 to the Present NY: Simon & Schuster, c.1991. Read More