History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

History Of Interior Design

Term Paper for History of Architecture (AP131) Damini Bhardwaj
Roll Number: 29 Sushant School of Art and Architecture

ABSTRACT
INTERIOR DESIGN DURING NEOCLASSICAL PERIOD Neoclassical forms relate back to the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, explains Alan Cobb, vice president at Albert Kahn Associates, an architecture firm in Detroit. There is a certain comfort in the proportioning and timelessness of these homes. The style flourished in the early part of the 20th century, used widely in institutional settings like universities and government, but in residential buildings as well. Neoclassical architecture ranges from the rectilinear Georgian style to the more graceful, curvilinear mode devised by the Scottish designer Robert Adam and adopted in America in the Federal style. Symmetry, arched Palladian windows, a fanlight over the centered front door dentil moulding on plasterwork moulding with egg and dart, swags and garlands; and decorative columns or pilasters are the basic elements of Neoclassical style. Circular windows, oval rooms, and decorative arches also characterize the Adam and Federal styles. From the 1760s Robert Adams imaginative use of clearer lighter colours influenced his contemporaries and successors so much that late 18th century colours were linked with his name. Adam, Sir William Chambers and their contemporaries were able to design coordinated rooms, where joinery, plasterwork, furniture and fabrics formed a refined and harmonious whole. The neoclassical style was rational coolly elegant, characterized by simple geometric forms, flat linear decoration and Greek and Roman ornament. Buildings discovered in the ancient roman cities of Pompeii and Hercalaneum influenced neoclassical architecture. Architects were interested in the primary geometric solids of the cube, sphere and pyramid and the logical basis for architectural expression.

Page 1 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

The designers proposed entire buildings dominated by simple solid geometries. Neoclassist valued the formal elements of line and form over colour. They designed colonnades and large structures, especially public buildings. The most surprising form to be retrieved from the greek past was the Doricsquat columns, absence of bases and austere entablature. The designers during this time also looked to classical art for ideas. Chairs and tables were designed with rectangular shapes and slender straight legs. Chair backs took on rectangular or shield shapes, and the seat was very square, again slender, straight lines were the rule. As this eld of work became more popular the pieces of furniture themselves became more elaborate. (Neoclassicism and the French Revolution, pg 14) Cabinet makers and upholsterers started to use different types of woods including mahogany, satinwood, tulipwood, sycamore, and rosewood. They also started to use various elaborate painted nishes and brass ttings. The placement of the furniture was very important, just as the placement of the gures in a painting. Everything was symmetrical and balanced not only in size of the furniture to the size of the room, but in the amount of pieces placed within each room. Form and balance dominate the neoclassical style. The full-height front porch is supported by a row of columns, usually Doric in style and always even in number. The doorways often have decorative surrounds and pediments, the triangular section found above the entranceway. The windows have double-hung sashes, most often divided into six or eight panes. They are always evenly spaced across the facade and typically flanked by shutters. Floors were wooden boards or parquet. Entrances, bathrooms, and dining rooms were sometimes black and white marble. Walls had symmetrical compositions of panelling with decorated centres are typical. Heavily patterned wallpapers and fabrics featured floral and geometric patterns, often abstract in that they were not accurately based on historical or regional motifs, with the exception of Greek key or egg and dart. These patterns were more likely to be loosely based on regional styles or historical periods to give a general impression, rather than any attempts at precise recreation. Damasks, largescale floral prints, silk papers with an Oriental feel, embossed, and William Morris designs were the most desirable. He was best known for mixing strong, pure colours to harmonious effect and giving a flat pattern a narrative quality which was unsurpassed. Embossed papers were used on ceilings and friezes in order to counterbalance intricately patterned and coloured papers. In many cases the chairs were covered in fabric to match the wallpaper. Wallpapers, which were now available on rolls were chosen for their busy, expensive looking designs, such as those with gilt finish, that boasted of the wealth and status of the owners. Mass produced factory printed patterns replaced the traditional hand

Page 2 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

block method, making it cheaper to produce and hang, and as a result it was used on every available piece of wall in the upmarket Victorian house. The start of the Victorian era saw a shift in colour palette from lighter, more vibrant colours at the beginning (especially with the Gothic Revival), through richer and darker colours in the middle years, to drab, muddy, gloomy versions towards the end. This latter period is often referred to as the brown decades because of the widespread use of deep browns, greens, dark mauves and olives. Stains made of shellacs and varnishes coloured with powder and spirit dyes were used to imitate the look of the more expensive dark woods, contributing to the general feeling of sombreness. Paint effects like marbling, graining, stippling, and many other methods of fakery were used on walls, woodwork, and furniture.

INTERIOR DESIGN DURING COLONIAL PERIOD The architecture of the colonial period varied from the beginning attempts at creating authority through classical prototypes to the later approach of producing a supposedly more responsive image through what is now termed Indo-Saracenic architecture- a mixture of Hindu, Islamic and Western elements. Institutional, civic and utilitarian buildings such as post offices, railway stations, etc., began to be built in large numbers over the whole empire. Indo-saracenic architecture is often called a "stylistic hybrid" (michell) architecture. The hybrid combined diverse architectural elements of hindu and mughal with gothic cusped arches, domes, spires, tracery, minarets and stained glass, in a wonderful, almost playful manner. It combines traditional indian architectural elements, like scalloped arches and onion domes, with traditional british architecture. The mixture of indian elements with the neo-classical and gothic styles typifies an indosaracenic building.

Also the Indian entablatures were based on a system of geometry and proportions. they were based on the proportions of internal planning of the buildings. Indo-saracenic, however, employed the same Indian details onto a design based on different proportions. the details which were to be slender are now robust. So the style is indeed a mixture of Indian and Islamic architecture but it remained basically British in sitting, spatial organization and composition.

Page 3 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

The size of the rooms substantially increased. The Indian proportions of the rooms were much smaller than their European counterparts. Concepts of dining rooms, ballrooms, tennis courts and other such activities are a colonial influence. The palaces were no longer restricted to the fortified palaces; they had become English country houses with an Indian veneer. The buildings show spatial separation, such as gates, barriers, a symmetrical axis of approach and height and size as expressions of power. even the interior of the buildings were based on European designs and upholstery. The planning takes into account the climate of the place and concessions have been made in the design to suit it. The walls have been made thick. Almost all the buildings have a veranda. The Mysore palace is an example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture and is a three-storeyed structure whose faade comprises nine impressive arches three on each side flanking the giant central arch that is supported by two smaller arches. The central portion has a dome that towers to a height of 145 feet and the entire palace facing east, is surrounded by a fort. The main gate of the Fort leading to the palace is Jayamartanda Gate which is massive in proportion and is sublime despite its size. As one walks into the interiors, the visitors are ushered into the Kalyana Mantapa which is embellished with 26 murals capturing the glory of Mysore Dasara, and further on the visitors enter the durbar hall called the diwan-e-aam which is about 155 feet in length and 42 feet wide. The Diwan-e-khas is also called Amba Vilas and is lavishly embellished with inlay work, intricately carved designs filled with ivory. The then Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV who reigned from 1902 to 1940 entrusted the responsibility of beautifying the Amba Vilas section to the renowned artist K. Venkatappa, according to Nagaraja Rao. The palace has an impressive collection of objects of art including the model of the original wooden palace but the most famous of the exhibits is the golden throne and the golden howdah.

INTERIOR DESIGN DURING ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT PERIOD Founded in the late 19th century, the Arts & Crafts movement stressed utilitarian, elegant structure and handmade joinery to complement the architecture and interior design of Craftsman houses of the early 1900s. Designers contended that the other contemporary styles disguised structure and accepted
Page 4 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

cheap reproductions rather than authentic constructions. Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, Australian, and American aesthetic movement occurring in the last years of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. The movement was a return to traditional craft methods and romantic forms of decorative work. Products were not created on a mass production line, but rather through individuals or small groups. The movement was seen as a rebellion of substance as well as style, in that designs and products of the movement where not only visually entailing, but efficient. The work could be highly decorated but was often extremely plain. The bright colours, the patterns and textures of many pieces are visually stunning. The fireplace became a tiled fireplace and this fashion went from strength to strength. This idea of art, work and society blended into the tiled fireplace, making it a stunning visual, an efficient instrument and splendour for all to enjoy. A fireplace mantel was surrounded by tiled panels or inserts which themselves framed the Fireplace opening. Medieval fireplace hoods and inglenooks (an inglenook is a small space next to an open fireplace, usually a corner) saw a return during the movement. Arts and crafts styles were linked into mass production techniques bringing colourful and visual designs to the general public. It was the design of flowers, birds and fruit patterns that dominated the through abstract patterns and were limited to borders and backgrounds of the tiles that were used on the fireplaces. Furniture in the Arts and Crafts tradition is generally of heavy local wood, leather and wrought iron. In terms of form, pieces are often rectilinear, and the colors are usually earth tones. Authentic colors in an Arts & Crafts library include base colors of brown and gold, accented with sapphire, forest green, and varying shades of rose. The colors in this style are soothing and coordinate well with the rest of the room. The walls are frequently quite neutral, providing the backdrop for any other color that is introduced. Victorian design called for dark, ornately carved woodwork, whereas Arts & Crafts relied on lighter woodwork that emphasized the natural grain of the wood. The lighting in your Arts & Crafts library warm and the light fixtures free of excessive ornamentation. Hammered copper and other metals were often used in light fixtures, coupled with a simple, clean votive or shade. The exception to this simplicity rule was made for stained glass lampshades, which have become a hallmark of the period. The Arts & Crafts Movement moved away from richly carved and sometimes dainty side pieces to wellproportioned furniture that was simple and built with quality in mind. The real drama of an Arts & Crafts library is introduced through the use of colourful art, hung on a neutral wall, a richly woven area rug, or highly-textured throw pillows on the sofa.

Page 5 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

People of that era favored awkward high ceilings and furniture that seemed oddly uncomfortable and out of place. Arts & Crafts people didn't believe in comfortable chairs. They favored the medieval straight-backed chair and the bench. They also didn't believe in large social spaces. They'd design a big space like the one above then break it into tiny alcoves.Even the alcoves weren't really social.

References GIBBS, Jenny . Interior Design Prakash, Vikramaditya. Ed. Peter Scriver . Colonial Modernities: Building, Dwelling and Architecture in British India Hawke, Robin . Neoclassical revival of the eighteenth century Indo Sarsinic Architecture in Madras. Available from : http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/2019/indo-sarsinic-architecture-in-madras s7hauhe. Available from : http://s7hauhe.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/late-neoclassical-directoire-french-empire/ Arts and Crafts Movement. Available from : http://www.originalfeatures.co.uk/news/arts-and-crafts-movement What are the characteristics af the arts and crafts movement? Available from : http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_characteristics_af_the_arts_and_crafts_movement
Page 6 of 7

History of Architecture (AP313) | Term Paper | 2013

Interiorize. Available from : http://anthonylingwood.com/Interiorize/?p=419 In regal splendour. Available from : http://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/in-regal-splendour/article2667876.ece

Page 7 of 7