Architectural style
Many of today’s designs for the home draw on what has gone before: a glance at any manufacturer’s current wallpaper and jahric collections will reveal influences as diverse as Gothic, Neoclassical, and Art Nouveau. Understanding such visual references is rewarding in itself, but in recent years it has gained a new significance, due to the vogue for restoring properties to their original style. Each major period of architecture had its own way of using materials, space, and proportion. Knowing something about them is essential if you are decorating an older house or apartment.
A home need not be particularly historical or especially grand to be considered worthy of being lovingly restored to its original style. Many modest houses of the 1920s and 1930s, subsequently “modernized” in the 1950s or 1960s, can gain considerable appeal by being returned to a look that is more suited to the age
in which they were built. The scope of the restoration can range from the simple matter of choosing appropriate color schemes for paintwork and patterns for curtains, to the more extensive replacement of architectural features such as dado and picture rails, doors and door hardware, and windows. In more markedly “period” properties, restoration may involve reinstalling fireplaces, replacing cornices and moldings, and removing double-glazing in favor of old-style sashes and casements. Where time and money are limited, it is enough to reflect the general look of an original period in your decorating style, and this can be achieved in quite simple ways, as the following pages show.
