Modern Baroque Interior Design
While Renaissance design appealed to the intelligence,Baroque style plays to emotions.
While Renaissance design appealed to the intelligence,Baroque style plays to emotions.
Note the wildly adorned churches and glitzy devotional art such as Baldacchino by Bernini in St. Peter’s. It’s dripping in gold, putti and tassels.
Furniture in the Baroque style is quite large so it is not really practical for the typical home. It is all about opulence, strong colors like red, gold and purple, extensive carving and ornamentation. Chinoiserie is popular (Chinese lacquer, fans and porcelain) Everything is massive and richly decorated. Gold is the color of Baroque and is used in fabrics, ornaments and walls. For lighting, wall sconces of silver or brass with metal or mirror backs are appropriate. Floors, typically, have complex patterns using black and white diamond patterns. Large chandeliers are used extensively. Grand bed hangings and heavy window treatments define the style, too.
Modern Baroque Interiors use baroque patterns, gold and silver ornaments, chandeliers and baroque furniture mixed with modern elements of contemporary interior design. While Baroque comes very close to being pure theater, modernism is functional, clean and unpretentious. Here are some interesting ways that Baroque and Modernism are brought together:
Modern Baroque design with golden wallpaper and heavy curtains
Black and white dining room with Baroque patterns and chandelier
One modern designer who has reinterpreted Louis XIV Baroque is Philippe Starck with his Louis Ghost chair made of polycarbonate. This chair is one of his best known designs and now comes in a size for children. I’m not sure how this chair could possibly be comfortable since it’s all plastic. Starck also has a Marie Antoinette chair.
One modern designer who has reinterpreted Louis XIV Baroque is Philippe Starck with his Louis Ghost chair made of polycarbonate. This chair is one of his best known designs and now comes in a size for children. I’m not sure how this chair could possibly be comfortable since it’s all plastic. Starck also has a Marie Antoinette chair.
Hello Chris,
ReplyDeleteThe class I took, and am taking again is Sculpture at De Anza college. The quarter starts again on April 6th and the class is Mon/Wed am from 8:30-11:15. There is still room in the class if you would like to try it out.. you learn how to work with steel and stone. There is another class by the same teacher that you might like as well. It is called Furniture Design. You get to work with wood to design and create your own furniture. Check it out on the De Anza web site. The teacher is Moto Ohtake. He is great! I really like your entry this week with the photos of modern Baroque furniture. Its interesting how that style endures even today.
Kimberlie
Hello again,
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the new Furniture Design web site: http://www.deanza.edu/creativearts/furniture/
and here is a link to the teachers website:
http://www.motoohtake.com/
When you look at the De Anza web site, for some reason the photo of Contact Us- is of one of the students. That is not the professor.
Well... if you decide to take one of those classes, let me know and I can show you around and introduce you to the regular students that take the class there.
Kimberlie
It is indeed a timeless design style. I am very fond of the eclectic mix of contemporary with Baroque or Beaux Arts design. Eclecticism produces an excitement through creative tension. The pure Baroque style implemented in a living space can be overwhelming, so the clean lines of contemporary design seem to have a calming affect. "one does not want TOO much excitement?" Or depending on whether or not you are Italian - perhaps you do! Nice examples.
ReplyDelete