The home of London designer Abigail Ahern is a spectacular example of the power of dark colors...
If you're not afraid of the dark, give me a call--we can create a dramatic, moody space for your very own.
Happy designing and Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 19, 2020
Celebrating The Darkness Within: Happy Halloween!
In recognition of Halloween next week, let's look at spaces that embrace and celebrate a deliciously moody darkness...
The home of London designer Abigail Ahern is a spectacular example of the power of dark colors...
If you're not afraid of the dark, give me a call--we can create a dramatic, moody space for your very own.
Happy designing and Happy Halloween!
The home of London designer Abigail Ahern is a spectacular example of the power of dark colors...
If you're not afraid of the dark, give me a call--we can create a dramatic, moody space for your very own.
Happy designing and Happy Halloween!
Monday, October 5, 2020
History of Furniture: Empire
As we have seen over the last many posts in this ongoing series of The History of Furniture, no style or movement or shape happens in a vacuum. Everything in the decorative arts springs from a milieu...that is a very specific time and place that gives birth to something representative of that period: politically, socially, scientifically, and economically.
And this installment is a great example of this principle. The Empire style (pronounced ahm--PEER, as it is in French) is a product of layers of social and political upheaval that came right before it. After years of the excesses of late Baroque, King Louis XVI and the aristocracy were overthrown in the French Revolution. However, the Revolution was not a single event, but a series of events that took place over many years. Once the monarchy was no longer in power, the French First Republic was created, overseen by a five member committee called the Directory.
The style of decorative arts--including architecture, interiors, clothing, and painting--during this period is called Directoire which I wrote about in this post.
But the rise of Napoleon I and his power led to a coup d'etat which abolished the Directory. Napoleon then created the Consulate, and after enduring several years of counter-plots and assassination attempts, he created an imperial system of government based on the ancient Roman model.
And this is where the Empire style grew from...the Directoire style already borrowed classical silhouettes and motifs from ancient Rome (who had stolen their style from the ancient Greeks before them), and since Napoleon I was now Emperor, France dove head-first into ostentatious pomp. Self-aggrandizing Napoleon saw himself as a Caesar, and everything produced in France at that time was meant to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state.
And perhaps no other location exemplifies this better than Chateau de Malmaison, the residence of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine and the seat of the French government from 1800 to 1802. Located nearly 10 miles west of the center of Paris in Rueil-Malmaison, the chateau is full of the kind of Neoclassical bluster that inflated Napoleon's view of himself. Just take a look at this portrait by Ingres, Napoleon On His Imperial Throne.
Napoleon's bedroom is draped in fabric to recall the kind of tent he would have lived in during his war campaigns.
But Josephine's bedroom was even more resplendent, with a red and gold scheme and again, the tent-like structure but this one held aloft by Corinthian columns. Also note the swans, eagles, and sphinxes which reference ancient Roman design.
The Council Chamber at Malmaison also looks like a tent, draped in striped fabric used in actual campaigns. The entry doors are painted with trompe-l'œil trophies (gatherings of swords and helmets suspended by a cord) of war and topped with the Imperial Roman eagle. Notice the X-shaped stools based on the ancient Roman curule seat.
Here is an ancient Roman coin showing Emperor Tiberius seated on a curule seat!
And the library at Malmaison, featuring teak woodwork and a ceiling painted after the frescoes of Pompeii, held over 13,000 books in 1814.
You can take a marvelous virtual tour of the Chateau de Malmaison through the official website.
Happy designing!
And this installment is a great example of this principle. The Empire style (pronounced ahm--PEER, as it is in French) is a product of layers of social and political upheaval that came right before it. After years of the excesses of late Baroque, King Louis XVI and the aristocracy were overthrown in the French Revolution. However, the Revolution was not a single event, but a series of events that took place over many years. Once the monarchy was no longer in power, the French First Republic was created, overseen by a five member committee called the Directory.
The style of decorative arts--including architecture, interiors, clothing, and painting--during this period is called Directoire which I wrote about in this post.
But the rise of Napoleon I and his power led to a coup d'etat which abolished the Directory. Napoleon then created the Consulate, and after enduring several years of counter-plots and assassination attempts, he created an imperial system of government based on the ancient Roman model.
And this is where the Empire style grew from...the Directoire style already borrowed classical silhouettes and motifs from ancient Rome (who had stolen their style from the ancient Greeks before them), and since Napoleon I was now Emperor, France dove head-first into ostentatious pomp. Self-aggrandizing Napoleon saw himself as a Caesar, and everything produced in France at that time was meant to idealize Napoleon's leadership and the French state.
And perhaps no other location exemplifies this better than Chateau de Malmaison, the residence of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine and the seat of the French government from 1800 to 1802. Located nearly 10 miles west of the center of Paris in Rueil-Malmaison, the chateau is full of the kind of Neoclassical bluster that inflated Napoleon's view of himself. Just take a look at this portrait by Ingres, Napoleon On His Imperial Throne.
Napoleon's bedroom is draped in fabric to recall the kind of tent he would have lived in during his war campaigns.
But Josephine's bedroom was even more resplendent, with a red and gold scheme and again, the tent-like structure but this one held aloft by Corinthian columns. Also note the swans, eagles, and sphinxes which reference ancient Roman design.
The Council Chamber at Malmaison also looks like a tent, draped in striped fabric used in actual campaigns. The entry doors are painted with trompe-l'œil trophies (gatherings of swords and helmets suspended by a cord) of war and topped with the Imperial Roman eagle. Notice the X-shaped stools based on the ancient Roman curule seat.
Here is an ancient Roman coin showing Emperor Tiberius seated on a curule seat!
And the library at Malmaison, featuring teak woodwork and a ceiling painted after the frescoes of Pompeii, held over 13,000 books in 1814.
You can take a marvelous virtual tour of the Chateau de Malmaison through the official website.
Happy designing!
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Burton James Furniture Anniversary Sale!
Burton James furniture is celebrating 37 years of business and I am happy to announce the Fiorito Interior Design October Burton James Furniture Sale*!
From now until the end of this month, my local clients can save an additional 10% off my already discounted trade pricing on upholstered pieces from the Burton James Alternatives line.*
From now until the end of this month, my local clients can save an additional 10% off my already discounted trade pricing on upholstered pieces from the Burton James Alternatives line.*
With thousands of fabrics as well as leather to choose from along with the combination of design details below, we can create custom pieces of furniture. For sofas, chairs, and sectionals, choose from:
* 10 arm options
* 4 back shape options
* 5 base options
* 9 leg options
* 7 nail head options
* 18 Standard wood finish options
* 10 arm options
* 4 back shape options
* 5 base options
* 9 leg options
* 7 nail head options
* 18 Standard wood finish options
If you've been wanting to buy new upholstered pieces for your home, now is a great opportunity to save. Call or email to get started--visit my website for contact information!
This sale is for a limited time only! Orders must be paid for and placed by 5 PM, October 31, 2020.
Happy designing!
*Sale applies to Burton James Alternatives furniture program only.
This sale is for a limited time only! Orders must be paid for and placed by 5 PM, October 31, 2020.
Happy designing!
*Sale applies to Burton James Alternatives furniture program only.
Monday, September 21, 2020
The Future of Lighting Is Now
I am beyond excited with the possibilities of the amazing fixtures Chicago-based PureEdge Lighting are creating. Their Tru Line series shouldn't even be called "fixtures" because they are installed into walls and ceilings, becoming part of the structure of the building itself. Lines of embedded LED lights can run across a ceiling and down a wall...
...or wrap around a corner. They can be used in places where traditional fixtures cannot.
Tru Line can offer illumination in crucial areas like stairways.
My imagination is already running, thinking of ways this product can be incorporated into a design. The possibilities seem nearly endless.
Happy designing!
...or wrap around a corner. They can be used in places where traditional fixtures cannot.
Tru Line can offer illumination in crucial areas like stairways.
My imagination is already running, thinking of ways this product can be incorporated into a design. The possibilities seem nearly endless.
Happy designing!
Monday, September 7, 2020
A Wine Connoisseur's Home by Fiorito Interior Design
Like many projects, this one started with a simple wish from a client: turn an unused butler’s pantry between the dining room and kitchen into a fully functioning, climate-controlled wine room for his extensive collection of valuable vintages. But like many projects, the wine room is connected to the dining room which is connected to the sitting room which is connected to the entry. When you touch one room, it only makes sense to reinvigorate them all. With the help of the great team at Elite Construction, we overhauled the entire ground floor of this lovely home.
For the wine room, I worked with Vintage Cellars in Southern California to create custom wine storage embedded with LED lighting to spotlight very special bottles. The walls are in a yummy burgundy tone and the floors are porcelain tiles that look as if they came from an old wine cave in Tuscany. A bubble light chandelier alludes to sparkling varietals.
But as mentioned, the rest of the house came along for the ride. Since we were adding a climate-controlled wine room, the brief was to turn the rest of the house into a space that would rival any hot-spot winery in Napa.
After choosing new wood flooring and a new hue for the walls, the entry became a destination in itself with an impressively large concave metal mirror and custom bench. We knocked out a half wall that awkwardly separated the sitting room from the dining room so that after-dinner drinks could flow to the fireplace surrounded by stainless steel pebbles; and we outfitted the dining room with a new chandelier. We chose all new furniture for all spaces.
The kitchen received the least amount of work but ended up being completely transformed anyhow. At first our plan was to tear everything out, but we soon realized that the cabinetry was in good shape and only needed the dated honey pine color painted over with a cream white. We also played with the idea of changing the counter tops, but once the cabinetry changed color, the granite stood out beautifully. The final change was the removal of a pot rack over the island in favor of design-forward forged iron pendants.
All photos by Genia Barnes.
Photos by Genia Barnes
For the wine room, I worked with Vintage Cellars in Southern California to create custom wine storage embedded with LED lighting to spotlight very special bottles. The walls are in a yummy burgundy tone and the floors are porcelain tiles that look as if they came from an old wine cave in Tuscany. A bubble light chandelier alludes to sparkling varietals.
But as mentioned, the rest of the house came along for the ride. Since we were adding a climate-controlled wine room, the brief was to turn the rest of the house into a space that would rival any hot-spot winery in Napa.
After choosing new wood flooring and a new hue for the walls, the entry became a destination in itself with an impressively large concave metal mirror and custom bench. We knocked out a half wall that awkwardly separated the sitting room from the dining room so that after-dinner drinks could flow to the fireplace surrounded by stainless steel pebbles; and we outfitted the dining room with a new chandelier. We chose all new furniture for all spaces.
The kitchen received the least amount of work but ended up being completely transformed anyhow. At first our plan was to tear everything out, but we soon realized that the cabinetry was in good shape and only needed the dated honey pine color painted over with a cream white. We also played with the idea of changing the counter tops, but once the cabinetry changed color, the granite stood out beautifully. The final change was the removal of a pot rack over the island in favor of design-forward forged iron pendants.
All photos by Genia Barnes.
Photos by Genia Barnes
Happy designing!
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