Ancient Egypt - Jamie Lynn Slenker

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS 1- ID315
This modern day chair from design-crisis.com has some resemblance to the ancient Egyptian chair
because of its legs. The Egyptians believed in facing all the Feet of the chair in the same direction to
enable mobility in the after life, and this modern day counter part takes it literally with the human
legs and all of them in the same direction.
This modern day nesting table has elements from the ancient Grecian fret work. The pattern of the
fret work was believed to be inspired from the minotaur maze and the modern nesting table, from
www.elledecore.com has those elements of amaze like structure and continuous lines.
The Roman tripod table had animal feet/paws, as its support, which morphed into the animal that
the paw belonged to. For example the table on the left has paws of a tiger and the top of the legs
are in fact tiger heads. This was used in the modern day table, from thereagencyfurniture.com, with
horse hooves and head.
The chair on the left is a cathedra which was a high back chair symbolic of power and authority.
The modern chair on the right is a Knoll executive chair, with a high back. It‟s clear that the trend
of having a higher back on chairs in a public setting usually shows authority.
On the left is a medieval tapestry that depicts biblical stories and on the right, a pillow cover ,
designed by Stig Lindberg, is its modern counter part which is probably a thinner sewn fabric but it
is representational of a scene. Just like the mediaeval tapestry, which has a woman and unicorns, this
pillow cover is has a story with women, wands and supernatural elements
The gothic bench, on the left was used to store things and as seating, its modern counter part, on
the right, is also often used as storage and seating but unlike the medieval times it is not the main
furniture for seating.
The window seat on the left is a concept sketch using
elements from both medieval and gothic era. The high
back is similar to the cathedra and the seat is similar to
the chests used as seating.
The folding table, on the right, has semblance to the Savonarola chair because it embodies the
compact ,foldable quality of the chair. The table on the right was a concept table called „Abanico
Table‟- in Spanish meaning Fan table, made by a student, Jonathan Flores, at the Lorenzo De Medici
institute of design. The Savonarola chair has this light airiness associated with a fan because of its
layered structure and the table has the same feeling because of the almost overlapping translucent
material used to make it.
The Cassapanca, on the left, is a prelude to our modern day couch. The „Cabernet Couch‟ on the
right is by Carlo Rossi ,a wine connoisseur, who took “eat, sleep, and drink wine” to a new level by
creating furnishings with his vineyards old wine jugs. Both sofas have a daiz and arm rests but in
the modern rendition both ,the daiz and arm rests are made of glass jugs. Both pieces may be very
functional but both of them have this feeling of a lack of comfort. The Cassapanca is rigid while the
Cabernet Couch looks unstable. Lastly, both of these pieces are highly decorative.
Giuilio Romano-Fall of the giants
Felice Varini-Rettangoli gialli concentrici angolo al suolo'
Parking lot- temple street downtown New Haven
Swiss artist ,Felice Varnini‟s Fresco style art work looks like a modern version of representative art
similar to the fresco by Guilio Romano. The art uses the space to distort perception on a large scale
and make things seem to appear as either raised, like in the renaissance fresco or flat, like the graphic
paint work in the interior space and on the exterior space
This concept sketch of the sofa has elements from the Renaissance Cassapanca, and the Italian art of
intarsia. Both the pieces have a daiz and are made of a wood. The concept sofa has glass inlay work
instead of wood on wood and it also had cushioned seats making it much more comfortable than its
renaissance counterpart.
The pattern work on the left, called Mudejar is an amalgam of Spanish renaissance and Islamic geometric
art. The headboard, from oninteriordesign.com, on the right has influences of Spanish renaissance
because it has a distinct geometric motif as a print . Furthermore the colors are also similar to the
bright interiors of the Spanish renaissance.
Using human figures or caryatids, as structural and decorative elements was a part of Furniture in the
French Renaissance period. On the right is its modern counter part, lamps from dornob.com, which
uses human figures as structural and decorative elements to the lamp.
The modern day counter part to the Baroque girandole, on the left, is our ordinary back lit bathroom
mirror. It may not be as ornamented as the girandole but it does have the same functionality.They both
enable better viewing with the help of light. The girandole uses candles while the bathroom mirror uses
electricity.
Baroque interiors are highly decorative and are adorned with elaborate drapery and mirrors. The image
on the left is a room from Dubais Burj-Al-Arab hotel. The interior of the hotel room captures the
essence of baroque because of it elaborate drapery around the bed ,the mirror on top of the bed, and
its elaborate gold embellishments. In spite of these baroque elements the room has a modern style to it
The Spartan day bed, from designconnected.com, on the right is similar to the Baroque caning bed
because both the beds are made of light materials like cane and wicker and are meant for a portable
use. The Spartan day bed, like the caned day bed, has both a headboard and foot board but these have
been stylistically elongated to form an oval, this is also a predominant shape in the Baroque era,
specifically because the term Baroque refers to „pearl like‟ shapes.
The concept table on the left is a combination of three baroque elements. The color from a decorative
baroque vase, the „S‟ scroll leg and the Gueridons stand. The Table also has a fleur de lis cut out in a very
modern style
Both, the Confidant and the „Conversation‟ chair are designed to facilitate communication. Structure
wise they both also have curvilinear forms. Even though the modern one is made out of metal the metal
has been moulded to give it curves. The „conversation‟ chairs , from ironagefurniture.com, are unique
because the design enables people sitting on it talk to each other face to face. On the other hand the
confidant char has a seat on either sides for over the shoulder talk.
The „Transformer‟ desk on the right is made by British artist Fred Baier. His designs are inspired by
industrial cognitions but they still have design elements similar the Rococo writing desk. Both desks can
be folded up to save space and at the same time serve as storage units for small stationary. In fact, the
modern day „Transformer‟ desk can also be used as a laptop table. The curved bottom of the
„Transformer‟ desk resonates the curvilinear shape of the Rococo writing desks legs.
Console table were also a common feature in the affluent Rococo home. They were often decorative
and had a mirror hung behind it. The modern day console table is usually an entry way feature of the
home. It may or may not have a mirror behind it. The modern console table on the right has slender
elongated cabriole legs which is distinctive of the rococo style. Furthermore the curvilinear shape of the
modern table is similar to the older Rococo table.
Silhouette Portraits were had become increasingly popular in the Rococo period and they appeared as
art and architectural features. The concept sketch of a Tea pot encapsulates the art of silhouette
portraits and at the same time has elements from the Rococo period like the Acanthus leaves and the
scroll top on the lid.
Neo-classical beds were often put in niches and elaborately decorated with drapery making the bed a
decorative feature in the room. Today beds are still put in niches with the intent to save space. The image
of the „Staple bed‟ created by Laphoeff design studio has elements of the Neo-classical bed, like being
put into a niche, but the elaborate drapery has been replaced with clean cut wood wood work.
Furthermore in this case the bed is painted a bright pink making it a part of the decorative feature of
the room, just like the neoclassical room.
The Bergère chair of the Neo-classical period were distinct from the previous ones because of its
straight legs. The knoll chair, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, on the right is a modern version of
a Bergère chair both have removable cushions, closed arm rests and straight legs.
The Neo-classical period saw a re introduction of paneling and wall appliqués similar to the modern day
wall paper. The image on the left is a wall appliqué that almost has a trompe l‟oeil affect and the one on
the right is a modern version of it. The room on the right is from the home of Kathy and Terry Verigan
who are board members of the New Orleans literary festival. They took reading in the bathroom to a
new level by adding this wall paper with a trompe l‟ oeil effect to it. Additionally it is a form of wall
paneling like the one used in the Neo-classical era.
The Neo-Classical period had many variations of niche beds. The concept sketch on the left is a modern
rendition of the bed niche concept. The bed has been set into a niche in the room, and it is a feature as
well as a space saver. There are lights in the niche so that it is not a dark space and using pops of color
in a predominantly white room make the room elegant and open.
The empire period was under the Napoleonic Dynasty, and furniture was very globally inspired
(because of his numerous conquests). For example the „Emperor Chair‟ on the left has French elements
in its upholstery but the arm rests have an Egyptian sphinx like design. The modern sofa on the right
designed by Italian artist Rodolfo Rocchetti has design elements similar to the empire chair. It has an
animal form as arm rests and luxurious upholstery.
The interior on the left is like the inside of a tent. The interior on the right literally has a tent in the
room. This was created by designers of Canadian houseandhome.com to create a small space within a
space. The empire interior, even though it is in his wifes house, has this illusion of still being on the move
,like when Napoleon was on his conquests. That element has been captured in the modern interior
space on the right.
The Empire style was influenced by ancient empires like egypt, thus using mythological creatures like the
sphinx as decorative and structural elements of their furniture was popular. Philippe Starck ,a designer
for Kartell, has used a similar idea in this gnome table. Additionally the curved sides of the gnome table
are similar to the empire table, though they are more decorative.
During the empire period there were many published journals on interior decorating and a part of it
was drapery. The French empire period had a Varity elaborate drapery. This concept sketch uses element
of the French empire period in terms of the color scheme and pattern. The blues and browns were a
popular combination at the time for interiors and in this sketch it has been used as the fabric color.
Furthermore loop and lace were popular to ornament the drapes. In the concept sketch curves have
been used, inspired from the idea of loops and beading is used in the place of lace.
Using the Turning technique to produce furniture was a norm in 17th century colonial America. This
tradition has been carried on by New England furniture maker Peter Follansbee, who is well known for
his turned furniture. He uses the traditional style of a rounded structure and the rounded mortise and
tenon joint, like on the chair on the left, and puts a modern twist to it. The chair on the right has the
same characteristics of a turned chair but has a triangular design to it. The spindles meet at a point and
and the seat is triangular. The chair is a great culmination of tradition and style.
During the William and Mary period furniture makers were investing a lot of time into making furniture
comfortable and this is evident in the early versions of the winged back chair they had High,
upholstered, backs, comfortable seat and the design features were very curvilinear and broke away from
the rectilinear forms. The chair on the right from the blog www.designsopnge.com is a modern version
of the winged back chair. The chairs have almost the same seating features in terms of being cushioned
and upholstered. Also, just like the William and Mary style chair the modern chair has a stretcher as a
support element. Furthermore the William and Mary style parallel the baroque period in Europe and the
print o the modern chair is similar to the heavy baroque prints that may have been used then.
During the Queen Ann style period furniture makers were trying to create comfortable seating with the
„S‟- curved back splat and his was the beginning of furniture ergonomics. Style wise the back splat of
chair was its defining feature and it seems to make the back non dimensional and almost like a paper
cutout. In spite of this the chair had a simplistic elegance. David Savage, an English furniture maker and
founder of the Fine Furniture Making school created a modern rendition of this chairs. His creations
seem to have a dynamic quality about about them yet the back splat has a non dimensional, cutout style
to it like the Boston back splat chairs. Additionally, the Queen Ann style chair has a „s‟ scroll legs which
face outwards while the modern version of this chair has saber legs which also face outwards.
The Windsor chairs were a popular furniture piece in the late Georgian period. The chair on the right is
a modern take on its Georgian counter part. This chair is from a pair of chairs, designed and made by
furniture maker David Savage, called „Rhubhard and custard‟. Like the Georgian Windsor chair the
modern chair has a „benthoop‟ back which turns into a continuous arm, but he difference is that the
modern counterpart is asymmetrical. The slim turned rods on the back have turned into flat curved bars
but they have the same look to them. Lastly, just like the Windsor chair, the modern chair has splayed
legs but no stretcher.
Robert and James Adam were brothers well known for their renovations and the Palladian design
schemes or. The Syon house renovation, on the left, has 12 antique columns around the radial ceiling
feature which give the room an illusion of symmetry and creates a space within the room. A similar
technique was applied by architects of the Atlantis Dubai to create this central focal point in the hotel
lobby.The 8 columns create a central focal space conforming to the radial ceiling feature and giving that
fountain an enclosed yet open space. It is almost as if the columns define the space, just like in the Syon
house. Furthermore the circular ceiling light coves have been replicated as pattern on the floor.
Thomas Chippendale, had a certain far eastern influence on his furniture (furniturestyles.net) and this is
what created his distinctive style of the „ball and claw‟ foot. This foot was the defining feature of most of
his furniture pieces. Furniture designer and maker Jake Cress, from Virginia made a whimsical
counterpart to the traditional Chippendale chair called „oops!‟ this chair has all the elements of a
traditional Chippendale chair except one of the claw foot has lost the ball it was holding on to.
Hepplewhite chairs, like the one on the left, had distinctive features like their curvilinear shapes and
ornate carvings and it is a classic chair style. This was translated by interior and furniture designers
Riccardo Llorente and Alistair Taylor into this modern, Hepplewhite inspired, upholstered chair. The back
may not be as ornate but that is balanced by the fact that the rest of the wood work is ornate and
highly decorative. The modern chairs do not have spade feet in the front but the color of the foot
changes from silver to black which gives it the appearance of the spade foot. This chair has a great
combination of modern elegance and classic style.
Sheraton chair styles were designed by Thomas Sheraton but there are no existing pieces made by him.
His style was similar to Hepplewhite, being ornate and having detailed woodwork but in carving or
veneers. Furthermore his chair were very rectangular with an additional stretcher on the back and these
design elements were translated into a modern chair by Knoll designer Robert Venturi. He had ornate
colorful veneer laminates and thicker legs, in spite of this the chair has the same design style.
The Federal style was also known as the American Neo-Classical style because architectural styles were
inspired from Roman and Grecian Antiquity. For Example, the Building, on the left which was designed by
Thomas Jefferson for the University of Virginia, has Ionic style columns, in the front and Doric style
columns on the sides. The ionic columns were used because they were simple yet decorative and the
fact that it was easier for Thomas Jefferson's workers to make them. New York based designer Laurie
Beckerman was “inspired by the capital of an ion column”(www. Homedezin.com) to create this bench.
She used the scroll of the ionic column to create the bench support and the top as the seat. The bench
has a simplistic design which captures the essence of the federal columns making it decorative yet
simplistic.
The Federal style had extensive used of Grecian Inspired Ionic columns and triangular pediments.This
concept table has elements from the federal style because the legs of the table are a combinations of
the pediment and ionic column. The triangular pediment was inverted to create a flat support for the
glass top and the ionic column was notched to incorporate the triangular part of the support. The
triangular inverted pediment has colored dental moldings and the ionic column is fluted.
The Regency style used inspiration form ancient furniture like the Greek or roman Curule chairs, on the
left is a chair by Duncan Phyfe in that style. The Barcelona chair, on the right, designed by Ludwig Mies
van der Rohe for Knoll has similar elements like the Duncan Phyfe chair it has the Curule like „x‟, but
inverted as legs that extends as the back support.
This regency period saw popularity in the Grecian inspired furniture. This concept lamp is a culmination
of different elements from the Duncan Phyfe style, Curule legs and lyre details. The Curule leg shape was
used as a lamp base , thicker on the top to accommodate electrical fittings, and the lyre was added as a
support element and a decorative detail.