Ornate Is In

Ornate Is In

Posted on March 13, 2020 at 10:28 am by Melanie

Ornate Is In, which means More is More, Embellish and Ornament; but Why, Where, and How.

Why – Why Not?

Styles come and go. Last time Ornate was in was the Neoclassical Beaux Arts period which ended around the Great Depression and WWII. It is interesting to note the influences which affected these styles and interpret the increased interest in classical style today against the influencers and influences of today.

Before Neoclassical was the Baroque Style which flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1740s. It was encouraged by the Catholic Church to offset the austerity and simplicity of Protestant architecture. Baroque used exuberant detail, deep color and grandeur to create a sense of awe. Perfect for the cathedrals and churches of that time.

Santa Maria Della Salute, Venice

Rococo or Late Baroque is described as the “final expression of the Baroque movement” It has scrolling curves, sculpted molding and asymmetry.

The Rococo style began in France in the 1730s as a reaction against the more formal and geometric Louis XIV Style. The late Louis XIV Style was intended to glorify King Louis XIV and his reign. It featured majesty, harmony and regularity.

Louis XIV – Hall of Mirrors, Versailles

The term rococo was first used in print in 1825 to describe decoration which was “out of style and old-fashioned.” It was used in 1828 for decoration “which belonged to the style of the 18th century, overloaded with twisting ornaments.”

After Louis XIV died his grandson became King of France as Louis XV in 1750. He financed an archaeological expedition which unearthed original Roman villas covered in volcanic ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 70 AD. They were astounded at how light and delicate the ornamentation of the Romans actually was in comparison to the over-sized ornamentation of the Baroque-Rococo period. That ended the Baroque-Rococo style and gave rise to the Neoclassical Style.

From 1870 to the 1930’s the Neoclassical Beaux Arts Style was the architectural choice for the Gilded Age.

Our rich past with periods of ornamentation and then modernism seems ready to admit that the classical style ages well. It is beautiful, timeless and elegant. The 21st Century where we are now is reinterpreting the classical style.

Ornate is relative. Lots of great images to help you identify how much embellishment to add to create your personal style.

Where

Everywhere

Update on the Louisiana Home

” We have about two more months at most and it will be completed. We painted all of upstairs and primed and caulked downstairs. We finally found the right person to faux finish our walls and antique our kitchen cabinets and area . He does AMAZING WORK he is a guy from Houston Texas all this week and next we are installing our granite. I purchased several things from JP Weaver company and want to share with you some finished work. Most of these pictures have not been painted yet but you will see some of it has.

Fabulous ornamentation before finishing.