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In this article I will look at how a particular style influences my designs. I will examine the inspiration it provides, the concerns it raises and solutions it offers to design practice. The influence I have chosen is the neo classical style.
I have chosen neo-classicalism as my influence to interior design. This is one of my favourite styles of architecture and interior design because I feel it is grand and detailed, it cannot easily be replicated without attention to detail, scale and proportion.
The Neo-classical style was revived during the Renaissance due to archaeological discoveries in Greece and Rome. 18th century architecture in Britain was mostly dominated by aristocrat grand tours and wanting to recreate styles they had seen whilst in Europe. The publication of architectural source books such as the series by Palladio Londoniensis helped recreate styles more accurately than before with the use of proportion and measured technical drawings within them. There are two main types of neo-classical design: Greek and Roman. The Greek style appeared first with a lot less detail and baroque than the Roman style that developed afterwards. Another major difference is that the Romans used curved arches whereas the Greeks did not have the technology to do this.
The function of this design was to display riches, taste and show to everyone that the owners had money. It is a style associated with wealth and luxury and can often be found in large country mansions such as burn hall (County Durham), Castle Coole and Wallington Hall (Northumberland). A classic piece of neo-classical furniture is the chaise longue. With its basic design it can be either minimal or grand. The classic chaise can be found in any stately home across the UK.
Neo-classicalism inspires me because I feel it is a very beautiful style, if done correctly it can be timeless and stunning. However this style is not appropriate for what some clients might want or may be too expensive to recreate. In the cases where the neoclassical style does not fit with what the client wants it would be inappropriate to use it. However, the interiors can also be influenced by the style rather than completely follow every aspect that makes an interior neoclassical by using certain features of the style such as the plasterwork detail or the detailing above the doors. This way the interior will have a feeling of luxury without being over the top which may suit some buildings and clients needs better than fulfilling everything to a neoclassical style.
The neoclassical style is hard to implement into all designs because of its origin, it is a luxurious style filled with opulence and detail. This style could only be used to full effect if the client was very wealthy. Therefore nowadays you can only fulfill a neoclassical design if the building you are working with is fit for it. The neoclassical houses have large rooms with high ceilings and lots of detailing in plasterwork and finishes, so if you were trying to implement a this style in a new build with small rooms and low ceilings the design would not work.
One of my favourite examples of Palladian design is Wallington Hall in Northumberland. This was built in the 17th century and exhibits beautiful Ebullient Rococo plasterwork in the interior which is my favourite feature within the design of the mansion.
In conclusion I feel that the neo classical style is a huge influence on my designs where it can be. The style can only be used where appropriate and implemented where able due to its detailed and luxurious designs needing large spaces and grand settings to fully appreciate the design. I could not use this style to influence all projects as it gives off a certain feel of expense and opulence which is not suitable for all work, only to specific projects. However, parts of the style can be used in the designs to just give a hint of the style rather than a complete following of the style.
