How to use Period Influences in Decorating your Home
Just as certain music and aromas invoke warm memories of good and loving times, a person can be fond of a certain time in history. This doesn’t mean if you are a Revolutionary War buff that you would go around dressed in a uniform or wig from that era, it just means that this period brings you pleasant and happy thoughts. You can use pieces of different period influences in decorating your home.
You do not have to have everything in your home bear a resemblance to your favorite time in history. You can have splashes of it here and there which blend in with the rest of your décor and make you feel warm and fuzzy when you see it. Some people live in period homes which makes choosing furniture, fixtures and colors relatively easy if they want to remain in theme with their home. However, if you do not have a period home and have somewhat of a blank slate, you are ahead of the game.
If you are a fan of the ancient Greeks and Romans, in deciding which period influence in decorating your home you may want to look at examples of common items and colors that would have been used during this time. There was use of terracotta walk ways, stone walls that could be mimicked by shades of gray paint, and certainly the statues and fountains that are found throughout the region. You can find a Doric column plant stand to use for greenery or for a base for a statue in the Greek or Roman style.
Some people like Medieval history and the times of knights in armor, jousting and huge feasts in spacious banquet halls. If this is your forte′ you may want to consider decorating a man cave reminiscent of this era. The colors could be of the jewel tones in reds and greens and you could have a glassed curio cabinet or bookcase that could show off a collection of coats of armor, shields, weaponry or helmets.
You have seen plenty of Tudor homes when driving through your city; however, it is fairly easy to reproduce a Tudor period influence in decorating your home. You may want to consider your den for part of this project. Tudor styling is known for exposed beams in dark wood and walls that were basically white or beige with flat dark wood accents crossing the wall space. If you incorporate this with either a heavy rug or wood flooring of the same wood finish it would really have that informal look. To add more formal touches to a living room or dining room you could add prints from Renaissance era masters who were prolific during that period.
So many little girls – and big girls as well – have dreamed of Victorian bedrooms. You can even add Victorian touches throughout the house without having a home full of pinks and laces. Actually, if using a Victorian period influence in decorating your home you will really be looking at using dark, muted interior colors. These would have been complemented by wall paper with plenty of activity. The Victorians made use of a lot of white iron and brass beds, wicker accent furniture and chest of drawers, armoires and dressers in natural woods. The wicker looks better with the lighter wood than the darker. During the holidays there is nothing more beautiful than a Christmas tree decorated in a Victorian style. The tree will be adorned with white lights and plenty of dark mauve and pink glass ornaments. Instead of tinsel, white and silver beads would be draped around the tree as well as several types of narrow white lace. Some decorators fill in blank spots between branches with dried baby’s breath.
When using period influence in decorating your home there are so many specific times from which to choose. You can go with something as classic as Art Nouveau and Art Déco to an idea as simple as the Old West or American Antebellum. You don’t have to over-do it. An item here, a color there – that’s all you need!
Here are some of decorating periods for you to browse:
More information on Styles and Periods of Interior Decorating
Styles and Periods
Furniture History
Decorating Styles
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