Ethnic traditions, customs, and attitudes carry forward our family values. Paying tribute to family heritage and tradition also gives our children a strong sense of family ties. Our roots make us what we are, and showing respect for ancestral traditions gives the interior of your home a special individuality.
Vernacular Heritage
Regional architecture, called the vernacular, designs structures to harmonize and blend with the environment. Designed to reflect the past, using historical influences, vernacular houses complement rather than dominate their settings. These homes recreate the traditional neighborhoods of the past with a strong sense of place.
Many vernacular structures provide friendly zones and foster a relaxed lifestyle. For instance, Santa Fe stucco and adobe block homes often have central courtyards. Friendly porches customarily found on Florida cracker houses invite neighborly chats. Key West's wood-framed "conch houses" and North Carolina's "low country" houses feature broad verandahs and large windows to take advantage of the area's cooling breezes.
Vernacular homes provide sheltering transitional space from the outside to the inside, but homes without such transitional spaces can benefit greatly when structural or landscaping details are added to bring the private interior space of the home into harmony with the outside world. If your home lacks a covered entry, consider adding a wood or iron framework or an awning to create a feeling of protection and shelter.
Ethnic Influence on American Architecture and Furnishings
Since Americans have always constructed houses that mimicked their native homelands, it's not surprising that Italian and Mediterranean villas, grand English country houses, and simple French farmhouses can be found across the United States. From the earliest days of our nation, Americans have taken design details from all over the world and copied, adapted, and redesigned their ethnic patterns and furnishings.
Patterns originating in Africa, such as animal prints and intricate geometrics, have been duplicated in many ways. Mexican antiques, Danish and Swedish furniture, and Oriental-influenced accessories have intermingled in our homes. From New England Cape Cods to Santa Fe adobes, our diverse heritage has influenced American architecture and interior design, while log cabins, rustic western interiors, and American folk art have suggested distinct American origins.
Style and Emotional Ambience
Style is the end decorating result of the combination of detail characteristics reminiscent of an era, an artistic movement, or a particular region, such as the Victorian era, Art Nouveau period, or Midwestern Prairie style. Mood or emotional ambiance is the personal interpretation of style to evoke feelings, whether they are cleanly slick, elegantly formal, cozily informal, or romantically eclectic.
Architectural Styles: Structure and Furnishings
Rooms all of one period or style are best left for museums or exhibitions. Eclectic rooms mix furnishings from different periods, such as a contemporary sofa, a silver maple Chippendale side table, and a gilded Louis XVI mirror. The beautiful and the bizarre, the exquisite and the commonplace, mixed with frivolity and delight, create joyful homes.
Architectural style may refer to a structure or to a type of furnishing. Mixing period styles with today's lifestyles is called New Traditionalism. Combinations of styles with a light? hearted flair create elegant, unpretentious rooms. A few grand pieces, interspersed with simple furnishings, will bring informality to an otherwise stodgy home.
Architectural style also influences interior design. Understand the architectural style of your home and use it as a reference point for your decorating. In my own case, our modern furniture looked totally out of place in our 1878 home, so we traded our glass dining table for a traditional wood one, and replaced a modular sofa with a squishy antique one.
Some Victorian homes look magnificent when furnished with contemporary furniture, but this is harder to accomplish than the reverse, which is a contemporary house, furnished with antiques. Grand old houses decorated with modern furnishings look better with plain, simple wall finishes and un-frilled window coverings.
Juxtaposing styles from your heritage with other styles that suit your fancy makes for interesting rooms and homes. Not all rooms in your home need to incorporate the same style, but some blending from room to room ensures harmony. Mixing heritage styles according to those who share your home also creates a harmonizing aura.
Your Personal Style
If you have a strong affinity for a particular architectural style, incorporate it into your total design plan. Encourage respect for your family traditions by surrounding yourself with ethnic furnishings and family heirlooms. Any style can be adapted to your way of living, whether it's serenely sleek, traditionally formal, or casually informal, by either dressing up or paring down your decorating embellishments.
(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.
Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhouse fordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm
You see it all the time in retail discount stores:... Read More
The Basic Role of Pictures Wall art plays an... Read More
A down comforter is a luxury item that can be... Read More
Roman shades adorn windows to block the sun or to... Read More
Stainless steel has emerged as the most popular choice of... Read More
The styles of the 1950's are coming back and there... Read More
A wood stove insert serves several purposes. First of all,... Read More
With unlimited possibilities available, table top fountains can add understated... Read More
California has always been a fertile spot for fresh ideas,... Read More
The name "grandfather clock" instantly conjures up images of a... Read More
Home decorating, ever wanted to try it, but hesitated because... Read More
Do you love to entertain in your home? Do you... Read More
Roman shades are inexpensive and elegant window treatment to block... Read More
Home decorating on a budget is the ultimate adventure in... Read More
Picnic baskets are the best way to eat outdoors, and... Read More
Few things are as comforting on a cold winter night... Read More
Many people are not aware that the air inside our... Read More
At one time, ceramic tile was only for the wealthy.... Read More
When the frigid winds of winter arrive, many people turn... Read More
When we talk about scents it could refer to a... Read More
Many people enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or... Read More
Spring is here and for many of us it's the... Read More
Pressed glass, Depression glass and crystal - this month we'll... Read More
There are several world renowned wood stove manufacturers that make... Read More
Decorating a Guest BedroomThe guest bedroom is the one room... Read More
We expect a lot from our clocks. We expect them... Read More
Oriental rugs can be purchased in a great variety of... Read More
If you are looking for a quick and easy way... Read More
Bathroom vanity cabinets are considered bathroom furniture, and usually range... Read More
Are there homeless items living in your home? If you're... Read More
Interior decorating is that medium which can make your closed... Read More
If you've ever seen Frank's decorations on TLC's Trading Spaces,... Read More
Perhaps the best air purifiers are those from the IQAir... Read More
Human resource officers have, over the past decade or so,... Read More
Hard water causes an array of problems in home and... Read More
The popularity of granite kitchen countertops has increased dramatically in... Read More
Oak was always used for furniture because of its strength... Read More
How do you envision your dream home? Is it rich... Read More
There is nothing more attractive and cheerful than a room... Read More
Are you a compulsive furniture rearranger? Do you make distinctive... Read More
If you are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to... Read More
If Under the Tuscan Sun left you breathlessly and hopelessly... Read More
Home decorating, ever wanted to try it, but hesitated because... Read More
For those who want the warmth of wood, but are... Read More
Feng Shui (say "fung shway") associates the kitchen with both... Read More
For most people, they can count the times they redecorate... Read More
Children's bedroom furniture and nursery furniture can help turn a... Read More
Gourmet fruit baskets quickly emerged as a way to deliver... Read More
Using accessories is a fun way to accent your bedroom... Read More
The beauty, hardness and utility of granite makes it a... Read More
Clocks can be of any type - they could be... Read More
There are cuckoo clocks available for people with all kinds... Read More
Homeowners who are seeking to increase value to their homes... Read More
This area of home life is different from others in... Read More
There's good news about hardwood floors. Because of advanced construction... Read More
Because there are several air filter manufacturers on the market,... Read More
Giving you home an instant makeover can be as simple... Read More
They look so lifelike, that time and time again people... Read More
Decorating with area rugs is one of the easiest ways... Read More
With the weather cooling, it's time to put on the... Read More
Ahhh, the sumptuous days of summer. Clear skies, green lawns,... Read More
Adjustable beds, also known as Semi-Fowler beds, can be adjusted... Read More
The number of metal wine racks available may seem overwhelming,... Read More
Creating intimacy in a room is about finding a mixture... Read More
Nearly every residence has at least one ceiling fan. Ceiling... Read More
Furniture benches are benches that can be used indoors and... Read More
Interior Design & Decorating |