HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN

 PREHISTORIC & PRIMITIVE DESIGN

 ANCIENT WORLD

 MEDIEVAL/MIDDLE AGES

 RENAISSANCE

 INDUSTRIAL ERA

 TWENTIETH CENTURY

 FUTURE DIRECTION
PREHISTORIC
 PREHISTORIC & PRIMITIVE DESIGN

ANCIENT ANCIENT
MESOPOTAMIAN HOUSES AZTECS HOUSES

ANCIENT
CHINESE HOUSES
 ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIAN HOUSES

The Sumerians were the first to build great cities in Mesopotamia.

Building Material : MUD BRICK DRIED IN SUN

Upper class – double storied building Craftsmen & trades – single storied buildings

• Kitchen with fireplace

•Downstairs room for receiving guest
•Upstairs bedroom
•Bathroom with drainage system
COURTYARD

• Elegant Upholstery, carved animal like legs

and relief inlay
 ANCIENT CHINESE HOUSES
Houses made of baked bricks

Noblemans have coloured glass windows , marble staircase and fireplaces.

Kang - a hollow platform heated from underneath

Rugs & cushions for sleeping on Kang

Low tables ,carved cabinets ,chair, dining table

 ANCIENT AZTEC HOUSES

Thatched adobe house

Two single storied

Works of art, statues and

decoration

Furniture was not used

Slept on mats and

stored food in clay pots

ANCIENT WORLD
 ANCIENT WORLD

ANCIENT ANCIENT
EGYPT ROMAN

ANCIENT
GREEK

Ancient furniture inspiration to the neoclassical furniture of late Georgian

era in England and also Regency furniture
 ANCIENT EGYPT

Temples have vast hypostyle halls

Carving and painting on wall

Interiors connected to outdoors through courtyard

And loggia

Furniture with curved legs , inlays ,decorated

Furniture – Stool, chairs bed , headrest,tables

ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT EGYPT
 ANCIENT EGYPT

44. Sarcophagus of sycamore. 45. Folding chair. 46. Stool of

flat strips with a clear tectonic structure.47. Stool with turned
legs and a dedicated fasteners. 48., 49. Stand design for
Bruskova amphorae. 50.The bed in the form of an
animal. 51. Backed chair, express design. Louvre,
Paris. 52. Ceremonial throne, rich carving,
upholstery. 53. Folding camp bed (on Egyptian
figure). 54. Stool with a very low back. 55. Primitive low stool
with curved legs (see fig. 6 of Table 1). 56. Parade chair with
legs in the form of animal paws padded. 57. Chair with legs in
the form of animal paws, the back-filenochnoy Framework
design. 58. Support for the head of ebony carved. 59. A
portable bed with legs in the form of animal legs and
arms. 60. Table with a decorative vase (wall drawing from
Thebes, ca. 1200 BC. E.)
ANCIENT EGYPT
 ANCIENT GREEK

Greek built important building in stone but used wood for roofing

Pottery decorated with painting

Greek temple – Simple windowless rectangular enclosure surounded by columns

Greek House – Simple rooms with moulding , strong colours in textile

Cups, dishes and vases for decorative accents

KLISMOS - outward carving legs

Greek KLINES

Tables and chest – coloured decoration

ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK
ANCIENT GREEK

KLISMOS
ANCIENT GREEK

KLINES
 ANCIENT ROME

Roman took over the greek concept

of design with typical engineering skill
of their own

Houses planned with courtyard or

atrium

Rooms had few or no windows

Technique of MOSAIC

Luxurious houses – marble inlay and

painting
ANCIENT ROME
 ANCIENT ROME
The stool was the most common type of seating in the Roman period,
probably because of its easy portability.

The sella curulis, or folding stool, was an important indicator of power in

the Roman period
 ANCIENT ROME
While in wealthy households beds were used for sleeping in the bedrooms (lectus
cubicularis), and couches for banqueting while reclining were used in the dining
rooms (lectus tricliniaris), the less well off might use the same piece of furniture for
both functions.
 ANCIENT ROME

The Roman cathedra was a chair with a back

 ANCIENT ROME
The bench, or subsellium, was an elongated stool for two or more
users. Benches were considered to be “seats of the humble,” and were used
in peasant houses, farms, and bathhouses
ANCIENT ROME

Candelabra Relief Inlay

MIDDLE AGES
 THE MIDDLE/MEDIEVAL AGES

GOTHIC
EARLY CHRISTIAN DESIGN

BYZANTINE ROMANESQUE
 THE MIDDLE/MEDIEVAL AGES

Early medieval Europe was a

place of unrest .Medieval life was
uncertain and families were often
on move.

Churches and cathedral

Medieval Décor: Textile – Central

focus

Medieval Furniture – Made of oak :

Chest ,cupboards, benches, TAPESTRIES
folding chairs , beds with curtain

Bright fabrics and interesting

lighting effect.- Use of tapestries
and hanging to cover the wall
 THE MIDDLE/MEDIEVAL AGES

INLAY
MOSAIC
 EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE

Churches – significant building

Central space with aisle : clere-storey light

Arches & columns of Roman practice

Art of Mosaic

Glass making techniques – Stained glass

Painting of human and angel forms

Common man – simple furniture , foldable

stool and tables
Church – richly carved and solid furnitures
 EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE

Detail of a medieval window at Troyes Cathedral, France (1300s)

EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE
 EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE

Byzantine monumental Church mosaics are one of the great achievements of

medieval art.
 ROMANESQUE PERIOD

11 – 12 th centuries : remerging after dark

ages followed by the fall of Roman Empire

Followed the Roman style

Romanesque Cathedral - massive, solid, dark

and gloomy

Sculpture and artwork to decorate church

Church furniture were ornate, decorated with

carving and painting-Simple animal and plant
forms were used.

Carved chests, simple stool, benches and

trestle tables and pillared bedsteads.

Medieval Castles and mansion – lavish

Fun and romantic style

 ROMANESQUE PERIOD

Castle St Ulrich is the best preserved of the Romanesque castles of Alsace.

 ROMANESQUE PERIOD

The interior of Oakham Castle

 ROMANESQUE PERIOD

The monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos in Burgos has an upper arcade for
access. - CLOISTER
 ROMANESQUE PERIOD

Tympanum: a semicircular panel above a portal. This one is carved stone and displays
many figures as would a typical tympanum in the Romanesque era.
 GOTHIC PERIOD
12 – 16 th centuries : Byzantine + Islamic
influence

Furniture – ornate , heavily carved and

decorated : religious theme : made of oak

Heraldic symbols – griffins ,lions or

hawks. Floral themes.

Painting and inlays

Many new furnitures: armoire for cloth

storage, eating utensils, table coffers,
four post bed, linefold carved valence,
Gargoyles, curtains, rich tapesteries

Décor items included plenty of candles,

stained glass ,brass

Gothic motif of pointed arch

Stone wall and panelling

 GOTHIC PERIOD

TABLE

GOTHIC BED

ARMOIRE FOR CLOTH STORAGE GOTHIC MOTIF

GOTHIC PERIOD

CHEST CHAIR
 GOTHIC PERIOD

INTERIORS GARGOYLES
 CLASSICAL STYLE

 Use of classic elements

and motifs in different
interior elements.

 Classic orders and

organization : symmetry,
proportion, styles,…etc.

 Classic colors : tend to

use natural / dark colors.

 Use of traditional
materials or modern
materials in the shape of
traditional ones.
RENAISSANCE
12th – 18th century
 RENAISSANCE

EARLY RENAISSANCE BAROQUE/ROCCOCO

RENAISSANCE

MIDDLE/HIGH RENAISSANCE
 EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD
 Italy
 Frescoed walls, carved ceiling, marble flooring carpets ,oil painting
 Classic detail
 Symmetrical Planning - central courtyard
 Painted wall , ceiling decoration and classical molding

 France
 Luxury and refinement
 Human figures in decorative arts
 Strap work – geometric patterns
 Furniture – sculptural
 Italian inspiration on tables, Armoire
 Germany
 Ornamental theme
 Classical antiquity , floral motifs, wood cut ceiling, wall paneling , colours
seldom used, small elaborate table
 England
 More private rooms- bedroom, closets, parlors
 Brilliant colours, curved medallions head(Romanye) furniture, Chairs without
arms, Lighter version of chair - caquetoire
EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD

STRAP WORK
EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD
EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD
EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD
EARLY RENAISSANCE PERIOD
 HIGH RENAISSANCE PERIOD
o More sophisticated understanding of concepts of roman architecture

o Gradual increase in variety and richness of furniture types – classical

details in wall decoration , mouldings on door and window , fire place
mantels and elaborately decorated ceiling.

Fresco- a technique of mural

painting executed upon freshly laid lime
Painted Ceiling plaster.
 HIGH RENAISSANCE PERIOD

Oak Bedstead of Jeanne d'Albret Fireplace

 BAROQUE PERIOD
o The Baroque is a period of
artistic style that used exaggerated motion
,drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur
o Dynamic movement – rich, symmetrical
,sculpted form and bold contrasts of colour
- dark tonalities
o More complex forms like ellipses,
trapezoids and spiral
o Baroque space takes on qualities of
mystery and theatricality – effect of
richnesss

o France : Rococco style- more sculptural

,volatile manner, motifs based on shell and
rock form ,foliage
o Italy : the birthplace of baroque- furniture
richly carved
o England : Exuberant, Floral marquetries
and parquetry, lacquered work on furniture
Parquetry – Applying
veneer on surface
BAROQUE PERIOD

In interiors, Baroque movement- monumental

staircases that had no parallel in previous
architecture.

The other Baroque innovation in worldly

interiors was the state apartment, a sequence
of increasingly rich interiors that culminated in
a presence chamber or throne room or a state
bedroom.
BAROQUE PERIOD

Baroque Staircase
 BAROQUE PERIOD

Stucco or render is a material made of

an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco
is applied wet and hardens to a very dense
solid. It is used as decorative coating for
walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and
artistic material in architecture.

Baroque Stucco work Baroque Pattern

 ROCOCO (LATE BAROQUE)PERIOD
o Rococco, also referred to as
"Late Baroque", is an 18th-century
artistic movement and style
in Paris, France, which affected
several aspects of the
arts including painting, sculpture, arc
hitecture, interior design , decoration
, literature , music and theatre.

o The word 'Rococo' is derived from

the French "rocaille", a word used
to describe the rock and shell work.

o Furniture – lighthearted, symbol of

status , comfort and versatility, easily
moved around for gatherings, many
specialized forms - fauteuil chair, the
voyeuse chair.

MIRROR FAUTEUIL CHAIR

 ROCOCO (LATE BAROQUE)PERIOD
o Rococo art and architecture in such a way was ornate and made strong usage of
creamy, pastel-like colours, asymmetrical designs, curves and gold

oRococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture,
small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs,
and wall paintings.
 COLONIAL STYLE – UNITED STATES

 Interiors based on English

Georgian design

 Furnitures – mixture of
medieval & Anglo flemish
renaissance

 STICK variety chairs

,BUTTERFLY tables
GREEK REVIVAL STYLE (18th-19th)
 Greco-Roman influence

 Temples – churches,public building and

private houses
 Interior detail & furniture – Greek vase
painting

GOTHIC REVIVAL STYLE

 Followed in England and U.S

 Application in hotels, public building

and houses
 Gothic decorative features – pointed
arches ,tracery and crockets ,ornamented
ordinary household furniture
FEDERAL STYLE

o After independence - America :

Federal Government

o Style parallel to Greek revival style

o Chippendale chairs with Marlboro

legs

o Later hepplewhite chairs with shield

back and Sheraton chairs with
Neoclassical influence were made
 RENAISSANCE – UNITED STATES
LAMBERT HITCHCOCK STYLE
o Fancy chairs of light weight with
caned or rush seats and painted
decoration
o Body had plain colour and member
were made by machine

SHAKERS STYLE
o handmade furniture which
combined stick construction – no
decorative detail
oStrong & Ascetic
INDUSTRIAL ERA
18th – 19th century
 ART NOUVEAU
 "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art“

 A very decorative style with many design

ideas being taken from nature and using new
materials of steel, ceramic and glass.

 hyperbolas and parabolas in windows, arches,

and doors are common, and decorative
mouldings 'grow' into plant-derived forms.

 Art Nouveau designers selected and

'modernised' some of the more abstract
elements of Rococo style, such
as flame and shell textures

 It was the main form of design that broke the

barrier and history of the divide between
decorative arts and fine arts.

 Wall designs, lamps, furniture and decorative

elements.
ART NOUVEAU
 ART & CRAFT MOVEMENT

 Arts and Crafts was an international

design movement that flourished
between 1860 and 1910, especially in
the second half of that period, continuing
its influence until the 1930s

 Arts and Crafts objects were simple in

form

 They tended to emphasize the qualities

of the materials used

 They were influenced by the Gothic

Revival (1830–1880) and were interested
in medieval styles, using bold forms and
strong colors based on medieval
designs.
 ART & CRAFT MOVEMENT

 They often had patterns inspired

by British flora and fauna and
used the vernacular, or domestic,
traditions of the British
countryside

 It was largely a reaction against

the impoverished state of
the decorative arts at the time
and the conditions in which they
were produced

 Exposed metal fittings

 Furniture in Oak and maple
 Mahogany or walnut wood
 Flooring in parquet or planks in
hi-gloss finish
 Accessories – Highly crafted
 Handcrafted lighting fixtures
 Rugs serve as floor accents
 Strong colours on walls
ART & CRAFT MOVEMENT
TWENTIETH CENTURY
(MODERNISM)
 ECLECTICISM

 Most important building designed in

America before WWII were
influenced by Beaux –Arts –
Eclectisim
 Eclecticism is a conceptual
approach that does not hold rigidly to
a single paradigm instead draws
upon multiple theories, styles. –
borrowing
 elements include structural features,
furniture, decorative motives, distinct
historical ornament, traditional
cultural motifs or styles from other
countries, with the mixture usually
chosen based on its suitability to the
project and overall aesthetic value.
 emergence of Interior Decoration as
a regarded profession
 Sullivan & FLW, Elsie De Wolfe

room designed by Elsie de Wolfe.

 ECLECTICISM
o Interrelation between various
interior elements – walls,ceiling
etc
o natural finish , cream and
white colour tones
o organic architecture
o Furniture an integral part of
building
o stained glass in geometric
pattern

F.L Wright studio interior

F.L Wright furniture

 THE BAUHAUS

 This style was based on simplicity

and the colors tended to be neutral
(white, grey etc) . Any colors that
were used tended to be primary
colors such as red and used only
in splashes.
 The main materials used were
glass, steel and thin layers of
concrete.
 Standardization and
prefabrication
 Unornamented functional modern
interiors
THE BAUHAUS
 DE STIJL

 Similar to Bauhaus
 Abstract,rectangular
form
 Primary colours –
red,blue and yellow
 Geometrical abstract
furniture
 MIES VAN DER ROHE

o Style- extreme clarity and simplicity

omaterials - industrial steel and plate glass to define

interior spaces.

o a minimal framework of structural order balanced

against the implied freedom of free-flowing open
space.

o He called his buildings "skin and bones" BARCELONA CHAIR

architecture

o"less is more“

oBarcelona chair and table, the Brno chair, and the

Tugendhat chair. His furniture is known for
fine craftsmanship, a mix of traditional
luxurious fabrics like leather combined with
modern chrome frames, and a distinct separation of
the supporting structure and the supported surfaces,
often employing cantilevers to enhance the feeling of
lightness created by delicate structural frames.

BRNO CHAIR
 MIES VAN DER ROHE

Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

 LE CORBUSIER

o Furniture – three categories :

chairs , table and open/close
shelves

oWorks regulated by orderly,

mathematical modular system

oSimplicity and cubist geometry

oColours adventurous
 ART DECO
 Art Deco style of interior design is a streamlined, geometric style which often includes
furniture pieces with curved fronts, mirrors, clean lines, chrome hardware, and glass.
 opposition to Art Nouveau style which featured elaborate, flowing natural forms .
 ART DECO

o Art Deco makes use of angular, balanced

geometric shapes. Renowned artists that helped
to define Art Deco style include Erte, Adolphe
Mouron and Tamara de Lempicka.
o major influence on this style which was a
reaction to the societal and industrial advances
of the early 20th century. Paris was the hub of
Art Deco style. After a 1926 hurricane ravaged
Miami, Florida, architects designed whole city
blocks in the Art Deco style.
MODERN ( INTERNATIONAL STYLE)

• Avoid ornaments.
• Simplicity in design and
construction.
• Use of colors.
• Use of modern materials
and techniques.
• Free space.
• Complementarily
between architecture,
arts and industry.
FUTURE STYLES
 THE POST MODERN

• Beginning in the 1960’s and lasting through today, the post-modern movement
took root as a response to modernist design.

• Another key theme in post-modern design is borrowing from the past to create
eclectic designs in architecture, furnishings, and interiors. Wit and humor are also
common elements in post-modern buildings and homes. Post-modernists seek to
create comfortable spaces for the body, mind, and soul.
 THE POST MODERN

•Notable post-modern designers

include Robert Venturi, Michael
Graves, Philip Johnson, and
Robert A.M. Stern, Judy McKie
(furniture designer) and others .

•Different styles such as classic

modernism, deconstructivism,
..etc.
 HI-TECH

o High-tech architecture, also

known as Late
Modernism or Structural
Expressionism- 1970s,

o incorporating elements of high-tech

industry and technology into building
design.

o interior design there was a trend of

using formerly industrial appliances
as household objects, e.g. chemical
beakers as vases for flowers. This
was because of an aim to use an
industrial aesthetic.

oHigh-tech architecture aimed to

give everything an industrial
appearance

oNorman Foster ,Hopkins Architects,

Santiago Calatrava