Style Influences from the Past: The Baroque Era

When looking through some inspirational photos recently I remembered studying the Baroque era in History. Known for its love of reflected light (through mirrors, glass and chandeliers), gilded, mirrored and silvered furniture, Chinoiserie and lacquered finishes, the era starts to sound a lot like today's Hollywood Regency inspiration. However, they took it a little further than we do today...

Here

 The room above is the Hall of Mirrors, Chateau Versailles in France. As you can see, they liked their 'bling' (if I can be so crass as to refer to the grandeur of the Baroque as 'bling'!). Apart from all of these Hollywood Regency style materials, the Baroque also used a very strict arrangement of furniture; one of the most common being the arrangement of a pier-table (like a console or commode), mirror or painting above and usually two chairs or candlestands on either side. 

Here

It seems that in this too, we haven't changed as much as we thought!

Designer Miles Redd. Found here.

 

Designer Katie Lydon Interiors. (No mirror, but art was often used)

Domino magazine. Does anybody know the designer?

Luxury Homes Magazine. Volume 11.

Designer Catherine Shields. Here.

Designer Irene Langlois.

Designer Unknown. Via Canadian House & Home.

Designer Miles Redd. Found here.

Designer Tom Scheerer. Found here.

I guess we're aren't as original as we thought, and that this classic furniture arrangement is here to stay, particularly for entries and hallways!