Chinese Chippendale Chairs Again

Last year I did a post about Chinese Chippendale chairs here.  I scanned in images from vintage decorating books with the classic chair to show just how long the chair has been "in style".  Here is another one that I found today in my "new" decor book:

The House Book, 1974/1982

Notice the rush mat seats and the woven rush flooring.  The blue and white china hung on the wall in the background.  The white tablecloth with tassel style edging.  The fireplace even has what appears to be a crown molding shelf as the mantle.  All of these things would be very beautiful in a room today.  Timeless!

Something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality

Classic Decorating: If a decorating element shows up in most of these books, I declare that element a CLASSIC, and worthy of spending time and money on.

Published 1947

Published 1952

Published 1964

Published 1970

Published 1983

Published 1992

Published 2001

Damask Wallpaper Reinvented from the 1960s?

Here is a history of damask from anyonemansblog.com (post Pink Damask Crib Bedding)


"Textile historians are not unanimous as to the origin of Damask design in which images of some plant or animal or both are used to create the pattern, but many of them think that it might have been originated in China and ultimately through India and Persia it reached and became the main export of Damascus of Syria which gave the design its present name. Those traveling the high seas trading exotic goods came back to Europe with this fabric and it quickly became what the upper classes craved because they were the only ones who could pay the high price that was asked for it."

sanctuaryhome.wordpress.com, . . . Tiffany's . . . ("Breakfast at Tiffany's" 1961)

McCall's Decorating Book, 1964

Flocked damask is everywhere in decorating products right now--wallpaper, bedding, upholstery, art, to name a few. Notice a similarity between these images (above) from the 60s and these (below) from today?

besthomegallery.com, Modern Interior Wall Decorating with Damask Wallpaper

besthomegallery.com, Modern Interior Wall Decorating with Damask Wallpaper

archiexpo.com, Classix Exotic Flock: Damask Flock on Silver Paper

Damask is so hot in weddings too . . .

etsy.com, Black and White Flocked Damask Sheer Organza Table Runner

etsy.com, Luxe Black Flocked Damask Invitation Set with Buckle

Timeless or trendy?  The Philosophy of Interior Design votes both ways. . .

Could be timeless: can use with a variety of decorating styles, has been part of decorating for more than one decade.

Could be trendy: high contrast pattern, hot with weddings, hasn't been part of decorating for EVERY decade.

Three Trendy Things that are Out of Style

From the past decade, 2000-2010, here are three things that were trendy but NOT timeless.  No sources for photos are given because this is not meant to be unkind--just informative.

1. Red accent wall

We purchased our current home (not pictured above) with bright red accent walls on two of the dining room walls.  I have since painted them the same color as the rest of the room.  For a short time I tried painting over the red with dark brown.  That makes me laugh now.

2. Garden Accessories

I have five 5" wrought iron hooks by my front door and I am currently evaluating how passe they look.

3. Vinyl Lettering

I never did jump on the vinyl lettering bandwagon.  This is quite a fete because of how extremely popular this decoration has been with young Mormon wives!

What else . . . .?

Timeless House in "All the President's Men"

There is a home in the 1976 movie "All the President's Men" that would look amazing today just with a little pre-photo styling.

Add caption

We watched this last summer and I STILL think about the color scheme, the furniture styles, and the furniture arrangement.

Here is the entry:

You can already see that there is no green and gold or yellow and red blaring at you like a lot of 1970s interiors.  And that is a chair styled similar to a Chippendale bow back dining chair in the bottom left corner.

Here is the seating area:

The couches are solid and light in color, very traditional shape, a Duncan Phyfe style coffee table (classic!) and an oriental rug with blue, red, and gold (classic!).  The portrait and green velvet pillows are nice touches.  Really only the lamp is 1970s.  That's easy to change out!

Here is the other side of the room from the couches:

So classic: the (Queen Anne!) wingback chair in a camel color, the bullseye mirror, the dresser/buffet in a cherry/mahogany finish, and a grandfather clock.  Plus, look at the solid light colored nubby curtains and the clear glass sconce (to the right of the mirror)!

The kitchen isn't as classic--why is that usually the case??  And the kitchen is so expensive to re-do!  But you can see into the dining room past the kitchen in this shot:

The wallpaper, the little accessories and also the cabinet hardware are all a little passe.  But the dining set looks just as classic as the furniture in the sitting area.  The window treatments could easily be updated in the dining room.

I have a hard time watching movies and not getting distracted by the interiors.  The movies always have something unique from what is in magazines and online.  Another movie that I have collected images of is "Fried Green Tomatoes".  I'll post about that later.

Queen Anne Furniture is Classic

ioffer.com, 1926 vintage catalog

gettyimages.com, Family Eating Meal Together, 1940

The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement, 1970

Better Homes and Gardens The New Decorating Book,1981

Queen Anne is the oldest English furniture style that is still widely imitated in America today.  

The furniture before this time was mostly made of oak and had straight turned legs in the William and Mary style.  You just don't see this style immitated that much in today's decorating.

guidetohomefurniture.com, William and Mary Furniture, The History and Dutch Influence

Queen Anne reigned in England from 1702-1714.  During this time pieces became graceful with a cabriole leg and a shell/sunburst/fan motif.  America was imitating this style twenty years after the English made it popular in England.

britannica.com, Queen Anne style

The Queen Anne style continues to be reproduced and imitated, throughout every decade and combined with many other pieces to make many different looks.  Now that's a classic!


Here is a set for sale on Craigslist.  Change out the pink fabric and you are in business!

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/fuo/2192668926.html

Sources:
http://guidetohomefurniture.com/the-history-and-influences-of-the-queen-anne-style
http://www.theantiquesalmanac.com/queenanne.ht
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Buying Classic Furniture that is Kid Friendly, Affordable

Buying antique classics is unrealistic for us.  

Jon and I wandered around a beautiful antique store in December when we were getting ready for our anniversary bedroom decorating.  We were awe-struck!  We were in Anthony's Antiques in Salt Lake City, which is famous anyway for their incredible (valuable) selection and knowledgeable staff.  We wanted to buy several pieces, and admired many many beautiful things in that museum of a store.

Anthony's Antiques and Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, UT

And yet we knew, carefully wandering around with our almost 2 year old and energetic 4 year old boys clenched in our fists, that we would be foolish to buy such historic and perfect furniture.  These children ARE more important than the mahogany bow front corner cabinet that we were looking for.  I let them ding the $30 bookcase from the local thrift store instead and invest into their college fund and we seem to get along fine.

savvyma.com, getting crayon off the wall

But, there are still affordable beautiful traditional classic reproductions for sale on Craigslist, your local thrift store, and at yard sales.

craigslist, Washington DC area, $150, 2/7/2011

craigslist, San Diego area, $25 each, 2/11/2011

craigslist, Philadelphia area, $500, 1/25/2011

I think about buying beautiful used pieces like these all the time.  These are affordable, they look like they are quality construction, and really only the couch could use a spiff up with some new upholstery.  In the right interior, the fabric is actually quite cutting edge.  Gold and green are become huge! Anyway.  I'm one of those people that loves to rescue beautiful things and bring them back to life.  I'll be posting about some French-style chairs that I bought six years ago at a thrift store for $2 each.  That was such a thrill, and we are still enjoying the chairs today at every meal in our kitchen--two more boys and a new house later!

Chinese Chippendale Chairs 1970s and 80s

Chinese Chippendale chairs.  These chairs are hot right now!  Dare I say trendy?  They did exist before a few years ago!  Actually, since the 1750s.    Here is the inspiration for the trend:

furniturestyles.net, Chinese Chippendale Dining Chairs Pictures

These chairs are from the famous pattern book by Thomas Chippendale, The Gentleman and the Cabinet Maker's Director in 1754.  There were many different styles of furniture, and one of them was "Chinese" in response to the travels and explorations of the British at that time, which developed tastes of the wealthy elite toward the exotic.  The chairs weren't spray painted bright colors, but they were lacquered.  

chestofbooks.com, The Period of the Cabinet-Makers, 1750-1840. Part 6

In recent past decades, reproductions were left a stained brown color, and were paired with bright yellow walls and terrible lighting in the 1970s.

The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement, 1970

The chairs were also paired with modern furniture like the pedistal table below and way too many plants like in the 1980s

Better Homes and Gardens Stretching Living Space, 1983

These are unique vintage images of these very trendy chairs hitting the web everywhere.  Without these images, the trends of pairing the Chinese Chippendale chairs with bright colors and cabriolle leg tables wouldn't be so easy to recognize.  This is what The Philosophy of Interior Design is all about!

Chippendale "Cupid's Bow" Chairs

my-yorkshire.co.uk, Thomas Chippendale

The pattern book, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director, made Chippendale style and the man famous in the mid 1700s.  Thomas Jefferson owned a copy.  The chairs have been used in every decade since then.  Here at The Philosophy of Interior Design, decorating is best explored by looking at some images from vintage decorating books.  This helps to break loose from the trends of today and really explore what parts of decorating and design are enduring and timeless.


Here are some vintage images:

The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement, 1970

There are other English styles/pattern books by Hepplewhite, and Sheraton.  I'll post about them later.  Here you can see the Chippendale chair that is characterized by the ball and claw foot or lions paw on the leg.  But these images only show the backs.  The top rail on the back gives these ones away.  See how the curves look like a Cupid's bow laying on it's side?

House Beautiful Decorating Style, 1992

Chippendale is still used today in decorating.  Maybe not paired with bright yellow lit bookcase eves like in the seventies, or a fussy messy floral arrangment, but still.

decorpad.com, Our WIP Dining Room

decorpad.com, the prettiest blue green dining room

So timeless.  But this chair style isn't as popular right now as the Chinese Chippendale chair--and these were used in decorating in previous decades as well.  More on that in an upcoming post.

Vintage Organization

bellacor.com, solid oak 5 row dowel CD rack

Could a passe CD holder like this one ever become as trendy as the card catalog has become today in decorating?

casasugar.com, Midday Muse: Card Catalog Envy

Mark Hampton on How a Room is Going to Age

My headboard is finally done and we hung it up in the master bedroom with the wall lamps this morning!  I am excited to post photos!

Wandering around the net today, I found a wonderful article online.  House Beautiful has featured a book about Mark Hampton in an article called "Four Decades of a Stylish Room".  Three versions of Hampton's NYC living room are featured from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the last of which is stunning and timeless.

Hampton died in 1998, but his wife Duane has authored Mark Hampton: An American Decorator, which was published April 2010.

Mark Hampton's NYC Apartment, 1970s

The dramatic overdone style of the 1970s comes pouring through in this design.  I must say, there is a sense of uniqueness to the room that transcends the decade.  The curtains aren't overdone and the herringbone wood floors are classic.

Mark Hampton's NYC Apartment, 1980s

The 1980s design of the same room is not hard to peg.  Floral chintz, and pattern everywhere.  What a relief the green solid chair is!  

Mark Hampton NYC Apartment, 1991

This room has been decorated the same since 1991.  This is the timeless design that I am now looking for.  He has kept the same coffee table from the eighties, the same sisal rug, the bookcase looks similar to the 1980s design.  But the curtains, the walls, and the upholstery is all so neutral.  Most of the chairs are the same from the 1980s, but the fabric was worth changing because the chairs are classic Louis XVI fauteuils, and these babies don't go out of style!

The quote from the book is:

"When decorating a room, think about how it's going to age. It hurts to do a room that after a couple of years falls apart psychologically for the people who are going to live in it. If 10 years pass and they still love the room, it gives them more time and money to focus on other things." —Mark Hampton.

As I get more and more experience decorating, my main goal has become: move to the most useful and beautiful design, that is not influenced by department stores and catalogs.  I think that working towards something that has history and a bit of novelty mixed in could be the best way to style a room.  I am glad to have found Mark Hampton who has put this into words so poetically.