Through the Time Machine

Last week as a second year Interior Design student at Randolph County Community College I was fortunate enough to have gotten to make a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia to visit Montpelier; the home of the fourth president of the United States and "father" of the Constitution, James Madison and his wife, Dolley. We also visited Monticello; the home of United States President and author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson.
The first day we visited Montpelier, which was settled by James Madison's grandfather in the 1720's. In 1901 it was purchased by William du Pont. In 1984 the du Pont family transferred ownership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Restoration began in 2003, and was completed was in 2008. The day we visited was rainy and dreary, yet this seemed to add to the beauty and atmosphere of the grounds. The wet fall chill brought home the fact that at the time the estate was constructed the challenge of dealing with the elements was a very different matter than is it today. I was impressed by the ingenuity of the solutions used in the design and construction for the era. I most enjoyed the drawing room and the use of beautiful sidelight pocket windows along the entrance door, across from the portico windows allowing for the passage of cool air during the summer months.

I was stricken by the beauty of

 the drawing and the dining rooms. The drawing room is a formal space with artwork;including busts and paintings, of historical and spiritual figures. The red wall treatment and fabrics evoke strength and uninhibited style.

 Maintaining their social and political status required the Madison's entertain almost nightly. Dinners were drawn out social affairs where views on politics, religion, philosophy, and gossip were exchanged. The cozy dining room is a combination of elegance and beauty implementing what impressed me as whimsical color. I would expect this décor would solicit feelings of liveliness. 

There is an opening between the dining room and Mr. Madison's room to allow him to join in the dinners after his health began to fail. Madison's room is smaller than expected, yet light and pretty with its French furnishings. 

Mr. Madison died in his room on June 28, 1836 at the age of 85.

 

Upon exiting the rear of the mansion we went through an arch in the surrounding wall and entered the formal gardens where we were greeted with a bunny and the scent of lavender, along with stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

 

 



 

Our afternoon at Montpelier was very interesting and exciting. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to view such a beautiful site with such historical design significance.

 

The next day we toured Monticello.

While the sky was still spitting on us from time to time, the weather was a bit more cooperative allowing us to walk the gardens and grounds.

Jefferson had a plethora of interests, including all aspects of agriculture; one related area was in winemaking. He planted two vineyards on the estate, but struggled with the insects and diseases  that plague European grapes in the environment of our country. Jefferson recognized he would have better luck with native grapes, yet he conducted seven experiments over the years with European varieties. It is most likely he never produced wine as a commodity. In the 1980's the Thomas Jefferson Foundation revived his plan for the vineyards, and are currently producing wine from these grapes.

 

The vineyards (left)  A cute classmate in the Vegetable Garden Pavilion, where the beauty of the gardens may be taken in (right).

 

 

The Winding Walk Garden was influenced by the informal gardens Jefferson had observed while on a visit to England. These were not tended by a gardener, but by his daughters and granddaughters, along with a slave.

Jefferson's passion for the outdoors and all plant life has brought us plant varieties we see as common today, but were an anomaly at his time.


The mansion was an ever changing structure. Jefferson had an intense interest in architecture, and used his home as his canvas. Construction began in 1769 and that version of the house was completed in 1784. The remodel and addition was begun in 1796 and completed in 1809. There is a total of forty-three rooms and 11,000 square feet within the structure. There are eight fireplaces, thirteen skylights, and five privies.

 

The entrance hall exhibits his collection of Native American artifacts. One can also first observe the detail of the dentil molding.

 

 

The parlor was used for entertaining, games, music, reading, and special occasions. Red damask was the predominant fabric of the room. The parlor also served as an art gallery; paintings of people of importance to Jefferson were on display along with busts of outstanding public figures.

 

 

 

 

 

The dining room and adjoining tea room have a delicate and cheerful appearance. The fireplace is adorned with Wedgewood insets. Dumbwaiters built into side pockets of the fireplace were used to bring up wine from the wine cellar and got frequent use. The tea room was one of the coldest rooms in the mansion, so pocket doors allowed it to be closed off.



 

 

Jefferson had an enormous library which housed over 6,000 books at one time. These books were eventually sold to begin what we now know as the Library of Congress. Afterwards he realized he could not live without his books, so he began collecting again.

 



 

I found Jefferson's bedchamber the most interesting.

 

 

The bed is in an alcove that divides the bedroom from the office. The three oval openings over the sleeping alcove provide circulation and light for the closet which is on an upper level over the sleeping area, and accessed through the door to the head of the bed.

 

While I could continue on for many pages writing about these fascinating and gorgeous locations, I must return to 2013 and AutoCAD, but I  highly recommend visiting if you have the opportunity. You will be surprised at how much fun you will have while learning.

 

 

A New School Year Begins

Well we're back at school after our three week break with an exciting new project in Commercial II class. We will be submitting designs in the 2013-2014 Bienenstock Design Competition. This competition is for a hypothetical sleepover camp for traditional and special needs campers ages 8-14. The camp is situated in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

We are to design a facility that contains a nurses' station, restrooms, storage area, a stage with a prop room, and an open activity area. The building will have a second floor that will house the Camp Director, and will include an executive office, and executive conference room. We will also create the logo and branding.

We will be choosing all furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). We will produce the floor plan, and elevations. These may be computer generated, or hand drafted and rendered. The design will meet all minimum space requirements. The design will be ADA compliant, and meet LEED standards.

We will submit no more than seven design boards (digital), and a Concept Statement with a Project Overview Summary.

Last week we visited Victory Junction in Level Cross, N.C. This is a similar camp began by the Petty's (of racing fame) for severely ill children. What an amazing place! They are equipped to handle anything that may come up in such a facility. They have the capability to administer cancer treatments to the campers, as well as any other medical treatment needed while at camp. The camp can accommodate all forms of challenges, allowing each camper to experience all activities. This was a moving and inspirational visit. I encourage anyone who can to tour this outstanding facility and see the difference it is making in precious young people.

I am looking so forward to this project, and to seeing what my peers produce for it.

Divine Deco

  I am going to discuss Art Deco design in today's blog. Deco is the fascinating style we have recently seen in the visually stunning remake of the movie "The Great Gatsby".  I have seen the movie twice, so far; once in 3-D and once not. I recommend the 3-D. Amazing!

               Art Deco was influenced by many countries, cultures, and styles; including France, East India, China, Egypt, Native American, Africa, Greece, Aztec Mexico, Harlem Renaissance, jazz,  and the then new –Industrialism. Elements of these styles evolved into deco along with the other influences.
              The Bauhaus School brought the arts and crafts movement with cleaner lines and a more utilitarian function than the previous, more fussy designs of the Victorian era. Deco’s eclectic style was a result of the metamorphosis of Victorian design, the arts and crafts movement,  and nouveau. The style grew into Hollywood Regency,  cubism and modernism. 

                Of the above mentioned, France was the major contributor to Deco. While the design style had been in vogue in Europe since the very early 1920’s, the name was created for the 1925 World’s Fair- officially named the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, though the term “deco” was not commonly used until the 1960’s.  In an effort to remain relevant as the originator of style for the world, and to show that World War I had not affected the excess of luxuries that were experienced before the war, the fair featured this glamorous style.

Deco did not become common in the U.S. until the late 1920’s, where a much more conservative approach was taken. The city hall in Asheville, N.C is a wonderful example of one of the early deco buildings in America.

             The shapes and silhouettes of the opulent and elegant deco furnishings include angled and rounded geometric shapes integrated with the elongated and exaggerated lined derived from art nouveau.

Daisy and Tom's living room
 
Some characteristics of deco furnishings and trim include; relief elements that repeat and/or are stacked with stepped back facades, often of contrasting colors. These sometimes appear along with figural details, especially the erotic.
Various materials and motifs were used in deco furnishings, a few examples are; wood, early plastics such as celluloid and Bakelite- used to imitate natural materials, marble, ceramic, glass, lacquered finishes, mirrored veneer, metals-chrome, brass, and bronze; for high end pieces, porcelain, sterling silver, gold leaf, and precious gemstone were also used. It was quite common for any of these materials to be used for inlaid patterns on everything from furnishings, jewelry, and tchotchkes.The influence of pattern and images of exotic lands and cultures are evident in many of the inlays.
  

Gatsby's Ballroom
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The textiles were of luxurious materials, usually with very detailed printed or woven patterns incorporating all the previously discussed design elements.  The end result was always dramatic.
 
Designers of deco furnishings saw themselves as artists who contributed to all aspects of the composition- architecture, textiles, lighting, furnishings, wall covering, and so forth. I find this very interesting as this is the basis for twenty-first century interior design; we are no longer decorators, but frequently architects and contractors, we determine the switching plan for lighting, most custom design anything necessary, including furniture, fabrics, lighting, and flooring. We sometimes even design the landscaping.

Current deco design;Catherine Martin rugs

 

 

 It is possible to find currently manufactured deco furnishings as well as vintage pieces online and in every antique shop. Many examples of furnishings that will work well in deco design are interspersed throughout current American manufacturers, and distributors lines.

Global Furniture USA



                                                                                                                                                                          Hooker Furniture

                                                                  Hooker Furniture

Shenzhen Matewell Arts & Crafts Co., Ltd. specializes in acrylic products.

Pollaro Custom Furniture, of New Jersey, specializes in high end furniture inspired by the great master furniture makers of the period.

 

Delta Co. produces a line of beautiful reproductions.

 

 

 

 

Interior designer Mary McDonald carries a strong nod to Art Deco into current day.

 

 

 

 

Art deco lighting fixtures were no exception to the design elements discussed prior. The fixtures were very detailed, and the “jewelry of the room”. The coming of the widespread use of electricity had a tremendous impact on lighting design. Electric light was used to illuminate frosted or stained glass panels. A leader in the use of glass in lighting was the studios of Louis Tiffany.                                        

 

Renee Lalique was another prominent designer in glass and lighting design of the time.

 

Some of the additional materials used in the period lighting were alabaster, chrome, bronze, and brass.

The industrial age, and the use of machinery was a great influence on the deco movement. The famed artist, architect, designer, and writer Le Corbusier described the house as, “a machine for living”. Deco was the first to embrace the mass produced.

                An area of the U.S. where a unique deco style developed from what the rest of the country was experiencing at the time was Miami, Fl. In an effort to overcome the depression the city was promoted by the developer as a tropical playground of the wealthy. The designs were of tropical colors typical of the flora and fauna of the area, and the architecture of the Caribbean islands. The motifs also used the coastal images familiar to the residents and visitors- seashells, sea life, florals, palm trees, tropical birds, and marine vessels. Many aspects of Hollywood regency were later incorporated into the deco style of Miami.

The materials of choice for construction were stucco, concrete, metals, etched glass, and other materials that could be molded or carved. Decorative murals abounded on the sides of buildings and on interior walls.

             As we know, history repeats itself; deco has reappeared in updated versions several times since its debut in the 1920’s. I am excited because we expect to see a resurgence in its popularity with the release of the remake of "The Great Gatsby.

 

 

Leonardo DiCaprio

y". 

Robert Redford

Now, these photos really had nothing to do with Art Deco--- Your welcome!