The Romantic Era was a time of quick trends that led to some of our most famous works of art. Many of the trends seen in Romantic Era design are present in new homes today. To understand the fashions of Romanticism, the history and principles of the movement must also be considered. Let this quick guide to the Romantic Era give you inspiration to give your home a Romantic twist.

Monte Vista Canopy Bed

What is Romanticism?

Romanticism is defined as an artistic movement that began in Europe at the end of the 18^th century through the 19^th century. As a reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, Romanticism pushed back against progress, especially in regards to nature and new societal norms of rationalism.

All areas of art were heavily influenced by Romanticism, including literature, poetry, visual art, and home design. Intense emotional provocation mark Romantic art apart from work from the same time frame. Art movements from the past, such as Medieval art and folk art, were highly regarded and imitated by Romanticists.

Many current favorite works were created during the Romantic era. Gothicism is a sub-movement of Romanticism, encompassing architecture, genres of literature such as horror and science fiction, and visual art.

The Principles of Romanticism

• Nature—Nature is perhaps the most important aspect of Romanticism, physically embodying feelings of whimsy, emotion, passion, and the uncontrollable. Nature, was according to the Romantics, to be left pristine and whole. Spending time with nature was to be the only way to be wholly grounded, spiritually and physically.
• Emotions—The Romantics believed that emotions were more important than logic or reason. Emotional response was the object of many Romantic works.
• Individual Freedom—As the Industrial Revolution progressed, individual thought and value were prized by the Romantics. The Industrial Revolution relied on common thought and effort, with little thought input from the individual.
• Imagination—Whimsy, recall to bygone eras, folk tales and mythology, and spiritualism. Romanticism encouraged embracing the past and the supernatural.

Romantic Home Design

Romantic Architecture was heavily influenced by designs of designs of medieval Europe. Gothic revival architecture was inspired by 12^th Century Gothic Cathedrals, but without flying buttresses and towers.

Gothic revival was popular in many American farmhouses. These houses feature Gothic attributes such as pointed windows, grouped chimneys, asymmetrical floor plans, and decorative tracery. Many plantation homes were designed in Gothic revival style. Victorian homes, with peaked roofs, delicate details, are under the Gothic Revival umbrella. These homes feature fanciful details, combined with classical architecture.

“Exotic” home design was also popular during the Romantic Era. Anything out of the ordinary was considered “Exotic”—a Swiss Chalet built in the British countryside, Egyptian-style homes, Asian architecture.  Romantic era homes featured exotic details such as Greek or Roman columns, a Sphynx guarding the entrance, or a pagoda in the garden.

Asian style architecture experienced a revival at the end of the 18^th century. The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England is a prime example of Asian inspiration in Romantic Architecture.

Interior Design During the Romantic Era

Interior design of the Romantic Era began with grand canopied beds, based on Polish fashion, was made popular with Louis XV and his court. This style of décor is marked by rich, soft fabrics, in light colors. After the French Revolution, Chinoiserie became the style for home furnishing.

Beautiful painted wallpaper, featuring birds and flowers, was a popular gift item. Chinoiseries furniture can be noted for lacquered finish and use of pagoda and dragon motifs.  Delicate and light, Chinoiserie was associated with the bedrooms and dressing rooms of ladies.

In the late 18^th century, Neo-classicism came into fashion, with the excavation of Pompeii bringing renewed interest in Ancient Greece and Rome. Neo-classical design can be marked by straight, harmonious lines, ornamentation, the use of brass, and mahogany construction.

Near the 1820’s, Gothic Revival became popular, as Neo-classicism had become negatively associated.   Gothic revival furniture was medieval, heavy, and individually crafted.  This was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, bringing in mass production. Towards the end of the Romantic era, an eclectic décor style became popular, leading to what we now most recognize as Victorian.

To incorporate Romantic touches into your home, find inspirational pictures and paintings and start with home accents. Add nature into your home with live greenery and natural colors and fabrics. A gently flowing fountain is a serene nod to nature.

Contemporary furniture continues to be inspired by Romanticism, with carved details, classic shapes, and whimsy. Finefurnituresandiego.com offers the best selection of high-quality furniture at incredible prices, so you can give your home a Romantic makeover.

More Home Design Tips:

1. How to Feng Shui Your Office
2. 5 Patio Design Tips to Live By
3. Spanish Style Decorating for Any Home

The colors in your home are more than just the paint on the wall.  Home décor encompasses everything from the paint to the coffee tables to area rugs. Your personal style is reflected in your home décor. Let your impeccable taste shine with the use of beautiful cool toned colors in your home. Decorating with cool colors can benefit you and your home.

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When you’re shopping for stools for your home, you’ll likely run into two terms: counter height bar stool and bar height bar stool. If they’re both bar stools, how big is the height difference? If you choose the wrong size, you may end up slouching down at the counter or straining to reach the bar.

This swiveling bar stool creates conversation all around. It comes in a dark espresso finish with plush upholstered seat backs and bottoms. View more bar stools.

Here’s all you need to know to understand the difference between counter height and bar height stools. Don’t forget to browse Fine Furniture San Diego­™ for a curated selection of bar stools and counter height chairs.

Counter Height Bar Stools

Counter height stools are designed to fit the average-sized kitchen counter. This is pretty clear from the name of the item, but what are the nitty-gritty details? How tall is a counter, and how tall should the stool be to fit it comfortably?

On average, a kitchen counter will measure between 34”-39” tall. To sit comfortably at a counter, your stool should measure roughly 10 inches below this. That means a counter height bar stool will measure between 24-29” top to bottom. This will give you enough space to sit cross-legged if you want. It also ensures that your torso is at the right height to eat or drink comfortably.

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Do you want to add organizational space to your home, but you’re not sure how? Maybe you already have plenty of bookshelves and storage bins, but you’re running out of floor and surface space to put them on. Where should you go from here?

Here are 10 helpful tips for adding more organizational space to your home, no matter its size. Think of how you apply these tips to organize your home this weekend.

This coffee table is functional with a lifting top to bring your tabletop close to you and has added storage directly below to keep your items neatly tucked away. Evans Lift Top Cocktail Table

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Handling Home Office Decor

Whether you’re an aspiring architect just out of college or an experienced professional, the home office is one of the most important parts of the home. Work seems less stressful if it’s being completed in a comfortable environment. Balancing style, cost, space management, and comfort can be difficult, but putting in some effort to visualize your ideal workspace can make a big difference in how much you’ll enjoy the end result.

Space is a Factor

If you don’t already know the exact dimensions of the room that is to become your home office, you should first take the time and note the measurements. Nothing is worse than buying a lot of office furniture, only to get home and realize that not all of it will fit. Know what you have to work with, then list the items you want to buy in a list in order of importance. Having both of these things in mind will help you make the right decisions when you begin purchasing.

This Porto Corner Desk can make a big difference in smaller rooms.

The modern or contemporary style of home design and interior decoration has become an increasingly popular topic in recent years. Some, however, might not know exactly what it means to have a “modern” style. Simply put, the aspects typically associated with the style accentuate simplicity, usefulness, and minimalism, all while giving the onlooker a sense that all of the separate parts come together, breathing refinement and genius.

Colors

While the “modern” style has been around for decades, there have been some slight changes in the evolution of color usage. Contemporary modern interior design focuses on stark contrasts of darks and lights, with highlights of loud color. Much like the concept of yin and yang, the contrasts add to each other to create balance.

Neutral colors can also be useful in floors, carpets and wall paints, but they shouldn’t be used for things like large sofas, which function more as “main attractions.”

This Black Pierre Sofa Set captures the eye with its bold black color against the white background; a staple of modern design.

Read our article on Basic Color Coordination here!

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CC0 Creative Commons via Pixabay

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of arranging one’s dwelling to promote the flow of life energy (chi). The feng shui philosophy supposes that inhabitants derive much of their personal chi from their surroundings. If the energy flow within the environment is enhanced, it will create positive energy within the inhabitants. Home and office transformations based on feng shui principles are said to make occupants more productive, creative, happy, and healthy.

The ancient Chinese recognized five main types of chi energy, each of which served to inspire a different response in occupants of a space. These various types of chi forces are named: tree, fire, earth, metal, and water. Much of these life forces enter a room from the external world, depending on the position of the sun and a building’s windows and doors.  Chi can also be introduced into a room in the form of objects and colors. Occupants can, thus, manipulate a space to inspire a certain frame of mind they hope to achieve.

Below is a chart that shows the five chi energies, how they can be brought into an office space, and the corresponding states of mind they may induce in occupants. It also displays which energy each chi supports or bolsters. Altering an office area in accordance with some of these feng shui principles may enhance a worker’s sense of contentedness and creativity, and, thus, render him or her more productive.

Chi Addition Chart

Just as a person can choose to add different types of chi energy to a space, he or she can also cancel out or diminish various chi energies. When one starts to factor in diminishment, feng shui principals can get kind of complicated. For instance, bringing in too much water chi is going to destroy the effects of fire chi, and it’s going to calm the effects of a metal chi. The chart below illustrates which chi forces cancel out or diminish other chi forces.
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Spanish-style decorating is characterized by open-airy room layouts, rustic furnishings, rich fabrics, iron-work fixtures, colorful tiling with intricate designs, and inviting outdoor areas. During the early 20^th century, Spanish Colonial and Mission architecture experienced a revival, especially in Florida and California, as well as in other parts of the Southwest.

Architects renowned for these styles include Addison Cairns Mizner (high-end residences and resorts in South Florida) and Lillian Jeannette Rice (developed Rancho Santa Fe, California.) While not everyone can dwell in a true Spanish-inspired structure, they can have an interior that achieves the look and feel of a lovely hacienda.
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A well-placed area rug can be a piece of art in a living space. It can set a mood that is tranquil or vibrant. It can convey a sense of coziness or spaciousness. Functionally, it provides of bit of warmth for a home space. Here is a list of several ways an area rug can enhance a home.

Vibrant Pop of Color or Design

A multi-colored or geometric-designed area rug instantly becomes the focal point of a room when it is juxtaposed with solid-colored furniture.

This photo features two Namur Area Rugs (RG1010) placed side by side. Available from Fine Furniture San Diego. Graphic by Colleen Cochran.

Tone Down a Room

An area rug can have the opposite effect, serving to tone down a busy room. If a room has furniture with wild fabrics or highly ornate wallpaper, try toning it down a bit with an earth-colored area rug.

This photo features two Zala Shag Area Rugs (Beige) placed side by side. Available from Fine Furniture San Diego.  Graphic by Colleen Cochran.

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Basic color coordination is one of the most important considerations when decorating a room. These color schemes work with the different color rules to produce unique effects that accentuate certain qualities. Some people have the unique title of a “natural color coordinator,” but what they have done on their own is simply remember and recognize the different combinations. If you want to learn their secrets, you must first start with the basics.

The Color Wheel

All rules work off of the mixing, matching, and working of different colors on the color wheel. While it’s true that most people learn the color wheel in elementary school, those who haven’t taken an art or design class since then may have forgotten it. You shouldn’t take it for granted as it’s actually one of the most important tools in your basic color coordination toolkit. Always keep it in the back of your mind when you begin planning your room décor; it’s the designer’s best friend.

The basic color wheel with primary, secondary, and tertiary colors – Image created by Karen Arnold, image is used without permission through the General CC0 Public Domain License.

Generally speaking, the color wheel is broken up into 12 colors. These 12 colors are also known as hues, composed of 3 primary, 3 secondary, and 6 tertiary.

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