Although designers want us to think they can keep coming up with new styles and new ways to apply modern interior decor to our homes, recently some of these attempts look like appearance over the purpose. At the end of the day, a design should serve a purpose. Yes, your new fancy table with 18 tubular golden legs may look cool, however, it is hugely impractical and will look silly in most homes. Cue revival.
Classic revivals have happened without fail during every interior design period. Back in the 1860s there was a revival of 18th century style, the end of WWI saw an overwhelming Regency revival. In the 1950s there was a neoclassicism revival and most recently we’ve been subjected to an Art Deco revival. Not to mention all the mini revivals popping up here and there.
It’s actually a good thing, isn’t it? A classic furniture style that was proven to have worked well back in history – something that we can all rely upon.
Neoclassical Furniture
The monumental and heavy Ancient Greek style is popping in and out of fashion constantly. Today, if you ask for our opinion, neoclassical is going strong and we’re talking both antique furniture and modern knockoffs. Check out some great examples of neoclassical furniture on DeCaso. Their offering is a mix of antique and reproduction. Although if you’re lucky, you can pick up good neo pieces on eBay for less than £1,000, by looking at DeCaso, you will come to realise what high prices these items actually command – expect to pay more than £2,000 for good quality pieces, and, interestingly, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an authentic 19th century revival piece or a modern neoclassical furniture item hand-crafted by a designer. They are equally valuable.
Reproduction Art Deco
Usually described as Art Deco style furniture to distinguish from the real antique pieces, this style is taking over the interior design industry by a storm. In fact, it’s so popular that bespoke art deco style furniture often cost more than comparable authentic objects. These bespoke objects tend to cost many thousands of pounds but they’re worth the money as they make a great impact on your interior design. This furniture has a presence. Because of this, they only do justice to a big-size room. Sticking an expensive art deco piece in a boxy room will probably make it look smaller.
Shaker Kitchens and Other Shaker Furniture
The shaker cabinet style gained popularity in the USA in 19th century when it was introduced there from Manchester, where it wasn’t at all prominent. The real Shaker revival started in the late 1990s when people started to appreciate the simple ans asquetic shapes due to the overall shift towards sustainabiligy and simplicity. If you’re looking for a modern feel in your house but don’t want everything to be boxy and glossy, bespoke kitchen cabinets in Shaker style or Cottage style will probably give you the right result. Shaker style isn’t only for bespoke kitchens – you can have Shaker furniture for your bedroom and living room as well, however, this is not particularly popular these days as in our opinion Shaker furniture outside the kitchen looks a bit clumsy.
Gothic Revival Furniture
Something off-beat to finish it off. With so much interest in Goth culture these days, it’s no wonder that Gothic furniture is trending. This is, however, the most difficult style revival to pull off because very few cabinetmakers do bespoke gothic furniture. Decorating your room or your kitchen with mainstream Goth interior objects made in resin and imported from China, will make your home look cheap. Unlike other styles mentioned, reproduction Gothic furniture is not as expensive. There’s not much to choose from, however the items that are available, are rarely costing more than £500. Buying authentic Goth furnishings can be very costly and is only achievable to luxury interior designs. One way to pull it of on a budget is to look for any dark furniture pieces decorated with woodcutting and then just accentuate the style by overdoing wall hangings, curiosities, ancient medical instruments, taxidermy and other weird objects. The weirder the better.
What do you think about letting revival stiles into a modern interior?
