Empire style

Conservators from the Royal Danish Collections at Rosenborg and Amalienborg worked on the task of re-creating the colours of the interiors in Frederik VIII's

Neoclassical style dominated late eighteenth century European decoration. Two distinctive styles known as Empire and Regency emerged from neoclassicism. This particular blog post is dedicated to Empire design, with emphasis on creating French Empire style bedrooms. Pronounced "ahm PEER", this beautiful style was the signature look of Napoleon. Upon assuming the throne in 1804, France’s Emperor wanted a new look that reflected his military success and personal style so he began an ambitious…

A blog about Interior Design with focus on French style and other Old World aesthetics.

From Rizzoli: Ulrich Leben and Jörg Ebeling, with photographs by Francis Hammond, Empire Style: The Hôtel de Beauharnais in Paris (Paris: Flammarion, 2016), 348 pages, ISBN: 978-2080202727, $135. T…

Well here it finally is - the third and final installment of Regency Furniture from Ackermann's Repository. This post will cover the furniture items from Series 3 which were published from 1823-1828. One of my favorites from AR Series III - Ser3 v11 1828 furniture plate 35 - Sofa Sadly, 1828 was the last year Ackermann's Repository was published; but what a bounty of images they provided in their 20 years of publication. It's been a true pleasure posting about them and I hope you've enjoyed…

Beautiful Regency dress

I love paisley (the design) and the history of Kashmir shawls. The interaction between the paisley design and Western fashion is fascinating, with both elements impacting the other in equal fashion. Kashmiri shawls were first introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by English traders who had encountered them in India. In India the shawls were worn by men, but in Europe they were taken up by women as the perfect warm wrap to accompany to new light muslin dresses. The cashmere wool was…

Mrs. James Ward Thorne American, 1882-1966, E-26: French Anteroom of the Empire Period, c. 1810

Alejo de Bizancio Las cosas pueden salir como uno espera o no parecerse en nada. Así, cada día, cada vida, inexorablemente, se marcan por la voluntad pero también por las circunstancias y el azar. De este modo, es el propio devenir el que nos sorprende y obliga a bandear, convivir, amoldarnos a cada nuevo reto y aún así puede que lleguemos al puerto seguro y deseado o no. Con suerte, es posible que trabajemos en lo que nos formamos y gustamos de hacer, tal vez nos ame y apoye quien amamos, y…