The Rococo interior combines Renaissance and Baroque features. The elegant and light style was born in France at the beginning of the 18th century and is distinguished by refinement, but at the same time by complex twisted elements. Most often, the rococo interior can be found in a country house.
Rococo interior design
Style History
The name of the style comes from the French word “rocaille”, which means “shell”, so rococo has curved rounded lines. The style affected architecture and decorative and applied art. Rococo painting and sculpture are characterized by pastoral, mythological, and sometimes erotic subjects.
The “Sun King” Louis XIV gathered all the aristocracy next to him and after his death, the nobility was able to return to their homes. Now they sought to decorate them according to their own taste and departed from the usual strictness of the Baroque.
Living room.
Freed from the solemnity of the palace halls, the French moved to private mansions, enjoying a calm, measured life there. Ornate lines and elegant rococo shapes only contributed to this mood.
Interestingly, until the middle of the 19th century, rococo was not recognized as an independent style and was considered a late “lite” version of the Baroque. But over time, when Rococo reinterpreted some of the ideas of the Baroque, and in some ways even became its opposite, it was recognized as a separate direction.
Today, when decorating rococo interiors, designers often combine its elements with elements of Baroque and classicism.
Interior with fireplace.
Rococo interior design
Rococo differed from the preceding palace Baroque in that it was the style of small houses. Often in the estates of the aristocracy, common rooms were created spacious, but in addition to them there were many private rooms, so rococo fits perfectly into modern houses and apartments of different sizes.
As a rule, living rooms and dining rooms were located in the center, striking guests with splendor. Smaller rooms, filled with a cozy atmosphere and resembling boudoirs, went deep into the building.
Living room.
The range of shades of style and ornaments
The palette, furnishings and patterns are much lighter and more airy than baroque ones. But at the same time, the Rococo-style rooms remained richly furnished and magnificent. The new direction in design was designed to emphasize the wealth and nobility of the owners while remaining elegant, but not pretentious.
Rococo aesthetics is manifested through a combination of shades of ivory, marble, gold, bronze and silver with pastel tones: blue, beige, pink, milky, light green, pale yellow. You can also find more saturated colors: crimson, burgundy, emerald, blue. Today, black and white are increasingly used in the design. The rococo color scheme allows you to create an airy composition that surprises with its richness.
Blue and white living room.
The patterns of the style are mostly abstract and asymmetrical. Plant motifs, an abundance of flowers, mainly orchids, complemented fish, monograms and elements of Oriental culture. Sometimes the ornaments touch on myth plots, religious motifs and even use details characteristic of the otherworld.
Living room.
Wall finishing
For the Rococo style, wall decoration is almost an art. It was customary to round off right angles, and the walls themselves were lined with panels with gilded frames, twisted elements and mirrors. With the help of the latter, the area of the room was visually expanded and distorted. Drapery with floral print fabrics and tapestries were often used instead of panels.
Today, decorating the interior in Rococo style, you should give preference to decorative plaster, textured wallpaper and textile inserts. An unusual and interesting effect is created when the wall is divided horizontally: the bottom is covered with wallpaper or painted panels, and the top is decorated with fabric.
Bathroom.
Ceiling finishing
Due to the fact that the rooms in the premises became smaller in area and height than the palace halls, the ceilings began to be decorated less richly, but still beautifully. The shades are dominated by light colors and carved ornaments. We started the decoration with a rainbow – the same rounded transition between the wall and the ceiling. The paduga was decorated with gilded or silvered stucco.
The ceiling itself was either decorated with a fresco with a mythological plot, or monotonously painted and decorated with stucco. In the modern version, the real ceiling painting can be replaced with a stretch ceiling with a pattern.
Living room.
Floor finishing
Rococo flooring, unlike some other styles, is also rich and catches the eye at first glance. The classic option is a dark-colored parquet board or natural marble. Today, the stone can be replaced with ceramic tiles imitating its texture. Parquet can be replaced with laminate imitating wood, but linoleum should be abandoned.
It is important that the floor fits seamlessly into the interior, in harmony with other items and finishes. But the splendor of the style will also help to emphasize a soft painted carpet or animal skin, in addition, textiles will fill the room with comfort.
Dining area.
Furniture
The abundance of bright floral ornaments, carvings, twisted lines makes Rococo and Baroque furniture similar. But still rococo objects are less massive and more elegant. The furniture is asymmetrical, has finer details: legs, armrests, backs and is rich in gilded elements. The traditional material is natural wood.
Upholstered furniture is upholstered in bronze, silver or gold silk. The legs of coffee tables and dressers are decorated with elaborate carvings. Luxury sofas with low backs, armchairs and banquettes are chosen for the living room. In the Rococo era, furniture was made by hand, so for the furnishing of the room today it is necessary to contact antique shops or make furniture to order.
Luxury living room.
A chic bed with a wide carved headboard and a canopy on twisted columns is installed in the bedroom. At the same time, its shade should be combined with heavy curtains on the windows. The bedspread is quilted, decorated with embroidery and fringe. Pillows are decorated to match the bedspread. The dining table is necessarily wide, decorated with a tablecloth in harmony with the upholstery of the chairs.
An important part of the living room is the fireplace. Today it is perfectly replaced by an artificial version with an ornate portal and a forged lattice.
Bedroom.
Lighting
The French appreciated natural daylight, so the windows in their houses were made high and wide, often occupying the entire wall. Thanks to the large number of mirrors, the room turned out to be very bright. The room was complemented with artificial lamps: candelabra, chandeliers, wall sconces.
Crystal Chandelier.
When choosing lighting fixtures today, it is worth giving preference to antique-styled options. Massive chandeliers with pendants in the form of drops and balls made of crystal or glass will come in handy. They will be perfectly complemented by floor lamps on carved gilded legs with a solid shade and table lamps. The lighting in the rooms is welcome soft and spot. So it turns out that every corner is highlighted and the greatness of rococo is fully revealed.
The windows are covered with light monochrome curtains and thick curtains or curtains. It is appropriate to decorate the windows with lambrequins. The cornice should be wide and correspond to the style of the room. Or it is removed from the field of view by decorating with a baseboard.
Lighting in the living room.
Decor and accessories
Rococo is often called feminine style for its elegance. Even the decor for the interior is selected “female”. Artful porcelain figurines, carved wooden jewelry boxes, lamps, vases with floral prints or Chinese paintings.
Living room.
The room will also be decorated with antique gilded clocks and luxurious frames for paintings or mirrors of unusual shape. Silver cutlery and the finest porcelain sets will help create an atmosphere of luxury and truly palatial wealth. During the formation of the Rococo, ships brought porcelain from China, which was not only beautiful, but also easy to care for, unlike silver and gold.
In fact, there are not so many decorative elements in the rooms when decorating the interior. The main decoration is stucco, painted walls and ceiling, furniture with painted upholstery and carvings, door handles and lockers.
Interior decoration.
Characteristic features of the style:
- a large selection of decor and accessories, but the interior is not overloaded with them;
- twisted and smooth lines, rounded geometry;
- low-rise furniture;
- natural finishing materials are mainly valuable wood;
- rich textiles – silk, velvet, brocade;
- plant, religious, mythological motifs in ornaments;
- mirrors decorated in massive carved frames;
- lots of natural and artificial light;
- a delicate pastel palette of finishes and furniture. Silver, gold and bronze in the decor and carved elements;
- asymmetry.
Living room.
Rococo is based on elegant ornaments, lightness and aesthetics of France. If you carefully approach the choice of each element, you will be able to create a rich and not bulky interior in a room of any size. Rococo is an opportunity to add bold fantasy, theatricality and grace to the home.
Living room with fireplace.