Category Archives: Interior Design

Architecture, Interior Design

Inside the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles

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Stairwell, Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Stairwell, Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petite Trianon Interior, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petit Trianon Interior, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Fireplace at Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Fireplace at Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Public Salon, Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Marie Antoinette Portrait, Grand Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Marie Antoinette Portrait, Petit Trianon,  Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Uniforms for Petite Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier
Servant Uniform,  Petit Trianon, Versailles, Photo Romi Cortier

 

I was thrilled to go Inside the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles while visiting France in 2011. It seems to be hit or miss on whether or not the ‘casual’ residences of the Palace will be open to the public based on previous visits, but happily this was one of those days. Looking back, I’m a bit stunned at the amount of photos I took on this trip, but now they’re becoming a great resource for my blog.

The Petit Trianon was built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of Louis XV. It’s considered a small Chateau and is located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, in Versailles, France. Originally built for Madame de Pompadour by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it ultimately became 19 year old Marie Antoinette’s exclusive residence. The residence became her refuge from the demands of formal ‘court life’ and her royal responsibilities. Known as a Neoclassical residence, each side of the home has a different facade based on how it will be viewed from that part of the estate.

This residence transitions from the Rococo Style into the Neoclassical Style. Some hallmarks of that design period include the thin fluted legs of the Harpsichord  seen in the Public Salon, as well as the elegant round table in the sitting room that appears to have sevre porcelain inlays as well as a delicate gold tea rail. If you look closely at the sitting room photo, you’ll see what appears to be hidden panels in the wall. You’ll also notice there’s  a decorative garland on the wall at the top of the staircase and a gilt garland over the mirror in the public salon. Garlands like this help define the Neoclassical Period.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it’s the repetition of a design element that help define a space. And it appears nothing ties a place together better than gold! Even in the beautifully pastel colored room, the gilt mirrors and candelabra tie that room into the rest of the residence. And don’t you just love those gilt fireplace andirons. I especially love the design of the servants uniforms. Until I reviewed my photos, I didn’t realize how beautifully they tie in with the color palette of the residence. I think they’re so spectacular, and yet they were on display in a lower level hallway that most tourists might have missed. I wonder if the competitors on Project Runway have ever seen these, it might give them a bit of inspiration.

Interior Design

Furniture from the Mondrian / De Stijl exhibit at the Pompidou Center

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Gerrit Reitveld Table, Pompidou Center 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Table, Pompidou Center 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Chair, Pompidou Center, 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Chair, Pompidou Center, 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Theo Vn Doesburg, Cornelis Van Eesteren
Theo Vn Doesburg, Cornelis Van Eesteren, Building Model, Photo Romi Cortier

In early 2011, I made a mad dash to Paris for a four day weekend to see the Mondrian / De Stijl exhibit at the Pompidou Center. Decadent yes, but it was a must see event for an art history geek like myself.  De  Stijl, Dutch for ‘The Style‘ was a movement from 1917 – 1928 that sought to wipe out all historical references in art, architecture and furniture, creating a new design vocabulary for the 20th Century.

Painter Piet Mondrian and furniture designer/architect  Gerrit Rietveld are the two most famous people from this period. Their works were the subject of this monumental exhibit at the Pompidou Center, an exhibit that had a strict policy against photography with guards in every room chasing down anyone with a camera. How did I get these shots you ask… not easy. (lets hope they don’t find my blog) It was so exciting to get to see these works in person, although I almost didn’t make it to the exhibit entrance. Do you see the little glass tube at the top of the Pompidou Center, 6 stories up, not a good thing for a guy with a fear of heights. When the elevator doors opened, I almost fainted. Complete strangers in the elevator grabbed my arms, told me to close my eyes, and then walked me to the entrance of the exhibit. So worth the trauma!

It was exciting to see the evolution of Mondrian’s paintings from the cubist inspired ‘The Still Life with Ginger Pot II‘ to his starker images that we’re all so familiar with, such as ‘Composition with red blue and yellow’ 1930.  Many people associate this ‘look’ with the 1960’s or 1970’s thanks to the Partridge Family Bus from the television series ‘The Partridge Family. However, it all started about 50 years earlier.

 

Interior Design

Chairs from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles

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French NeoClassical Chair in Blue
Louis XVI / French NeoClassical Chair in Blue Silk in the Room of Mirrors. Photo Romi Cortier
French Neoclassical Chair in Mauve
Louis XVI / French Neoclassical Chair in Mauve. Photo Romi Cortier
Gilded French Neoclassical in Yellow
Gilded French Empire Fauteuil (open arms) in the family room of Louis-Philippe. Photo Romi Cortier
Gilded French Neoclassical Chair in Crimson Red
Gilded French Neoclassical Chair in Fuschia in the room of Malachite. Photo Romi Cortier

These chairs from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles speak volumes about their inhabitants during this critical time in Frances history. The reign of Louis XVI (the 16th, last of the three Louis’s including the 14th and 15th)  ended abruptly in 1789 with the French Revolution.  Louis XV (the 15th)  had a design dictum of Rococo, curvaceous with natural wood grains. The furniture above was a reaction to that period. Therefore, the look of the furniture became a reference to the Romans and the Greeks, which was inspired by the discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Sleek straight lines with right angles, fluted columns, oak and laurel leaves, wreaths,  pastel tones… logical simplicity. Madame du Pompadour had an interest in all that was new and fashionable and helped influence this look that is now typically referred to as ‘French Neoclassicism’. The period was short lived, from roughly 1760 – 1789.  After the French Revolution in 1789, the outraged citizens held an auction to sell off much of the furniture of the Royal Court… an auction that lasted 365 days!

Decorative Arts, Interior Design

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Wall Mural

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DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Creating the Wainscot
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Framing the Flowers
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, Painting the Flowers
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, The Big Reveal
DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh Inspired Mural, The Big Reveal

I created this DIY Charles Rennie Mackintosh inspired wall mural for a client who was converting a second bedroom into a home office. The ‘Mackintosh Roses’ are the focal point of the mural, with added geometric patterning to balance the composition.  The white lines also feel a bit like a wainscot, which work to frame the chairs that I found at the GoodWill for $10. One of my favorite tricks in a small room is to paint one of the walls darker than the others. It seems to draw your eye to the outer corners of the room, making it feel larger that it really is. I was able to easily complete this mural in just a few hours.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret McDonald were hugely influential in creating a modern esthetic in Glasgow Scotland,  in a time when Victorianism was all the rage. Their rooms with clean white geometric lines were a stark contrast to the dark baroque inspired furniture of that era.  Some of their masterpieces include the  Willow Tearooms, the Hill House Residence and of course the Glasgow School of Art.

Interior Design

Art Deco Wall Mural

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I created this Art Deco Wall Mural for a home in LA’s Miracle Mile, known as one of the premiere Art Deco areas of the city. The beautiful yellow and black tile already existed and my challenge was to find a way to embrace the vintage tile, while  also  accentuating the verticality of the space. My inspiration came from the Desmond’s Department store which could be viewed from the Dining Room Window of the home. I  chose shades of yellow, silver and gray to compliment the rooms existing palette and vintage mirror. This was one of my more complex murals, but the end product was quite stunning.