Traditional Design: Drawing Inspiration from the Antebellum and Neoclassical Eras

For those missing the colder, rainier months when we were all cozied up inside enjoying a few extra naps, this is the mood board for you. Inspired by “French Traditional” design, each space echoes a sense of tranquility with a light earth-toned palette, and elements influenced by nineteenth-century Neoclassical furnishings and fixtures. As a lover of the “dark academia” aesthetic, I wanted to challenge myself this week by referencing this theme without weighing down the space with a dark, moody color palette, and I can’t be happier with the results. Continue reading below to learn more about how to achieve this look!

Bringing in a “historic” touch, and adding warmth into this kitchen space, this range hood from Premier Copper’s custom collection is a beacon of both beauty and functionality, with its unique smooth finish and bright copper embellishments. The leathered dark brown base color of the hood brings richness into this space while it’s handcrafted design nods to the “traditional” style of the room, setting it apart from many other rangehoods on the market catering only to functionality in more common-place finish options. Preserving the art of handcrafted sinks, tubs, lighting fixtures, and more, we highly recommend Premier Copper to anyone with a soft spot for the design and craftsmanship of eras past.

Stepping into the living area, the “Campana” chandelier from Terracotta, perfectly balances the rich soil and earth tones seen throughout the space while passing a nod to Antebellum style fixtures with its gold leaf frame and its painted wood beads resembling delicate strands of pearls draping across its silhouette. Furthermore, as the Antebellum era was heavily rooted in extravagant architecture and intricate carpentry, this chandelier perfectly melts with the more rugged “colonial” facets of the room without coming across overly pretentious.

Lastly, wrapping the bow around the heavy historical influences behind this design is, the “Champagne Toile” wallpaper from York Wallcoverings featured on the statement wall behind the bathroom sink. Rising to popularity in eighteenth-century France, toile wallpaper was first introduced by a German man by the name of Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf in 1759, following the ban placed on the importation and production of cotton fabrics by Louis XIV in 1686 as an attempt to preserve France’s silk industry. Succeeding the lift of the ban, “toile” meaning “cloth” was produced as wallcoverings made from cotton, and required long production times which stamped a hefty price tag on toile that only the aristocracy could afford. Similarly to the pattern pictured on the design above, these early toile wallcoverings often depicted country scenes and even illustrated moments in history, making toile wallcoverings one of the most timeless and easily recognizable styles to this day.

References:

Sporn, S. (2023b, May 25). Toile de jouy: Everything you need to know about the famous design. Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/toile-pattern-explained