By Tom McGehee, Museum Director of the Bellingrath Home Architect George B. Rogers described his design of the Bellingrath Home as “a mingling of styles.” The exterior blends Mediterranean, French and numerous English motifs to create, in the Gulf Coast vernacular, a treat for the eyes. The architect chose two very divergent styles in the design of the interior: Colonial Revival and Art Deco. Americans’ love of the Colonial Revival began with the nation’s celebration of its centennial in 1876. In 1911, Rogers borrowed heavily from the Colonial Revival when he designed what would become the Bellingraths’ home, which stood on South Ann Street in Mobile. Nearly 25 years later he returned to that style for the interior of the couple’s new home on Fowl River. The white oak floors are pegged. Fireplace mantels are adorned with various 18th century motifs made popular by Robert Adam. The front staircase is over the top Georgian in style, but the simplicity of the back staircase is reminiscent of 18th century New England.
Juxtaposed against all of this Colonial Revival is the geometry and streamlining of the Art Deco, a style that rose to popularity between the world wars. Art Deco took off after an exhibition held in Paris in 1925 that featured a new fascination with machine-like forms. Streamlining, geometrical patterns, and strident color schemes abounded. These Art Deco motifs are rather subtle to the casual visitor in the Bellingrath Home. Surely, prior to the arrival of the home’s furnishings, they would have been much more obvious. The ceilings in both the living and dining rooms are centered with a sunburst motif. While this same design can be found in some notable 18th century English houses, it was rediscovered during the Art Deco period due to its geometric style. Cut crystal ceiling fixtures in the bedrooms on the second floor repeat this design. The bathrooms are finished with colorful tiles and ceramic fixtures patented by the Standard Plumbing Company in 1929 as the Art Deco style was reaching a mass audience thanks to Hollywood’s golden age.
Wall fixtures are opaque cylindrical tubes. The Pompadour Pink and Ming Green fixtures in the first guest bath must have been a surprise to guests in the mid-1930’s, who would have been accustomed to all-white bathrooms at the time. The walls and doors in the majority of the rooms are off white while all of the hardware is brushed chrome – another staple of this modernistic style. The Kitchen and Butler’s Pantry have counters and sinks of German silver and the streamlining of the Art Deco would have made for easy cleanup. The control panel for the electric range is geometric with its large circular dials and control buttons. Visitors to the Home may not notice a number of these details, but George Rogers took obvious care in their selection and the result is a functional and beautiful backdrop to Mrs. Bellingrath’s collection of decorative arts. Mediterranean Look With Art Deco & Vintage Influences, Spain Spanish photographer Lluís Real and his wife, Gràcia live in a house where color, light and small details of the past are the stars.
Spotted on www.elle.es, the place is one of the most interesting mixes of styles I have ever written about, moving somewhere between ‘eclectic’ and ‘collected’ aesthetics … under the sun of the Balearic Islands. The owners prove such an ability to edit and curate diverse pieces, eras and textures that I am ready to suggest the name of a style after their work. One tip they recommend: when you look to create a Bohemian atmosphere inside your house, let the materials and textures be the stars of the rooms (for example, open kitchens or dining rooms that combine rustic wood planks, and a slate floor with iconic modern pendants and contemporary chairs). Have a look on the photos and let us know if you’ve enjoyed the project!These rooms were conceived, designed and in large part created by Narcissa Niblack Thorne. An Indiana native, Thorne began to collect miniature furniture and household accessories during her travels to England and the Far East shortly after the turn of the 20th century.
Beginning in 1930, Thorne devised the ingenious scheme of having these interiors made to hold her growing collection of miniature objects. Many of the rooms are exact replicas of existing houses in the United States and Europe. The remaining rooms faithfully depict the architecture and interior design of their periods and countries. Made at a scale of 1:12 (one inch in the room equals one foot in real life), some of the rooms even contain period-style rugs Mrs. Thorne had woven specifically for each space. Mrs. Thorne and the craftsmen she worked with completed nearly 100 rooms. Her hope was that perfectly proportioned rooms in miniature could substitute for costly and space-consuming full-scale period rooms that museums across the country were beginning to acquire. Phoenix Art Museum owns 20 Thorne Miniature Rooms and the rest are in the Art Institute of Chicago (68), the Knoxville Museum of Art (9), The Indianapolis Childrens Museum (1), and the Kaye Miniature Museum in Los Angeles (1).
For an illustration of this room, see Marcilhac, Felix. Jean Dunand: His Life and Works. New York: Abrams, 1991. 324.For a discussion of the room, see Marcilhac, 92, 113. Designed as the breakfast room for the San Francisco penthouse apartment of Mr. Templeton-Crocker in 1928. Dunand was selected by Templeton-Crocker to design three rooms of the penthouse: the bedroom, dining room and breakfast room, which together are Dunand’s most important commission in the United States. The apartment’s renowned living room was designed by Jean-Michel Frank, who also oversaw all of the installation.Room & Board is a modern furniture and accessories retailer, creating exclusive contemporary designs for modern living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. Our extensive collection includes modern outdoor furniture, office furniture, entryway storage and modern kids’ furniture. We also offer accessories, like lighting, rugs, wall art and accent pillows to complete your modern home. Room & Board believes expertly crafted modern furniture offers the best value in terms of quality, design longevity and environmental sustainability.
Our design inspiration is rooted in the enduring movements of the past, including Shaker, Asian, Mid-century Modern, Danish and Arts & Crafts. We channel these design influences to create timeless modern furniture that is comfortable and durable, using natural and responsibly sourced materials. More than 90% of our products are manufactured in America using quality U.S. and imported materials. Thanks to our partnerships with American furniture manufacturers, we are unmatched in our custom furniture solutions, including storage cabinets and bookcases, sofas and sectionals and custom-sized dining tables, desks, mirrors and rugs. In addition to modern furniture for the home, we also provide business and office furniture for lobbies, executive offices, conference rooms, break rooms and collaboration spaces. Visit our About Us page to learn more about how we do business and our exceptional level of customer service, including guaranteed pricing, free design services for your home or business and flat-rate, full-service delivery.