Design and decoration are very important to every building, whether formal or informal. From time immemorial, people have devised various means of designing their interior decoration from motifs, animal skin, to porcelain or silverware, and all the way down to paintings, rugs, pictures, flowers, etc. which are considered to be modern.
It’s not so hard to imagine a person that is in love with all connected with Shakespearean times including the architecture and design. Moreover there are not only those who like all mentioned above but also the people who investigate the issue and write about it for others. Even though literary works such as critical analysis essay on Hamlet and Hamlet essay examples might not go into details about the design of the setting of any play by Hamlet, several others appreciate the importance of interior décor and do justice in describing these little but powerful features. This, in turn, adds to the visual appreciation of the readers’ experience.
The Hamlet story has however been acted by several actors and actresses employing designs for the set from the Elizabethan era which Shakespeare lived in. As ancient as designs from those times might seem, a lot of designers in recent times have begun bringing back those old decorations and styles to live mostly because of their rich aesthetic quality and content.
Importance of Interior design and décor
Interior design and décor, either utilizing modern designs or not helps ensure proper functionality of the intended function of the space. Be it an office or a home space, taking design into proper account ensures that the look, feel and furniture around the space makes it suitable for its function.
Furthermore, the design is made to fit the lifestyle of the dwellers of the house. Some people prefer a large space for their bedrooms, simple white walls with no colors while others might desire a lot of colors and brightness in their rooms. It all boils down to preference and taste of the individual based on their lifestyle.
Obviously, everyone definitely has an eye for design, and, as popularly said, ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.’ For someone looking to decorate the interior of their space, design brings out the aesthetic qualities in not only the utilization of design elements but also in the taste of the individual.
The design also helps make efficient use of space and, in turn, save costs. With a style or pattern in mind, the exact measurements or size for a home or office space will be acquired and the pre-planned design implemented. This would prevent any need for restructuring or renovation shortly after decoration.
With this importance established, design styles in the Shakespearean time will now be looked into here, in our article. Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan Era where bricks weren’t particularly in commonly used in building houses due to the Renaissance period. The homes in this period were built with wood and stone and designed with a lot of ornaments. A very distinct feature of the homes that was the introduction of window panes with Gothic designs having a transom separating it from the door beneath.
The interior decor of Elizabethan homes speaks luxury and affluence, which is depicted in the plaster ceilings similar to the POP ceiling decoration done these days. The patterned floor decorations made in marble, wall paintings, and tapestries also give the rooms an aesthetic look of luxury and beauty combined. Taking each cogent part of the interiors of a room into concern, this is how they should be designed to fit the Elizabethan style:
- Walls: Partial wall panelling with wainscoting on the walls colored with a dark shade of brown or blue will suffice for the walls. Whether of modern or antique design, strapwork done on walls still gives your room that Shakespearean era look. If there’s a fireplace, just above it, decorate the walls with dark tiles and include painting of grapes, trees and murals on the walls.
- Ceilings: The closest decor that could be similar to the traditional strapwork done on ceilings in that era is the POP ceiling designs done these days. Here again, the strapwork comes to play but this time in diamond-shaped patterns. For the kitchens, wooden ceilings with panels that extend to the sides will suffice. For the lighting, secret fittings can be made into the ceilings, chandeliers, lanterns or candles could be used to replace the rectangular windows that were usually provided in their kitchens.
- Flooring: The material used in flooring – whether marble, wood or stone, does not really matter as much as the flooring decoration used. For a rug, it should contain similar features as the ceiling and the walls to keep that Elizabethan feel uniform and consistent. Patterns consisting of floral designs as the wall paintings, diamond strapwork as the ceilings and checkers make a sample of decorations that should be found on the floor.
- Furniture: For a living room or reception, the traditional coffee table is to be included – obviously made of wood and glazed to the same color as the wood of the interior. In the dining room, long embroidered chairs made of wood with the corresponding long table is housed. An additional decoration to the dining room would be to add silverware to the top of the cupboard. The bedroom can include most of these style furniture and have large curtains.
Getting the resources to pull this kind of decorations off could be quite tedious. Speak to a professional interior designer about your choice of designs, and they should be able to figure something out to give your home the same look as there was in the Shakespearean era. All in all, you don’t have to copy any of those designs – just free your mind, and let the ideas mix into something truly unique!
