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Empire style in the interior. Design video
Royal chic, spaciousness and triumphant grace – such epithets can be used to award the Empire style. Born in the days of Napoleon Bonaparte, it still stuns with its deliberate pomp. The Empire style is chosen by those who like to emphasize their own prestige and high status.
Empire style in the interior
Empire style: characteristics
The Empire style is characterized by a rich play of light and shadow, rich colors, ornate outlines of furniture and decor elements, as well as expensive finishes. Bas-reliefs, columns, chic cornices, arches are used in the decoration and architecture of the ceiling. Interior design in this style can turn the most ordinary apartment into real royal mansions.
In order for the interior to match the Empire style, an important rule must be observed. The room should have an impressive area, have large window openings and high ceilings, since this style needs space.
For the interior of Khrushchev, the Empire style is not very suitable. However, if you really like this direction in design, you can limit yourself to stylization, using only some details of the Empire style.
Empire style interior: ceiling
A special role in the Empire style interior is given to the ceiling. It should be decorated with embossed decorations – cornices, medallions, stucco fragments. If we talk about lighting, it is better to opt for a chandelier. The ideal option is a gilded chandelier. She will add solemnity and pathos to the atmosphere.
To create the Empire style, the walls are traditionally covered with velvet, brocade or silk. However, now there is a good alternative in the form of wallpaper that mimics fabric. This style is ideally conveyed by silk or vinyl wallpaper with stripes or with a small pattern. In addition, the walls can be decorated with woven paintings depicting picturesque landscapes, stencils, large mirrors, trellises, lamps in the form of candelabra or torches, sconces with lampshades. The walls may have small niches in which vases and various figurines are placed.
The finishing materials of the ceiling and walls must necessarily contain golden and white colors. The first will allow you to create a truly rich interior, and the second will make the room spacious and bright.
The floors in the Empire style interior can be ceramic or wood. Mosaic floors made of granite chips or marble look luxurious, but parquet is also quite suitable. At worst, you can lay linoleum on the floor, which imitates wood or marble, or a carpet with a three-dimensional pattern. Part of the floor can be covered with a beautifully painted rug in bright red with fringes.
Empire style design: color
The richness of the Empire style is emphasized not only by expensive finishing materials, but also by color. For walls, you can safely use colors such as gold, burgundy, emerald. However, it is better to give preference to a golden color.
An Empire-style interior is simply unthinkable without luxurious furniture. Massiveness, ponderousness and abundance of adornments are its main characteristics. Furniture can be decorated with bronze overlays, mosaics, carvings. Its legs, as a rule, are made in the form of griffins, sphinxes, lion paws, columns. These elements are designed to once again emphasize the solemnity of the Empire style.
This style is characterized by such furniture as bureaus, bookcases, dressers, canapes, console tables. When choosing it, special attention should be paid to the material. The most suitable is mahogany. Furniture can be upholstered with expensive fabric or natural leather.
Empire-style textiles must certainly be luxurious in order to once again emphasize its pomp and gloss. Doors and windows can be decorated with silk, velvet or brocade curtains. They can be complemented with fringes or tassels. The most important thing is that the textiles are matched to the furniture.
Caskets, grandfather and table clocks, huge candlesticks are ideal as decor. Empire style is difficult to imagine without paintings. It is not necessary to hang originals on the walls. You can experiment a bit with posters too. When choosing an interior design in the Empire style, keep in mind that you will have to remove all modern technology from your eyes, since it is discordant with this style and looks ridiculous against its background.