Modern Colonial
Strategies for Recreating Classic Décor
Take stylistic cues from historic homes to create contemporary examples of classic interiors. Our focus is on Colonial homes, but the advice holds true for all period styles.
Reproduction wing chairs from The Lyman Estate. "The Vale", as it was sometimes known, was established in 1793 by Boston merchant Theodore Lyman. It consisted originally of the mansion, greenhouses, and 400 acres of grounds, gardens, woodlands, a deer park, and a working farm.
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Creating a modern interpretation of a classic home is all about integrating historical elements with modern amenities. The best way to learn about Colonial homes, for example, as they looked at their time and in their region is to visit historic homes and archives. (Colonial homes were the subject of Bob Vila's Home Again Season 13 programming.) Quite often, restored homes are available for tours. To begin, start with interior elements like color, moldings, fabrics, and furniture. Local experts and historians can also be contacted and may give a personalized tour. The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) maintains sites, records, archives, and a photographic library, along with a knowledgeable staff.
House museums offer a tutorial in period furnishings, fabrics, and details. Staff is on hand at these properties to give details on the original furnishings and explain how they best reflect the period, its values, and available resources. Depending on the region, some Colonials boasted screened wallpapers, while others had stencils or finishes created to approximate European styles and fashions. For homeowners seeking to replicate a given style and period, it is best to visit a faithful restoration and to ask questions that clarify questions of material and finish. Another example would be paneling, where the choice between hardwood and pine, stained finish or paint, and the width of moldings and details, depended in large part on whether the home was in the country or the city. Familiarizing oneself with local resources is the best way to determine which materials and styles are best.
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The painted paneled woodwork in Winterthur's Tappahannock Room is a stylistic precursor to the painted paneling on the fireplace wall in the Bob Vila's Home Again Season 13 Modern Colonial project house.
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Winterthur, the country estate of Henry Francis du Pont, is an education in period furnishings. With over 89,000 pieces in its collection, Winterthur is able to faithfully recreate a number of decorative styles throughout its 175 period rooms. Winterthur's room settings range from the country or vernacular to the high-style and cover American decorative arts from 1640 to 1860. Each room is precisely arranged to illustrate the decorative principles of the day and to provide a total immersion in the composition of Colonial and Federal-era interiors.
Period, Location, Setting
Armed with the knowledge that such house tours and archives can provide, it's still up to the homeowner to decide how to apply and choose among the various styles and settings available. The first key is to determine how location impacts the faithful replication of a modern Colonial. Homes in northern New England varied greatly from those in New York, Philadelphia, or Virginia. Given regions were prone to European styling, while others favored the newly emerging American crafts. Furniture makers, carpenters, and painters were finding their niche and their voice in Colonial America. Some colonies heard that voice, while others looked to the stylebooks of Europe. Certain woods were more commonly used in the South, while others abound in the North. True Southern Pine was found in many of the Southern Colonials, while pine and maple were used in the northern regions. Some chose to paint pine, perhaps disguising its more common nature, while reserving stain and highly polished finishes for exotic and hardwoods.
A home's setting also determined many of the interior details. A country or agricutural home would have more rough hewn items, durable, practical, and comfortable finishes, with high-style furnishings reserved for the front or public room. Fireplaces might be of stone rather than brick, with mantels that were less ornate than their metropolitan counterparts. Fabrics would also be sturdier and less ornate. In the city, patterns and colors of the day and highly polished ornate furniture were characteristic of the Colonial period.
This mural was taken from the 1820 Ezra Carroll house in East Springfield, New York. Murals were popular in Early America as a more accessible decorative wall treatment than imported European wallpaper.
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The period that will dominate a home's character and furnishings says much about what will be selected. Studying the development of Colonial furnishings from the early Colonial through the Federal period will help determine the types of furnishings and finishes that will complete the modern Colonial. As in the photos, many items are identified by their period. Known as period styling, the turn of a leg, the handle on a chest, the detail in the carvings can determine the period to which a piece belonged. While it is normal to mix and match pieces, it is best to determine the style before selecting the odd or unusual piece to add to the collection.
Blending the Old and the New
Whatever the selection, creating a period home is fun, informative, and need not be stuffy. You can effectively blend different architectural and decorative styles in a modern Colonial. In fact, it would be rigid not to do so. Still, it's best to know the rules before you bend or break them. Getting to know historic properties and their details is the best way to start on the road to revitalizing or creating a home with the intrepid Colonial spirit.
Copyright BobVila.com © 2003
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