{romantic design}

Ahhh.. love is in the air. It seems like everyone is a romantic these days. With Valentine’s Day upon us, it seems flowers, chocolates and teddy bears are just as common as accent pillows and window treatments in our homes.

And while the overwhelming pink and red may get a little, shall I say, nauseating, after awhile we should not be so quick to discount romanticism as a source of design inspiration.

Romanticism refers to the complex artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe. In essence, romanticism is the complete opposite of realism. It rejects the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality and embraces the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.

For interior design, romanticism means that everything can be exactly the way it was created by the artist-designer. Different rooms in the same house can be stylistically united or absolutely opposite.

Notice how the shape of the chairs is carried from the dining room to the kitchen in this house,

Hamilton Design Associates, by House of Turquoise

while this room mixes colors, fabrics and textures.

House Beautiful

Indulge in pieces you love and don’t be afraid to use luxurious fabrics or bold colors. Embrace the juxtapositions of drastically different items, like silk next to straw or modern art next to a classic chandelier. If you love it, use it!

House Beautiful

Even though romanticism is often interpreted as very feminine, some say that the Gothic aesthetic is very closely associated with romanticism. It confirms the idea that everything that is very free, high and tending to the skies is in fashion.

ArhZine

The main focus of romanticism is to really just let go of any preconceived notions of what design should be. Follow your heart and your imagination and you’ll create a design you love!