I'm having a distinct craving for giltwood. Not quite on the scale of the furniture in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, but more the judicious use on a limited scale, such as that seen in Gervais de Bédée's post, where antique giltwood fauteuils are placed within a modern setting.
In both cases the use of one colour for the fabric on the furniture enhances its beauty. And white goes particularly well with gold. Despite its name, the White Drawing Room's furniture fabric is predominantly gold.
This large stool is for sale at auction at Sheppards Irish Auction House in Durrow, Ireland.
But these Chinese pieces prove that the gilt works perfectly with the turquoise blue of the foo dogs, (sold recently in England for GBP1,200) or the red of the altar piece, which graces my table in the hall, and seems to have been designed with some of my collection of netsuke in mind.
The danger of course with giltwood furniture is that it is beloved by many with money but no taste, and there are plenty of hideous examples of reproduction pieces which would make me shriek in horror. Like so many design schemes, less is very often better.
The image of the White Drawing Room is from the British Monarchy website; others where attributed.
16 comments:
Hi Columnist,
Interesting that you refer to Gervais' post, as I also very much liked that white gallery space in this picture when I saw it on his blog. May I commend you on your good taste. ;-) I agree, the gilded furniture works very well with the minimalist art, and it certainly helps that it is a bit patinated/toned down with age. I do agree that simple works best with this kind of finish, with plain white or black fabric filling the bill perfectly.
Diogenes - yes, it does look better when it is aged, (preferably naturally, but "antiquing" a piece is also feasible), and much better than the newly gilded pieces that make up the horror stories one sees. Actually the furniture at Buckingham Palace is almost too gilded, although it is late Georgian, (I would hazard a guess at George IV), and I was surprised at how gaudy I thought it looked when I went there. But one or maximum two pieces in a modern setting, such as in the gallery are terrific, in my view. (Just as a good gilded frame works perfectly with a modern, but good, picture...or of course an Old Master!)
The wondrous thing about stark simplicity is that you can then plonk a magnificent item of complication down in the middle of it and everything works splendidly.
A simple parkland with a fancy stately home in the centre ...
"...there are plenty of hideous examples of reproduction pieces which would make me shriek in horror..."
For your own safety, Columnist, don't ever walk into some of the houses owned and furnished by the wealthy here. Rather than shriek, you drop into a very dead faint!
Owl Wood - yes that works too. For those that haven't had to sell off great swathes of land to pay for death duties during the last century, that is pretty much how they remain. Simplicity and then magnificence, internally and externally.
Hippo - unfortnately those types of furnishings are not restricted to Africa. It's a "style", (and I use that word loosely), that travels well with oodles of cash.
We have to keep in mind that in old days lighting was very dim, so that more gilt was needed to provide a measure of sparkle and interest.
One intricately carved and gilt monstrosity can look nice in an otherwise plain and modern room. I also think that one could get away with more gliding through parody display--as long as visitors didn't think you meant it seriously or as an example of good taste.
--Road to Parnassus
Parnassus - if I could afford it, I would prefer a dimmed antique giltwood piece than a parody. I couldn't bear anything kitsch.
I'm sure the White Drawing Room looks brilliant at night, but during the day it is way over the top, (and obviously it was meant to be that), but really too much for my taste, and there are rooms upon rooms of it... the Green Drawing Room, the Blue Drawing Room, the Throne Room, (crimson) etc etc.
The White Drawing Room is indeed handsome (at least the photograph of it is), but certainly not liveable. One of the things I enjoy about the White House interiors is that one can imagine that when all the tourists are gone for the day, someone might actually sit down in the Green Room or the Red Room and have a cup of coffee or read a magazine. And that of course is a matter of rooms having been designed to the human scale.
Please excuse my correcting you, but it's Durrow. There's a charming 18th century house there - and indeed a fine terrace of early 19th century houses in the town. Sheppards last year caused a sensation for selling some Chinese porcelain vastly above the estimated prices, so one never knows what this stool might fetch...
Mark - I agree - it, and all of the State Rooms are cavernous and not conducive to a happy small gathering. But I suppose they weren't designed for that.
Irish Aesthete - your correction welcome, and duly applied.
The Sheppard's story is a familiar one, but Georgian, (or Regency?) giltwood is perhaps less likely to cause such a sensation. The top estimate is EUR9,000.
I'm going to be over effusive here, I LOVE those chairs and am being increasingly drawn to gilty pleasure.
Of course you're right, altho' the Irish do have a soft spot for gilt...
Meanwhile, would you like a copy of the new soft cover edition of my book, Romantic Irish Homes (Hateful title, definitely not my choice). The publisher has a few to give to people I recommend and I thought of you.
Please advise when you have a moment.
B&P - yes they are indeed very covetous!
Irish Aesthete - how very kind. I'll drop you a line on your blog, assuming it has your email address.
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