Ye Olde English Renaissance

The entire English Renaissance spanned from the late 1500s to the early 1800s. England was the last of the major countries to jump on the renaissance bandwagon since they were isolated from continental Europe. So the English style kind of became a hodgepodge of styles. They did start getting influence from the Italian Renaissance due to books and works of art brought back to England. Also, since international trade became easier, we also see hints of oriental style in English interiors.

But during this period, I don't think the English were doing anything too groundbreaking in terms of interiors. The biggest "export" from the English Renaissance is an exterior- the Tudor style home. Built with timber framing, this style just screams England, even to this day.

English Renaissance Interior

The Anne Hathaway House-One of the most famous Tudors

Modern Day Tudor

French Renaissance

During the French Renaissance period, the French started moving away from the Gothic style and started incorporating elements from the Italian Renaissance movement. Interior design really flourished during this period and being an interior decorator became a real profession to ensure that interiors were as highly styled as possible.

One of the most important interiors of this time is Chateau de Chambord, which was supposed to serve as a hunting lodge for Francois I. The exterior of the chateau reflects the Medieval period.

Chateau Chambord

Because the Chateau was meant to be a hunting lodge and was only occupied for small periods of time, it was left unfurnished. Francois I hardly spent any of his time at the chateau and after his reign, it was left untouched for years and left to rot, essentially. Louis XIII finally gave it to his brother, who carried out a lot of the restoration work. Then when Louis XIV became king, he took it on as his hunting lodge and had it furnished with elements that are seen throughout the French Renaissance- heavy red fabrics, high amounts of intricate gold ornamentation, and a lot of large mirrors. But even Louis the XIV eventually quit using the chateau. 

Louis XIV's ceremonial bedroom.

Modern take on French Renaissance style

Other Blogs- For this section, I looked at Dana's blog. She focused mostly on the short period style of French Regency. She explains how the furniture style of this time lost all of its symmetry and became very curvy and was a big influence on the Rococo period. 

I also viewed Melanie's blog and really loved all of her photos from Versailles. It's always nice when someone has had a personal experience with one of the historical sights we discuss. Her photos are gorgeous and really reinforce the fact that the French looooved their intricate detail and gold.