Gothic Medieval

Strolling thru Europe’s medieval cobblestone streets, your senses are thoroughly engaged — the bars and coffee houses the buzz of traffic on a unintelligible maze of streets, the centuries old design, the history, the smells, the statues, the lovely waterways and stone bridges.

Stepping out of the city and into the country, a more tranquil mood takes hold, with rolling green hills, vineyards, farms, towns, snow-capped mountains and massive castles. You are witnessing Old World scenery in this European setting that has persisted largely unaltered for last several centuries.

An amalgamation of designs, practices, and history, the term “Old World” pertains to a classical look in European decorating that spans over 1500 years and includes these primary periods in history:

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  Gothic, Medieval, Middle or Dark Ages (500s – 1300s), marked by sketchy historic records, the uprise and successive fall in population, religious wars, chivalry and knighthood; when home decorating was normally very rustic, with only a few rooms that were sparsely decorated with furniture and art, vaulted ceilings, narrow glassless windows and floors of straw and clay.
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  Renaissance (1400s – 1600s), bridging the gap between the Dark Ages and the Early Modern period, the Renaissance is when many of the history’s most notable scholars, artists and scientists blossomed and economic revival ensued; new trends in home decorating began to appear, such as solid floors and larger windows (complete with glass), smaller, but more rooms, paneled walls, the addition of wallpaper, and cushions and cloth for more comfort.
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  Classical or Early Modern (1700s – 1800s), identified by increasingly meaningful developments in technology and science, the growth of wide spread, market-oriented economics, and civilized authority and politics. At this time, architecture and decor became more refined, with stucco-plastered walls and ceilings, grand staircases, and finely hand-constructed, ornately-carved furniture made out of walnut and mahogany, all of which are still popular in design today.

Britain, France and Italy are among the countries generally referred to when the term “Old World” is used in European decorating, and span not only time, but geographical locations across the Mediterranean, Central and Western Europe.