Victorian Rococo Revival 1840-1870 The Rococo Revival interior is giddily charming and, despite its frills, very inviting. Recalling the grace of eighteenth century French design, but considerably more quirky and unpredictable, it combines exaggerated curves and richly carved ornament, sometimes applying the gilding that characterized the earlier style. Walls and ceilings are dressed in a muted version of Louise XV boiserie and plasterwork, framing machine-printed, flocked, or embossed wallpaper, usually with coordinated borders. The patterns are most likely floral bouquets, swage, or ribbon-and-lace designs. Windows have wood shutters, covered with heavy woven or printed draperies, elaborately trimmed with fringe or tassels and hung over lace curtains. Portieres, in similar fabrics, are hung at doorways. Upholstery fabrics, therefore, include a range of vivid velvets and tapestries, in addition to popular horsehair and leather. Floors are wood parquet or patterned and colored tile, with rugs in large-scale botanical motifs, machine-made carpet laid fashionable wall to wall, or new patterned linoleum in a ruglike design. Chandeliers and lamps, using kerosene and by the 1860’s, gaslight, mix functional and fussy with painted-glass globes,brass trim, or crystal drops. Accessories include whimsical hat racks or whatnots with display shelves; arrangements of porcelines, figurines, or specimens from nature; and framed prints. Suites of furniture are the height of fashion—matching or coordinated case and seating pieces are designed for parlor, dining room, and bedroom, each with complementary ornament and carving. Details translated from Rococo style include the cabriole leg, thicker than earlier versions, and carved with shell and floral motifs. New on the scene is the development of metal-spring upholstery and this has brought new, comfort-conscious seating forms, including the oversized tufted ottoman, the balloon-back chair, and the single-ended sofa. All draw on traditional Rococo silhouettes, but are more exaggerated and often bulbous.
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