Thieving Magpie

I first discovered this artist through Ullabenulla's wonderful blog.

The Thieving Magpie by Richard Dunbrack. His furniture is entirely unique and mythically inspired!

The Arts and Crafts Movement

It should come as no shock to anyone that I love the Pre-Raphaelites. And by extension, I adore the interior decorating style that emerged from their work. I would strongly argue that not only are the Pre-Raphaelites the predecessors of our modern fantasy and mythic arts enthusiasts (they painting romantic tales, myths, and ballads, William Morris' books were cited as inspiration to J.R.R. Tolkien in the creation of his works), but the decorating style that emerged from their work, specifically William Morris' work, is the Victorian precedent for those of us who want to add magic and myth to our lives in modern times.

I definitely see William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, William and Evelyn de Morgan, etc. as the late Victorian equivalents of our modern Charles Vess, Charles de Lint, Terri Windling, and so on. And so by exploring the Arts & Crafts decorating style begun in large part by Morris' firm of Morris & Co., we open a portal to the lovers of myth from a different generation.

I've been doing a series of posts on different decorating styles that "jive" well with the additions of Domythic details. "Domythic" really is a decorating style that can cross traditional decorating motifs and themes, as long as the underlying feel of the room is romantic and narrative. But there are some styles that just seem to blend effortlessly. And of course I chose to save my favorite, and the one I feel blends the best, for last.

Arts and Crafts decorating is not entirely reliant on the patterns William Morris created for the textiles and wallpapers of his company, but boy do they ever enhance a space.



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The Green Dining Room designed by Morris for the V&A

Any object can be a canvas in Arts and Crafts decorating.

And personal touches abound. Here is a window at Red House (William Morris' home for a short time) decorated with his personal motto, "Si Je Puis" (If I can)

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Did I mention every space is a canvas? Another area of Red House.


Rich woodwork is a hallmark of Bungalow style, a type of Arts and Crafts home.
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For more information, I highly recommend these books.

William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home is an absolutely wonderful book. I know I've mentioned this one before, but it bears repeating.

Bungalow: The Ultimate Arts and Crafts Home

The Beautiful Necessity - the book that was the name source for my blog on the Pre-Raphaelites

Victorian Decorating

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Bohemian Style

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Tonight's Domythic style...Bohemian! Some may call this junk... me, I call them treasures. (Okay, I've been playing too much Skyrim)

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Warning: Do not attempt this style if you are afraid of a) clutter or b) color!

A great example of a Domythic Bohemian house is my friend, artist Merle Pace. See more of her beautiful home here, and check out her amazing self-portrait photography prints on Etsy.

Iah

I'm due for a new blog post on another decorating style. But that will have to wait. Why? I'll answer in picture form.






Meet Iah. She showed up on our doorstep last night, and we're working on hopefully integrating her into our family.

Shabby Chic

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Today's traditional decorating style that can blend well with Domythic touches is ...

Shabby Chic

Personally, I'm not a fan of a lot of aspects of Shabby Chic. I like deep jewel-tone colours, and it's all just too pale, too pink, and just not quite my cuppa. But I have to admit that this is a style that can result in some very fantasy-friendly interiors.

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Of course the ultimate example of a Domythic Shabby Chic location is the tiny mini-home from My Shabby Streamside Studio. Even though I said the style isn't really my preference, there's no denying this space is just phenomenal.

French Provincial

Time for another mini-series of posts! I thought it would be fun to share a few traditional decorating styles that lend themselves especially easily to being...Domythed? Domythicked? Domythized? ...Made more mythic. There we go. Unlike the contemporary and futuristic styles I mentioned on April Fool's Day, these styles seem to effortlessly blend with Domythic details to enhance the magic in your life. Are there other traditional decorating styles that also work? Of course! And of course it's also possible to make even the most contemporary of rooms Domythic.

We'll start with French Provincial decor. We've actually already featured a gorgeous example of a Domythic home inspired by this design style. But here's some general information about it.

Thanks to this blog post for info on the style:

The French provincial decorating style is a manifestation of the décor used in France’s provinces during the 17th and 18th century. Typically, people living in the provinces belonged to the lower classes and did not have too much money to spend on decorating their homes. So, they came up with a distinct style of their own which proved to be cost effective. The French provincial decorating style is based on the imperial designs used in courts and homes of the rich and wealthy. The only difference is that it doesn’t cost as much. Exempting expensive textiles, embroidery, costly furniture and a collection of gold items, the French provincial style does not lack in charm or appeal in any way. Here are the basics of this beautiful decoration style.

Furniture

Armoires are a staple of French provincial decoration. Back in the day, closets encompassed whole rooms and the tax laws stated that each household shall be taxed according to the number of rooms. Those who couldn’t afford to have closets chose wardrobes or armoires, as they are known. Armoires are carved cabinets used for storing things. With high quality metal work, armoires are flexible and can be used in every room in the house. Without armoires, a French provincial theme will be incomplete.

Wall Adornments

Like armoires for furnishing, the wall adornments used are also inexpensive. Generally, mirrors are hung on walls. Mirrors reflecting the light around the room are a trademark of French provincial decoration. You can get ornate and carved mirrors that have beautiful art work done on the frame. They will enhance the look and feel of your room substantially. You can choose between large and small mirrors but larger mirrors are preferable. Also, photographs in ornamental frames can add to the grandeur and feel.

Fabrics

Embroidery is widespread in French provincial decoration. Embroidery was a skill taught to each and every female during that time, which is why they were able to weave beautiful and intricate patterns. To reflect a poignant French provincial theme, you have to go for fabrics with heavy embroidery. All the pillows, curtains, drapes, bed sheets and linens you use should be embroidered. Along with embroidery, you can use fabrics with lace work, which were also common during the 17th and 18th century.

Colors

The colors used in French provincial decoration are inspired by the French countryside. Since the provincials didn’t have much money to buy colorful items from across the continent, they adapted what they could see around them. There are a variety of colors that you can use in your interior décor, such as cornflower blue, brick red, deep brown and sage green. Also, the colors of the French national flag, red, white and blue are found abundantly in French provincial decoration.

These are some of the basics of French provincial decorating. There is room for improvisation and improvement in this décor style and you can change it according to your preference. Make sure you keep the basics in mind while selecting all the elements of a great French provincial theme.

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Although the description mentions a wide variety of colours, I find that French style usually is full of pale shades of colors and whites and creams.

A few photos I took of a magazine article: