Baroque Furniture – 10 Tips To Give Your Home A Baroque Style Makeover.

When thinking of Baroque style furniture, one word comes to mind: luxury. Derived from the artistic style popular in the early 16^th century through the 18^th century, elaborate handcrafted armchairs, spruced-up  dining room tables and elegantly crafted living room furniture was created. It was all about drama, expression, power and ornamentation — in art, music and architectural design. Neo Baroque furniture designs are inspired by this era and many modern furniture stores carry Baroque pieces.  Here are some ways to design your home with a classic Baroque flair.

Feel like a king in a royal armchair. Grand and impressive, the Baroque armchair is classic, timely and ever so theatrical. Starting with the intricately detailed design on the frame of the modern Baroque chair – with smooth curves and its flowery craftsmanship – and ending with the plush, pin-cushioned, regal padding on the seat of the modern Baroque chair, you’re bound to feel important.

Sleep in heaven on a plush Baroque bed. The ultimate Prince or Princess bed is one with Baroque style. The headboard is the most striking feature, usually designed with bold character and detail. Dainty, curved feet support the bed frame and a deluxe footboard is even richer and more intricately detailed than the head of the modern Baroque bed. English designers derived their design concepts from books of ornament, and the style was further developed by Dutch and French cabinetmakers with special skills in marquetry (veneers of different-colored woods set into an object’s surface). Sometimes the bed might be decorated with monograms, people’s initials or crests, which would represent status.

Look divine while primping in front of a Baroque vanity. Delicate and petite, a Baroque vanity is a delight to the senses and gets one excited to primp and doll up. Many modern baroque vanities are decorated with markings of plant life, damask, garlands and greenery on the outlining of the mirror and the stool to sit upon.

Celebrate your beauty with an opulent Baroque mirror. A noble, superior Baroque mirror can lift up any home. Best when hung over the fireplace, the grandiose mirror is a stunning piece of artwork. It is just as fabulous when positioned on the floor with a slight tilt to the wall.

Dine with the finest on Baroque dining chairs. Made from white porcelain back in the olden days, nowadays contemporary furniture stores do a fabulous job of emulating that look with metal foil, faux crocodile leather lining or painted wood surfaces. Velvet upholstery on the seat is still a main focus of the baroque chair, coming in deep purples and reds to give off that enigmatic look.

Store your treasures in a Baroque style cabinet.  Many modern furniture stores carry one or two baroque style cabinets that are just divine, decorated with carved ornaments and sculpting, reminiscent of the Shakespearean period.  Inlaid wood design, accent lines and etched images of angelic figures show up in a classic Baroque cabinet.

Draw attention with a Baroque sculpture. Many Baroque sculptures represent nude figures in erotic and sensual poses where each viewing angle portrays a different story. A lot of Baroque furniture contains images and sketches of these graceful, bulbous figures. Place a sculpture on your dining room table for decoration or on a table in the entryway of your home and eyes will definitely be drawn to it.

Display Baroque literature for guests. Many designers derived their concepts from floral formations in artwork and pictures in books during the Baroque period. You can find many coffee table books on marquetry (a process where different-colored woods are etched into each other) devoted to the art at local book stores and online.

Play some Baroque music for empowerment. Influential artists like Bach and Vivaldi were creating music during the Baroque period so you can head to the local music store and purchase one of their legendary pieces of music and fill up the home with symphonies of magic. You will find extreme order and precision in the music, with a satisfying sense of enjoyment and delight.

Make your living room shine with a Neo Baroque painting.  Artists during the Baroque period were incredibly detailed and inspired by captivating scenes, a moment or an event in time. Intense drama, nativity scenes, fight scenes and realistic portraits were all painted with emotional richness, deep colors, sharp lighting and mysterious shadows. Instead of a mirror, a Baroque painting is also perfect to hang above the fireplace.

Back in the old days, royal aristocrats used Baroque architecture, art and furniture as a means of expressing their power and control and also as a way of boasting or impressing guests. Still today, modern furniture is designed for this effect, as is evident in all Neo Baroque furniture.

If you’ve ever wondered how to calm things in your modern living space, Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) might just be the answer.

Originally devised in China, Feng Shui is the detection of the flow of good energy (chi) and bad energy (sha). Commonly referred to as “architectural acupuncture,” many chic, minimalist furniture owners hire a Feng Shui master to spiff up their modern living space. But you don’t need to be a guru to create harmony and balance in your contemporary home. Just follow these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way.

Rearrange contemporary furniture.

Make sure that when you enter your home, none of your fine modern furniture is in the way. A modern furniture sofa should always be facing the front door — within view and at a fair distance — and never cluttering the entrance to any room, which would create stagnant energy. Make sure modern furniture pieces are at least three feet apart from each other, no clutter lies underneath modern furniture. Instead, there should be open space so energy can move freely.

Open space for your modern bedroom furniture.

The direction of your modern bed is very important for energy flow. It’s not good to sleep with your head or feet to the door as it can cause disruptive sleep. A chic, mid modern headboard should be placed against the wall (not the window), to instill a sense of security and support. Mirrors in the bedroom are believed to cause bad luck and infidelity so avoid them if you can and never place them opposite the foot of your modern bed. Remove everything from under the modern bed and be sure to keep things in twos (candles, picture frames, pillows, end tables). It might attract a special someone into your life.

Aristocratic abundance with modern dining room furniture.

The most ideal contemporary dining room table shapes are a square, round or oval. It is important that the modern dining room table is not too cramped in a space and there is ample room for guests to move around.  A mirror reflecting the modern dining room table is also a great touch, as it will reflect off the table, doubling the delectable feast on the modern dining room table. An added touch is to hang a painting of fruits and food on the wall.

Mirror tricks

With a mirror, you can create a positive illusion that opens up small, cramped spaces, amplifies light and enhances all modern contemporary furniture. Extend tight corners, camouflage sharp angles caused by columns or reflect the water, garden, trees or lake, if you’re home is facing it. Beware of placing the mirrors too low or placing one opposite your front door, which will bring on negative chi.

Light the way

Again, mirrors enhance light and bring great energy into the home. Avoid fluorescent, overhead lighting and choose warm, natural lighting over all modern furniture instead. A crystal chandelier creates great chi, but make sure it doesn’t dangle too low or it will suck the energy out of the room.

Electronic free

Electronics can produce negative chi, due to the electrical field they emanate. Hide them behind a modern entertainment center or cover them up by placing a plant in front of it when not in use. If you have a television in your modern bedroom, it is recommended to cover it at night. Keep all your electronics in one room — like your modern office — as best you can.

Color can foretell your future.

Applying the right color in the room is very important. When placing supplies around a contemporary desk, bed, stove, or office, one might use a Bag Gua, a color map that will tell you what each color represents (purple = wealth, blue = career, pink = relationships). In China, the color red brings good luck and good fortune and it’s often used on front doors. Think of a chic, minimalist red lounge chair illuminated by a bright light. A green modern sofa represents freshness and peace and is great for your bedroom.

Decor

Hang wind chimes by a window or in the north-west of your modern living room. They bring money, help and support. Crystal products adjust energy flow and fish is symbolic of wealth. Hang artwork at eye level or over a large piece of modern furniture. Anything with blue — aquarium, painting, carpeting — represents water. Water is the essence of chi.

Simplify your office desk

First, position the desk so that it is easy to see the door. Make sure to remove unorganized clutter and sharp objects from the desktop, clear file cabinets (which opens the way for new business) do not place a trashcan under the desk (it signifies that everything on top is trash). For some extra fun, tie three Chinese coins with red ribbon and place them on a piece of modern furniture in the office. Or put a dragon figurine on the right hand of the desk facing the window or door.

Zen brown Perspective bed

Natural wood Zen bench