Click Here for Related Buying Guide	THE CLASSICAL STYLE: DECORATING AND CLASSICISM Whether an interior merely "suggests" Classicism or is a faithful and careful interpretation, the basic tenet applies: Proportion over all. An expert in the field of designing historic interiors describes the basic principles of Classicism and the elements that enhance them. by Dan Cooper The Parthenon. Margaret Mitchell's Tara. Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. What do these cultural icons have in common? Columns. Lots of columns. But besides that, they are all Classical or Neo-Classical structures. The Parthenon immediately comes to mind when the words "Classical Architecture" are mentioned. Tara may be fictional, but stylistically it's certainly the prototypical antebellum Southern plantation. Caesar's Palace could be considered a parody of the Classical style. The elements in their designs have formed and influenced our collective interpretation of architecture.
	Which brings us to the topic of this article: Just what is Neo-Classicism? And how do we design and/or decorate in its manner? The etymology of the expression "Neo-Classical" is oxymoronic: How can something Classic be new? In this case, we're discussing the reuse of ancient architectural-design motifs in a modern context. The Terms Many of us in the building trades are often confused by the terminology that is thrown about by those with a more-historical background. What is the difference between Classical and Neo-Classical? And Greek Revival and Colonial Revival? Why does it just seem like an endless succession of the aforementioned columns and round-head windows? Here's a quick definition of terms: Classical: Consisting of and pertaining to the architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Think of the Parthenon, the Acropolis, Pompeii, or any other sun-bleached Mediterranean ruin (or any "Family" restaurant). Greek or (Classical) Revival: The resurgence in the use of Classical forms in Europe and America, starting in the late-18th century but truly hitting its stride (at least in North America) in the 1820s and '30s. Building forms closely mimicked the massing and decoration of ancient temples, and decorative arts and furnishings were adorned with or composed of Greco-Roman design elements. Colonial Revival: A nostalgic hearkening back to Early American forms employing motifs from this country's first century, intermingled with Classical designs that had persistently remained popular. It begins with the approach of the American Centennial in the mid 1870s (reaching widespread use in the 1890s) and then recedes during the 1920s with the coming of Modernism. Just to confuse those who would look back in a hundred years while trying to describe and define it, the builders of the late 1890s liberally blended the Colonial Revival with Arts & Crafts-movement design and late-Victorian elements, so more often than not one will rarely find "pure" examples of any of these styles. Classical motifs abound but are scaled down, more delicate, and often less "literal" in their use. Neo-Classicism: Technically, a late-18th/early-19th-century movement that grew out of a critical, rational reexamination of classical antiquity with respect to Enlightenment ideals. ("New Classicism" is the fashionable term for a planning concept linked to "New Urbanism.") We're currently in the midst of yet another Classical Revival: Wonderful, classically inspired structures are being built, but there are also huge, ill-proportioned crown moldings being glued to the top of every interior wall in every suburban McMansion.
	Bear in mind that Classical influence (unlike Gothicism) never went completely out of style. Even in the 1950s and '60s, many ranch houses were adorned with tiny vestigial front-facing gables supported by frilly wrought-iron vertices as homage to the Greco-Roman facade. In our approach to designing the Classically inspired interior, we may concede that we are not trying to create an exact museum-quality reproduction. Nevertheless, we may take some license with decoration. The proper sense of scale and proportion must be honored, lest the finished work look unbalanced. What follows are some basic decorative-design concepts and elements which consistently appear in the Classical interior. Scale and proportion are the most important keys to the properly designed Classical interior and exterior. The ancient Greeks discovered the formulas that created the system of appropriate ratios of height versus width. When these ratios are violated, the structure just looks wrong. These ratios must be taken into account by construction professionals when designing and building a dwelling. If columns or pilasters are too thin, or the massing of the architrave is not proportional, the "feel" of the building (whether it is structurally stable or not) is bound to be unsteady and aesthetically uncomfortable. Classicism abhors asymmetry; the crux of proper Classical design is either vertical or radial symmetry. There are almost always equal numbers of columns, brackets, and openings. Windows and doors are evenly spaced, and never crowded. Go to Page 2 -- Click Here for Related Buying Guide