Florence De Dampierre Comments On Nordic Furniture In Sweden And Denmark

Swedish Clock made about 1765 by Nils Berg

Chinoiserie found another outlet in the rare longcase clock at the right, made about 1765 by
Nils Berg, whose signature appears on the case.

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre, presents the tradition of painted furniture as it developed in Europe and the United States.

Dampierre, owns a New York gallery which features painted furniture, and specializes in tracing the art form in Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and America.  She features French and Italian examples to simpler, more provincial American and northern European folk-art pieces. She talks about how art influenced furniture across Europe, as craftsmen adapted ideas and techniques. Various chapters discuss furniture embellishments and treatments from high art elegance to folk art simplicity.

Here are her comments on Sweden and Denmark:

Two important traditions of painted furniture developed in Sweden: the high-style aristocratic furniture that evolved from the international taste for oriental lacquer beginning in the seventeenth century- and the rural folk tradition, which grew up both in the manors of landowners (where it attempted to imitate its elegant counterpart) and in humble peasant dwellings. As late as the seventeenth century the great houses of Sweden were still closed fortresses—large rectangular structures furnished with imposing, simple chairs and tables. Tastes began to change by the end of the century when the architects Nicodemus Tessin and his son Nicodemus traveled to Italy, where they eagerly embraced the refined luxury of Italian and French styles. As the designers of Drottningholm Castle and the grand castle at Stockholm, the Tessins did much to spread the appreciation of sumptuous high Baroque decoration among the Swedish nobility.

Skane, the southern region of Sweden had painted furniture traditions of it own. Largely
derived from those of Denmark, since it was a Danish province until 1658. Southern pieces, primarily blanket chests and armoires, featured Rococo and Baroque decoration with rose bushes heavily laden with bloom. The Erik Eliasson style of painting spread from Dalecarlia to Skane at the end of the eighteenth century, intermingling with the
southern style.

Other regions invented their own designs. Painters from Delsbo or Jarvsd, in the Dellen Lake district, notably Gustavus Reuter, originated a version of Baroque style painting that was free of influence from other areas. In Jamtlancl (bordering Norway), the armoires, in typically Rococo style, were particularly interesting. In some areas along the seacoast, such as Blekinge, painted furniture was a rarity.

Florence de Dampierre | Facebook

Buy this book from Amazon for as little as $3.99

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre 2

Swedish Painted Mora Clock- Swedish Decorating 

 

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre

Close up faux painted detail of the clock

Swedish Handpainted Cabinet Sold through UmbrellaSwedish Hand painted Cabinet Sold through Umbrella Home Decor

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre 2

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre 1

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre

A Swedish, Rococo Chest of Drawers Seller Dawn Hill Antiques

A Swedish, Rococo Chest of Drawers Seller Dawn Hill Antiques

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre 2

This table was seen in Liselund castle- made in 1795

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre 3

Stool in the neoclassical style seen at Liselund Castle

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre

The Best Of Painted Furniture By Florence De Dampierre

Swedish Gustavian Console Table, C. 1810

Swedish Gustavian Console Table, C. 1810 , D.Larsson Swedish Antiques

Gård & Torp Photo Karin Foberg

Gård & Torp Photo Karin Foberg

Swedish Country Folk Inspiration

“Story Time” (portrait of the artist’s father and daughter) by Knut Ekwall (1843 – 1912, Swedish)

“Hårnäver” a headdress from Norra Ny in Värmland! (Sweden)Her hair is tied up in a red ribbon and she is wearing a hårnäver. This is a kind of diadem that is used as a hair band to keep the hair high up on the fore head. A hårnäver is made from two pieces of birch-bark that are sewn together with long stitches on the back. They are decoratively painted in red or reddish-brown. Matte paint is used to cover the hårnäver and patterns are painted on free-hand. Bark is collected from the birch trees – Found on folkthings.tumblr.com

Nordic Style Website

Furniture From Nordic Style

Home of Lisa Larsson- Seen On jessimfine.se

Home of Lisa Larsson- Seen On jessimfine.se

Svindersvik -Stockholms läns Museum

Svindersvik –Stockholms läns Museum

Svindersvik -Stockholms läns Museum

Svindersvik –Stockholms läns Museum

Folk art trunk made by Stenström, from the south of Sweden, 1819. Bukowskis Market

Folk art trunk made by Stenström, from the south of Sweden, 1819. Bukowskis Market.com

Swedish wedding chest with domed top dated 1809 via Liveauctioneers

Swedish wedding chest with domed top dated 1809 Liveauctioneers

Blue and White Porcelain Room

Wall MirrorsDecorative Victorian Style Finial Accented Distressed Wall Mirror On Amazon

Sköna hem Magazine

Sköna hem Magazine

Swedish Country Decorating Seen At Country Living Magazine

Holiday Decorating in a Swedish Home Country Living Magazine

Van Breems joins sons Lars and Martin in the kitchen for an afternoon of cookie-baking.

Svindersvik, Stockholm, Sweden- Wikimedia.org

Svindersvik, Stockholm, Sweden- Wikimedia.org

Anders Zorn’s studio in Mora

Anders Zorn’s Studio in Mora

Swedish Painted Trunk Seen At Country Gallery

Swedish Painted Trunk Seen At Country Gallery.com

Swedish Country Folk Art Painting

Country Painted Chest At Milord Antiques.com

Överkalix Painting, See More At kurbits.nu

Egeskov Castle In Denmark

Egeskov Castle In Denmark- www.skyscrapercity.com

Swedish Mora Clock From Cupboards And Roses

Swedish Mora Clock From Cupboards And Roses

Found on cupboardsandroses.com

Swedish Door Detail Seen At KML Design

Swedish Door Detail – KML Design.dk

THIS is not an ordinary Mora clock - this is the rare Ångermanland Bride! The cases were made by local carpenters around 1820-1840.

This is not an ordinary Mora clock – this is the rare Ångermanland Bride! The cases were made by local carpenters around 1820-1840. – Found on epokantik.com

Egeskov Castle In Denmark

Egeskov Castle In Denmark- www.skyscrapercity.com

Quenselska gården, Åbo, Finland. At that time Finland still was a part of the kingdom of Sweden.

Quenselska gården, Åbo, Finland. At that time Finland still was a part of the kingdom of Sweden. Found on sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net

Ornak, A Folk Art Style Villa - See more of this property at Archdeco.org Ornak, A Folk Art Style Villa - See more of this property at Archdeco.org 3 Ornak, A Folk Art Style Villa - See more of this property at Archdeco.org (2)

Ornak, A Folk Art Style Villa – See more of this property at Archdeco.org

Original Painted Swedish Trunk, Dated 1843 Scandinavian Antiques

Original Painted Swedish Trunk, Dated 1843 Scandinavian Antiques

Antique Original Painted Swedish Mora Grandfather Clock, circa 1842 Scandinavian Antiques

Mora Grandfather Clock, circa 1842 Scandinavian Antiques

Skona Hem Magazine

Sköna hem Magazine

Light Green Painted Swedish Mora Clock Cote Jardin Antiques

Light Green Painted Swedish Mora Clock Cote Jardin Antiques

Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland - Life Beyond Tourism

Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland – Life Beyond Tourism

Fjällbacka, Sweden

Fjällbacka, Sweden

Louis XVI Style Carved & Painted Cane Fauteuils Quality Is Key Ebay

Louis XVI Style Carved & Painted Cane Fauteuils

Seen On Quality Is Key On Ebay

Helen Olsen’s Rungstedlund Home Revealed In Gods & Gardar Magazine

Karen Blixen’s Danish Farm godsochgardar.se

After 17 years in Kenya, Danish author Karen Blixen returned to her childhood home in Rungstedlund, Denmark ‎. The magazine Gods & Gardar reveal the history behind this magnificent property, where Danish elegance meets the drama of Africa.

“It was Karen’s father, Captain and author Wilhelm Dinesen who bought the property in 1879.
Two years later, after his marriage to Ingeborg Westenholz, the couple moved there and had five children, three daughters and two sons. Karen came to stay at Rungstedlund until age 28, except for two periods. The first period was the year the family had to leave Rungstedlund when the farm was restored after a fire in 1898. The second time Karen did Rungstedlund for a long time was when she studied art in Paris.”

“What makes Karen Blixen Rungstedlund so fascinating to visit is that the different rooms reflects two distinct phases of her life. For just as Karen packed some things from Rungstedlund before his trip to Africa, silver candelabras, English porcelain, Bohemian crystal and mahogany furniture, so she brought her most prized possessions, the essence of her Afrikaår, when she moved back to Denmark. On Rungstedlund intermingled memories of Africa still with antique family heirlooms, large carpets, delicate lace curtains, mahogany tables and furniture in the Louis Seize style and a Norwegian Rococo stove from in 1760.”

How To Combine African Elements Into Your Swedish Style

1.  Keep the Architecture Nordic.

It is remarkable that Karen Blixen’s home looks both Scandinavian, and African at the same time.  How did she pull it off?  One of the ways the Scandinavian feel is so clearly evident is in the architecture.  The framed walls are one of the hallmarks of the Nordic style.  You don’t need several thousand dollars to get this look.  One way of doing this is simply by adding some wood trim on the walls.  To get Blixen’s look, spray paint your wood trim with gold paint, and finish it off with gold leaf.

Easy Gold Leafing- French Style Authority

Another way of adding architectural detail to your walls is to paint lines in shapes of boxes.  A post that clearly shows this idea is Lars Sjoberg’s Swedish Gustavian Decorated House.  In this post, you can clearly see lines painted on the walls, which gives the appearance of architectural trim.  Where to start?  If there is a door in the room, or windows, start with the box above the window or door.

2.  Include A Few Moroccan Textures

In the dining area, Karen Blixen uses an area rug with a strong pattern.  In this photo, moroccan floor tiles are used to create an entry way.  The photo is quite close to Nordic design.  A simple white is used on the walls, and the flooring gives this room the edge it needs.  The gilt wood mirror gives this room a polished touch.  An inexpensive way off adding the pattern into the room is to use throw pillows and tablecloths.

Royal Design Studio sells a moroccan stencil in a star diamond pattern.  Consider stenciling your walls in a bright color found in Africa.  Consider placing simple painted furniture with this pattern such as white furniture, or black painted furniture.  With a white and orange pattern, white furniture can still work quite elegantly.  Incorporate pine flooring, and add texture to the walls in natural wood, or metal such as what Karen did with her study.

 

3.  Avoid Clutter.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is  have too many accessories.   Showcase your art, and draw attention to your furniture by having less accessories, and an open floor space.  Even if you jam pack the furniture in, be sure that table tops don’t have dozens of ornaments.  Reduce them, pair down, and donate pieces that simply just don’t work with the overall theme.

4.  Incorporate The Colors Of Africa

The colors of Africa central around earth tones, such as  brown, cream, rich greens, oranges, and reds.  For example, you can work with these colors on the walls such Karen did for her home.  If the dominant colors are the richer colors, consider toning down the room with a few natural wood pieces.  White furniture would provide a rich contrast to the vibrant hues on the walls.  If you choose to go with white walls, consider working with painted furniture, or heavily distressed furniture with the richer colors in the upholstery.  Can you imagine, raw pine wood floors, with a white settee, gold accents, with burgundy upholstery?  Perhaps throw in a rich red chest, and the room can take on the African flavor quickly.  To include the Swedish style, pick upholstery fabrics with sweeping vertical lines, stripes or florals, or a combination of both.

6.  Create A Wall Collection

Karen’s study is an excellent example of a collection that reflects the African culture.  Collect African hand-made pottery, baskets, rugs, swords, plates, knives, but stay away from the masks, or statues which are involved in the ceremonial worship.  Woven baskets are an ancient form of art in African culture. Typically crafted with simple geometric designs, African baskets will vary in design, making them great to decorate with.

Space is one of the main considerations when planning a wall based around objects or collections.  Avoid a crowded or crammed look when using African wall decor, a little can go a long way.  Placing too many items together can look messy, and give the idea that the look isn’t well thought out.  Spacing your pieces, or collecting like objects, like a collection of baskets, or knives pays special attention to individual pieces.

Another designer trick is to place even tones together. Working with the color wheel will give you a great idea of the colors to work with, and those to avoid.  Try to place the same colors, hues or tones together to give a more organized presentation.  Metal, woods, and natural materials work with practically every color, although when working with china, or pottery, it helps to work with the color wheel, when placing items on a painted wall.

The Scottish Country House by James Knox (The Vendome Press, November 2012)

Here we see a look of a rich satured green on the walls, with fishing gear displayed

The Scottish Country House by James Knox

A Swedish tall clock of the Gustavian period which has been professionally scraped to its original blue finish. The movement has been professionally restored and is in working order with both time and strike.

Early 19th Century Painted Swedish Mora Clock- Dated 1827- A Rich Blue Colour which is Original- Beautiful Details

A nice small scaled Danish grandmother’s clock in the 18th century style made during the 1950’s

Swedish Style Traditional Home Magazine

Swedish Style Traditional Home Magazine

African Designer Catherine Raphaely

Medieval Strong Box Ottoman $406

British Plantation Chair $361

Floral Bouquet Pedestal Table $185

Medieval Cross Frame Arm Chair$350

Grand Medallion Crescent Console Table $455

African Designer Karen Roos

Camellia Wall Console Table $229

Chateau Marquee Occasional Fabric Arm Chair $588

Mademoiselle Cezanne’s French Slipper Chair $244

The Beaufort End Table $310

African Designer Maira Koutsoudakis