Trend Report 2020: Ancient Greece, Classicism & Mythology
Moodboard: My Own
I felt so inspired revisiting the stunning interiors of Villa Kerylos while putting together my research on Beautiful Historic Villas on the French Riviera. I was reminded how truly beautiful it is and quite fascinated by how many aspects of Ancient Greek design are still popular today. Incorporating Greco-Roman influenced art and architecture into interiors has been one of the most significant emerging design trends in homeware and accessories I have seen this year.
Villa Kerylos is an example of Ancient Greek design in its’ purest form - built using original plans from the island of Delos in the year 2 BC, its’ architect and owner worked with extensive archaeology archives to painstakingly recreate a truly authentic space. The Michael Aiduss Collection for Houlès Paris (heritage brand of dreams) is a series of fabric trims inspired by the Villa Kérylos in the South of France.
Ancient Greece, Mythology and Classicism have long inspired architecture and design - from the major Greek Revival period (think palatial 19th Century American homes with temple-style facades and imposing columns) to Versace’s adoption of the Medusa head in the 90s when Greek key motifs adorned everything from bath mats to jewellery. While studying textile design in the late 80s, my mum based her final year (award winning!) project on the intricate designs of Ancient Greek coins.
Arguably the style has never really gone away, interpreted in new ways through each decade. Relentless demand for timeless marble and really beautiful unique pieces of stone in the home, as well as the bevelled edging and details on many kitchen cabinet fronts, are all heavily influenced by the Greek Revival Style. The resurgence of details like plaster wall and ceiling rosettes and dramatic feature lighting being favoured over spot lights again too.
From the rich, darker wall colours and maximalism of the past few years, soft neutral tones (off whites, mushrooms and taupes) have also made a comeback, with a return to simpler lines (perhaps most obviously exemplified by the current popularity of Matisse-inspired prints and line-drawings as wall art). As jaded as we are by La Vie en 2020, who can blame us for diving headlong into the distant past.
This year so far has seen a fresh and more playful take on classicism, with tongue in cheek references to traditional busts, organic forms inspired by the curves of the body and ironically literal interpretations of the theme, like the column vases seen in Ferm Living’s Muses or the Greek collection by HK Living. Handmade ceramics are a really, really big deal at the moment. The effects of lockdown have accelerated an already growing collective desire to bring nature into the home; reframing houseplants as hobbies and bouquets as self-care.
Few are more playful with greco-roman history than Central Saint Martins Alumnus Luke Edward Hall , whose whimsical, exuberant prints and bold use of colour belie hugely sophisticated interiors full of rich texture and tongue-in-cheek detail. His broad portfolio of fabrics, artwork, stationary, furniture pieces and prints are celebrated in his debut book Greco Disco: The Art & Design of Luke Edward Hall published by TeNeus earlier this year. Edward Hall’s first large scale interior design project, 33-bedroom Hotel Les Deux Gares in Paris will open this Autumn and I cannot wait.
I am also quite obsessed with Liv & Dom Ceramics - the eponymous brand of identical twins, ceramicists and illustrators based in Lewes. Their pretty, functional pieces centre around the female form, like the miniature nude dishess, Vesta Nude painting & The Venus Candlestick pictured above. Greek interior accessories brand Sophia also create contemporary pieces in bold colours based on classical busts and elaborate cornicing, printed with quotes from Aristotle and Socrates. I also love their striking cobalt tableware including plates inspired by the Minotaur’s labyrinth.
So if, like me, you go weak at the knees for a Klismos Chair and a stunning, veiny slab of marble, here are a few Greek-Inspired pieces I’ve curated to bring this trend into your own space…
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