Odi et Amo: Wave on Wave

Friday, May 6, 2011

Wave on Wave

Tobi Fairley's Arkansas home is featured in this month's Traditional Home. While I'd seen many of the rooms before via her online portfolio, I was still excited to see one of my favorite designers featured -- and to see a few "new to me" rooms. Her entryway, with its bold black and white wallpaper is certainly a stunner, but it's actually the Vitruvian scroll molding on the stairs that really caught my attention. What's more, I knew I'd seen it recently in House Beautiful....

With its softer, cooler color palette, this dining room by John Howard (Phoebe Howard's husband) is just about a complete 180 from Fairley's bold entryway, and yet the pattern works just as beautifully here as a subtle nod to the North Carolina home's beach locale.

While the motif has traditionally appeared on architectural friezes, there's no need to restrict the pattern to hard surfaces. In this living room, Katie Ridder creates architecture and movement with draperies edged in Vitruvian srcoll trim.

Want to know more? The pattern is a classic -- literally -- and you'll find it featured prominently on Greco-Roman buildings and mosaics dating back thousands of years. The name Vitruvian Scroll is for Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, a first century B.C.E. Roman architect whose book De Architectura was immensely popular during the Renaissance. And yet, despite its antiquity, the pattern (like greek key, the angular variant of the same scroll motif, which I waxed poetic about HERE) still feels modern and fresh to me. The soft curves of the Vitruvian scroll, however, reads as more feminine, more sensuous. And, since it's not experiencing quite the same level of popularity right now as greek key, it also reads as a bit more unusual.

14 comments:

elizabeth@themustardceiling said...: All of these rooms are absolutely stunning! My favorite is the dramatic black and white entry way. Have a lovely weekend.; May 6, 2011 at 6:08 PM
Anne said...: You know what I love? I love that you busted out the Classical Civ in this post. LOVE. <3; May 6, 2011 at 6:08 PM
Kathysue said...: The first time I saw the wave patterned used was on a trip to North Carolin beach on Emerald Isle and the historical home had it on the stairway and I loved it and thought how perfect for a seaside village home. Kathysue; May 6, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Happiness Is... said...: I thought this was going to be about Pat Green :)
(assuming that's where you got the title anyway!); May 6, 2011 at 7:18 PM
Averill said...: Yes! The title is from the Pat Green song...love it!; May 6, 2011 at 8:27 PM
Karena said...: Averill beautiful examples.I love the Vitruvian Scroll.

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena; May 6, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Liz @ It's Great To Be Home said...: I love the examples you chose, and it's always cool to learn where these designs come from. Thanks for sharing!; May 7, 2011 at 8:29 AM
Doug Davis said...: love these images...and the Pat Green reference :); May 8, 2011 at 2:54 PM
Unknown said...: I have had an obsession with wave scrolls on stairs like these for ages...LOVE that you featured them here! And, now off to read your adorable baby update!xx; May 9, 2011 at 6:23 AM
Mary said...: So interesting! I never knew what this pattern was called. I have worn a silver ring for the last ten years that is inlayed with this pattern. I've had several people ask me what it means, and I just exclaimed that I liked it because it reminds me of ocean waves!; May 10, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Connie @ Sogni e Sorrisi said...: Love those blue curtains!; May 12, 2011 at 8:30 AM
Laminate Flooring said...: I love these photos and the floors on them, very creative.; May 16, 2011 at 10:22 AM
Christy said...: I'm catching up on my blog reading and just had to chime in that the curtains in the living room here are exquisite. I LOVE them. Fab post!; May 23, 2011 at 8:15 AM
Erica said...: It's always cool to learn where these designs come from. Thanks for sharing!

Homeowner Insurance Policy; July 12, 2011 at 6:27 AM