With 2012 marking a century since the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, many eyes are looking fondly back through design archives, looking to re-acquire the magic of Titanic. The White star Line giant was constructed primarily in the shipyards of Belfast, Ireland and housed some of the most spectacular interiors in history. Itself taking influences from many design eras including Jacobean, Louis XVI, Louis XV, Georgian and Queen Anne, the Titanic style is now becoming a hot trend for Interiors of 2012. Though achieving the magnificence of Titanic to a smaller budget and within the limitations of a family home may seem somewhat daunting, it is none the less achievable.
The key to taking inspiration from historical influences is not to create a replica of the style, but to take flavours of the era and fuse these with more contemporary elements. To cover your 8ft x 10ft dining room in wall to wall, floor to ceiling mahogany panelling with hand carved detailing in homage to the first class smoking room would not work. But taking the principles of the colour palette, displaying a print from the era or opting for a titanic inspired lighting theme may be more successful.
As always, I’m looking at bringing a little Titanic glory into the bedroom design. For anybody who has seen the 1997 blockbuster of the ships sinking, you may remember the labyrinth of rooms which Rose and Hal occupied on the maiden voyage. I think the film portrays a fairly accurate example of first class accommodation and its worth examining for inspiration.
Though many of Titanic’s rooms were panelled to recreate opulent stately home-style décor, this is not really practical for modern home design as most homes don’t have rooms of the correct dimensions to allow this to work. But achieving a panelled look can be easily achieved by applying MDF panels and dado detailing to a single wall. Rather than dominating the space in a Mahogany stain, opt for a more neutral colour like Taupe or Stone. This way, you are adding architectural detailing without distracting from other elements. Keep it simple and make the panelling proportionate to the room, with simplistic moulding rather than an over embellished cornice.
Wallpaper was a real luxury of the early 20th century and some designs are being revampted for the modern market. Little Greene have some reproduction wallpaper prints which have been tweaked but are heavily based on original designs. The 1915 Marlborough design is a few years late for Titanic but certainly contains the right elements. Alternatively, the Rococco design by Cole & Son would work perfectly. Again, I prefer the muted greys, taupe and cream designs where the pattern design is subtle as I find the design is more impressive when subdued.
Lighting is another key element – spotlights & halogens are a no go on this one – instead look for creating a more intimate lighting scheme to create a quiet romantic air. For a contemporary take, use low hung pendant lighting for bedside illumination rather than table lamps, keeping your nightstand free and uncluttered.
Finally onto the Furniture and accessories: I think that if you have kept with a fairly neutral colour scheme up to now, opting for richer furniture and bold colours will pay off to complete the titanic vibe. Don’t be afraid to mix styles – the more dramatic the better. Graham & Green have lots of gorgeous pieces which take inspiration from early 20th Century design. If you’re after detailed dark wood items, Stokers are also a good place to look for Bedsteads and Nightstands with a huge selection to choose from. In Accessories and staging, I love the idea of having three staggered mirrors like these Lucille Mirrors – they’re decorative and have an eclectic vibe and I can imagine being dolled up in full Dinner Attire and using these to get the full 360 of an outfit.
So there you go – Titanic style in bite sized pieces. Here is my take on using titanic influence within bedroom design, hope you like!
M x
