Saturday, February 20, 2010

Enfilades....






An enfilade can be a piece of furniture, usually a buffet, with a minimum of four cabinet doors opening to reveal connected compartments in a row.


The Baroque era-Mannheim Palace in Germany

Enfilade(ahn'-fe-lahd) comes from the french verb "enfiler" meaning "to thread" and more commonly refers to a suite of rooms formally aligned with each other.(wikipedia def.) 





This baroque enfilade is from Catherine the Great's Palace -




I love the chinoiserie theme with this enfilade...the design mimics the pattern in the leaded glass windows.


These are the Fine Rooms at Burlington House, part of the Royal Academy of London. They remind me of a set of fired porcelain tea cups with gilded edging.



Enfilades can carry out a larger theme with each doorway varying in detail from the next, note above the doorway how each one has a different motif.

Photo courtesy New York Social Diary


This enfilade leads to the Salon des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) in Versailles.




The Golden Room in the Charlottenburg Palace is an exuberant example of Baroque


Even Marrakech architecture can be defined as enfilade...these windows repeat the pattern




I love how the classical pediments repeat, slightly different from the previous set.


Photo from Ca'Toga

No one "works" the concept of enfilade better than Carlo Marchiori in his home Ca'Toga. Venetian born, he frames the outer doors with replica gondola moorings. Pediments over the door continue with the second set of doors and the story is completed with the hand painted chest and trompe l'oeil curtains and sky with Campanile on the back wall.





As much as I love Baroque art, I must end this with a newer interpretation of an enfilade. It fits the definition perfectly.






Along your travels in life, have you seen an example of an enfilade that made your heart skip a beat? Please share your experiences with me!!

17 comments:

La Dolfina said...

Your blog is a work of art!!!
I just added you to my blogroll... you are a treasure!

Cashon&Co said...

This was really interesting to me, and very informative. It's a term I did not know of before, and I am glad you have taught it to me. Great images too, I like the mix.

Theresa Cheek said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Theresa Cheek said...

thanks girls! It is hard to come up with a topic each week for the blog!

French-Kissed said...

I love the use of the enfilade in both architecture and landscape design, but I had no idea that it had a furniture reference. Thanks for the great education you always provide here. ~jermaine~

Theresa Cheek said...

Jermaine,
I should have included some landscape examples of enfilades! Thanks for stopping by!

Theresa

home before dark said...

If I were to design a home, it would be based on the enfilade. You get wonderful light, a sense of mystery revealed, but mystery just the same. And in landscape an enfilade with perspective is a wonderful trick. You should be very proud of your blog. Any woman who paints all day on scaffolds—with or without great perfume—and still has the energy to create beauty in a different format gets my vote!

La Dolfina said...

Hi Theresa,
I wanted to thank you for stopping by my blog. I wish I could take you to The Harrod's of Junk... I think you could teach me so much, you are amazing!!
Have a peaceful Sunday
~xo

Theresa Cheek said...

HBD-yes. I agree, mystery...it just invites you to enter all those doorways! I always love your comments!

Theresa

Theresa Cheek said...

Thank you Therese...you never know...I might go junk shopping with you some time!

Cashon&Co said...

you must read my post from yesterday, hint hint, sunshine award,hint hint!

Merisi said...

I knew about the effect of rooms aligned with each other, but wouldn't have known that this is called an "enfilade" - thank you for this beautiful lecture!

My favorite is the Mannheim Palace.

While our 1905 apartment is not as grand as that palace, I love how harmonious it feels: It has an L-shaped layout and the rooms are aligned, with tall French doors with eight-glass panes on each side.

Gypsy Purple said...

What a stunning blog you have!!

Regina at Fauxology said...

I always learn so much when I come to your blog plus all the beautiful pictures! ...and I love the one with the graffitti, seriously. Though the chinoiserie...mmm...I digress. See how I get lost in your blog? Wonderful post, Theresa! Now, I'm back to absorb it again... :)

Beth Connolly said...

I have seen several Chinoiserie versions of this and have been putting some together over time for a post. Such a stunning post as always. You always inspire me.

stencil helen said...

And there I was thinking enfilade was a Mexican dish...All wonderful. Wouldn't you just love sock skating down those wonderful spaces?
One of these days I WILL visit Schloss Charlottenburg. Every time I see a photo from there it strenghens my resolve. Have you been?

Theresa Cheek said...

Oh Helen, I have not visited Schloss CHarlottenburg....we can sock skate together through it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Related Posts with Thumbnails