Bringing Different Cultures Into Your Home

It wasn't until the late nineteenth century that the British upper class started to really explore the vast and cultured continent that surrounded them. Even then, travelling was something only done by people with money. While many early travellers complained about their experiences (mostly out of snobbery), others relished in the adventures they had and brought home pieces of the places they'd been to prove their interest, wealth, and educated taste. Moreover, it is claimed that much of the British upper class were appalled by the ugliness of Victorian Britain and felt that they could incorporate the beauty of other parts of the world into it. They would therefore collect textiles from the places they'd been, take note of the styles in which they were displayed and reinvent them in their own British homes.

Frederick Leighton, one of Queen Victoria's favourite painters, was a prime example of this type of traveller. His home, which has been preserved and remains a historic building in London, is an example of that. In it he created an Arab hall comprised of fabulous tiles, a gold painted ceiling, rugs and benches done in traditional Middle Eastern style. He had a collection of ceramics dished that decorated the walls of his dining room where Queen Victoria would occasionally dine. They have since been auctioned off.

In addition to textiles, doors are a popular item to transport from foreign countries and decorate a house with. Doors can be used for their original purpose; they can be reused as tables, or even partitions like screens. Some of the most famous doors around the world include those of the Baptistery in Florence, Italy, or of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia, or those on the Getty Tomb in Chicago. People travel far and wide to stand in front of doors like these. But it is also possible to find the most amazing antique doors sold in Indian markets, for instance, for a lot less money than you would imagine. Bringing doors back to your home and making something out of them is not unlike what Frederick Leighton did over one hundred and fifty years ago.

Designing a creative door canopy might be just what your door needs to really stand out. While most people nowadays opt for standard metal door canopies, those looking for something that makes more of a statement tend to go for fabric, wood, or stainless steel. The advantage of fabric is that it can twist and turn in a variety of ways, thereby creating some very cool designs; the advantage of wood is that it can be carved or crossed to create unusual patterns, and stainless steel- well it's just cool the way it rusts and bends.


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Fabric Architecture Ltd has been specialising in the design, engineering, manufacture and installation of tensile fabric structures since 1984. Learn more about Door Canopies at www.fabricarchitecture.com/featured-canopy