This post looks at Ellen M. Plante’s Introduction to the book Cottage Living: Creating Comfortable Country Retreats (2000). In this introduction, Plante looks initially at the imagery the word cottage conjures, describing ‘warmth and unsurpassable charm’ (plant, 2000). Abstracting these two ideas, and looking first at warmth, this can refer to a number of aspects. Firstly, it can denote warmth of colour. The colour wheel below indicates the warm and cold colour palette allowing us to identify these colours.
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(D'Elena 2011) |
The warm colour palette stems from red and yellow, these being the primary warm colours. There are many theories on the subject of colour, and one theory examined by Rudolf Steiner that is particularly relevant here is his theory of colour representation. In his book Colour (1996), he looks at colour in terms of time, stating that ‘the warm side of the spectrum (red) [is] connected with the past, the chemical side (blue) with the future' (Steiner, 1996). Cottages are often associated with the past, and so this connection supports Plante’s image of warmth. This research into colour could be used to construct a concept, looking at ways of demonstrating the past through colour.
Warmth could also be looked at in terms of physical warmth. An open fire, and cosy blankets both symbolise warmth, and both can be associated with a cottage interior. The house I am looking to design has two open fires, and so one direction may be to look at the connection of physical warmth, and colour warmth.
Returning to Plante’s original quote, ‘charm’ is the second abstraction to be looked at. The Oxford English Dictionary defines charm as ‘an attractive or alluring characteristic or feature’, and so Plante’s use of this word refers to the look of the cottage. As a designer, the appearance of the final design is central to the designs success, and so attractiveness to the client is already a key feature.
After looking at the dictionary definition of the cottage, Plante then examines the connection between the cottage and the lifestyle it implies, interpreting this into design and decoration. Lifestyle is an important aspect in relation to interior design, as it is a weighty consideration throughout the development stage. My own observation of the space I am re-designing (in a previous post), aimed to explore the lifestyle of my client, in order to produce a design that would suit them. Plante’s generalisation of cottage design ‘gracious and unpretentious, free from any formal constraints… a free-form approach to outfitting a snug and cozy home’ (Plante, 2000) does not consider the personal needs of a client. This indicates that the text is aimed at someone looking to gain an overview of cottage design. The title of the book, Cottage Living: Creating Comfortable Country Retreats however indicates a different audience, one looking to imitate a country cottage style. Providing the reader with this impersonal generalisation therefore does not address the personal needs of a client. My review of this text however is to gain an initial idea of the cottage interior, and what it values, so this exclusion of personal needs will not affect my design, which will look much more closely at what the client requires.
Throughout the text, Plante begins to look at the evolution of the cottage providing a historical background. Looking at the original cottages she describe these as being ‘practical and economical types of housing’ (Plante, 2000). The relevance this statement has in today’s design world is huge, as there is an increasing emphasis on economical housing, and a continuing emphasis on the practicality of design in the professional industry. This text not only touches on a mainstream matter, but also has specific relevance to my project, evidencing that these cottage were the ‘inspiration for the ones built in the 1800’s’ (Plante, 2000), the time period in which my client’s property was built. Although the property bears more resemblance to a house than a cottage, this information indicates that research into early country cottages would be beneficial, looking at the style and design, and how the country connects with the cottage.
Plante also identifies the development of the country cottage, looking at how it changed but observing that main characteristics such as the hearth being the ‘home’s focal point’ (Plante, 2000), and the use small family rooms has been maintained throughout the development. In the drawing room of the client’s house, a large stone fireplace and hearth form the focal point of the room, indicating that this already links the house to the original cottage style. The significance of this is that interiors were very much connected with the countryside, the main focal point of my project.
Another relevant source within this text is a section titled Cottage Living Today. In this Plante looks at how cottages will often contain lots of windows, another feature in my client’s house. Plante indicates that the reason for this is to incorporate the natural beauty of the outdoors. In my brief, I made a note of the view from each window, and Plante’s description of a window being used to incorporate and take advantage of the view, has inspired the idea of the view feeding into the design of the room.
Plante concludes the introduction with a section titled Decorating Your Cottage. Within this she contemplates celebrating ‘the beauty of the open countryside’ (Plante, 2000). Her application of the countryside within this section emphasises the importance and the relevance that this has in cottage design, and has inspired further research into the physical use of the countryside in interiors. This research will be carried out in subsequent posts.
Post Bibliography
Plante, E. 2000. Cottage Living: Creating Comfortable Country Retreats. Barnes & Noble Publishing
Steiner, R. and Salter, J. and Wehrle, P. 1996. Colour. Rudolf Steiner Press
D'Elena, M. 2010. The Human Body Has Warm And Cold. Life Balancing Issues. [Blog] 2 Novemeber, Available at: http://iameverywhere.posterous.com/?tag=cold. [Accessed: 10th October 2011]
