Style: Contemporary
Origin: Italy
Region of Popularity: Europe and America
The Louis XV style marks the period when various European artists and designers began to break free from the dominance of classical antiquity and move toward creating an almost independent style. During this era, fully enclosed chairs, with sides connected to the backrest, were introduced. An additional cushion was also added to ensure maximum comfort, and alongside this, the art of wood painting flourished. Bronze ornamentation also became a significant feature of Louis XV style furniture.
The Louis XVI style emerged with the reign of Louis XVI, bringing noticeable changes to furniture design and giving rise to one of the most beautiful and refined styles of Europe’s past, especially in France—a style whose elegance is often credited to the French queen, Marie Antoinette.
One of the key characteristics of the Louis XVI style is the spiral turning of chair, sofa, and table legs. In addition, painting wood in light colors such as white, pistachio, and light gray was introduced in this period, while gold remained a hallmark for more luxurious pieces. Artisans of the time sought to perfect furniture and decorative details. The invention of large rectangular glass display cabinets also dates back to this era, providing special compartments for displaying valuable objects in aristocratic salons.
With the onset of major European revolutions, interior decoration and furniture making saw a decline. Craftsmen began shifting toward simplicity. The Neoclassical style, a branch of the contemporary movement in the 18th century, emerged as a reaction to Rococo and Baroque styles. Instead of merely reusing fragments of ancient classical buildings, it focused on the overall logic and harmony of the period. While Rococo architecture was characterized by elaborate, asymmetrical ornamentation, Neoclassicism emphasized simplicity and smooth wall surfaces.
In Iran, Western-inspired architectural elements first appeared during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah in the late 19th century, symbolizing modernity and influencing local architecture. Today, neoclassical architecture is recognized as “new classical” design. Neoclassical ornamentation is flatter and often framed within decorative borders. Notable features of this style include clean, orderly lines and a neat, simplified appearance.
The design of this chair combines elements of Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Neoclassicism, drawing inspiration from the famous Louis—or oval-back—chair. In the Paniz chair, the legs are slightly thicker and simpler but adorned with decorative grooves to provide better stability and support.
The Louis chair itself belongs to the Baroque period and Louis XV’s reign. From this era onward, the opulence typical of French royalty began to wane. Neoclassicism at that time preserved the grandeur but favored more masculine proportions, reducing the level of delicacy. The hallmark of Louis XV furniture was the use of curves, a practice that had begun under Louis XIV. Slanted and curved lines appeared at the tops of pieces, clearly visible in the joint structures connecting the backrest of the Louis chair.
Common colors in this style include deep red, green, burnt brown, yellow, ivory, cream, and beige, often complemented by neutral tones like gray and silver to enhance the visual appeal of interiors.
The forms and patterns in this style are rooted in the humanist ideals of the Renaissance. Regardless of the correctness of these ideas, they introduced new approaches and solutions for human life, which can be seen in the designs, color combinations, and lighting of this style. Unlike classical décor, which favors static and heavy forms, this style uses shapes that convey movement and vitality. Its furniture often features curved legs, elaborate classical forms, and ornate wood carvings on woods like oak and walnut, combined with fabric upholstery and metal accents. In some cases, furniture colors contrast with the dominant color of the room, creating greater visual impact.
The Paniz chair, inspired by the above descriptions and modeled after the famous Louis chair, presents a refined design with the same backrest-to-frame joints, maintaining balanced proportions and curved forms. The backrest is slightly elongated, and delicate embellishments have been added to the frame, giving it a more distinctive and elegant look. The removal of the seat frame helps simplify and modernize the design, making it more suited to contemporary spaces. The front of the seat, inspired by Rococo curves, offers a graceful blend of Baroque and Rococo elements.
The Paniz banquet chair, similarly inspired by the Louis chair, retains the signature curved joints between the backrest and frame, with slightly elongated proportions and fine decorative details on the frame, enhancing its elegance and distinctiveness.
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