WHAT IS AMERICANA?
Brass eagles & braided rugs? Windsor chairs & painted cabinets? Or is it anything done with a proud red, white, and blue color scheme? To ring in the Fourth of July holiday week, I’m exploring summer-ready design inspiration from the heartland.
Typing into my laptop in Brooklyn, it can feel inauthentic to champion the quaint, rural-inspired themes of Americana. I feel slightly embarrassed by the cheesy earnestness of our home-grown whimsy. But what better way to create a unique sense-of-place than to embrace an un-cool choice? If Americana is about craft, practicality, and optimism, I think we can all connect with that.
| FAVORITE EXAMPLES |
Americana aesthetics have come in and out of fashion over the years. Above are some of my favorite red, white, & blue interiors from the 19th & 20th century:
Truman Capote’s famously-cluttered Brooklyn apartment is patterned & quilted & red all over.
Wharton Escherick’s masterpiece studio is a testament to individual style and what one person can build with his own hands over a lifetime.
NYC’s own colonial manor, the Van Cortlandt House, juxtaposes bold color with rustic furnishings.
Overt 1970s patriotic kitsch from the pages of the Ethan Allen catalog, courtesy of Pam Kueber’s delightful blog.
GET FOLKSY
Ever since I attended the annual antiques event, The Winter Show in January, I’ve been thinking about the special exhibit “Focus: Americana.” It featured objects from dealers who specialize in folk art, and included a discussion on collecting – which you can watch here.
If antiques are about story-telling, these dealers’ collections are a treasure trove! Check out the online catalogs from some of the Winter Show exhibitors below to discover things you didn’t know you needed from Kelly Kinzle, Robert Young, and Olde Hope.
Dabble in Americana with our rouge, blanc, & bleu palette.
From left to right: Ondulé in Cornflower; Alpine Tulip in Red Sky; Megaflora in Tomato; Houndstooth in Blazer Blue; Bernini’s Bees in Blazer Blue.
