Elements in design: Cartouche...
Cartouche... now that's a word that sounds vulgar, doesn't it? Maybe something Freddy Mercury would have shouted to the audience. For the Egyptians, it was an artistic impression or a plaque and not to be confused with dental plaque. In architecture, it's often a medallion with a bunch of scrolly shit surrounding it.Why the blog?
I'm doing cabinets for a 7 bedroom house that consists of kitchen rework, bar, butlers pantry, laundry, closets and bathrooms. They want to salvage an old wall unit that's floor to ceiling and bout 20 feet long. It's adorned with lots of carvings and cartouches on the doors and panels. Personally, I think it's hideous, grossly outdated and needs to be torn out and replaced.
I wasn't asked to price a replacement. I was asked to remove the cartouches, modify doors and panels and overlap a panel to front mount a 55 inch TV that was designed for 42 inches. No can do. I graciously declined as I have no manpower talented enough to do a miracle.
In a former life, I've transformed basic square niches into 'dome style' cartouche units for statues or waterfalls. Those scrolly things were made from fiberglass and purchased in the right size to fit the openings. The end result would have been called 'timeless' but they had no idea that two generations later, everything would be contemporary.
I'm not expecting that style to come back any time soon.
Comments (2)
What one sees is definitely not what ones gets these days. All fake.