Research On Decor And Furnishings Arts Of Northern Shaanxi Vernacular Dwellings

Northern Shaanxi is located in the north of Shaanxi province, where the Loess plateau,with its distinctive geomorphic features, makes cave dwelling a reasonable option. It bears arich history and cultural landscape, which is the greatest legacy left by the Chineseagricultural civilization.Therefore, except for the high value of scientific research, it also has ahigh cultural value for artistic appreciation. In this study, the characteristics of residentialinterior decor and decorative arts in Northern Shaanxi were analyzed by case study house. Onthis basis, it could be beneficial to provide reference for modern construction andenvironmental design by analysing a variety of decorative elements,which prompts us torescue, preserve, inherit and develop this kind of folk art. The results from this study indicatethe following:(1)The majority of the rural population live in various types of “yaodong”, or cavedwellings. With the rapid growth of China’ economy, most local people tend to choose brickcave dwelling, stone cave dwelling as their houses,especially the cave dwelling. In moderncave dwellings,the form of courtyard space, besides opened yard, the combination of maincave,kitchen,toilet, gate, wall is another common style.(2) The decoration and furnishing of cave dwelling is traditional,which utilizes carve ofvery delicate stone carving, woodcarving, brick model, especially the exquisite stonecarving.In addition, it is designed according to local conditions and local materials,whichperfectly combines artistic folk art form with the practicability.(3) In terms of the interior space, dinning room and Parlor have become the primary partof cave dwelling instead of traditional brick bed.Because of the separation of brick bed fromsitting room,the privacy of others from impeding space is ensured. On top of that, the separate kitchenis moreconvenient for users who need to manage household affairs. As a bathroom is added tothe cave dwelling,the spatial organization of the interior is more reasonable.(4) To compare with the difference between the traditional one and the modern cavedwellings,with the increasing improvement of living standard, the trend of thought in social aesthetics had experienced a great change. A large number of new building decorating andfitting up materials are constantly utilized, such as frosted glass,wallpaper,aluminous gussetplate,door pocket,tile,waist line decorations.In addition, functional diversification of furniturehas been taken into account in modern design.(5) The traditional auspicious culture is also applied to interior decor of cavedwellings,for instance,the design can divide plant, animal, humanness content as well asartifacts. In these patterns,"Happiness"," affluence ","longevity","joy" and "wealth" are keythemes in traditional residences decoration, which implies the profound connotation ofChinese attitude towards auspiciousness.(6) There are three kinds of contribution to form the uniquely decorative style of cavedwellings inNorthern Shaanxi. First, integral form of cave dwellings employs the style of traditionaldesign for references. Modern decorative materials and crafts is combined with traditionalexternal appearance. Second,detailed constructions and patterns can be the focal point andmakes the whole design more elegant. Third,it introduces and refines multiple decorativeelements,which embodies the essence of “spirit similarity” as well as “form similarity”.