Saturday, May 26, 2007

Periods In Furniture

PERIODS in interiors, the chairs and beds covered with woven materials in rich colors and leopard skins thrown over chairs, the carpets of a woven palm-fiber and mats of the same, which were used as seats.

Early Egyptian rooms were beautiful in line because simple; never crowded with superfluous furnishings. It is amusing to see on the very earliest bas-reliefs Egyptian belles and beaux reclining against what we know to-day as Empire rolls, seen also on beds in old French prints of the fourteenth century. Who knows, even with the Egyptians this may have been a revived style!

One talks of new notes in color scheme. The Bakst thing was being done in Assyria, 700 B.C.! Sir George Green proved it when he opened up six rooms of a king's palace and found the walls all done in horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green! Also, he states that each entrance had the same number of pilasters. Oh wise Assyrian King and truly neutral, if as is supposed, those rooms were for his six wives!

In furniture, the epoch-making styles have been those showing line, and if decorated, then only with such decorations as were subservient to line; pure Greek and purest Roman, Gothic and early Renaissance, the best of the Louis, Directoire and First Empire, Chippendale, Adam, Sheraton and Heppelwhite.

The bad styles are those where ornamentations envelop and conceal line as in late Renaissance, the Italian Rococo, the Portuguese Barrocco (baroque), the curving and contorted degenerate forms of Louis XIV and XV and the Victorian all examples of the same thing, i. e.: perfect line achieved, acclaimed, flattered, losing its head and going to the bad in extravagant exuberance of over-ornamentation.

There is a psychic connection between the outline of furniture and the inline of man.

Perfect line, chaste ornamentation, the elimination of the superfluous was the result of the Greek idea of restraint self-control in all things and in all expression. The immense authority of the lawmakers enforced simple austerity as the right and only setting for the daily life of an Athenian, worthy of the name.

There were exceptions, but as a rule all citizens, regardless of their wealth and station, had impressed upon them the civic obligation to express their taste for the beautiful, in the erecting of public buildings in their city of Athens, monuments of perfect art, by God-like artists, Phidias, Apelles, and Praxiteles.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Bathroom Furniture

By Ken Marlborough

A luxurious master bath has become a necessity for today's homeowners, Today, real furniture--pieces normally seen in the living room or library--is giving bathroom design a whole new look. The bathroom is being converted into a personal retreat by expanding the size of bathrooms and adding whirlpools and more decorative fixtures. The master bathroom or luxury bathroom can include a toilet, bidet, two sinks, separate tub and shower, whirpool or spa and perhaps more. The half bathroom has a sink and toilet only. The full bathroom includes toilet, sink, and combination tub/shower plumbed along one wall. The small bathroom includes a corner shower stall, toilet and sink, while the children’s bathroom can be a three-quarter bathroom or full bathroom.

The best way to unwind from the day is to have a soothing shower or warm soak in the tub, with candles and relaxing music. Master baths include luxury items such as see-through fireplaces, mini-refrigerators, exercise equipment, saunas and televisions to create a gracious and pampering living space.

Bathroom furniture and a separate shower and bathtub are emerging as hot items in today's bathrooms. The above-counter sink, which serves as a sink as well as displayed art, is also seen in modern bathrooms. Modern bathrooms are nowadays decorated with vintage furniture also. Vintage pieces are being used as vanities or for more decorative purposes, such as a towel rack or sitting chairs. Stainless steel is also being used in everything from the sink, to the medicine chest to the bathtub and shower walls. Faucets and spigots, as well as tubs and toilets, are available in a variety of shapes and materials. Fixtures come in colors like bone, biscuit or white. The most popular finish for faucets is chrome with soft brass accents. Today's bathrooms boast artistic and aesthetic sink and vanity areas, with hand-blown glass and vessel sinks gaining in popularity.

Bathroom Furniture provides detailed information on Bathroom Furniture, Bathroom Storage Furniture, Contemporary Bathroom Furniture, Wicker Bathroom Furniture and more. Bathroom Furniture is affiliated with Bathroom Vanity Sinks.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

French Furniture

The classic periods in were those known as Francis I, Henry II and the three Louis,XIV, XV, and XVI. One can get an idea of all French periods in furnishing by visiting the collection in Paris belonging to the government, "Mobilier National," in the new wing of the Louvre.

It is always necessary to consult political history in order to understand artistic invasions. Turn to it now and you will find that Charles VIII of France held Naples for two years (1495-6), and when he went home took with him Italian artists to decorate his palaces. Read on and find that later Henry II married Catherine de Medici and loved Diane de Poitiers, and that, fortunately for France, both his queen and his mistress were patronesses of the arts. So France bloomed in the sunshine of royal favor and Greek influence, as few countries ever had.

Fontainebleau (begun by Francis I) was the first of a chain of French royal palaces, all monuments without and within, to a picturesque system of monarchy, Kings who could do no wrong, wafting scepters over powerless subjects, whose toil produced Art in the form of architecture, cabinetmaking, tapestry weaving, mural decoration, unrivalled porcelain, exquisitely wrought silver and gold plate, silks, lovely as flower gardens (showing the "pomegranate" and "vase" patterns) and velvets like the skies! And for what? Did these things represent the wise planning of wise monarchs for dependent subjects?

We know better, for it is only in modern times that simple living and small incomes have achieved surroundings of artistic beauty and comfort. The marvels of interior decoration during the classic French periods were created for kings and their queens, mistresses and favored courtiers.

Diane de Poitiers wished perhaps only dreamed and an epoch-making art project was born. Madame du Barry admired and made her own the since famous du Barry rose color, and the Sevres porcelain factories reproduced it for her. But how to produce this particular illusive shade of deep, purplish-pink became a forgotten art, when the seductive person of the king's mistress was no more.

If you would learn all there is to know concerning the sixteenth century furnishings in France read Edmund Bonneffe's "Sixteenth Century Furniture."

It was the Henry II interior decoration and architecture which first showed the Renaissance of pure line and classic proportion, followed by the never-failing reaction from the simple line to the undulating over-ornate when decoration repeated the elaboration of the most luxurious, licentious periods of the past.

One has but to walk through the royal palaces of France to see French history beguilingly illustrated, in a series of volumes open to all, the pages of which are vibrant with the names and personalities of men and women who will always live in history as products of an age of great culture and art.

The Louis XIV, XV and XVI periods in furniture are all related. Rare brocades, flowered and in stripes, bronze mounts as garlands, bow-
Knots and rosettes, on intricate inlaying, mark their common relationship. The story of these periods is that gradually decoration becomes over-elaborated and in the end dominates the Greek outline,

The three Louis mark a succession of great periods. Louis XIV, though beautiful at its best, is of the three the most ornate and is characterized in its worst stage by the extremely bowed (cabriole) legs of the furniture, ludicrously suggestive of certain debauched courtiers who surrounded the Grande Monarch.

Louis XV legs show a curve, also, but no longer the stodgy, squat cabriole of the overfed gallant. Instead we are entranced by an ethereal grace and lightness of movement in every line and decoration. Here cabriole means but a courtly knee swiftly bending to salute some beauty's hand. So subtly waving is the curving outline of this furniture that one scarcely knows where it begins or ends, and it is the same with the decorations exquisitely delicate waving traceries of vines and flora, gold on gold, inlay, or paint in delicate tones.

All this gives to the Louis XV period supremacy over Louis XVI, whose round, grooved, tapering straight legs, one tires of more quickly, although fine gold and lovely paint make this type winning and beloved.



Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Livingroom Furniture

can be some of the most essential pieces of furniture that can be found in anyone's home. This is probably due to the fact that when you have visiting company, they will spend the most time in your living room. You want to make sure that the living room furniture which you decide to buy will make them feel at home. So, what types of living room furniture should you decide to have? Well, while there are a variety of different choices for you to select from, there are several pieces of living room furniture which are essential to any home. Here, we will take a closer look at some of these pieces of furniture. Read on to find out more.

One of the most important pieces of living room furniture which should be found in any living room is something for you and your guests to sit on. Some of the most common options include sofas, loveseats and ottomans. If you are looking for a unique option, you may even want to consider a daybed and a rocking chair.

Typically, the style of seating which you decide to choose for your living room will depend on a number of different factors. Mainly, however, it will depend on you and what you are the most interested in. It also will probably depend on what the style of your homes are and the themes of your rooms. If the rest of your living room is done in a country-style theme, you may want to consider choosing a rocking chair. If your home is a modern-style apartment or condo, you may want to decide to choose a daybed. The most important thing to realize is that your options are endless.

Another piece of living room furniture which is very important to have in any living room is some sort of table. Some of the types of tables which you can decide to choose as living room furniture include end tables or coffee tables. There are several different benefits that are associated with having a table as a piece of your living room furniture. For starters, it can help you stay organized by providing you with an area to place things. Another one of the benefits is the fact that it tends to enhance the appearance of living rooms.

If you are interested in keeping everything in your living room a bit more organized, one type of living room furniture which you should be sure to consider is a television armoire. You may also recognize this piece of living room furniture by the name of "television center." It is a place where you will be able to keep your television and anything else that you may have (e.g. dvd players, vcr's, etc.). It will also provide you with a bookshelf where you can decide to keep either movies, books or other objects. If you are looking for a modern place to keep your television set, you should definitely be sure to consider a television armoire or television center.

As you can see, there are a variety of different types of living room furniture which is important to have in any home.

Samantha Clark heads consumer reviews at http://www.dealsdepot.com.au/ One of the web's most popular Online Shopping sites.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Childreen Furniture

Personalised is one way to make truly one of a kind pieces for your child. Even if you are not artistic, this process can be simple, fun, easy and you and your child will be thrilled at the results. Perhaps you have been avoiding doing any personalising of the furniture because you are concerned that it is too difficult. If this is the case, try some of the simple suggestions below:
* At a craft store buy the unfinished wooden letters that spell out your child’s name. Using their favorite colors, paint the letters either solid colors or make patterns. After painting finish with a clear coat of varnish to add sheen. Glue the letters using a hot glue gun or wood glue onto the surface of mirror frames, dressers or headboards.
* Wooden cut out designs or silhouettes can be painted and added to any piece of furniture. Pick designs that reflect your child’s hobbies or interests. If they are sports fans team logos, favorite players numbers or other team images can be used.
* Stenciling is an easy way to become an instant artist. Simply purchase a stencil that your child likes, and then, using a stencil glue, spray the back of the stencil. Press it gently against the surface you wish to stencil on. Using a stencil brush, gently fill in the stencil area with the desired colors. Carefully remove the stencil by pulling straight off the surface.
* For many young girls glass “gems” and other silver or gold looking flat beads add style and fashion to mirror edges or picture frames. This look is simple and will only require the items to be added with a hot glue gun. Children can help but will need supervision and should not use the glue gun themselves.
* Art wire can also be used to add details. It can be twisted or twirled to make a pattern across the furniture and then glued on with a glue gun or other spray type adhesive.
* Geometric patterns can be used to personalize items. Simply pick a shape or two and paint them onto the surface. It is great to use contrasting colors and outline the shapes in black to really make them stand out.
* Small inch-by-inch tiles can be used to make a patterned headboard, dresser top or table top for your child’s room. Use colors that are favorites to personalize the furniture. Patterns can be made by simply placing different colored tiles on the surface. It is a good idea to lay out the tiles first before gluing them to the furniture so that any changes that need to be made can be easily done.
* Pictures of the child or the family can be placed on a tabletop or desk area and then covered with a layer of plexiglass or glass. The cover can then be attached to the table or desk with clamps. The great advantage of using clamps is that they can be easily removed and the pictures changed as the child ages or as new photos become available.Personalising your child’s furniture is a fun and easy activity that anyone can do. Children often have great ideas about how to decorate their furniture, and enjoy working together with the family to create one of a kind items for their room.