Flower decorations

Jan30

Flower decoration always makes a cheerful mood in the home. We can bring in the nature to our home with it.
The most effective way is to use seasonal flowers for decoration, this way the actual season can be seen in the interior also without the need of complicated changes. The cut flowers can be put in a jar covered with color paper or fabric, in an old metal kettle or those with shorter stems in a decorative mug or glass also. If the present bouquet is wilting, untie it and place the flowers one by one in soft drink or beer bottles which are already washed. The sight will be stronger using color bottles if they are rowed on the mantelshelf, dining table or windowsill. The flowers with soft stem can be strengthen with a thin green wire rolled over the stem, this way they will keep their poise. Let’s cut off the flat or smaller flower heads (campanula, daisy, marigold etc.) at their base: they will be a nice table centerpiece putting in a glass bowl full of water, even combined with floating candles. Inner doors can be decorated with door wreaths as well. Potted succulents, ornamental cabbages and topiaries fit to every interior thanks to their moderated colors.
In case of some flowers, care should be taken to the stamens because pollen can stain the cloth under the vase. For example: lily or tulip. Lily never should be put in the room of a pregnant lady, an ill person or babies because its strong fragrance might cause headache or feeling of sickness. On the contrary, the fragrance of lavender and chamomile not only calming but they are perfect moth hunters also.
Instead of flowers, catkins and budded branches can be collected in spring, grasses and big leaves in summer and berried branches or color leaves in autumn. In winter, the patio, the place around the front door or the garden itself can be decorated by frozen flower heads or berries in ice. Only an ice cube tray and water are needed for this. They freeze in the freezer in an hour or two. Put in a pyramid, they will be vivid dash of colors on the top of the outdoor table, under the bold trees or near the stairs. Ice wreath can be made in the same way in a tube-pan. The ready pieces should be tied with a ribbon on the branches of trees, the garden gate or the stair-rail.
If you wish a classy flower decoration in your home, ask for help of a style adviser for implementing your ideas.

New Year’s Eve

Jan27

New Year’s Eve is the time of the year’s greatest parties. Let’s spend the first minutes of the New Year with our friends and – as we did it in the whole year – let’s celebrate in a classical stylish way.
Decorate our home with the help of golden, silver, white and black colors to make it invitingly friendly but glittering at the same time. Almost everything can be a decorating element which is made of metal, glass, mirror or crystal. The most important job is setting the table. The golden framed dinner set, the crystal goblet set and the white damask tablecloth provide a proper base. Let’s use the globe Christmas ornaments also: put them in a glass bowl or vase, it will be a perfect table centerpiece. Sprinkle bigger beads or decor pebbles on the tablecloth to reflect the lights of the candles even more. Write the New Year’s number on the top of the cakes. Bows made of wired ribbons can be tied on the candles, necks of the bottles of champagne, at the bottom of the cake stand etc. Decorate the dresser, the mantelpiece and console table for example with old clocks, black top hat, golden/silver/black masks and branches sprayed with glittering paint. Fill a large, slightly deep bowl with water, sprinkle glittering confetti in it and place sparklers inserted in plasticine, so the latter shouldn’t be visible. It will be a wonderful sight at midnight. Hang serpentines, bead-festoons and garlands from the ceiling, stair-rail and chandeliers. Stick the letters of Happy New Year on black or white balloons and tie them in row on the rail, above the door or on the curtain rod. Let’s buy glittering napkins, cocktail sticks and straws for the buffet after midnight. Color punches should be kept in metal bowls instead of glass. Don’t forget the flower decoration also: white rose, white poinsettia and white amaryllis greatly fit for the New Year’s Eve mood.
If a more colorful but still elegant solution is desired, use shiny blue, turquoise or purple instead of black.
If you would like your friends to remember your party for a long time, ask for help of a style-adviser for the preparations.

Grey

Jan26

Who says that grey is unfeatured and boring?

Red

Jan18

Red is one of the three elementary colors. The most striking member of the color wheel, that’s why it is beloved by many people. Its complementary is green.
As a physiological effect, red increases blood pressure, has exciting effect on nervous system, fasten metabolism, it’s activating effect increases vitality but causes stress and makes one nervous at the same time. It is the most noticeable at daylight. We associate to love, sexuality, fire, blood and war by it. It means danger and prohibition in symbolism, that’s why it is used for danger signals in traffic. It is frequently used at groups of disaster protection and healthcare companies, just think about Red Cross and fire departments. In old times red was one of the most expensive clothes dyes which was made of cochineals or dye-murexes, thus only the rich could afford it, so it was connected with wealth also (e.g. carmine edged togas of ancient Romans, robes of the cardinals). The red lamp quarter got this name not by chance also.
Red has the most intensive narrowing effect among warm colors, that’s why we feel the room in this color much smaller. It is a food-color, so fits well for dining room and kitchen but it can be used in home office too because of its stimulative effect. Many people paint the walls of their bedroom red because it is the color of love. But this is not a good solution for a long term, it causes sleep disorders and nervous tension. The bedroom should be calming, if red is desired to bring in anyway, it shouldn’t be seen from bed. For example, lay a red carpet, paint red only the wall behind the bed, put a bedspread or cushions on the bed which will be put away before sleeping. Handle it cautiously anyhow, because it is a very intrusive and aggressive color. Use it rather on accessories or as a focal point at home. Its strength can be blunted with white or cream. It looks very good in combination with black, dark brown or grey. Its deeper tones are more elegant, for example claret or burgundy red. These were frequently used as background color for gilded framed paintings as a gallery.
Feng Shui assigns red to fire element. It is the color of Jang, the male side. It belongs to the 1st chakra (root). This is the color of good luck in China.
It is used by very dashing, fast-expanding, mass-producing companies in business life as color of their logos or products. It comes into view immediately on the shelves of the shops or in the advertisements.
It’s not an easy task to create a real elegant red interior, so ask for help of an interior designer-color adviser already for planning!

Shaker style

Jan6

The shakers are a religious community established in the 18th century. The members moved from England to North America. They are famous about their love of peace, puritanism and the equality between the genders.
Shaker style is simple, practical and thrifty. All household objects are produced by themselves. Forms are determined by function. Ornamentation hardly used, if they do, they are most often the heart, hand and star motif. Paints are made of natural materials. Most characteristic colors are rust brown, aquamarine, ocher, sage green, claret and beige. Most of the fabrics used are made of wool, cotton or linen, which are simple and monochrome textiles, sometimes with a small chequered pattern. From warn fabrics they sew patchwork blankets or rag rugs.
Furnitures are simple, wooden ones. Door panels of wardrobes have frame insert structure. Ladder backed chairs can be hanged up when out of use. They make wall-mounted hangers on which almost anything can be hung securely. Also characteristic item is the thin sheet box, which has a round or oval shape and requires high skills to prepare.
The function and simplicity oriented way of thinking of shakers can be actual even todays modern world. Kitchen furnishing in shaker style can be a definitive element of classic or rural style kitchens. Placing some shaker storage boxes can decorate a work room, living room or bathroom. Using their color palette we can realize a warm, friendly interior with natural feeling.
Ask an interior designer to help implementing shaker style in your home.

Pictures

Jan3

When decorating our home, walls are important issue. The simplest way is hanging paintings on them. But what can we do if we cannot afford really expensive paintings in our classic style apartment or house?
First possible solution is using empty frames. We can purchase several, decorative old frames in different sizes (e.g.: blondel or Florentin style) in the same color. They can be placed on the walls together, visually acting like several pieces of one artwork. Symmetry is not a perquisite; they should only look nice together. Don’t be afraid to repaint the less valuable frames if required.
Remaining wallpaper or fabrics can be also used for decoration. Cut them into the frames best fitting to the interior, and hang them up covered with glass. Since the same wallpaper or fabric already has been used at another point of the flat, the view will be reflected making the space much more organic. Old newspapers, handworks, nice wrappers, postcards, dried flowers or maps also can be framed such a way.
If we have the talent for painting, we can create some paintings ourselves as well. Defined topic or expression form are not required, the essence is the color harmony with the style of the room. We can paint even single stripes, squares or patches. With the proper frame, we can get a perfect DIY accessory.
Family photos are also available for decorating a classic interior. Have your favourite photos being processed in black and white or sepia, not to disturb the mood of the room with their bright colors. Montages can be assembled from them fitting into a bigger frame, or they can be arranged in several different smaller frames side by side, covering a larger surface.
Nowdays many companies provide large scale, quality printing of any picture. We can chose photos from their database that are fitting to our home. There is a huge selection of color, theme, size as well and they even offer framing too as a service. Blind framed canvas print is also an available solution. Ask help from an interior designer for the selection of pictures, paintings fitting perfectly to your home.

Tea time

Jan2

The accessories of a calming five o’clock tea party

Halloween

Dec29

Halloween is originated from an ancient Celtic tradition. It is believed that on this night the spirits are able to cross the frontier between the world of the living and the dead. This religious belief turned to the fooling fun known today. It has a long tradition mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries, but by now it has spread almost all over the world.
Most emblematic signs of Halloween are the engraved pumpkin lamp, the black cat, the witch, the bat, the ghost and practically anything that can be frightening. The main colors are orange, black and white. In Hungary, the children’s bagging for candy is not usual, but there are several costume parties for this season and the houses, flats are being decorated.
There are Halloween decorations available for our classic style home as well. Instead of laughing face, let’s carve geometric signs or traditional motifs. Placing in a candle, it projects nice patterns on the wall. Bouquets made of orange and white flowers can be inserted in a vase covered by black paper or fabric. Let’s place a flat dish on the table full of small pumpkins and some glass dishes filled with orange and black candies. By applying candle holders on the mantel, at the steps edge and the top of the commode etc, the whole apartment can be filled by mood lighting. (Always be aware of safety!) Cut out some Halloween motifs from the proper colored cardboard and fix them with plasticine glue on the corner of mirrors, windows, cabinet doors. If we call guests for dinner, the tableware can be also special: choose plates with the colors of Halloween, even combined. A plain, white dish can be decorated with orange napkins and black napkin rings. Instead of sitting cards, small flags displaying the names of the guests can be inserted into an apple and placed on the plate. The door decoration also should be changed to the season.
If you have no idea for classy Halloween decoration, ask help from an interior designer.

Victorian style

Dec26

Victorian style was named after Queen Victoria (1819-1901) reigning for 64 years. Her happy marriage with Prince Albert and her strong personality determined the whole British society of the time.
The most characteristic features of Victorian style are family-centeredness, morals and home comfort. The wealth of the middle class became better, this way not only the nobility could afford to have a big house or buy expensive goods. Mass production appeared also which provided the purchasing of cheaper but quality materials and accessories (e.g. porcelain, upholstery fabrics).
Homes were transferred for protection of private life. Bedroom became a private area. The guests were received in the saloon, library or boudoir. Richly patterned curtains and carpets decorated the rooms, seating furniture had soft upholsteries and were comfortable. Women liked to make decorating objects by their own hands (e.g. bird nest and flower compositions, water-color paintings, needle-works, silhouettes), what’s more, decoupage, namely covering furniture and household objects with color pieces of papers, became fashionable also. The rooms were cluttered with furniture for providing to all the members of the family to find the favorite place. Fireplace provided the heating, gas lamps were used for lighting. Children commonly had a separated floor (mostly in the attic) where they could sleep and play. Family portraiture appeared in painting. Employing servants wasn’t the privilege of the nobility anymore. The servants had their place in a separate wing or in the basement, far from the life of the house, just as the serving rooms (kitchen, pantry, laundry). Hygiene became important also, although only a few houses had separate bathrooms but there was a washing cabinet with bowl and jug in every bedroom. The bathtub was also placed in the bedroom at the front of the fireplace for bathing. At this time the English flush toilet was widespread.
The World Exhibition in 1851 helped a lot to the trade of the country. People could meet the household and decorating objects and habits of remote lands. Later the Arts and Crafts movement brought back the golden age of handmade and unique products. Garden and gardening got an important role which was used for showing the wealth also. In terms of this, exotic plants and rare fruits were grown (e.g. pineapple, rhododendron). A kitchen garden was a must. Gothic had a revival in architecture and architectural elements.
This era has many beautiful features in style which create classic values and beauty in the modern society also. Use the help of an interior designer for creating a unique Victorian effect interior.

Orange

Dec23

Orange is derived from mixing two primary colors, red and yellow. By this, we call it a secondary color. This is considered to be the funniest color. It has no cold hue. Blue is its complementary.
At physiologic effect, orange is relaxing and irritant at the same time. Increases appetite and creativity, it has positive effect on sexuality and human relations. In symbolism, orange is associated to strength, endurance, happiness and youth. We associate to fire, sunset, autumn, fruits by it.
It replaces red perfectly. Energizing without increasing blood pressure. While striking color, doesn’t dominate fully its surroundings and not so provocatively irritating than red. It includes the fun of yellow and the feeling of sunshine also. A soil color, frequently used in interior design for vitalizing spaces decorated with other soil colors. We can use it bravely in living room, dining room, duller shades in child room or bedroom. Combining with crème and brown, it can be weakened, resulting and elegant interior. As warm colors generally, it also narrows the space feeling. Vivid hues are perfect for tropical or Mediterranean interiors.
In feng-shui, orange is the color of the male side (Jang). Assigned to the 2nd chakra (sex).
In business world, many designers chose this color for catching attention or highlighting, since it is not aggressive. Used frequently for advertising of food and toy manufacturers.
Using too much of orange can also be depressing. For implementing a cozy, classic interior in orange, ask help from an interior designer.