Cooling refreshments

Keep cool refreshments prepared for the garden party

Antique-vintage-retro

The following three words are commonly used in interior design and related books. Sometimes still it’s not obvious when to use which.
Antique: marker of furniture, objects of art, or artisanship older than 100 years, independently of style. Its age, originality, condition, the manufacturer and rarity is important for collectors (full collection in case of a set). A restoration gives them back their original pomp.
Vintage: marker of objects that are younger than 100 but older than 15 years, concerning rather to their condition than age. It is a classification of strongly used, shabby surfaced furniture and household objects which marks even a style. It means rethought, reused, modified/renewed objects also. Giving vintage look to a new object is a distinct genre. It is not equivalent with the shabby chic style.
Retro: marker of household and decoration objects of years from the 50s to (presently) the 80s. Their age is old „only”. It is also a marker of objects that are new but made look like in the style or shapes of this era. Collectors are motivated by nostalgia and emotional bondage but of course originality and condition are also important. Retro has a pejorative meaning, “out of fashion”.
In case of uncertainty, ask for help of a professional dating an object.

Hiding TV cables

May16

How to hide mounted TV cables by building instead of wrecking

My project 20.

Apr13

I recently finished the interior design plan of this living room for a kind couple. The room is 22 sqm and has bedroom function too. The request was to freshen and make it cosier by keeping the sofa set and day-bed. The owner fell in love with this type of wardrobe-set, so the main task were choosing the proper elements, planning the furniture set and custom-made ordering. The wallpaper took a bold decision. Finally I found one of which had fine color to made elegant background for the furniture. It is a block apartment, so stripes help heighten the room and mouldings complete the view. The light turquoise of accessories and fabrics is perfect for offsetting the shades of brown. The chosen furniure set did not contain the proper coffee table, finally I found one in an auction website, perfect in style and color. I had to solve the storage of remembrancers, books and TV.
More photos: http://classicinteriors.hu/en/references/21-references/59-references14

Toilett paper

Apr11

If you don’t want to drill into the tile or fresh painted wall, chose a free standing toilett paper holder

Clocks

Mar12

Measuring of time was always important for mankind. First apart from natural phenomena (standing of the Sun, Moon and stars) there was no other possibility for this. As mankind evolved technically, a demand arose for some mechanism which can measure elapsed time more precisely. Various solutions followed each-other during the history (sundial, sand-glass, candle clock, water clock etc.) until the clocks as we know them today. Of course, they have several types also, they can be grouped variously (for example: method of displaying, portability, mechanics used). The clock in interior design has decorating role besides functionality.
Antique grandfather clocks are real rarity in Hungary. These are big, furniture like pendulum clocks with wooden cover, with glass protected dial and a glass window through which the pendulum can be seen. The Scandinavian Gustave-style uses them frequently as focal points. The wooden parts are commonly painted to color typical of the style (white, off-white, grey, light blue). Usually the original brown color of the wood is kept in Anglo-Saxon countries, varnished or maybe burnished. Mantel clock, as its name indicates, was placed on the mantelpiece in old times. The full stand construction is its main feature. Its cover can be wood, stone, metal or combination of these. Usually its dial is also covered with glass. Frequently this type is combined with a statue. Put simply, it has common characteristics with table clocks.
Wall clock is one of the most popular types. It can be various: with pendulum, cuckoo, consoled etc. The colors and shapes are very diversified, just like sizes. It can become a focal point easily but it may fade into the surroundings if this is the aim. It doesn’t have to be opened, put out, turned around, we just look at it and go on.
Alarm clock is a special type of table clocks. As the name indicates, it is used firstly in the bedroom. However nowadays mobile phones are beginning to displace them in our homes. It’s sure, that nobody stayed sleep beside the old type of alarm with a pendulum between two bells. 🙂
If the rules of Feng Shui should be applied, it always has to be paid attention to make them show the exact time – whatever kind of clock it is. If it is late, hastens or stops in spite of regular winding, changing batteries or repairing, it rather has to be changed.
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper accessories also.

Cakestand painting

Mar7

The product of Farrow&Ball cakestand painting workshop. Used painting: Farrow’s Cream. (Last picture is the starting object)

Real leather

Mar5

Real leather is present in homes since the prehistoric ages. First, it was used only as clothes and blankets, but later, when the quality of finish became finer, it was used for many other purposes. Nowadays leather is used as upholstery and carpet in interior design, although there are several other usages of it which make the interior more interesting. If the aim is creating a masculine home, this is more accentual.
Several factories sell handles made of or covered with leather. Seam made by contrasting stiches conjures the required piece to a decorating motif. It is a fine detail on a kitchen cabinet, for example.
Sound-proofing was resolved in libraries of old houses by thick leather-covered padding on the inner side of the door, because frequently it was the home office too. Leather covered doors were often decorated with quilting or buttoning. This elegant solution is applied in modern times also, for example in managers’ offices. Even if there is no need for sound-proofing, let’s evoke this tradition, because it gives unique mood for our home office too.
Anno top of the desks were covered by leather as well. Paper couldn’t slip while writing viz. high-gloss lacquer and varnish resulted a quite slippery surface and leather was more comfortable for the elbow also. These kinds of desks can be bought in firms producing classic furniture.
We can still find household and decoration objects in variations covered by leather. It is not only natural and elegant material but long-lasting too. Some examples without limitation: storage boxes, letter-opener knife, handle of magnifier, artisan pictures, coaster.
Nowadays faux-leather wall panels are more and more fashionable in homes, as an eye candy first of all. It is applicable behind TVs for hiding wires but holds on as hallway peg-wall and bedside wall covering because of its easy-clean feature. If somebody doesn’t like plastic at home, can order them made of real leather because these are always produced in unique sizes.
Ask for help of an interior designer for furnishing your home, even if you cling to a certain material.