Tinder

Nov21

The weather is permanently cold, it’s time to light the fireplace. Campfire is increasingly needed during the time spent outdoors. It’s not so easy with bigger logs or in wet weather, flammable tool might be needed. This can be made DIY, even from simple materials found at home.
Pine cones are frequently gathered during touring, mainly if there is a child in the family. Attach a piece of wick to it and dip into melted wax using a clamp. Choose a color wax fit to the home, since many kinds of them can be purchased. Pine cones in different colors piled in a box will look very good near the fireplace.
Put muffin baking paper fit into the cake-tin. Fill it up to three-quarters with flammable materials, for example chopped paper or sawdust. Thrust the wick into it. Add dried color berries and pine branches to it for making it more spectacular. Pour melted wax in it and wait until it gets completely cold. Store them in a small basket or on a tray.
One of the simplest ways of making tinder is to hold thin branches, shredded papers and redolent dried herbs (e.g. lavender, rosemary) together and roll them up in a nice tissue paper or cake lace (paper too) and tie them with raffia or twine. Pay attention that the latter one shouldn’t contain any plastic. This is a bit rustic in style but the upshot will be very showy also.
Let’s recycle the toilette paper roll. Fill it with chopped cork, cram clean cotton fabric, e.g. cotton wool, in both sides, to not spill the fillings out. Wrap it in color paper like a Christmas fondant which will light very easy. This can be Christmas patterned for the perfect harmony with the feasts.
The empty egg carton is a perfect tinder-material because it is made of paper. Put cotton wool or makeup removing cotton ball in every cells of it. Fill it with sawdust, chopped paper or dry leaves. Don’t forget the wick also. Pour melted wax on it. When it gets cold, chop the carton up to have separate tinder. These can be stored even in an old metal egg basket.
An interior designer might help in this topic with more ideas.

TV2 interview

Oct11

My interview by interior design series “Szépítők” of TV2 can be seen on this link. It starts right after the short introduction.
https://tv2.hu/musoraink/szepitok/245440_csokkentheto-a-lakashitel-osszege.html

Sundials

Sep29

Sundial is a typical classic garden decoration

Bar carts

Jul26

Bar carts are in fashion again, even in unusual functions

Bulbs

Jul24

Bulbs have to be separately purchased when buying lamps. The manufacturer shows some details of the recommended bulbs on the box of the lamp. However, there are features which have to be chosen by us. In a classic interior, the lighting has to be fit, so its accessories have to be chosen with care.
Threaded socket has two types: E27 (27 mm diameter) and E14 (14 mm diameter). Implicitly, only one of them fits for a given lamp.
The performance of the bulb is defined in Watt. The manufacturer displays instructions on the box maximizing the performance of the used bulb. Ordinary bulbs are between 40 and100 W, compact fluorescent lights are 5-20 W and LED bulbs are 0,5-15 W.
Flux (Lumen) is not given, we have to decide about it. This means, how strong the light of the bulb is. Bigger value means bigger flux.
Color temperature is also displayed on the box of every bulbs. It is given in Kelvin. The sunlight is about 5000 K, which is definitely cool light. Choose much warmer bulbs at home or else the output will be too rigid. The warm white light is 2700-3000 K, natural white is 3500-4000 K and the cold white is above 4500 K.
The shape of the bulbs is also important. For example, candle shaped bulbs should be chosen for a classic chandelier without lampshades. They can be purchased in opalescent white finish also. Spiral, energy-saving bulbs can be placed in chandeliers with opaque, closed bells. These need about 30-60 seconds from turning on to reach full light. If the lamp has open lampshades, choose bulbs fit inside the shade. Classic type bulbs can be purchased in LED version as well. The lifetime of these is longer.
So called Edison bulbs form a separate category. The filament is perfectly visible through the glass after turning it on. Its flux is low, it is suitable only for mood lighting. The color of its light is yellowish orange.
Specialists can always help, but it can be entrusted to the interior designer also.

Hammocks

Jul7

Decorative hammocks for a comfortable afternoon nap

Wall clocks

May3

The good wall clock not only functional but fits perfectly into the style of the interior

Papier maché

Mar6

Papier maché was a serious technology of interior design in the 19th century. The meaning of the French phrase is chewed paper. Henry Clay spread it in Europe who recognized its possibility in 1722.
Paper-pulp was made by a cooking method in France in the 18th century, to which glue was added and the mix was poured into molds. However, with Clay’s technique, large paper sheets were glued together on the surface of a pre-made frame and the air was pressed out of it after every 2-3 layers. The edges were cut, it was dipped into linseed oil and put into a hot oven (think in industrial sizes of course). More layers were applied on it after this, until the desired thickness was reached. The surface of the ready piece was grinded then the whole was dipped into linseed oil again and baked for several hours. This way it became not only hard and sturdy but waterproof also. Theodore Jennens patented a procedure when these pieces could be curved in forms by steaming and pressing.
Papier maché objects were produced until the beginning of the 1900s: faux-columns, backs of chairs, headboards, trays, sewing boxes, ink stands, table tops, snuffboxes, doors of coaches, toys, picture frames etc. This was a much cheaper solution for moldings, rosettes and wall panels than if the pieces were made of gypsum or wood. The surfaces of household objects were mostly lacquered black (perhaps red or dark green) and decorated with paint (flowers, birds) or mother of pearl inlay, sometimes they were gilded instead of lacquering. At the first glance, these masterpieces couldn’t be determined that they weren’t made of wood.
The original papier maché pieces are very valuable today and sought after by collectors.

Patchwork, quilt, appliqué

Feb6

Patchwork is a popular type of needlework also nowadays. Its origin is rooted probably in poverty, anything should be reused if possible. The good parts of old, used clothes and household textiles were cut into pieces and sewn to each other again. They were used to make bedspreads and pillowcases.
The patches are cut in geometric shapes (triangle, square, pentagonal, hexagonal) for combining and joining them easily. The small pieces are sewn to bigger parts, so called blocks, these blocks are joined to create the ready product. There are variable formed patterns which have their own name (e.g. Ohio Star, Windmill, Log Cabin). The patterns and colors of the fabrics used give the real charm of the blankets.
The handmade old pieces are very valuable. Making patchwork became much more easy with the spread of sewing machines. It is so popular because it can be made anywhere, even when travelling on a bus. Many artifacts prove that mankind was doing similar recycling techniques throughout history. It really spread in the 18th-19th century thanks to the American settlers. It was a status symbol in the Victorian era, what quality of fabrics were used for making patchworks by women (they didn’t use old clothes) because purchasing printed cottons could be afforded only by the wealthy. Making patchwork became a hobby and a nice pastime after the World War II. Nowadays there are pattern books, starting kits and courses in the topic almost anywhere.
Quilt is a blanket which has three layers (top layer, filling, back side) and these are fixed to each other with decorating sewing (quilting). Sewing is done on the whole surface, this gives the pattern. The top layer can be a patchwork also. In this case, quilting is done to highlight the pattern of the patchwork.
The third patch-technique is appliqué. Cut fabric pieces are sewn on a fabric base with continuously turning their edges below. The pattern here is made not from geometrical shapes but is already cut out of the material of choice. This can be sewn only by hand, not by machine. This can be combined with the two previous techniques.
Some patchwork blankets can be perfect decoration elements in a bedroom or living room. If you would like to make/buy some showy pieces, ask for help of an interior designer for the choice.

Pop of colors

Jan16

In an interior furnished with neutral colors (blacks, whites, beiges, browns, greys and creams) colors might also be needed to refresh the sight and make it happier. Any of the interior design elements can be applied using color or even more colors at the same time. These colors can harmonize with, or strengthen each other. Let’s be brave for reaching the desired effect and choose not only pastel, but saturated and bolder hues. These color elements will attract the eye and function as focal points, so they should be decorative. What has to be considered: how costly and / or time consuming will it be to replace these if the taste changes or getting tired of the present colors just selected.
The most easily changeable elements are for example cushions, pictures, vases, bedspread, smaller decorating objects and cut flowers. It’s not a problem to buy a new one if another color is desired. The pop of color can be taken through the whole flat but they don’t rule the rooms.
Curtains and carpets show the bold color on much larger surfaces, so we have to be braver for this. Changing them is more costly and requires attention. The color lamps might be very showy but they are more expensive than the „common” products.
Maybe the most decorative solution is highlighting upholstered furniture with this method. Choose a classic shaped, timeless piece which looks good in any color. The focal point can be the sofa and armchairs in the living room, chairs in the dining room and upholstered headboard in the bedroom. The reupholstering can be done anytime by a professional.
Repainting color corpus-furniture (bookcase, chest of drawers, night table, kitchen-island etc.) is time-consuming and costly if the present color is tired of. However, it is worth to choose this solution, because the result will be more spectacular than bringing color in the room only with simple accessories. Old pieces can be resurrected by painting too. The real brave can paint the inner doors to the chosen color also.
Color tiles for bathroom decor tiling or kitchen backsplash should be chosen only if it is sure that this is a long lasting choice. Changing this takes a lot of work and a big mess. Placing color household devices into a monochrome kitchen or bathroom is also a spectacular solution, however it is costly too.
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the right pop of color and the implementation.