Wicker furniture

Jul23

Wicker furniture are present in the homes of mankind for thousands of years. They came in fashion often in modern times and disappeared again. Nowadays this type of furniture is referred with furnishing of gardens and patios. In old times, they could be found in the homes of peasants just as in the castles of the nobles – in a different way of course.
The name above is a summary of products made of floral materials with handmade weaving technique. Several plants are used for this purpose: willow twig, rush, bamboo, sisal (seagrass), rattan, cane. All of them are well paintable and warnishable, this way the not so old, boring pieces can be easily renewed. Basically, there are two groups of wicker furniture: the whole piece was made by this technique or only the back/seat is woven filling the frame. The latter can be found among classic English and French furniture as well as in simple pieces made by the Shakers. This type of furnishing became popular again thanks to the penetration of shabby chic and country styles.
When buying wicker furniture, prefer the ones made of natural materials instead of fake made of plastic. Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper pieces.

Antique-vintage-retro

Jul16

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.

Suitcases

Jul9

Summer holiday begins with packing all the needed stuff in the suitcases. This happened the same way in old times also, but suitcases looked a bit different. They had no wheels, pull-out handles and combination locks. They were frequently made of leather/faux-leather with propping only in their frames. Box-like, inflexible-sided versions were popular too, which looked like very big briefcases. Quality pieces of old times often served a lifetime. They were even inherited through generations laying in attics or used as storages. In lucky case they had stickers of the visited towns on their sides. If we would like to keep these old pieces but use them also, give them a new life by transforming them to our needs.
Separate the two equal part of the suitcase at the hinges. Make a wooden brace frame created by a carpenter (if that is a flexible-sided suitcase, it needs a brace there too). Place two shelves in it, so that a computer can be fitted in. The ventilation and attaching cables are guaranteed because it is open in the front and the back also. Fix four small legs on the bottom. Leave the original handle, locks and other parts on it, these are great decorating elements. It will look good placed beside the desk in a classic or even in an industrial interior.
Our pets deserve comfortable lairs, but those in shops are quite expensive. The old suitcase can be good for this purpose also with a little fantasy. Open the cover in right angle. Fix it in this position on both sides with braces. Drill four holes on the bottom for screwing the legs. Upholster a custom-cut foam or a big cushion with the desired (washable) fabric. Put it in the lower part of the suitcase, but it should cover the screws of the legs. We can pad the upper part too but if the lining remains visible, it will look very good also. There will be enough space even for our pet’s toys. This is a stylish lair for dogs and cats.
Suitcases can get a new life as wall shelves also. Cut into two parts lengthwise the closed, inflexible-sided suitcase. This way handle will be on one side, the hinges on the other. Fix it on the wall by a pre-drilled console, but the console should be hidden by it. Another solution: drill the suitcase on the wall uprightly. This way the wall cabinet has a sidelong opening „door” that can serve as a mini bar or a medicine cabinet.
Pile up several suitcases (if they are not inflexible-sided, they should be filled with e.g. polystyrene bricks). Reaching the desired height it will be a perfect night table. We can make a night table from one piece only if we fix long legs to the laid suitcase. The inflexible-sided variation is a much more practical choice for this.
Of course, antique suitcases will be showy using them as „only” storage boxes. Ask for help of an interior designer for more ideas.

Mauve

Jul4

Mauve is a soft shade of purple, it contains lots of grey and a tint of pink

Small summer house

Jun29

The rare-used, small summer house can be stylish, cosy and comfortable also

Fried Castle Hotel

Jun22

Fried Castle Hotel Simontornya through the eyes of the guest (2016)

Rococo

Jun4

Rococo came to be in France at the beginning of the 18th century and was popular until the 1780s. The origin of the name is the word rocaille which is a mix of pebbles, cement and seashells. The new style was a kind of rebellion against the rigidity of Baroque. The nobles desired more free, playful and more decorated surroundings after the death of Louis XIV. It culminated under the reign of Louis XV., in which his lover, Madame Pompadour had a great role also.
Rococo is actually a decorating style. Everything was decorated with carvings and gypsum decors, mostly gilded. There were twisty vine scrolls, flower and fruit garlands, C and S volutes, shell motifs around pictures/mirrors, on furniture (especially on console tables, commodes and tables), on the walls of the rooms and also on the ceiling. Genres came in fashion in painting which reflected the idealized thoughts and desires of the nobles about the world (e.g. A. Watteau, F. Boucher). Slightly looser themes weren’t taboos anymore at all, not only mythological figures were depicted without clothes and/or in piquant settings. Toile de Jouy pattern visualized the pastoral idyll which was „born” in that time. Chinoiserie was an important part of Rococo also which brought the far Eastern culture in the royal courts. Furniture was lacquered, decorated with painted scenes, ormolu and inlays became popular. Colors were muted, white and pastel shades were fashionable. Thanks to the formation of the European porcelain producing, miniature statues and figures appeared. These were placed on the mantelpiece or console table as decorating elements. Their theme was joy or love. There were many lace trimmings, ribbons, bows and embroideries on the clothes, powdered wigs and gloves were important accessories. The institution of salon appeared where the chosen companionship gathered and lived a vivid intellectual life. Rococo style gave a special surrounding for this.
From today’s point of view, Rococo might be a bit „too much”. However, it can be replaced into today’s interiors also with holding in the amount of gildings and decorations and handling the main features as only examples. Ask for help of an interior designer for this.

Parquetry patterns

May28

The history of parquet flooring goes back to the Renaissance. The wooden floor tiles were laid in V-shape since the middle of the 16th century. The two oldest patterns are herringbone and chevron. These are the most popular today also but they are frequently mixed up.
Reputedly herringbone patterned parquetry was first laid by Italian craftsmen in 1539 for the French king Francis I. In this classic pattern, the pieces are in right angle so that the short side of one piece gets to the end of the other’s long side. Actually they show a zigzag pattern but its line is broken.
However, there are pointed peaks in chevron pattern (named after the V-shaped rank sign), this way the chock-shape is created. The pieces are cut in mitter, the ends are joined this way, so the pattern will be continuous. Nowadays ready-made floor and wall tiles are available.
The two patterns mentioned above are frequent not only as floor but as wall decorations also. They can be created from wall tiles (e.g. subway tiles), floor tiles or even vinyl flooring, not only from wood parquetry. They look good both in classic and modern interiors.
Luckily, parquetry is fashionable again, more and more people want to save the old wooden flooring of the building being renovated. It is really worth to spend money and time for it unless it is in too bad condition, since it will be beautiful and valuable part of the interior. It will look as good as new with gap-filling, grinding and lacquering (probably changing its color by burnishing).
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper patterns.

Hiding TV cables

May16

How to hide mounted TV cables by building instead of wrecking

Dark brown furniture

May7

Light, painted furniture are more and more fashionable nowadays thanks to the popularity of shabby chic, vintage and country styles. Most of us immediately think of painting the antique and inherited dark(er) brown furniture to make them fit in the white, grey or cream interior where only the very light shades of wood are used for furnishing. But old pieces can be fitted in a stylish way without painting them, in their original pomp.
A showy piece of furniture can be a real focal point in a fashionable „white” interior. In fact, the dark color doesn’t fade into the view, on the contrary, it strikes the eye and underlines the light surroundings. So it’s expedient to choose a beautiful or a valuable piece of furniture which we gladly show to our guest also.
Using an antique piece will show a much more integrated view where the floor is made of darker wood. We can unite the sight by brown picture frames, upholstered chairs with dark legs, antique brass/black lamps, dark stair railing – depending on the purpose of the room.
Pastel colors (light blue, light green, powder etc.) used by the styles mentioned above don’t preclude placing dark, even lacquered furniture in the room. Naturally this is true in case of any color hue, if the colors of the furniture and the room are matched. If the surrounding remains light (proper lighting), the upshot will be truly sophisticated and invitingly cozy.
Really dark painted walls are braver but more and more frequent solutions in homes. An inherited piece of furniture can prevail here, in its original condition. If we choose a cold shade of color, for example dark blue, dark grey or even black, the piece of furniture will mark out from it by not only its lighter shades but its warm brown surface contrasting with the cold color of the walls. Maybe this results a more masculine style, but the coziness remains.
If we are doubtless sure of painting it white, it’s worth of combining them: leave some parts of the furniture in original color, namely dark brown. This can be the top of it in case of a chest of drawers, the tabletop of a table but any other combination looks good. This way we can show its beauty beside integrating it in its surroundings.
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing the proper antique furniture.