Patterns of wood

Jun25

In case of not solid wood products that have wooden patterns, the production companies try to help customers with the name which indicates the real wood it was inspired by. The fantasy name commonly has two parts: one of them is the name of the natural wood (e.g. oak), the other one refers to the color (e.g. mocha) but could refer to the origin (e.g. American) or to the surface (e.g. rustic) also. Almost all companies have different products under even the same natural wood name. This way the customer is in a hard situation if he or she would like to have an integrated look in e.g. the kitchen by choosing a laminated floor and countertop with the same pattern.
Let’s see some common types of wood of the temperate zone and their short characterization, without limitation (for raw, untreated surface).
Oak: The color is yellowish brown. The pattern is strong, gives an almost masculine look to the product. It is very durable because of the high tannic acid content. This is the most commonly used wooden material in furniture industry.
Pine: The color is from yellowish white to reddish brown, depends on the species. The pattern is strong, characteristic, nervure is frequently spotted with nodes. It is cheap, easy-to-work with, well stainable.
Beech: The color is reddish white (smoked flesh color). The pattern is homogeneous with hardly visible, soft nervure. It is well-turnable, well-bendable when smoked.
Maple: The color is white, sometimes with yellowish tint. The pattern is equable, soft designed because of the light color. It is sectile without splints, well bleachable and stainable.
Cherry: Reddish brown color which deepens with time. The nervure is decorative, softer than oak. It is well polishable with grinding.
Walnut: The color is greyish brown. Lacquering shows the nervure at the best. It is well carvable. The nervure of walnut root is rich, multicolored and strong. It is exotic, therefore it’s expensive.
If the same pattern and color is important when choosing products with the imitation of wood, it is recommended to take a sample of the existent furniture (e.g. a shelf) or the other chosen sample product to the shop for comparing them.
Ask for help of an interior designer for the perfect accordance.

Greige

May11

Greige (grey+beige) is made by a pinch of brown in grey paint. It works well with either cool or warm color palettes because greige is a perfect neutral color.

Pine furniture

Jan17

Old pine furniture don’t need to be painted anyway. They will have a good effect in adequate surroundings (styles, colors).

Ancient Greek and Roman style

Nov13

The antique Roman and Greek culture was not only dominant in ancient times, but it has returned several times (renaissance, classicism, neo-renaissance, neoclassicism) during the history in interior design also by architecture and arts.
The surviving buildings and household objects show that colors were chosen from neutral, natural palette thanks to the used materials: for example, the white of marble and cream color of limestone. Fabrics were dyed with paint made of herbal, animal and mineral materials. Landscapes and genres were painted directly on the walls. Seating furniture had no upholstery but cushions were already used. Architecture and sculpture served both the sacral, public and private life. Three kinds of columns were characteristic architecture elements: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian. Probably acanthus leaf, volute and meander are the most well-known among decorating motifs. Buildings were decorated with colored decorations and gilding but these wore off during centuries. Floor was frequently covered with small mosaics, floor heating was also used.
The magic of the ancient world can be smuggled into our homes fitting for today’s modern principles also. Wide range of mosaic tiles can be found among pavements. Natural stones can be purchased not only for floor tiles but wall paneling also as ultra thin stone-veneer and stone-wallpaper. Let’s use hollow faux pillars as decorating elements if they fit for the evolving of the flat/house. Furniture decorated with caryatids, antiqued metal accessories (faucets, lamps, handles etc.), white gypsum statues and amphora shaped vases can make our endeavor to this style more accented. Stay with natural combinations of beiges, whites and browns, these can be more luxurious with a tint of gold (for example, golden mosaic decoration in the bathroom). Any bright color will look good with these as additional color.
Ask for help of an interior designer for creating ancient style interior.

My project 14.

Sep27

Designed for a competition: 56 sqm attick flat for a young couple and their 5 years old daughter
More picture here: https://classicinteriors.hu/en/references/21-references/54-references12

Choosing wall paint

May22

Many people make the mistake to fall in love with a color based on a very small sample and later they realize only after the finishing the painting that it is not what they originally wanted.
As far as possible, do not choose a wall paint based on a few square centimeters sample. Especially if it is a printed range of colors and it isn’t produced by using the real paint. Colors depend deeply on the lighting of the room, the paint absorptivity of the surface, number of layers, the surrounding colors etc. Always take home a sample if possible and try it in the room to be painted. Wait until it dries to see the final hue. If we don’t want to paint the wall itself, paint big cardboards (minimum size A3) with the given wallpaint. Stick them at least two walls of the room. Watch how the color changes throughout the day. The morning light is a bit yellowish, the light is always the strongest by noon and it has orange hues late in the afternoon. Orientation also matters a lot, as it depends on when and how long the room receives sunlight. Northern orientation pushes the effects of light to the blue range, western orientation does the same to the orange range. Shadows darken colors and make them greyish. All of these influence the way, how we see the color of the wall paint. Therefore, it is important not to choose colors in the shops under lights of lamps.
Most of the paint factories with permanent color assortment have sample pots for them also. With this, they make the perfect choice easier for the customers. For a small amount, we can prevent a bigger mistake which needs time, work and money to be corrected.
Any color can be mixed in the bigger paint shops and DIY stores in a couple of minutes based on NCS, RAL, Pantone etc. range of colors. Ask for the smallest quantity (commonly 1 liter), it is definitely enough to try the wanted color at home. This way we can be sure if the printed color truly fits for our idea and if we certainly endeavored to this effect.
Ask for help of an interior designer–color adviser for choosing wall paint, because he/she is a professional in harmonizing colors.

Paint palette 11.

Feb3

Warming color palettes for cold winter

Paint palette 10.

Dec27

Soft hues of pastel paint palettes

New England style

Nov18

New Endland style interiors (nature inspired neutral colors combined with white and blue, with nautical ornaments)

Wooden flooring

Aug15

Many people dream of a hardwood floor in their homes. But it’s not easy to navigate through the several names. Let’s see some parameters which probably help in choosing.
Deal flooring is made of pine, the laths are 10-15 cm wide and 3-5 meters long, its sides are slanted. These are laid juxtaposed, offset longwise and fixed to the bolsters. Commonly the surface has the natural color, treated just with lacquer but it can be treated with oil or wax also.
Swedish flooring is different from the previous one that the length of laths is only 1 meter and can be made of tropical wood also.
Tongue and Groove parquet is made of hardwood (e.g. oak, beech), nailed to the counter floor or glued to the concrete bolster. The laths are 4-5 cm wide and 25-50 cm long. Before laying, it is recommended to store them in the room where they will be laid for adjusting to the humidity. The surface is commonly just lacquered. It can be laid in different patterns fitting for the style of the interior (e.g. herring-bone, basket wave).
Strip flooring is made of hardwood, the lath is 15-18 cm wide and 2-4 meters long. It can be laid without nailing or sticking this way it’s easy to take apart and lay down again.
Inlaid parquet is from rectangular or hexagonal sheets, each of them has its own pattern made of different hardwoods. The final pattern of the room’s floor is created by laying them beside each other. The regular sheets have 40-50 cm side length.
Cork flooring is a bit different from the others because it is made of the bark of cork oak tree, so it is a renewable and environmentally friendly material. The sheets are made by pressing the grist. Its pattern is determined by the particle size. It provides excellent heat insulation and sound-absorbing.
Ask for help of an interior designer for choosing wooden flooring fitting for the style of your home and for the size of the room.