Interior Design - Ceramic Tile Trend: Big and Beautiful
Written by ARAcontent
Sunday, 02 September 2007
(ARA) – The history of ceramic tiles can be traced back to the 11th Century from Spanish and Arabic cultural influences. Many historic homes, palaces and mosques are filled with beautiful tile work known for style and functionality. Today, ceramic tiles are used in homes for these same reasons and one of the top trends is large, eye-catching tiles.
Large-sized tiles are the hottest look in ceramic tiles right now. Bigger is sometimes much better when it comes to design, because large tiles provide a more desirable pattern and are created with a technical process that allows the tiles to lay more evenly once installed. Homeowners are no longer looking at traditional tiles that measure 12 by 16-inches. Large tiles in sizes of 32 by 32-inches are being found in rooms throughout residential homes.
“Larger sized tiles are a great way to add visual interest to a room,” says Nancy Bohnett, Academic Director of Interior Design for The Art Institute of Las Vegas. “They come in a variety of styles so you can customize to your home’s character and are used to incorporate creative design in traditional and unconventional spaces.”
There are many advantages of large tiles. Because of their size, there are fewer grout lines to clean. Tile is a very hygienic option as well, and is often used in medical facilities. The larger size provides ample area for stylish ceramic design that adds to the décor of any home.
Large tiles are now popping up all over the world, used in many ways, be it on the floor or the wall. These tiles are developed primarily in porcelain stoneware and come in a variety of styles and designs. Some tiles are created to look like other materials, such as slate, metal, linen and leather.
Using tiles as wall coverings is a popular option in many homes. With endless design flexibility, they can be used in a myriad of extremely interesting ways. Because of the way the large tiles are created, they tend to have a more even surface creating a clean and smooth look.
Architects, interior designers and urban landscapists all see creative potential in these tiles. Many homeowners are seeing this potential as well. One trend is to use these tiles in transitional spaces, meaning those spaces which transition from inside to outside. For example, they are great to tie together an enclosed sunroom with an extended outdoor patio.
Large tiles can be used in traditional situations, such as for the kitchen or bath, but have gained popularity in some unconventional situations, like the family room or laundry area. Tiles are being installed over beds as headboards, around mirrors in bathrooms, as a frame for a fireplace and in designs on walls. Choose a tile with a design pattern or use one that mimics another material for a truly unique look.
Due to their size, it is recommended that large tiles be installed by professionals who have extensive knowledge of ceramic tiles and the various installation techniques. Before installing the tiles the surface should first be leveled with appropriate products.
The Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER) is a private organization whose primary objective is to support Spain’s ceramic tile manufacturers and the industry as a whole by stewarding and promoting the Tile of Spain brand worldwide.
For more information visit www.spaintiles.info or call (305) 446-4387.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Lansing native directs the interior design of GM's hot-selling crossovers
Lansing native directs the interior design of GM's hot-selling crossovers
'Architectural' PROWESS
Barbara Wieland
Lansing State Journal
Even before he could read the name plates, Michael Burton knew how to distinguish one car from another.
"He would sit on his grandpa's lap as he drove down the street and say, 'That's a Cadillac. That's a Chevrolet,' " recalled his mother, Jessie Richardson.
These days, other people point out Burton's cars - or at least the ones he's had a hand in developing.
Burton, who grew up in Lansing, helped design the exteriors of General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac STS and SRX, both made at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant. He also helped design the interiors of all three crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant - the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave.
Burton, 51, said he knew from an early age he wanted to work in the car business.
He just never knew he'd do so well in it.
"I'm living my dream," Burton said in an interview at GM's design center in Warren.
Autos in his blood
Burton got a head start in the auto industry. It was in his blood.
His mother and stepfather were career GM employees. They raised him on Lansing's west side, along with his three sisters, a brother and two stepbrothers.
Early on, it was clear that Michael had gifts few others have.
His first-grade teacher, Eunice DeMyers, still treasures the clay horse he made and gave to her. Burton added details that hands so young rarely craft, including small indentations for nostrils and eyes.
"Something like that is pretty rare for a first-grader," said DeMyers, who taught Burton at Lincoln Elementary School and retired in 1999. "He was always so artistic."
In fact, she said, Burton seemed to excel at everything he tried. Describing him as a perfectionist, DeMyers said she remembers how excited he was when he learned how to read in her class. By the end of the year, he was reading at a fourth-grade level.
"He just never gave up," DeMyers said.
A kid with talent
Another mentor, Bob Riddle, also watched Burton persevere. Riddle is a former mason who got to know Burton as the director of the Urban League's Labor Education Advancement Program.
Burton became involved in the program when he was about 14 years old and a freshman at Harry Hill High School. Riddle saw his portfolio and knew the youngster had talent.
"I told him he needed to talk to a counselor about getting into drafting classes and other programs that would get him where he wanted to be," Riddle said.
Riddle also found the name and address of a GM executive and encouraged Burton to submit samples of art and ask the exec for guidance.
"He wrote back and gave me insight on how to get into automotive design," Burton said. "He said I would have to go into industrial design, and I hadn't ever heard of it."
The teen continued to work toward his goal, enrolling in Detroit's Center for Creative Studies in 1974. Burton's college costs were covered through a Ford Motor Co. scholarship, and the Dearborn carmaker hired him after he graduated.
But Burton's dream came to an abrupt halt in 1980. A downturn in the auto industry led to layoffs, and Burton was cut from Ford's payroll.
But he wasn't about to feel sorry for himself.
Burton, who has been actively involved in his faith since childhood, said he felt called to the ministry. He moved to Tulsa, Okla., and earned a certificate from the Rhema Bible Training Center.
For four years, Burton prepared for the ministry while keeping his artistic talent alive by designing letterhead, graphics and other items. To make ends meet, he worked as a janitor.
Others who got a taste of their dream only to have it taken away might despair. But Burton credits his faith for keeping him moving forward.
"A lot of things that happen are beyond your comprehension," he said. "You can look at it as a steppingstone or you can look at it as a stumbling block."
For Burton, time in Tulsa was the latter. A friend from Detroit tracked him down in 1984 and asked him what he was doing. "He said all the automakers were looking for me," Burton recalled with a laugh.
So, he returned to his home state and interviewed with GM, Ford and Chrysler. Chry-sler took him on as its first black designer.
In his 15 years at the Auburn Hills-based carmaker, Burton worked on everything from the Dodge Intrepid to the Copperhead show car.
But in 1999, GM's chief designer, Ed Welburn lured him to the Detroit automaker, making him the first black man to work as a designer at all three domestic auto companies.
Back to Lansing
Burton joined GM as it was building a new factory in Lansing that would become the Lansing Grand River facility. He was assigned to help design the vehicles that would be made there.
The importance of the work wasn't lost on him. Two years earlier, GM scared his hometown by telling Lansing that it might leave the city.
"Lansing had never been without an active GM plant, not in almost 100 years," Burton said. "The fact that I was going to design something that would be built in Lansing was quite significant to me."
After that assignment, he was promoted to the position of director of interiors for front-wheel-drive trucks. That assignment made him the creator of interiors for the three crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant that went online in November 2006.
Those interiors, particularly the Enclave's, have received rave reviews in the automotive press. Motor Trend magazine said the Enclave's interior had "living-room luxury." U.S. News and World Reports said that "its luxurious interior and sleek styling could have potential owners comparing it to more vaunted competition."
But the Enclave and its sister vehicles are more than press darlings. GM has credited the crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant for bolstering the automaker's sales, even in months that have been lackluster.
Finding fame
Between January and July of this year, 40,964 GMC Acadias and 19,908 Saturn Outlooks have been sold. Since the Buick Enclave went on sale in April, 8,605 have been sold.
Across town at the Lansing Grand River plant, there have been 13,450 Cadillac SRXs and 11,120 Cadillac STSs sold so far this year.
And it's not just the new crossovers that are popular.
Burton has enjoyed some fame as the crossover rolled out of the plant and into the hearts of car reviewers. GM has featured him in a series of magazine and television ads for Buick, and he's met GM celebrity spokesman Tiger Woods.
Burton hopes the next generation of car designers might see those ads and be inspired.
"If they see me on TV, maybe they'll say, 'If he can do that, I can do that, too,' " Burton said. "If I can leverage my success to encourage others, that's what it's all about."
Contact Barbara Wieland at 267-1348 or bwieland@lsj.com.
'Architectural' PROWESS
Barbara Wieland
Lansing State Journal
Even before he could read the name plates, Michael Burton knew how to distinguish one car from another.
"He would sit on his grandpa's lap as he drove down the street and say, 'That's a Cadillac. That's a Chevrolet,' " recalled his mother, Jessie Richardson.
These days, other people point out Burton's cars - or at least the ones he's had a hand in developing.
Burton, who grew up in Lansing, helped design the exteriors of General Motors Corp.'s Cadillac STS and SRX, both made at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant. He also helped design the interiors of all three crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant - the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave.
Burton, 51, said he knew from an early age he wanted to work in the car business.
He just never knew he'd do so well in it.
"I'm living my dream," Burton said in an interview at GM's design center in Warren.
Autos in his blood
Burton got a head start in the auto industry. It was in his blood.
His mother and stepfather were career GM employees. They raised him on Lansing's west side, along with his three sisters, a brother and two stepbrothers.
Early on, it was clear that Michael had gifts few others have.
His first-grade teacher, Eunice DeMyers, still treasures the clay horse he made and gave to her. Burton added details that hands so young rarely craft, including small indentations for nostrils and eyes.
"Something like that is pretty rare for a first-grader," said DeMyers, who taught Burton at Lincoln Elementary School and retired in 1999. "He was always so artistic."
In fact, she said, Burton seemed to excel at everything he tried. Describing him as a perfectionist, DeMyers said she remembers how excited he was when he learned how to read in her class. By the end of the year, he was reading at a fourth-grade level.
"He just never gave up," DeMyers said.
A kid with talent
Another mentor, Bob Riddle, also watched Burton persevere. Riddle is a former mason who got to know Burton as the director of the Urban League's Labor Education Advancement Program.
Burton became involved in the program when he was about 14 years old and a freshman at Harry Hill High School. Riddle saw his portfolio and knew the youngster had talent.
"I told him he needed to talk to a counselor about getting into drafting classes and other programs that would get him where he wanted to be," Riddle said.
Riddle also found the name and address of a GM executive and encouraged Burton to submit samples of art and ask the exec for guidance.
"He wrote back and gave me insight on how to get into automotive design," Burton said. "He said I would have to go into industrial design, and I hadn't ever heard of it."
The teen continued to work toward his goal, enrolling in Detroit's Center for Creative Studies in 1974. Burton's college costs were covered through a Ford Motor Co. scholarship, and the Dearborn carmaker hired him after he graduated.
But Burton's dream came to an abrupt halt in 1980. A downturn in the auto industry led to layoffs, and Burton was cut from Ford's payroll.
But he wasn't about to feel sorry for himself.
Burton, who has been actively involved in his faith since childhood, said he felt called to the ministry. He moved to Tulsa, Okla., and earned a certificate from the Rhema Bible Training Center.
For four years, Burton prepared for the ministry while keeping his artistic talent alive by designing letterhead, graphics and other items. To make ends meet, he worked as a janitor.
Others who got a taste of their dream only to have it taken away might despair. But Burton credits his faith for keeping him moving forward.
"A lot of things that happen are beyond your comprehension," he said. "You can look at it as a steppingstone or you can look at it as a stumbling block."
For Burton, time in Tulsa was the latter. A friend from Detroit tracked him down in 1984 and asked him what he was doing. "He said all the automakers were looking for me," Burton recalled with a laugh.
So, he returned to his home state and interviewed with GM, Ford and Chrysler. Chry-sler took him on as its first black designer.
In his 15 years at the Auburn Hills-based carmaker, Burton worked on everything from the Dodge Intrepid to the Copperhead show car.
But in 1999, GM's chief designer, Ed Welburn lured him to the Detroit automaker, making him the first black man to work as a designer at all three domestic auto companies.
Back to Lansing
Burton joined GM as it was building a new factory in Lansing that would become the Lansing Grand River facility. He was assigned to help design the vehicles that would be made there.
The importance of the work wasn't lost on him. Two years earlier, GM scared his hometown by telling Lansing that it might leave the city.
"Lansing had never been without an active GM plant, not in almost 100 years," Burton said. "The fact that I was going to design something that would be built in Lansing was quite significant to me."
After that assignment, he was promoted to the position of director of interiors for front-wheel-drive trucks. That assignment made him the creator of interiors for the three crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant that went online in November 2006.
Those interiors, particularly the Enclave's, have received rave reviews in the automotive press. Motor Trend magazine said the Enclave's interior had "living-room luxury." U.S. News and World Reports said that "its luxurious interior and sleek styling could have potential owners comparing it to more vaunted competition."
But the Enclave and its sister vehicles are more than press darlings. GM has credited the crossover vehicles made at the Lansing Delta Township plant for bolstering the automaker's sales, even in months that have been lackluster.
Finding fame
Between January and July of this year, 40,964 GMC Acadias and 19,908 Saturn Outlooks have been sold. Since the Buick Enclave went on sale in April, 8,605 have been sold.
Across town at the Lansing Grand River plant, there have been 13,450 Cadillac SRXs and 11,120 Cadillac STSs sold so far this year.
And it's not just the new crossovers that are popular.
Burton has enjoyed some fame as the crossover rolled out of the plant and into the hearts of car reviewers. GM has featured him in a series of magazine and television ads for Buick, and he's met GM celebrity spokesman Tiger Woods.
Burton hopes the next generation of car designers might see those ads and be inspired.
"If they see me on TV, maybe they'll say, 'If he can do that, I can do that, too,' " Burton said. "If I can leverage my success to encourage others, that's what it's all about."
Contact Barbara Wieland at 267-1348 or bwieland@lsj.com.
Idearc Media’s Home Design Magazine Features Chic Design Duo, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
Idearc Media’s Home Design Magazine Features Chic Design Duo, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
Solutions At Hand Re-Decorates Idearc Media’s Multi-Product Platform
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The August-October issue of Idearc Media Corp.’s Solutions At Hand™ magazine is now available, in select markets in the Northeast, featuring an article by Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, a popular interior design duo. In the new issue, the team shares their ideas on how to seasonally update a room in the cover article, “Two Seasons, One Room.”
The cover photo features furniture designed by Gold and Williams and a cameo appearance from Lulu, the team’s English bulldog mascot. Lulu has appeared in several magazines as well as on the cover of Gold and Williams’ new book, Let’s Get Comfortable.
Solutions At Hand’s 1.2 million readers will recognize the designers’ work from home magazines such as House & Garden and Metropolitan Home, and the sets of TV shows including “Sex and the City,” “Friends” and “The Apprentice.”
Published quarterly, Solutions At Hand is available in: Eastern Bergen County, Western Bergen County, Rockland County, Staten Island, Morristown, Monmouth County, Central Middlesex County, Ocean County, Greater Capital District, Syracuse, Nassau Mid County, Nassau North Shore East, Nassau North Shore West, Nassau South Shore, Babylon-Bayshore, Brookhaven, Eastern Suffolk, Huntington-Smithtown, Northern Westchester, Southwestern Westchester Area, Westchester Shoreline and Greenwich Area, Coastal Fairfield County, North Fairfield County, Manchester, Milford-Franklin-Walpole, Greater Nashua, Rhode Island, West Suburban Boston and Worcester Area.
The magazine comprises editorial content from Meredith Publishing -- publishers of Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens and Traditional Home -- and local advertising content providing a one-stop local resource for enhancing every aspect of the home and yard.
Other features in the August-October issue of Solutions At Hand include:
Outdoor Paradise – Entertain and relax in the backyard with outdoor rooms that feature all the comforts of home;
Make-Over Your Garage – Deck out your garage with hip new improvements, including sleek storage systems, colorful flooring and functional work spaces;
Cabinet Meeting – Customize your kitchen with new cabinetry and a whole new ambience; and
Pave the Way – Let a brand-new driveway welcome guests to your home
Idearc Media is also home to Superpages.com® and the publisher of the Verizon® Yellow Pages. The Solutions At Hand magazine is part of Idearc Media’s multi-product platform of innovative products and services offered to advertisers and consumers in the North East. For more information please visit SolutionsAtHand.com (www.solutionsathand.com).
About Idearc Inc.
Idearc Inc. (NYSE:IAR) connects buyers and sellers with its multi-platform of advertising solutions including Verizon® Yellow Pages, Verizon® White Pages, smaller-sized portable Verizon® Yellow Pages Companion Directories, Superpages.com®, Superpages MobileSM, Solutions At Hand™ magazine, Solutions at Home™ magazine, and Solutions on the Move™ and Solutions Direct™ direct mail packages. Idearc provides sales, publishing and other related services for more than 1,200 distinct directory titles in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Superpages.com, the expert in local search with more than 2.8 billion network searches and 18 million business listings in the United States in 2006, offers advertisers a variety of online advertising solutions. Superpages Mobile provides local search functionality for wireless subscribers. For more information, visit www.Idearc.com.
IDEARC’S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Idearc news releases, fact sheets, biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and other information are available at Idearc’s News Center on the World Wide Web at www.idearc.com/pressroom.
(IAR-G)
Contacts
Idearc Media Corp.
Andrew Shane, 972-453-6473
andrew.shane@idearc.com
or
Lisa Johnson, 972-453-6507
lisa.c.johnson@idearc.com
Solutions At Hand Re-Decorates Idearc Media’s Multi-Product Platform
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The August-October issue of Idearc Media Corp.’s Solutions At Hand™ magazine is now available, in select markets in the Northeast, featuring an article by Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, a popular interior design duo. In the new issue, the team shares their ideas on how to seasonally update a room in the cover article, “Two Seasons, One Room.”
The cover photo features furniture designed by Gold and Williams and a cameo appearance from Lulu, the team’s English bulldog mascot. Lulu has appeared in several magazines as well as on the cover of Gold and Williams’ new book, Let’s Get Comfortable.
Solutions At Hand’s 1.2 million readers will recognize the designers’ work from home magazines such as House & Garden and Metropolitan Home, and the sets of TV shows including “Sex and the City,” “Friends” and “The Apprentice.”
Published quarterly, Solutions At Hand is available in: Eastern Bergen County, Western Bergen County, Rockland County, Staten Island, Morristown, Monmouth County, Central Middlesex County, Ocean County, Greater Capital District, Syracuse, Nassau Mid County, Nassau North Shore East, Nassau North Shore West, Nassau South Shore, Babylon-Bayshore, Brookhaven, Eastern Suffolk, Huntington-Smithtown, Northern Westchester, Southwestern Westchester Area, Westchester Shoreline and Greenwich Area, Coastal Fairfield County, North Fairfield County, Manchester, Milford-Franklin-Walpole, Greater Nashua, Rhode Island, West Suburban Boston and Worcester Area.
The magazine comprises editorial content from Meredith Publishing -- publishers of Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens and Traditional Home -- and local advertising content providing a one-stop local resource for enhancing every aspect of the home and yard.
Other features in the August-October issue of Solutions At Hand include:
Outdoor Paradise – Entertain and relax in the backyard with outdoor rooms that feature all the comforts of home;
Make-Over Your Garage – Deck out your garage with hip new improvements, including sleek storage systems, colorful flooring and functional work spaces;
Cabinet Meeting – Customize your kitchen with new cabinetry and a whole new ambience; and
Pave the Way – Let a brand-new driveway welcome guests to your home
Idearc Media is also home to Superpages.com® and the publisher of the Verizon® Yellow Pages. The Solutions At Hand magazine is part of Idearc Media’s multi-product platform of innovative products and services offered to advertisers and consumers in the North East. For more information please visit SolutionsAtHand.com (www.solutionsathand.com).
About Idearc Inc.
Idearc Inc. (NYSE:IAR) connects buyers and sellers with its multi-platform of advertising solutions including Verizon® Yellow Pages, Verizon® White Pages, smaller-sized portable Verizon® Yellow Pages Companion Directories, Superpages.com®, Superpages MobileSM, Solutions At Hand™ magazine, Solutions at Home™ magazine, and Solutions on the Move™ and Solutions Direct™ direct mail packages. Idearc provides sales, publishing and other related services for more than 1,200 distinct directory titles in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Superpages.com, the expert in local search with more than 2.8 billion network searches and 18 million business listings in the United States in 2006, offers advertisers a variety of online advertising solutions. Superpages Mobile provides local search functionality for wireless subscribers. For more information, visit www.Idearc.com.
IDEARC’S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Idearc news releases, fact sheets, biographies, media contacts, high quality video and images, and other information are available at Idearc’s News Center on the World Wide Web at www.idearc.com/pressroom.
(IAR-G)
Contacts
Idearc Media Corp.
Andrew Shane, 972-453-6473
andrew.shane@idearc.com
or
Lisa Johnson, 972-453-6507
lisa.c.johnson@idearc.com
Architecture And The Furnishing Of A Room
Architecture And The Furnishing Of A Room
CANDLESTICKS, lamps, and fixtures for gas and electricity must accord with the lines of your architecture and furniture. The mantelpiece is the connecting link between the architecture and the furnishing of a room. It is the architect's contribution to the furnishing, and for this reason the keynote for the decorator.
In the same way lighting fixtures are links between the construction and decoration of a room, and can contribute to, or seriously divert from, the decorator's design.
It is important that fixtures be so placed as to appear a part of the decoration and not merely to illuminate conveniently a corner of the room, a writing desk, table or piano.
In planning your house after arranging for proper wall space for your various articles of furniture, keep in mind always that lights will be needed and must be at the same time conveniently placed and distinctly decorative.
One is astonished to see how often the careless placing of electric fixtures upsets the actual balance of a room. Therefore keep in mind when deciding upon the lighting of a room the following points: first, fixtures must follow in line style of architecture and furniture; second, the position of fixtures on walls must carry out the architect's scheme of proportion, line and balance; third, the material used in fixtures brass, gilded wood, glass or wrought iron must contribute to the decorator's scheme of line and color; fourth, as a contribution to color scheme the fixtures must be in harmony with the color of the side walls, so as not to cut them up, and the shade should be a light note of color, not one of the dark notes when illuminated.
This brings us to the question of shades. The selecting of shapes and colors for shading the lights in your rooms is of the greatest importance, for the shades are one of the harmonics for striking important color notes, and their value must be equal by day and by night; that is, equally great, even if different. Some shades, beautiful and decorative by daylight, when illuminated, lose their color and become meaningless blots in a room.
Dining-room Furniture, Italian Renaissance
The dining room of this apartment is Italian Renaissance oak, almost black from age, and carved.
The seat pads and lambrequin over window are of deep red velvet. The walls are stretched with dull red brocatelle (a combination of silk and linen), very old and valuable. The chandelier is Italian carved wood, gilded.
Attention is called to the treatment of the windows. No curtains are used, instead, boxes are planted with ivy which is trained to climb the green lattice and helps to temper the light, while the window shades themselves are of a fascinating glazed linen, having a soft yellow background and design of fruit and vines in brilliant colors.
We have in mind a large silk lamp shade of faded sage green, mauve, faun and a dull blue, the same combination appearing in the fringe combination not only beautiful, but harmonizing perfectly with the old Gothic tapestry on the nearby wall. Nothing could be more decorative in this particular room during the day than the shade described; but were it not for the shell pink lining, gleaming through the silk of the shade when lighted, it would have no decorative value at all at night.
In ordering or making shades, be sure that you select colors and materials, which produce a diffused light. A soft thin pink silk as a lining for a silk or cretonne shade is always successful, and if a delicate pink, never clashes with the colors on the outside. A white silk lining is cold and unbecoming. A dark shade unlined, or a light colored shade unlined, even if pink, unless the silk is shirred very full, will not give a diffused, yellow light.
It is because Italian parchment-paper produces the desired glow of light that it has become so popular for making shades, and, coming as it does in deep soft cream, it gives a lovely background for decorations, which in line and color can carry out the style of your room.
Figured Italian papers are equally popular for shades, but their characteristic is to decorate the room by daylight only, and to impart no quality to the light, which they shade. Unless in pale colors, they stop the light, absolutely, throwing it down, if on a lamp, and back against the wall, if on side brackets. Therefore decorators now cut out the lovely designs on these figured papers and use them as appliqués on a deep cream parchment background.
When you decide upon the shape of your shades do not forget that successful results depend upon absolutely correct proportions. Almost any shape, if well proportioned as to height and width, can be made beautiful, and the variety and effect desired, may be secured by varying the colors, the design of decoration, if any, or the texture or the length of fringe.
The "umbrella" shades with long chiffon curtains reaching to the table, not unlike a woman's hat with loose-hanging veil, make a charming and practical lamp shade for a boudoir or a woman's summer sitting-room, especially if furnished in lacquer or wicker. It is a light to rest or talk by, neither for reading nor writing.
The greatest care is required in selecting shades for sidewall lights, because they quickly catch the eye upon entering a room and materially contribute to its appearance or detract from it.
By. DIDIK MARJADI
CANDLESTICKS, lamps, and fixtures for gas and electricity must accord with the lines of your architecture and furniture. The mantelpiece is the connecting link between the architecture and the furnishing of a room. It is the architect's contribution to the furnishing, and for this reason the keynote for the decorator.
In the same way lighting fixtures are links between the construction and decoration of a room, and can contribute to, or seriously divert from, the decorator's design.
It is important that fixtures be so placed as to appear a part of the decoration and not merely to illuminate conveniently a corner of the room, a writing desk, table or piano.
In planning your house after arranging for proper wall space for your various articles of furniture, keep in mind always that lights will be needed and must be at the same time conveniently placed and distinctly decorative.
One is astonished to see how often the careless placing of electric fixtures upsets the actual balance of a room. Therefore keep in mind when deciding upon the lighting of a room the following points: first, fixtures must follow in line style of architecture and furniture; second, the position of fixtures on walls must carry out the architect's scheme of proportion, line and balance; third, the material used in fixtures brass, gilded wood, glass or wrought iron must contribute to the decorator's scheme of line and color; fourth, as a contribution to color scheme the fixtures must be in harmony with the color of the side walls, so as not to cut them up, and the shade should be a light note of color, not one of the dark notes when illuminated.
This brings us to the question of shades. The selecting of shapes and colors for shading the lights in your rooms is of the greatest importance, for the shades are one of the harmonics for striking important color notes, and their value must be equal by day and by night; that is, equally great, even if different. Some shades, beautiful and decorative by daylight, when illuminated, lose their color and become meaningless blots in a room.
Dining-room Furniture, Italian Renaissance
The dining room of this apartment is Italian Renaissance oak, almost black from age, and carved.
The seat pads and lambrequin over window are of deep red velvet. The walls are stretched with dull red brocatelle (a combination of silk and linen), very old and valuable. The chandelier is Italian carved wood, gilded.
Attention is called to the treatment of the windows. No curtains are used, instead, boxes are planted with ivy which is trained to climb the green lattice and helps to temper the light, while the window shades themselves are of a fascinating glazed linen, having a soft yellow background and design of fruit and vines in brilliant colors.
We have in mind a large silk lamp shade of faded sage green, mauve, faun and a dull blue, the same combination appearing in the fringe combination not only beautiful, but harmonizing perfectly with the old Gothic tapestry on the nearby wall. Nothing could be more decorative in this particular room during the day than the shade described; but were it not for the shell pink lining, gleaming through the silk of the shade when lighted, it would have no decorative value at all at night.
In ordering or making shades, be sure that you select colors and materials, which produce a diffused light. A soft thin pink silk as a lining for a silk or cretonne shade is always successful, and if a delicate pink, never clashes with the colors on the outside. A white silk lining is cold and unbecoming. A dark shade unlined, or a light colored shade unlined, even if pink, unless the silk is shirred very full, will not give a diffused, yellow light.
It is because Italian parchment-paper produces the desired glow of light that it has become so popular for making shades, and, coming as it does in deep soft cream, it gives a lovely background for decorations, which in line and color can carry out the style of your room.
Figured Italian papers are equally popular for shades, but their characteristic is to decorate the room by daylight only, and to impart no quality to the light, which they shade. Unless in pale colors, they stop the light, absolutely, throwing it down, if on a lamp, and back against the wall, if on side brackets. Therefore decorators now cut out the lovely designs on these figured papers and use them as appliqués on a deep cream parchment background.
When you decide upon the shape of your shades do not forget that successful results depend upon absolutely correct proportions. Almost any shape, if well proportioned as to height and width, can be made beautiful, and the variety and effect desired, may be secured by varying the colors, the design of decoration, if any, or the texture or the length of fringe.
The "umbrella" shades with long chiffon curtains reaching to the table, not unlike a woman's hat with loose-hanging veil, make a charming and practical lamp shade for a boudoir or a woman's summer sitting-room, especially if furnished in lacquer or wicker. It is a light to rest or talk by, neither for reading nor writing.
The greatest care is required in selecting shades for sidewall lights, because they quickly catch the eye upon entering a room and materially contribute to its appearance or detract from it.
By. DIDIK MARJADI
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