How to quickly identify Oriental Rugs

Rugs are a high fashion and popular interior decorating item. However people are sometimes confused about which Oriental rug is which.   

In this blog I will give a brief outline of each design with an illustration of the different rug design layouts and an example of each.

I have written an article called ‘Which Oriental rug is which? Find out which Oriental rug is which and which rug would best suit your interior style’  

For those of you who may be visiting this blog from the article link I have created a interior decorating scheme on the Sample Board Online website. I have included this to give you an idea of what I mean about using rugs to work with a particular style of decor. Please see the example below

 
In the article I outline five different Oriental rug designs; Persian, Turkish, Turkoman, Caucasian and Chinese. I go into a bit more detail in the article.

How to recognise a Persian rug

Medallion in center

Curvilinear floral designs

Vases

Birds

Mostly wool

How to recognise a Turkish rug

Made from wool on wool

Or wool on cotton

Or silk on silk

Altar designs

Tulips

Come in reds and greens

How to recognise a Caucasian rug

Geometric figures

Men

Birds

Animals

Come in dark red colours

Turkoman rugs have rows of rectilinear octagons and come in a range of dark reddish browns. 

How to recognise a Turkoman rug

Rows of rectangular octagons

Dark reddish brown colours

Chinese rugs are decorated with Chinese symbols, cloud bands, flowers, animals and birds. Simple classic circular medallions are usually placed in the center with a wide plain border. 

How to recognise a Chinese rug

Circular medallion usually in center

Chinese symbols

Clouds bands

Birds

Flowers

Animals

Thick luxurious feel

If you would like to read the full article just follow this link http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/which-oriental-rug-is-which-find-out-which-oriental-rug-is-which-and-which-rug-would-best-suit-your-interior-style-2334798.html

Aussie Federation & Art Nouveau

Until the late 1800’s Australia followed the architectural and interior styles of Europe. English style was particularly popular. As the new country moved toward Federation Australian designers started to move away from these old influences. As a result the Art Nouveau designs of Europe did not impact on Australia as did the styles of the past.     

During the early 1900’s Australia celebrated Federation. As a result the Federation style became popular as Australia’s first unique style. The Federation era began in the late 1890’s and was influenced by Victorian and Edwardian styles. 

But the exciting Art Nouveau motifs were used in the detailing of some Federation buildings. Robert Joseph Haddon an English trained architect was one of the few to work in the Art Nouveau style in Australia. ‘Anselm’ his own home in Caulfield Melbourne contains wave like tiles in the Art Nouveau style in the bathroom and he applied the sinuous Art Nouveau lines to the outside brickwork. Others used the stylised floral forms of Art Nouveau with the Australian Waratah, flannel flower, lyre birds, emus and kangaroo motifs. 

The Outside of the Federation House 
Bold red brick walls  
Tuck pointing
Marseilles tiled roof
Bay windows 
Casement windows 
Turrets 
Towers  
Verandahs
                Turned timber columns
                Brackets 
                Finials with Australian decorative motifs 

The Interior Design of the Federation House

Australian motifs were used on interior timber work and the stenciling on interior walls

Stained glass: Art Nouveau motifs Australian native flora and fauna motifs

Interior walls  
Paint:   Soft muted greens, Ivories, Reds 

Ceilings  
         Plastered  
        Cornices plastered  
        Ceiling roses  
        Pressed metal ceilings 

Wallpaper or stencil  
        Formal wreaths patterns
        Fleur-de-lis of the French Empire style 
        Stylised floral forms of Art Nouveau 

Frieze up to a meter deep

Federation Motifs 

Australian motifs  
        Waratah 
        Flannel flower 
        Lyre birds 
        Emus  
        Kangaroo  

Classical patterns  
Oval shapes of the Adams style 

Fireplace  
Iridescent glazed Art Nouveau tiles  
Shaped timber surrounds and mantel pieces 
Mirror incorporated into the design

Windows treatments 
Lace  
Plain and fancy nets 
Chintz or plain material  
Scrim 
Muslin 
Brass rods  
Holland blinds with lace scalloped edges or inserts    
Elaborate heavy curtains used until 1920’s

Floors 
Timber floors  - Varnish or black Japan formed borders  

Carpet squares 
Rugs  
Stair runners 
        Persian patterns  
        Floral motifs  
        Bold coloured backgrounds  

Fitted carpet had gone out of vogue  

Terracotta tiles 
Patterned tessellated tiles  
Linoleum 
        In plain colours
        Imitation carpet designs
        Tiles designs 

Parquetry designs 

 

Furniture in the Federation House 
Queen Anne (one of the most reproduced styles in Australia)
Chippendale  
Sheraton 
Rococo 
Renaissance 
Oriental cane  
Bentwood  
The Wing chair 
Palms  
Exotic plants  
Brass pots 
Ceramic pots  
Pot stands 

Australian designers created fretwork, leadlight, tiles, fabrics, wallpapers and decorative detailing in the Art Nouveau style but used the unique Australian motifs. Interior spaces were often decorated with a meter deep frieze. During this time the dado went out of fashion. Walls were often papered or stenciled. Pastel colours were popular for walls. The architectural detailing was brown and cream or stained timber.

There are a number of Art Nouveau buildings in Australia. In Melbourne: Victoria Arts Society, Milton House, Melbourne Sports Depot, Melbourne City Baths, Conservitorium of Music, Melba Hall, Paston Building and the Empire Works Building are some of the examples in Australia

The Wild Art Tile Company has a great range of Art Nouveau tile murals. This Australian firm has designed a range of murals based on the art work of Alphonse Mucha. You can find the tiles at http://www.wildarttiles.com/page18.htm

The Australian artist Christian Waller worked as an illustrator in the 1920’s. She was inspired by classical, medieval, Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau design. In the 1930’s her work changed, she moved from using the curvilinear of Art Nouveau to the angular forms, sunrays and zigzags of the Art Deco. 

During this time she designed books and stained glass windows for Melbourne and Geelong churches. She also created a mural for the Christ Church in Geelong. She was one of the few Australian artist at the time to be influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. 

‘Wherever you are in the world, 

there's always something 

about the Australian light. 

There's something about the 

sharpness of it, something about

the clarity of it, something 

about the colours of Australia.

And hopefully, something 

optimistic about Australian painting too.’

Ken Done Artist

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Stood on the Cusp of Art Nouveau and Art Deco

One of my favorite designers Charles Rennie Mackintosh stood on the cusp of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. I was fortunate to see an exhibition of his work last year in Australia. He was a very influential Scottish architect who had in turn been influenced by the designs of C.F. A. Voysey.

Voysey designed houses, wallpaper, textiles, carpets and furniture in the Art and Craft style. Mackintosh was to follow the same path. Charles had shown his work at the exhibition of 1895 in Paris. He had a great influence on German design particularly August Endell. His influence can been see in the Buntes Theater in Berlin where geometric forms were used.

Rennie Mackintosh was known as an interior designer during his life time. He worked with his wife Margaret Macdonald her sister Frances and Herbert McNair and they became known as The Four. Macintosh created tea rooms for Catherine Cranston in Glasgow. The Buchanan Street Tea Rooms were in the Art and Craft style. The Ingram Street Tea Room was in his own unique style. The furniture was painted white.

His interiors were bold in contrast. In his Main Street dining room he used wrapping paper in dull brown on the walls. The high backed chairs were stained oak. The ceiling and the wall above the picture rail were painted white in stark contrast.

The drawing room had white floor coverings, walls and furniture. He used white enamel paint on the furniture to ensure the joints and grains of the timber did not distract from the sculptural forms of the pieces. The windows were covered with muslin stretched to ensure maximum light and privacy.

What I love about Mackintosh; he worked from the inside out. He spent time with his clients to find out how they lived before he ventured toward creating a design. He followed this method in his design for Hill House (1901) in Helensburgh. White dominates the interior spaces.

He used stencils to create designs of pink roses and used rose coloured glass. Geometric forms were used in the door, window glass and shutters. His furniture was boxlike and linear. The famous Willow Tea Rooms built in 1904 had lead light windows with some mirror glass and he introduced silver high-backed chairs.

One of his greatest achievements; is the Library of the Glasgow School of Design. He suspended the bookshop over the ground floor of the library with steel strips. He did this to provide floor space on the ground floor. Exposed timber beams and lighting were used. The space appears larger than it is due to his great design flare.

The sad irony is Mackintosh was ignored in Britain during his life time. Yet he was admired throughout the rest of Europe as a master of his craft. I have always had a soft spot for Mackintosh. My husband and his family lived just up the road from Hill House. His mother told me some wonderful stories about the family who owned the house. She would often visit the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow. I was amazed to find she did not share my admiration for Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

"  Life is the leaves which shape
and nourish a plant, 

but art is the flower 
which embodies its meaning."

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

The 2 Louis’, Frank & US Art Nouveau

Louis Tiffany

Probably the most famous person associated with the Art Nouveau style in the US is Louis Tiffany. He was born and studied art in New York before moving to Paris for further study.

He was to become famous for his Art Nouveau style glass art in particular his lamps. But he also created some outstanding paintings the ‘Snake Charmer of Tangiers’ created in 1915 considered one of his best.

On returning to New York he established a glass making factory. He invented a process for making opalescent glass known as ‘Tiffany favrile glass’. Louis created colourful windows, vases, lamps and other decorative art pieces. One of his most famous windows is the ‘Glass Curtain’ in the National Theater Mexico City.

He also designed jewelry, rugs, tiles and textiles. A window of landscaped glass panels for each season called the ‘Four Seasons’ (see below) was exhibited in Paris in 1892. This work established his international reputation.

His work included ornamental bowls, paperweights other objects. Colourful floral, abstracted floral or abstracted patterns and textures were used to create iridescent effects. His lamps had metal bases with one piece shades in stained glass.

Louis Sullivan

Sullivan was a Chicago architect who added ornament in a highly personalised style of natural organic forms to many of his buildings. The interior spaces of the ‘Chicago Auditorium Building’ were designed by Louis. The great arches studded with electric light bulbs with florid gilded ornamental relief in the Art Nouveau style are examples of his work.

Louis’ interest in creating tall buildings led him to a simple, modern style on the exteriors of his buildings in his later works. However in many of the interiors of the building he still used decorative ornament.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank first worked as a draftsman for Sullivan. Sullivan went on to be his mentor. They worked together on a number of projects of which Charnley House built in Chicago 1892 is an example. The windows below were created for the Chicago Auditorium window and are thought to have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who was a draughtsman on the project.

Sullivan is famous for building the first skyscraper and his still very much used statement ‘form follows function’. He was one of the main pioneers of modernism. Due to this Louis Sullivan’s work in the Art Nouveau style is often forgotten or overlooked.

Frank went on the clarify Sullivan's statement saying

‘Form follows function -

that has been misunderstood.

Form and function should be one,

joined in a spiritual union’

You may be interested in the video on YouTube of the Tiffany Exhibition at The Morse Museum of American Art just click on the link below

Winning Placements: How 2 arrange your furniture like a professional interior decorator

For those of you who have followed the link from the article I have placed some illustrations as promised in this blog

The most common mistakes made when arranging furniture

• Placing all the furniture against the wall

• Placing a large piece of furniture diagonally across a corner of the room

• Placing large pieces of furniture in a small room

• Placing too many pieces of furniture in a room

 If you would like to read the full article just follow this link http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/winning-placement-how-2-arrange-your-furniture-like-a-professional-interior-decorator-2459565.html 

Stile Liberty, Turin, Milan and Gesamtkunstwerk

In Italy, the Art Nouveau style was known as Stile Liberty. The style was influenced by the English fabric design of Arthur Liberty . His work was instrumental in disseminating the style on the continent.

Turin was the capital of the ‘Stile Liberty’ movement also known as stile floreade meaning curving floral design. In 1902 the ‘Prima Esposizone Internazionale d’Arte Decorative Moderna’ said to be the most ambitious display of international decorative art ever was hosted in Turin.

The furniture designs of Vittorio Valabrega and Agostino Lauro and designer Carlo Bugoitti were on display at the exhibition. Lauro’s work combined architecture, furnishings and decoration a theme know as Gesamtkunstwerk. The furniture designs he presented were from a room in a Villa he designed in Sordevolo

There are many Art Nouveau style buildings in Milan; the Palazzo Castiglioui designed in 1901-1904 by Giuseppe Sommaruga is well known for its metal work. Some streets in the city have a number of Art Nouveau buildings; the Via Piscane and Malpighi. The Casa Cambiaghi has peacock motifs as a feature.  

The style of the Casa Battaini building on Via Piscana was influenced by Victor Horta. The Art Nouveau style is also evident in building in the towns of Verbania, Stresa, Bellagio and Campode Fiori near Varese

On the street Via Malphighi the ‘Mucha House’ and the cinema ‘Dumont’ built in 1909 are housed. The Stile Liberty style is characterised by abstract flora wood work, stained glass and semi transparent glass. The trends toward geometric forms are evident in the Emporium Corso Venszia.

How you can save on the cost of printing

Some recent research has revealed a way of reducing the cost of printing. Apparently the type of font used for letters, quotes, reports and notices can reduce the cost of printing. It is estimated 31 % of an ink cartridge can be saved by using the right font.

Printer.com tested how to cut costs using two computers the Canon Pixa MP210 and the Brother HL-2140. They found money could be saved by changing the font. Between $20 and $80 per year could be saved.

Ten fonts were tested. Arial one of the most popular fonts was used as a zero measurement. And the winner is Century Gothic. 31% savings was found to be possible using Century Gothic on both printers.

For organizations who use numerous printers this could add up to hundreds of dollars saved per year. The Century Gothic font won over the Ecofont. This is amazing as the Ecofont was especially designed to reduce cost.

You can find details on this research @ http://tinyurl.com/c2znc2

Quick Mini Quiz: Interior Design with Your Personality in Mind

Over the years I have developed a theory about the impact of interior design and colour selections on different personalities. It all started in the 1980’s. In the early 1980’s I studied art but soon realised I liked working with people as much as going art work. I then did a couple of interior design and decorating courses because we had bought our first house and I wanted to decorate our home to a high standard. 

This eventually led to a offer of a job as a kitchen designer. But I wanted to be involved with all aspects of design and applied and was accepted into the interior design course at the Queensland College of Art. I was delighted to find I could combine my artistic flare and my love of people with a career in interior design.

During the 1980’s I also became involved with success motivation and personality profiling. So began my interest in personality. Over the years I have studied psychology and counselling. I was and continue to be fascinated and study people and interior design.

I have written a series of four articles called ‘Interior Design with Your Personality in Mind’ if you would like to read the articles please follow the links:

Part 1:
 
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/interior-design-with-your-personality-in-mind-part-1-2403304.html

Part 2:

http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/interior-design-with-your-personality-in-mind-part-2-2403321.html

Part 3:
 
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/interior-design-with-your-personality-in-mind-part-3-2403342.html

Part 4:                                                                                                                             

http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/interior-design-with-your-personality-in-mind-part-4-2403355.html

In the articles I provided a link to this blog. If you have read the articles and followed the link to the ‘Quick Personality Quiz’ here it is.

If you would like to do a full personality test go to http://www.discinsights.com/cyber/Scripts/disc.asp

If you want some fun go to http://www.gotoquiz.com/personality_plus_1 you will find a quiz on the subject connected to dating  

Plato

“People are like dirt. 

They can either nourish you 

and help you grow as a person 

or they can stunt your growth 

and make you wilt and die.”