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Saturday, May 21st, 2016
Hooker Furniture Corsica Collection will look great inside a dining room with an exposed concrete finish.
It is not always deliberately done but there are times when an unfinished part of a home becomes one of the stunning features of the entire place. This may not be entirely the work of Michelangelo but you, too, can make an unfinished, exposed part of your dwelling become an architectural wonder.
So, did you want the exposed part to look that way or did you leave it with an exposed finish? That unfinished masterpiece may look bare to some but it can be the stage for an interesting interior design theme that is about to be born.
Exposed Wood: Why Raw Is Beautiful
The unfinished or raw look of that room can be your aesthetic choice. Given this unique decision, you’ve got the leeway to leave the exposed concrete walls, structural steel framework, or hanging light bulb as they are.
Exposed structural wood is also a thing of beauty. This is a more common sight compared to all the other materials used in constructing your home. Displaying wood framework stages a sense of warmth if not a strong connection with the natural world outside.
Oak beams, for instance, can bring a lot of homey feeling. Dark woods provide a great framing effect especially when they are paired with stark white ceilings and walls. The wood can then be used as a line of demarcation when you want to use the open space layout. Lighter types of wood can play well with other interior design elements. Use these kinds of wood on your flooring, staircases and your furniture.
Exposed (Yet Safe) Electrical Accessories
Wiring systems are often not used as a design element since safety is a major concern in this area. If you want to use this concept, then prepare to hang lighting cables instead. This style is the best sort that you can use for art studios or a home that wants to convey an industrial setting.
Going beyond hanging light bulbs means you already need the expertise of a licensed electrician.
FFDM Ancestry Collection offers these wood pieces which will harmonize well inside a dining room with exposed wood beams.
The Sturdiness of Bricks
Brick and mortar buildings can be cold and rough to behold but with the right design elements brought in, they can become the framing properties of a cozy room. To use exposed bricks could mean having one wall as a feature wall or it can be the design of all four walls in a room.
Enjoy seeing the irregularities of brick which contribute to the beautiful color and texture in your home. Bricks can effortlessly contribute to the warm glow of your warehouse style home.
If you happen to live in an old home with a brick inner wall, then all you have to do is to topple down the less sturdy wall and make way for the exposure of the beautiful, not-so-new-but-still-great-looking walls. If you don’t have such walls in your home, then invest in faux brick panels.
Exposed Pipes
Whoever thought that exposed pipes could ever become anything else but a plumber’s major job? The pipe is an awesome material to use if you want to get creative. If others can create sculptures with copper pipes, then you can also make good use of fittings and fixings.
The pipes can both be functional as well as decorative. If you’re in doubt on how to use them as a design element, then have an engineer help you.
Exposed Concrete
Unfinished concrete has long been used as a design element in many industrial-themed homes. Just like in brick, it is the concrete’s irregularities that make it an imperfect yet beautiful interior design material and aesthetic element.
Choose from these exposed finishes and find out which works best for you.
Tags: brick design, brick interior design, brick interiors, concrete, concrete interiors, designing with concrete, exposed bricks, exposed concrete, exposed finish, exposed finishes, finishes 101, tips
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes, Interior Design Trends | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016
Living Room Uttermost Citographie Gray Linen Armchair 23168. This chair is made of hardwood and made perfect by craftsman detail right on the gray linen tailoring. See how the brass nails streamline the fabric trim giving the needed contrast to the solid oak bare frame.
Craftsman dwellings were inspired by architect brothers Henry Mather Greene and Charles Sumner Greene. These ingenious minds worked together during the 20th century in Pasadena, California. The Greenes were quite inspired by the English arts and crafts movement and Oriental architecture. In their own promoting handmade stuff rather than those created inside factories and were machine-made.
If you want to have a first-hand look at the beauty of craftsman design and architecture, you could visit Southern California where a few bungalows from 1905 till the 1920s still stand. You will surely love this style if you like things that may be old but have got a timeless appeal.
Characteristics to look for include gabled roofs, front porch, tapered columns, partly paned doors, multi-pane windows, and a lot of earthy colors.
Craftsman houses are typically painted in any nature-inspired color. You will see a lot of browns and greens. The low-profile homes often blend with their natural surroundings. The muted palette comprising of just one or two contrasting colors are used to highlight the breathtaking architectural features.
Regardless of the style that you choose for your home, keep in mind that painting an architectural feature with a contrasting color is an effective way to highlight such feature.
Another characteristic that is unique to a craftsman home is the stone detailing. See the mixture of different materials with the siding typically made of wooden clapboard. There are some that feature shingled siding as this was a pretty common style, too, back in the day. The foundations and porch piers are generally made of stone with some concrete block, bricks or stucco used at times.
Craftsman style also comes with roof eaves, exposed beams and rafter tails. All these reflect the influence made by the Arts and Crafts movement, thus, visible handiwork was featured and were considered in style.
Living Room Uttermost Ardusin Hobby Cupboard 25589 is made from select hardwoods. It is hand-finished in worn black. The mahogany dovetail bins are solid wood and are great for your any storage needs.
Democratic Mixing
Get a craftsman style book and mix materials that you can get your hands on. Think of cladding a little addition of brick or stone even when your home already has existing clapboard siding. The addition of exposed rafter tails or beams should not mean that you are supposed to reconstruct your home or even replace your roof. Such details are commonly decorative in nature and can be easily added below a home that already has deep roof eaves.
There is something inviting and warm about a craftsman home. It celebrates the fusion of building materials, lovely structures, and most especially, the 20th century architectural features.
So, how to begin?
Start with a view of some of the craftsman homes still in existence. Take note of the window detailing, those exposed rafters, the facade, stained glasses as decorative accents, and the overall warm glow of the place.
Consider also the kind of lighting used which mirror the exteriors. Find sconce and pendant lighting that will cast a warm, golden glow throughout a room. While this is the general rule when it comes to craftsman homes (warm lighting plus earthy colors), this does not mean that you can’t put your own personality into it. You can opt for the bright home approach where you balance the bright hues with the wooden accents which are the staple materials of a craftsman home.
Other colors that you can add to your palette are white and blue. Gray can also give your craftsman home a contemporary appeal. Include white wooden accent pieces, modern pendant lighting fixtures, and some contemporary art. The result is a comfortable and trimmed yet modern and posh at the same time.
Isn’t it fun to make historical homes appear modern inside? This can be your take on retro meets the contemporary look.Craftsman design is sure to captivate both young and old spectators.
Tags: 20th century, 20th century chairs, arts and crafts, contrast, contrast in design, contrast in interior design, craftsman, exposed finish, hardwood, hardwood furniture, hardwood pieces, interior design contrasts, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, mixing and matching furniture, pendant, pendant lighting, retro, Retro design, Retro style, tips, wall sconce, wooden elements
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