Interior Design Tips & Guide

Archive for September, 2009

Antique Chandeliers

Chandeliers call up visions of royalty, majesty and luxury. Though sleeker and slimmer versions have evolved, there’s still an aura of antiquity that surrounds a chandelier. So when one is striving for an antique chandeliers look for his home, going in for turn-of-the-century furniture, a decadent looking fireplace and a chandelier are the first things on his mind.

If you are one of the lucky ones who possess an old chandelier handed down to you through generations, then you wouldn’t need to lift a finger. For the not so lucky ones, you would need to hunt for a piece that would look convincingly old. Shops selling antique pieces would definitely be your first stop. For nothing can really replicate that old look better than a piece actually made years back. But if they cannot satisfy you, you have no other choice but to get a ready-made variety and try to give it an old look.

First, steer clear of the slim-trim polished-steel chandeliers. These are especially designed for modern homes with clean-cut furniture and can never be passed off as old. Antique chandeliers are ornate pieces with very intricate carvings.

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Skylights Vinyl Windows

Skylights vinyl windows are a familiar architectural sight in most modern day homes. They are usually situated in smaller rooms that don’t have a lot of light because of a need for privacy (such as a bedroom or bathroom) or in larger rooms that are leant a sense of majesty from having the sunlight pours in through a vast gap in the roof.

The reason it is important to have skylights that are seamed with vinyl is that they help keep cold air out and warm air in. However this can be a drawback if you live in a hot climate and the sun is beating down through your skylight vinyl windows all day. In hotter climates tinted skylight windows or ones equipped with automatic shades are more useful so that the cost of your air conditioning does not rocket sky high. Skylight vinyl windows are best utilized in colder, damper climates where insulation from the elements is needed.

The larger they are the better skylights vinyl windows look in any room. The usual size of skylight vinyl windows is between one and four square feet. Cubbyhole sized ones just look tacky unless they are highlighting a sculpture or a plant.

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Antique Picture Frame

The real purpose of a Picture Frame is to focus and protect pictures. Antique Picture Frames are precursors to wholesale products in acrylic or metal. Antique Picture Frames have a history dating to the 2nd century B.C., with the finding of borders around Etruscan cave paintings. The frames were primarily used for isolating and safeguarding particular paintings.

The first Antique Picture Frame was the carved wooden frame found in the Middle Ages, when frames were usually made by painter himself. It was during the Renaissance that frame making gained prominence. Professional frame makers came into the forefront and Antique Picture Frames reflected the furniture style, from ornate to gilded or rococo. Generally in wood or metal, Antique Picture Frames add a touch of glamour to surroundings, and at the same time enhance a picture.

Antique Picture Frames can be in Victorian style designs in carved or ornamental wood or metal. Not everyone can afford genuine Antique Picture Frames, but popular reproductions are available. Made in wood or metal, these reproductions appear like genuine pieces and suit our budget. The word of caution: if Antique Picture Frames are not used appropriately they can mess up the picture and decor of a house. One can be an art connoisseur, but if frames just do not gel with modernistic fittings then whole purpose of antique frame is lost. No point in distracting attention from the framed picture, which is as precious as the antique frame.

With mass-produced items gaining economic predominance, a majority of us prefer simple frames in wood or plastic to reflect personal style. Antique frames in wood and metal became collector’s items. It was not long before changing attitudes and perspectives have forced Antique Picture Frames into the limelight. They have once again graduated from collectors’ item to a must-have item.