Adding accessories that are Asian antiques to your Asian themed room or home can be a really exciting activity because there are so many beautifully artful Asian antiques just waiting for you to find them. So, take a look at your Chinese furniture, or your antique Chinese cabinet, or some of your other Chinese antiques, and decide what colors and materials you want your Asian themed art pieces to contain.
Bronze is a very popular material used in a lot of Chinese antiques – mainly vases and statues. Bronze can blend well with almost any room, so consider adding at least one bronze antique piece to your collection. You could display it in an antique cabinet for added effect.
If you want to add some artwork to the walls of your Asian themed room, you have plenty of options there as well. Ancient Chinese artists used different inks and oils to create vivid paintings and scroll works. Much of ancient Chinese art is symbolic and can be very meaningful to its owners. Look for a piece or pieces that speak to you.
Porcelain is another material that was used a lot in making Chinese antiques. Teapots, cups, saucers, plates, wall hangings, statues, bottles, and vases are all examples of Asian antiques that are made from porcelain. All of these items can be used decoratively, as art, or functionally. Most antique collectors prefer to use their collectible antiques for display only, because of their value, but there are some who use the items regularly.
Jade is a gorgeous, green hued material that was also used frequently in the making of Asian antiques. Choosing a few items made from jade will certainly enhance the relaxing feel of your room or home. Jade is a very peaceful material. You can find the following Chinese antiques made from jade: wall plaques, bowls, ornament plaques, wooden boxes with jade carvings on the lid, vases, statues, carvings, and belt buckles. Again, all of these items can be displayed as art in your Asian themed home.
Another idea is to add to the Asian antique furniture you already own by supplementing their look and style with throw pillows, cushions, or blankets that are Asian art inspired. You can find blankets with Asian themes and colors. On your Chinese antique coffee table, place some books about ancient China or ancient Chinese artwork. Also consider adding Asian themed window treatments to complete the look.
By: Eric Y. P. Wang
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Filed under Home Improvement by on Nov 18th, 2010. 
Do you want to display an eclectic type of stylish modernism and elegance in your home? Would you love to feel a comfort of your own oasis after battling the day’s tasking grinds? Then be soothed with the style of art deco.
The originality of art deco style makes it highly coveted and widely used in a lot of areas as decoration styles like fine arts, furnishings, architecture, interiors, industrial designs, posters, and handmade crafts. Its popularity was born in the era of 1920’s and 1930’s and due to its funky shapes and curved lines, the recognition improved.
Art deco style developed from a diverse of influences and that includes the architecture movement of German Bauhaus, the painting cubist style as well as the international design style. The market is home to myriads of selections when it comes to home furnishings especially, bedroom styles and designs. The options are plenty and can be inexplicable. Yet if you are looking for opulence in style, this bedroom furniture is what certainly suits your taste.
Most art bedroom furniture is made from different elements like aluminum, steel or heavily lacquered pieces of wood that has inlaid designs. Bedroom furnishings may take in chairs, bed, side tables, extra sofa and the likes. The common materials that the art deco uses for bedroom furniture are textiles, pottery, laminates, rich woods and glass. When it comes to color of the antique bedroom furniture, rich shades are the most prominent. And to give out a more magnificent look, they are mostly inlaid with gold or silver gilded leaves.
The common characteristics of this art style are smooth, and sleek with geometrical patterns, streamlined lines or experimental industrial materials use like glass, plastics and metals. Its smoothness mainly accounts for the high demand of this furniture. Besides, each piece of furniture is functional and modern. This has become an additional reason why a lot are taking the option of choosing the art deco bedroom furniture.
Some style furniture also carries the minimalist attribute, which actually helps minimize the clutter that can be commonly found in the bedroom atmosphere. Basically, art deco bedroom furniture style will provide an elegant environment of a fresh sophistication. If you try to see the features that every art furniture possesses, you will discover a beauty beyond, making the reputation of this style continuously taking the higher scene.
By: Troy Maclean
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Read more on Art Deco Bedroom Furniture: The Opulent Option…
Filed under Home Improvement by on Nov 16th, 2010.
With holiday season fast approaching, one starts to think about those holiday decorations that where packed away from last year and maybe wants to added few new items to your decorations. Window decorations of snow, icicles and winter scenes are common during the holiday season, but have you ever considered holiday Stained Glass Art Panels (SGAP)? These panels will give you opportunity to add a theme to your beautifully decorated room. It can be with snowmen, winter birds, Christmas angels, or even Old St. Nick.
There are three reasons that SGAP should be considered for your holiday decorations:
1) Less Expensive – SGAP are a beautiful pieces of Art that would enhance any home. They are hand painted here in America so you know the quality will be excellent. They are also, less expensive than actual leaded stained glass art panels (made with different pieces of colored glass), which can be 2 to 3 times more expensive even if you can fine the same art subject.
2) Variety of Art Subjects – Almost any subject that you can think of is available in SGAP. One advantage of these panels is that they that they used seasonal because of their inexpensive cost. You can change these seasonal art panels as you desire. During the holidays you can have the winter season highlighted and then come spring summer and you can use the backyard birds to decorate your windows.
3) Flexibility of Decoration – Different rooms in your house can have different themes. The kitchen can have fruit or backyard birds, the family room can be decorated with the patriotic theme and the bed room or bath room can have the floral stained glass art panel hanging in the windows. Also, any window without a view will be brightened up and be a pleasure to look at after an art panel of your choice is hanging in it.
By hanging a SGAP on your wall or in your window you can create a bright and cheerful decoration for your home. When hung in the window, it will allow you and others to be reminded of beauty it brings to your room. By making an online order today, you can get these SGAP faster and with more buying convenient. Doing one room at a time, it will allow you to create a unique room atmosphere for that room.
By: Bob McLemore
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Read more on Stained Glass Art – Three Reason to Choose It As Your Room Decoration…
Filed under Home Improvement by on Nov 13th, 2010.
Wall art and wall hangings are a great way of enhancing the interior décor of the house. They could depict a lot of themes and colors touching various aspects of life in a sublime way that only art can do. Wall art varies depending on a few aspects that include the canvas or fabric used the paintings and the style.
Wall Tapestries
Tapestries have been used for adorning walls for a long time. They are of many varieties including textile art, a vertical loom or woven intricately. Tapestries usually consist of thread running perpendicular to each other. Tapestries could have a weft faced weaving in which all the threads that run along the length of the hanging are hidden while in warp faced weavings, it is the threads along the width that are hidden. The interlacing is what makes us the art used on murals, pillars and walls of royal buildings etc. and is made of thread made of cotton, linen, silk, silver, gold or other metal strands. Wall art can also be using principles of optical illusion where small dots that look continuous to the human eye make up the image or the picture being depicted on the wall hangings.
Art Tapestries
Art tapestries created by weavers and designers touch a lot of subjects including illustrations, cartoons, rural life and landscapes. Rococo style is quite popular with some French artists mastered in were used for landscapes and romantic themes and are very popular to adorn the living rooms. The Italian tapestries with their usual richness designed in the workshops were also famous for their war scenes, portraits and religious pictures. The wall art of this form usually costs anywhere between 300 – 900 dollars and could be more expensive depending on the painter or designer’s reputation.
Common Wall Hangings
Of the many options of wall art that one gets, Chenille tapestries are known for their scenery, art and ornamentation. Chenille is soft and really versatile supporting a lot of different forms such as clothing, upholstery and wall decoration and these hangings are inexpensive too. Medieval tapestries are amongst the more expensive ones because of the explosion of techniques, colors, weave and textures that have been used to produce these wonderful tapestries.
Wall art has constantly evolved because of various influences and a tapestry collection can include various styles like European style, romantic elements, myths, Gothic art, renaissance art, floral patterns, and background of Mille fleur. Jacquard loom tapestries, tapestries with hand finishing by European craftsmen and woven items are very popular.
Other popular collections include Unicorn tapestries, William Morris, Portiere tapestries, landscape and hunting scenes, Court of Arms, Flanders tapestries and Oriental tapestries. Interior decorators use some of them to set the theme of house too e.g. Oriental tapestries on the wall go well with spiritual environments with lamp shades and carpets with oriental influence too. At the end of the day, these art tapestries offer quite a lot of options to beautify the rooms and galleries.
By: Sagbee C
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Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 14th, 2010.
Photo Canvases
Photo canvas art on walls has proven so popular because of the quality of the image reproduction and this, in turn, is partially due to the high quality materials used at Bags of Love. The HD Satin that is used does not have a plastic coating and once your photograph is printed the advantage of this soon becomes clear as the image is reproduced exactly as it was in the photograph with amazing colour accuracy and clarity and sharp, crisp lines.
Photographs And Pictures
Wall art ideas range from photographs of you and your family to more contemporary designs and motifs. The decision really is yours regarding which photograph or photographs to use and once you’ve made your decision you can rely on Bags of Love to ensure you get the best results from your canvas art.
Contemporary Wall Art Ideas
Contemporary design also includes pop art prints. Of all the wall art ideas these are perhaps the most colourful. Using a standard photograph, we apply several colour screens to the image in order to create Warhol pop art prints. For Che prints we essentially remove the colour from the main picture and add a background colour of your choice with Posterized prints offering something slightly different to both of these.
Canvas Wall Art From Bags Of Love
Bags of Love provides a great selection of unique interior art from canvas prints to pop art prints and many others. Whether you want a classic look, a family photograph, or a contemporary pop art print we have the design team, the printing equipment, and the materials to ensure that you enjoy the best possible results.
By: Sarah Maria Williams
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Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 9th, 2010.
You’ve finally bought your favorite art piece but don’t really have a clue as to where and how to display them? Read on and gain some tips on how you can creatively display your art.
1. Leaning art on the wall
The wall isn’t the only place where you can display art. You can simply place the picture on the floor and lean it on the wall or furniture. Try placing two art pieces of different sizes, one leaning over the other, partially covering the other one but still leaving most of the art visible.
2. Placing art on a shelf or gallery ledge
You can mount a gallery ledge on the wall and place pictures across the entire length of it. Randomize the arrangement of pictures by having some of them slightly overlap each other. Use pictures of different sizes and put the smaller sized pictures in front. This can also apply to placing pictures on the shelf above the fireplace.
3. Use creative hanging apparatus
Instead of mounting your art directly onto to the wall, use a hanging apparatus to hang your art. This can be done by mounting a horizontal bar against the wall close to the ceiling. Support your picture with 2 ropes. Tie one end of the rope to each corner of the picture and knot the other end around the horizontal bar. You can hang 2 or 3 pictures next to each other this way to make it look like a contemporary art gallery installation. Displaying art this way saves your wall from unsightly holes drilled into them.
4. Use ribbons to suspend art
Use 2 or 3 ribbons with thick widths running down half to three quarters the length of the wall. Attach one or two pictures one above the other to the ribbons and just let it hang. Suspending pictures from ribbons this way adds a unique touch to your home decor. Use ribbons with complimentary themes, like floral motifs. If you want to display art this way, use pictures that are light in weight so that they can be supported by the ribbons.
Another creative way of using ribbons to suspend your art is to use one ribbon for each picture. Fix one end of the ribbon at some point on the wall near the ceiling and loop the other end through both corners at the top of the picture. Then tie the remaining end of the ribbon back onto the main length of the ribbon. Adjust the ribbon so that the portion supporting the picture looks like a triangle shaped hanger. Just let the picture suspend against the wall like that. Make sure also, that the strength of the ribbon can support the weight of the picture.
5. Keep it all level
If you’re aligning a series of pictures on the wall, draw an imaginary line across the wall to use as a guide. Use a small leveling gauge to check that the pictures are level once they are hung. To avoid the pictures from tilting to one side, stick some double sided tape or adhesive clay to the side corners to secure it to the wall.
By: Edwin Mah
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Read more on Interior Design Ideas – 5 Creative Ways To Display Art…
Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
During the Art Deco period, it was important that the look of the bedroom was super sumptuous and luxurious. The bedroom elements had a similar glamorous aesthetic, however, the actual pieces were a very eclectic mix of design styles.
Non-traditional bedroom furniture such as armchairs, sofas or chaise lounges or coffee tables also started making their way into the bedroom. Having a small reading area in front of a fireplace inside the bedroom was the epitome of luxury and easily achieved an affluent feel.
Classic characteristics of Art Deco Bedrooms
Wood
Dressers, beds, side tables, armoires, etc. were most commonly made out of expensive and rare exotic woods. The most sought after woods were ebony, mahogany, Amboina and violetwood. Other common, but less expensive woods used were ash, oak, maple and redwood. Both, natural wood and wood veneers were heavily lacquered to achieve that glossy, sleek look.
Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann’s famous ‘Sun-Bed’ is one of the most famous examples of an Art Deco Style bed.
Marquetry was very popular during the days of Deco as well. You would most often see this craft form displayed on headboards, bedroom screens, dressers and on the arms of chairs.
Parquetry was another was another huge trend during the 1920s. Elaborate, geometric patterns would be seen on parquet floors of a typical Art Deco bedroom.
Wood inlay was a very common technique used as well. Two extremely popular examples of wood inlay during the 1920s and 1930s can be seen in mirrors and armchairs.
Vanity Tables
Vanity or dressing tables were stylish, glamorous and very popular during the height of Art Deco. They were most often made of wood, however chrome, Lucite, glass, mirror and ivory were also used as they portrayed a lavishly-rich look. Matching stools or perch chairs were just as plush and alluring as the vanity tables.
Beautiful Lalique glass perfume bottles, ivory combs and brushes and exquisite lipstick tubes and rouge compacts graced the vanities.
Geometric Patterns
Angular, geometric patterns were seen on carpets, area rugs, drapes, bed linens and upholstery. Popular motifs were chevrons, zigzags, sunbursts, triangles, squares and Egyptian symbols.
Art Deco lamps, mirrors and other bedroom accessories were also incredibly streamlined and resembled geometric silhouettes. The ’sweeping curve’ was another classic Art Deco geometric design frequently seen in the bedroom. Dramatic curved walls and huge, round moulding on ceilings created a striking look.
Colors
Bright, bold colors were very popular at this time, however bedrooms were a bit more subtle and muted. A monochromatic palette was definitely preferred. Fashionable color-schemes were beige-neutral, soft-metallic blue and ash-grey.
Bold colours like brilliant red, peacock-blue, emerald-green, canary-yellow and royal-purple were used as accents – perhaps a few throw pillows or a casual throw on the bed.
By: Marta E
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Also, visit my Art Deco Style Blog for daily news, pictures and articles.
Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 4th, 2010.
To get the best results when hanging fine art photographs and other art on the walls of your home, it’s important to consider the proper height on the wall and proper alignment. Hanging materials, weight distribution and previsualizing the placement of the art is important, too.
As a general rule, the center of the picture should be approximately at eye level. When you’re hanging a group of images, the midpoint of the grouping should be at eye level, too. (This is usually about 55 to 57 inches from the floor.)
If the art is small, hang it a little lower so it doesn’t get lost on the wall. If you’re hanging art in a kid’s room, remember that their eye level is a little lower so hang it a little lower for them!
If you’re hanging art over the sofa, above a bed or other piece of furniture, try to keep the art fairly close – about the width of your arm. This will create a harmony between the two pieces.
Invest in a good level or a laser line marker that projects a straight laser line on the wall for precise alignment. This will save you a lot of time and frustration if you’re hanging a lot of art on one wall.
To distribute weight evenly and keep the picture straight, always use two pictures hanging hooks spaced evenly apart. Space them as far apart as possible. Make sure you use good quality picture hanging hooks (not nails)
and wire that can support the weight of your framed art. Also make sure that they are appropriate hangers for the wall. For example, a wall made of sheetrock needs a different kind of hanger than a brick wall.
For large heavy pictures, use individual heavyweight hangers on each side of the frame for added support. Wire will not give sufficient support.
If you’re creating a grouping for a wall, visualize it by placing it on the floor first. This way, you can move pictures around without marking up the wall. You can also take a big sheet of Kraft or parchment paper and design your arrangement on the paper first by tracing the frames. Then cut and tape it your template to the wall to see if you like it.
By: Andrea Sperling
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Read more on Hanging Art In Your Home – Techniques the Pros Use…
Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 3rd, 2010.
Most decorators traditionally recommend a minimalist d
Filed under Home Improvement by on Sep 2nd, 2010.
Art Deco Lighting Ideas
Lighting during the Art Deco movement was dramatic, elegant and futuristic looking. It was a very important feature of interior design and also a key element of exterior architecture.
Traditionally, lamps, chandeliers and wall sconces were made from steel, chrome or polished bronze. This created that sexy, sleek look that is most associated with this period of history. Porcelain and glass were used to fashion lamp shades. This also contributed to the streamlined, sleek Deco aesthetic.
Beautiful glass Lalique lamps and other lighting pieces were very popular and continue to be in hot demand today.
Another traditional feature of Deco lighting is geometric pattern. Symmetrical and repeating angular designs like zig-zags, chevrons and Egyptian symbols were frequently engraved in metal lamp posts and glass shades.
Also, the glass would often be been painted in bold colours like brilliant red or sapphire blue. Bright colours were a very popular trend during the days of Deco.
Art Deco Lighting Characteristics
To complement the sleek architecture and modern interior design elements of the Deco period, lighting pieces also exhibited the classic characteristics of the style:
Geometric, angular designs – i.e. chevrons, zigzags
Streamlined and modern
Long, vertical silhouettes
Extensive use of steel, chrome, bronze and other ’shiny’ metals
Neon lights (primarily for external use)
Often large/over-scaled to create drama
‘Futuristic’ look – reminiscent of machinery
Bold, bright colours
Glass or porcelain lamp shades
Lalique crystal or glass lamps
To see some spectacular examples of Art Deco lamps, wall sconces, chandeliers and other light fixtures, please visit Art Deco Lighting.
By: Marta E
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Filed under Home Improvement by on Jul 28th, 2010.