| |
| |
|
Interior Decorating Information |
|
|
|
Vintage Hearth Accessories Heat Up Your Fireplace
Curling up near a cozy fire is a wonderful winter pastime but you'll need the right tools to tend your fire. Vintage fireplace accessories can add just the right atmosphere to your décor. Here's what you'll need to keep your fire aglow. Tool Sets You may notice that vintage fireplace tool sets can be larger in scale than modern sets. The reason is because in the 18th and early 19th centuries when a fire was the only source of heating a home, a large fireplace was essential and these larger fires required large tools to maintain them. Tool sets for the fire - a shovel, poker, brush and pair of tongs were usually made of brass, bronze or wrought iron. Bronze tools are more valuable than brass or wrought iron. Look for fireplace tool sets to match the décor of your home. Ornate Victorian tools suit more traditional homes. More modern decor lends itself to the simple linear tools reminiscent of the arts and crafts period. Andirons Andirons are iron supports used to rest burning logs in the fireplace. They were utilitarian and not particularly decorative. However, in the 18th century the French fancied up their andirons with ornate figures such as dogs, lions, fish, mythological creatures or people. These were dubbed fire-dogs. Today, the terms andirons and firedogs are used interchangeably. These days we hold the burning logs in cast-iron grates. You'll still see andirons in antique shops. Add them to add a striking panache to your hearth. Fenders A fender is three-sided rectangular shaped metal piece that keeps sparks from jumping onto carpets and flooring. They could be very ornamental at times. Decorative Screens There were several styles and purposes for screens - to combat drafts or shield an individual from heat. Some were used to hide the fireplace in summer months. These were called cheval screens. They could be decorative and were made from mahogany, rosewood or satinwood with needlepoint, tapestry or embroidery details. Some were made with unwanted fabric or leather. A pole screen was used when the fire was lit. It was small, light and portable with an adjustable panel that could be square, oval or shield-shaped. It was used to protect the face when you were near the fire - either sitting to be warmed or stoking the fire. Pole and cheval screens are hard to find these days because as central heating became available, screens were often discarded. If you do a cheval screen, you can still use it to hide the fireplace during the warmer months. Mesh screens came along later and served the same purpose as fenders. They held the popping embers in. Look for older mesh screens. They'll have two small rectangular notches at the base that were to allow for the andirons. Value A matching set, consisting of a fireplace tool set, fender and andirons is more valuable than a mismatched set. It's hard to find a complete fireplace set because over the years the sets were often broken up. If you have one, hang onto it. Good News There are lots of vintage fireplace tools out there. Since they were made of brass, bronze or wrought iron, many have survived over the years. You'll often find vintage fireplace tool sets more affordable than new sets. Plus, vintage sets will have that great patina that newer sets cannot duplicate. Martin Swinton owns Take-A-Boo Emporium located in Toronto, Canada. He does furniture restoration; caning and rushing repairs; appraisals and has teaches courses on antiques. Martin can be reached at http://www.takeaboo.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Interior-Decorating - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Turning Your Childs Room into a Mysterious Jungle (When designing a child's room, you want to create an atmosphere that inspires and stimulates them mentally. The room should be interesting to the child, and should reinforce both rational thinking, and creativity. Starting Your Own Redecorating Business: The First Key Steps Are you a compulsive furniture rearranger? Do you make distinctive vignettes with accessories? Been complimented on your beautiful home? Give friends and family decorating suggestions even if they didn't ask for your help?Have you ever wondered if you could make your decorating passion into a business? There is a fast growing area of interior decorating called interior redesign or one-day decorating. Varieties of this type of decorating include real estates decorating and home staging. The Benefits of Metal Wine Racks The number of metal wine racks available may seem overwhelming, but by narrowing your search you can find your ideal metal wine rack quickly and easily.Don't worry about how a wine rack will affect the wine's flavor. What is a Duvet Cover? A Duvet Cover is actually just another name for a Bed Comforter Cover. It's like a very large pillow case, is is normally used to cover a down comforter. How to Create a Decorative Garden Window If you have a sunny window in a room where you don't have to worry about privacy, this décor idea will provide a country home feel along with the beauty of Mother Nature's flowers.What you will need for this project:1. Discount Rugs - Buying a Discount Area Rug A quality area rug for your home can be an expensive proposition. A fine Oriental rug, for instance, can easily set you back several thousand dollars. Caring for Your Wood Furniture There is nothing like wood furniture to add elegance and beauty to a home. Whether it is a thick, all-natural butchers block table, an Art Deco wooden dresser, a simple mahogany dining room table or a sleek, modern coffee table, wood furniture is a staple in homes across America and the world. Interior Decorating and Home Decor With Inuit Art from the Arctic North In order to help give a room a classier touch, interior decorators have used sculptures to bring in a mansion or even museum-like feel to a home. This is particularly true for the interior decorating of living rooms, dens, home offices and hallways. A Guide to Wine Racks It is a cliché that wines get better with age. How a wine ages will depend on how the wine is stored. How to Buy a Used Adjustable Bed Mounting health costs and cuts to government funding are making people seek cheaper alternatives like used or secondhand adjustable beds. Used adjustable beds are no doubt cheaper than new ones, but a lot of care should be taken while buying a used adjustable bed. Creative Ways to Decorate Your Walls Moving into a new house can sometimes cause a quandry. You can stand and stare at large. The Value of Antique Wedgwood China Since the company is now slightly over 250 years old, anything made from year one to year 150 is now officially considered to be an antique. Antique certification begins for any item that can be verified to be at least 100 years old and since the Wedgwood Company keeps meticulous records on all of its designs, any piece of Wedgwood can be quickly, easily and accurately dated. The Power of Candlelight In this day and age, everything is about health and wellness. The products range from nutritional, mentoring/self growth and soy/veg candles. 7 Tips To Note When You Decorate Your Home When you decorate your home, think twice about the colors you use. Plan out properly the color scheme before you even buy the paint. The Benefits of Hanging Wine Racks Hanging wine racks help to neatly store wine in tight spaces. You can find wall-mounted wine racks that hold six bottles with slots to hang your stemware. An Introduction to Bamboo Flooring A little known fact: bamboo is technically not a tree at all, but a grass that includes over 1,000 species. Even without planting, bamboo naturally grows back, and it reaches maturity in only four to five years. How to Select an Interior Designer Selecting an interior designer is the most important decision that you can make before investing a lot in a home decorating project. Assuming you can afford the services of an interior designer, you have many choices of designers available. Four Decorative Painting Techniques Tired of plain, boring walls? Faux finishes are a great way to jazz up your space with little cost or effort. Here are a few of the most popular finishes. The Benefits of Laminate Bamboo Flooring Bamboo, a grass once conjuring up images of Pandas and rickety boats, is now being used to make quality wood floors in many North American homes. Bamboo laminate flooring is both an excellent building material and environmentally friendly; bamboo is easily renewable and matures in only five years. An Introduction to Air Purifiers Air purifiers have been around in various forms since the 1940s, when the first HEPA filter was designed to protect workers from airborne nuclear material. Since then, air purifiers have been used in hospitals, work sites, and homes to protect against viruses, mold, bacteria, pollen, pet dander, tobacco smoke, dust mites, and a great number of industrial and household chemicals.
|
| home | site map | Nautical Decor |
| © 2006 |
