Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating Articles

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Monday, September 29, 2008

Makeover a Room With a Tapestry

Makeover a Room With a Tapestry

Adding a wall tapestry is great way to add wall decoration and a focal point to almost any room. A great tapestry can pull a room together. Fabric wall hangings such as tapestries automatically make a room feel warmer. They are also a great conversation piece.

Their intricately woven patterns alone make them worthy of comment. If the tapestry also reflects a personal interest, it lends to even more conversation. So how do you go about doing this? Let's find out.

Consider using a large wall tapestry to design an entire room around. Let the tapestry act as a backdrop to the rest of your design features. For instance, a classic red, white, and blue nautical tapestry along one wall begs for outdoor furniture, like a wicker sofa with blue and white striped cushions with a red Adirondack chair and a sisal rug against white floors and sky blue walls.

You can also add a tapestry to pull together a room of collectibles. If you collect medieval weapons, a tapestry of a medieval battle or a castle can highlight your collection. If you are an avid fisherman, a tapestry depicting the small port of a fishing village might be a good choice.

If you enjoy traveling, a world map tapestry would be a good focal point in a room with your collected mementos from around the world. With all of the custom tapestry choices available, you can have your pick of designs, or design your own, that will perfectly fit your space and your style.

A landscape tapestry in your dining room can tie in beautifully with your floral tapestry dining room chair seats and have your guests gawking at how perfectly the room comes together. A secluded garden tapestry can add a touch of romance in your bedroom without taking up precious floor space. Back-to-back tapestries can even act as a beautiful, free-hanging divider in a loft or large room.

When considering revamping your home's decor, consider what a well-placed tapestry can do to enrich your home. Tapestries offer the wall coverage of a mural, but you can take the tapestry down and re-hang it. A tapestry offers the warmth of fabric without the expense of fabric wallpaper and, once again, you can take your tapestry with you.

While you may be of the mindset that tapestries are massive pieces of art that can only go on a large wall, you may be surprised to learn the truth. Many tapestry companies offer the options of resizing and changing colors of their tapestry designs to fit any size wall or color scheme you may have.

Some tapestry companies offer complete custom tapestries that you provide the design for. You can have them match a picture exactly or ask them to design a tapestry to fit your decor by using pictures from your house. The limits to the possibilities of tapestries is only left to the limits of your imagination.

So there you go.

Bring the rich colors and textures of tapestries into your home. A well-placed tapestry is an eye-catching, conversation-starting, work of art.

Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which has a wide range of tapestry wall hangings to enhance any home. Browse a wide collection of the latest wall art tapestry designs in a variety of categories including large wall tapestries.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Inexpensive Interior Design Ideas That Look Great

Inexpensive Interior Design Ideas That Look Great

Good interior decoration comes at a heavy cost. Well, this is a myth that will soon be cleared as you go through this article. There are many inexpensive interior design ideas that will be revealed to you, so that budget-conscious people do not refrain from rejuvenating the look of their house.

The biggest mistake that people do in the task of interior designing is that they try to change everything from the very start. The best way to approach a task especially for those who have a limited budget is to improvise on their exiting things wherever possible.

The foremost thing is to paint the walls. The colors chosen by you must be in accordance with the mood you want to invoke in that particular room. However, if your wall has cracks or holes, try covering them by hanging fabrics such as cotton or silk.

Another alternative is to hang a tapestry or an interesting painting. You may also make your own creations to adorn the walls. Or you may pick up an interesting piece of fabric or map. Now get it framed and your inexpensive wall hanging is all ready! Similarly, instead of fixing the imperfections on your floor, you may cover them by carpets or designer floorings.

With constant usage, storage cabinets may also have lost their finish. Replacing them is surely an expensive affair. But if you just want to make it as new as ever, why not simply paint it again? You may also consider changing its handles and glass. This would give you new cabinets without spending much money. For the task, you may approach a refurbishing company or consult a professional.

Furniture is also very expensive, if you wish to purchase a new set. However, you may use slipcovers instead to get rid of the boredom in your room and change the look of your furniture. You may also have different slipcovers made for different seasons. For instance, you may have yellow or white colored slipcovers for summers and for fall you may like brown or green colored slipcovers and so on.

Lightning is another important factor of interior designing. By adding on a few flow lights in order to bring focus to the new wall hangings and accessories incorporated by you will definitely change the look of your home drastically. After all, there is nothing old and worn out that you will now notice from flooring to walls.

Hence, there are various inexpensive interior design ideas that can be utilized to enliven your home. In fact, the same affordable ideas can be equally useful to rejuvenate even a home office, restaurant, or any other business set up by making a few amendments to these ideas.

Walter Hilliam owns and operates http://www.myinteriordesignideas.com Interior Design Ideas

Monday, August 25, 2008

How You Can Create Beauty And Ambience In Your Home With A Tapestry Wall Hanging

How You Can Create Beauty And Ambience In Your Home With A Tapestry Wall Hanging

Bring a sense of beauty, ambiance and history into your home with tapestry wall-hangings.

The fabric of a tapestry reduces sound vibrations, improving the auditory distinctiveness of the room in which they are hung. Tapestry wall-hangings are becoming increasingly popular for wall decor. A tapestry wall hanging is a unique combination of modern fashion trend and a form of wall art from Antiquity.

A tapestry is created by colored weft threads woven into fixed warp threads to form the picture or the design. The detail of the tapestry is determined by the closeness of the warp threads. The closer together and the more delicate or fine the threads, the more intricate and detailed the tapestry. All original tapestries were hand made.

Tapestry is one of the oldest forms of woven textiles; woven tapestry art has provided the stories of the Ancient Greeks and Romans to the medieval and the Renaissance period as well as the Old and the New Testaments. Documents relating to the origin of weaving tapestries, or wall hangings, date to before 2000BC. The Egyptians used this form of art to adorn their graves, the Incas buried their dead in tapestry woven clothing.

Ancient Greek art also depicts weaving and spinning, as found on painted pottery specimens dating pre 500BC. Hand-woven tapestry art was a significant form used to decorate the walls of houses of the rich and important civic buildings such as the Parthenon, but however, it was the French medieval weavers who brought the craft to fruition especially as we know it.

European weavers including those of the Medieval as well as the Renaissance periods are considered the world's most important producers of tapestries.

Paris was the tapestry capital of the western world during the Middle Ages and through the 100 years War, but the war resulted in many of the tapestries being burnt or destroyed in ways to procure their precious metal content. The artisans of tapestry eventually moved from Paris to the areas that we now know as Northern France and Belgium.

Many of the mass produced tapestries of today continue to be produced in factories in Belgium, the Netherlands with some in France and Italy. Mass production requires the use of computerized jacquard weaving machines. Belgium tapestries are decorative pieces of art which are enjoyed the world over for their artistic flair and creativity.

Tapestry weaving in the USA dates back to before the American Revolution.

Throughout history tapestries have been associated with nomadic life and story telling in fabric and in the modern world they have become a credible form of craft as well as art. Art forms have cycled through periods of growth and decline, but now in Western and Pacific Rim countries Textile Artistry is enjoying a resurgence like never before.

Architects and homeowners continue to seek single pieces and unique hand made tapestries to adorn their building or homes.

Consider the addition of tapestries in the decor of your home. You will be adding a texture to your walls not found in any other form of art. Experience for yourself the changes that can occur in different viewing angles as a result of thread colors and the weave. Experience for yourself the beauty and ambiance that has permitted tapestries to journey from antiquity to modern times.

As co-owner of So Divine, my goal is to provide excellent Home Decor products at affordable prices and to give you the best customer and sales support!

With many travels to Mediterranean countries, a deep love and understanding of this region has developed.

Candles are as much of history as is the ancient world, the two marry together. Candles have always been lit in our home.

A lover of natural products and fragrances I have sought information relating to products that can fulfill those needs as well as providing a safe environment.

Initially our endeavors were to satisfy the needs of our family members, but with requests coming from visitors and relatives far and wide we quickly realized that many people were interested in the same home décor and accessories that we had been sourcing for many years.

For information relating to all our products visit http://www.soyousodivine.com to receive our Home Decor Newsletter

Articles extracts from Susan's book "Spray Salt and Spice - The Taste" soon to be released

by Susan Burgess

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Tapestries Wall Hangings: Best For Home Decor

Tapestry is a unique form of textile art. It is hand knitted on a vertical loom. The presence of Tapestries wall hanging has been witnessed since the Hellenistic times. During the fourteenth century AD, the art of making tapestries wall hanging reached a new stage in Europe.

It originated in Switzerland and Germany and then moved on to the Netherlands and France, later spreading to the whole of Europe. During the 14th and 15th centuries, France became the centre of this rare art. The French Revolution some what affected the presence of this art.

The Tapestries wall hangings became extremely popular in medieval Europe. In fact, Wall Hangings Tapestries made its presence in every nook and corner of a common man's house. The different types of Wall Hangings Tapestries include the Croft European, religious and the Bayeux embroidered tapestry.

Tapestries wall hangings are a rare collection. The warp threads are hidden in the final work. This is unlike cloth weaving, where we get to see the existence of both the weft threads and the warp. Utilizing this unique technique, a vibrant coloured outline of the image is created. Usually, the cotton or the linen is used as the warp thread.

The weft thread usually consists of cotton or wool, but may also include gold, silver, silk, and other alternatives. This uniqueness provides it with a natural aesthetic beauty. Its long heritage and beauty is no match for the contemporary and traditional decorative items of today.

The Tapestries wall hangings are available in different designs and colours. The main yarn colours are bluish green, russet or terracotta, olive green, dull gold and blue. Sage green and black is also not uncommon. Late repairs are worked in orange, light yellow, and shades of sober greens.

The different patterns, designs and styles used in these Wall Hangings Tapestries include beautiful landscapes, pictures of animals and wildlife and court scenes. It also includes images of the countryside and the city life as well, besides certain religious and mythological events.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, Arras, France was a prosperous textile town. The industry focused in manufacturing fine wool tapestries that were sold to decorate the castles and palaces of kings and nobles all over Europe. Even in the modern era, Tapestries wall hangings are very popular and are used to provide a unique ambience to the house.

There are certain premium tapestry sellers like Croft European Tapestries that will help you acquire brilliantly coloured tapestries with intricate designs. Use one of them to create a mesmerising ambience in your home or workplace!

Janet is a well-known author who writes on the topics related with Tapestries, Tapestries Wall Hangings, Religious Wall Hanging & more for the site www.crofteuropeantapestries.co.uk.

by Janet

Friday, July 18, 2008

How to Care For Your Wall Tapestry - 3 Tips You Should Know About

How to Care For Your Wall Tapestry - 3 Tips You Should Know About

There are many variables to take into account when deciding what methods to use for the care and cleaning of your wall tapestry. When it comes to tapestries, the one thing that does not vary is the importance of proper care and cleaning to your tapestry's appearance and longevity. Below is an overview of some of the variables you may need to consider to ensure you are properly caring for your tapestries:

Tip 1

First and foremost, you must hang your tapestry correctly. Proper hanging techniques for tapestries distribute the fabric's weight evenly over the tapestry. Rod-in-pocket and Velcro(r) hanging techniques are both recommend by textile conservators provided they are done correctly. Hanging considerations:

1. Some new tapestries come with backing fabric and a rod pocket pre-sewn.

2. Custom tapestry companies can add trim, backing, rod pockets, and Velcro(r) to your tapestry.

3. If you are somewhat handy and can sew a stitch, you can do it yourself.

4. Whether a company does it or you do it, make sure to use proper materials. For example, never use sticky Velcro(r). The adhesive damages the tapestry and it does not hold as evenly as sewn Velcro(r).

5. Do not cut corners, especially when it comes to old, fragile, or valuable tapestries. Only allow cotton or other natural fabric and thread to touch the tapestry.

6. In more humid climates, tapestries need to be hung a bit away from the wall to prevent mold.

7. Consult a textile conservator at a college or art gallery for a personal assessment of your textile and how best to hang it.

Tip 2

Second and almost as important, you must clean your tapestry regularly and properly. Remove dust by vacuuming them with the drapery attachment at least twice a year. If you live in dusty areas or own pets, you may need to vacuum your tapestry every other week. Removing dust regularly is the best way to keep bigger pieces of dirt from adhering to your tapestry, so dust often. When you notice that it needs dusting, you have actually waited too long to dust a textile like a tapestry. Dust it about twice as often as you think it needs it, unless you are already a compulsive cleaner.

Tip 3

Deeper cleaning of a tapestry can be much more tedious. If your tapestry is new or relatively new, consult the manufacturer. Otherwise, no deeper cleaning is suggested without consulting a professional textile conservator. Even plain water can damage certain tapestry materials. Also, tapestries are often made with a combination of different materials. The general rule is that one stain is easier to treat than two are. So resist doing anything beyond blotting your tapestry with a white cotton cloth. Then find a professional textile conservator to assess and properly clean your tapestry.

So there you have it.

Keep you tapestry in the best condition possible by properly hanging and cleaning it. Even if it is brand new, hang and clean it properly from the first day you bring it home. With proper care, your tapestry can be an eye-catching piece of art for many years to come.

Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries which has a wide range of tapestry wall hangings to enhance any home. Browse a wide collection of the latest wall art tapestry designs in a variety of categories including large tapestry art works.

by Tom Matherson

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Wall Tapestries - Large Scale Wall Tapestries

Wall Tapestries - Large Scale Wall Tapestries

Excellent quality large scale tapestries can be produced easily using broadloom carpet. Carpet styles can range from lighter weight, commercial grades to heavier plush grades. Often these styles can be blended together to create a more textured tapestry. Here's a closer look at what's involved in producing a larger scale tapestry.

Step One: Design Concepts - The bigger the scale, the easier it is to capture details in a broadloom tapestry. The complexity factor will affect pricing. If there's a tight budget, then reducing complexity is the easiest way to bring costs down. How many colors are involved? What materials will be used? Costs on large scale wall tapestries can range from several thousand to tens of thousands.

Step Two: Production Facts - Once a design is determined, it's time for the production phase. This can take from several weeks to several months, depending on the size and scope of the project. All of the colors and design details are handcrafted and carefully inlaid into the main field piece. Hand-carving is another feature that can be integrated into a wall tapestry. The carving adds sharpness and definition to the overall design.

Step Three: Installing The Tapestry - There are a few options for installation. A large scale tapestry will likely require a special installation: including scaffold set-up. The install can be done in a day or two. The tapestry can actually be installed in panels, similar to a wallpaper installation. The Tapestry should be securely fixed to the wall for a safe and permanent installation; this can be done using special adhesives. Smaller tapestries can be hung from a decorative rod or hooked in place.

As we have learned; designing, producing, and installing a large scale tapestry doesn't have to be a mystery. Broadloom tapestries can be a stunning addition to any corporate environment, clubhouse, or residence that has the space for it.

Russell Webb, your friendly expert Custom Carpet Maker. If you're ready to discover the creative and exciting world of custom carpet sculpture, and have fun doing it, then why not request more information at http://www.custom-area-rugs.com

by Russell Webb

Uncover the Beauty Created With Wall Tapestry

Uncover the Beauty Created With Wall Tapestry

Tapestry a Form of Textile Art

Wall tapestry enhances the décor of a room or the place of business. The richness that the wall tapestries have in texture cannot be found in any other art form. The tapestries having modern art images that are done by world-famous artists are in demand as a decorative piece for the interiors.

Tapestries Can Beautify the Interior of Your Home

If you prefer to have a warm and colorful look in your room, then it makes for a great idea to have wall tapestry in the rooms. Besides rendering a colorful look to the room, this room décor also gives the room a soft and relaxed feel.

Be it a fine domestic or European wall tapestry, you can have them to grace your walls. Wall tapestry is lovely wall hangings that come with a 3-4 inch rod pocket, which is sewn on the reverse side for the purpose of installation. You can hang tapestries with pretty hardware finials on each end or with a metal adjustable rod, which is quite akin to a curtain rod.

Pay attention to the hanging of a wall tapestry, if the job is done well then there is no stopping you from transforming your room from a simple one to a decorated and elegant one. Tapestries can create a welcome look in the house that will make your guests compliment on the look of your interiors.

Makes for both fun and function, a wall tapestry is a wonderful textile art. It is actually woven by hand on a vertical loom. So take your pick from the many floral wall tapestries, vintage poster tapestries and landscape tapestries. Look in awe at the magic that the wall tapestry does to your home.

Bob is Marketing Director for Keepsakes Etc and has been developing a market awareness for their Wall Tapestry line of business.

by Bob Shirilla