A lot of furniture owes much of its shape and style to the various art movements of the time. In the early 20th century, Cubist, Post-Impressionist, Italian Futurist all lent their styles to the birth of Art Deco. With all these styles, furniture became much more than storage and shelving units. In some cases they were more like sculptures or works of art, though many people today prefer their furniture to be practical as well as attractive, perhaps putting more emphasis on its storage utility than its artistic values.
In 1925 at the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratif et Industriels, Moderne, later known as Art Deco was first introduced to the world. The Exposition had originally been scheduled for 1912 but was postponed. American designers were invited to the Exposition but felt they had nothing ‘modern’ to exhibit.
Later, however, various museums and department stores across the USA held their own exhibitions of the new style. Thus began the American search for their own individual style of Art Deco. As with the Italian Futurists, the American designers gained a great deal of their inspiration from the inventions of the era, machines, cars and aeroplanes for example.
In Britain, several Art Deco designers were making their mark, including an architect, Sir Edward Maule, who, in the spirit of Frank Lloyd-Wright, the American architect and Modernist designer, had turned his architectural skills to furniture design. He designed and built work tables that were exhibited at the Exposition in Paris in 1925 and although it was rather an exotic style for English Art Deco at the time, it was considered to be one of the few storage pieces comparable to those of the French designers.
If you have space, turning it into a room dedicated for dressing has two great advantages. It will add to the value of your property, and the other is that your bedroom will be free of the need for wardrobes and dressing tables.
There are various choices that could be considered;
• The en-suite room – the perfect choice if the space is available. A room adjacent to the bedroom gives a wide storage range. Fitted storage would be preferable and a chest of drawers
• The walk-in closet – small, perfectly formed room with storage and maybe enough space to get dressed
• Spare bedroom / dressing room – if the spare bedroom already has plenty of fitted storage anyway, then it could be easily utilised as a dressing room as well
• The bathroom / dressing room – a lot trickier but if planned carefully enough, both functions could be combined. It might not be such a good idea though, if there is only one bathroom in the house
Fitted closets make the best use of available storage space. Good quality storage space will offer shelves for sweaters and shirts, drawers to organise socks and underwear and plenty of hanging space as well. Pigeonholes in which to store shoes are also a good idea.
Good light, natural light if possible, is vital in a dressing area. If natural light is impractical then try using low voltage spotlights. A dressing room need not be regarded as a luxury, since it creates extra space in the bedroom.
In larger houses, the kitchen has re-established itself as the heart of the home. It is where the meals are prepared and eaten. It is where the family can relax and guests can be entertained, especially when parties are being held, the table will hold the buffet and there will be room for the drinks as well. In smaller houses, however, the situation is different.
The living room tends to be a multi-purpose place where several functions can be achieved. As a formal living room, it is simple to arrange a sofa and a couple of armchairs around a focal point such as a media centre, a television, DVD player and CD player all stacked into a shelving unit. Collections of DVDs and CDs can be arranged in the unit itself or another low storage cupboard placed against the wall. There needs to be as much space as possible between items of furniture, which can be difficult if there is planty of items needed to be placed in storage.
Kitchens tend to be smaller so the living room needs to double as a dining area as well. A drop-leaf dining table is ideal for the purpose, since it can be folded down and tucked away in a corner or against the wall when not in use.
Part of the living room can also be used as an office. With the laptop computer becoming more popular, the dining table can serve as a desk and file and document storage is achieved with the use of a small bookcase, when the laptop can be stored when not in use.
If you have storage cabinets you want to put against a wall, but find it blocked by a radiator, you could consider underfloor heating. This is usually achieved using a network of electrical cables or hot water pipes. The Romans designed a system of underfloor heating by tapping into hot subterranean springs in the area, especially in colder climes like Britain. With the recent need for more renewable energy sources, this particular idea has been used in new housing estates when it is feasible.
You may wonder whether this kind of heating system is really for you. Well, consider how much wall space is taken up by radiators. Placing any items of furniture in front of them cuts down on their efficiency considerably. With the radiators out of the way, you will be able to place extra shelving units or storage cupboards against the wall space previously occupied by radiators.
Underfloor heating is a lot more energy efficient than a central heating system using radiators. It is important to understand that its actual installation could be quite expensive. However, it would pay dividends if you decide to sell the house, you would probably be able to add quite a bit to the asking price when a potential buyer realises the benefits and cost-effectiveness of underfloor heating, as well as the extra storage space you will have created. This type of heating system can be installed under almost surface including terracotta, stone or wood. Each material will have its own limitations though, so make sure you speak to a contractor with experience in this kind of work.
In a small kitchen, every inch of storage space needs to be taken advantage of. One way of ensuring you make best use of the available wall space, is to install suspension rails.
Suspension rails can be bought in various lengths, or cut to size. The rail offers a versatile range of uses as a means of storage, with its various accessories. It can simply be used as a towel and / or oven glove holder.
However, the purchase of metal ‘s’ hooks will enable you to hang cups, kitchen utensils such as spatulas, spoons, pots and pans and so on. There are also other storage items that are purpose-made to be hung from the ‘s’ hooks. A metal cutlery stand, for example, that can be hung on the wall or left on your work surface. A dish drainer, with a removable tray underneath to collect water and protect work surfaces, another type of drainer can be fitted to the rail, and it is possible to use it as a plate rack or a drainer. When not in use, the drainer can be folded flat against the wall.
Wire baskets that can be fitted to the suspension rail are another useful item to utilise. Available in a range of sizes, the larger baskets can be used to hold fruit and vegetables. By the way, it is best not to store bananas in direct contact with other produce, because the banana exudes a substance that will rot anything else touching it.
Sometimes, a bathroom is in need of a revamp. Here are a few simple ideas.
A really easy update is replacing the toilet seat. There are all kinds of different colours and designs available. Once you have removed the old seat, simply insert both bolts, slip on the washers and tighten the nuts.
Storage in the bathroom is a problem, and it can soon become cluttered. Putting up a couple of shelves is a good idea, but another less expensive option is also possible. If you have old plastic storage boxes around the kitchen, spray paint them and store your various odds and ends in it.
It is also possible to make a simple window blind which will not cost a fortune. Cut two pieces of fabric to the size of the window, plus two centimetres on all sides. Place the right sides together and stitch a one centimetre hem on both sides, and the bottom edge. Turn right side out and press. Before hemming the top, make four long strips as long as the drop, plus extra to tie up at the bottom. Once sewn, turn right sides out and press.
Turn the top edge under by one centimetre, press then insert the strips, two sets of two, equally spaced from the blind’s edges. Hang one down the front and one down the back, then stitch. Attach a strip of wood, and stick Velcro to the top of the blind, and another to your wooden batten.
It may be that you have a rather plain kitchen and have limited space to transform it into an area of which you can feel proud, and will also have an individual touch.
First and foremost, consider storage. Shelving units, from floor to ceiling, will be your best option here. One shelf should be erected separately on which to store all of your recipe books, preferably ones with bright cheerful covers. If you have some quite old books, it will, if anything give the room a touch of old world charm, as well as colour. With shelving systems being available in lots of different materials, you should have no problem in finding something for the look you have in mind.
Have a look around in the shed and garage for plant pots. Ceramic or stone, they can add flair to the kitchen when used to grow herbs, such as fennel, parsley or sage. Not only will they look attractive, they will also be close at hand to use in your cooking, as well as carrying an attractive aroma. On the wall behind them, try fitting some shelf racks to dry out your fresh herbs.
If the splash-back tiles are in perfectly good conditions, but are plain in colour, use transfers to make them more attractive. The plastic boxes that come with crackers or biscuits for cheese, can also be utilised, rather than thrown away, when empty. Try using them to store the coffee, tea, sauces and other condiments in one place.
Converting a barn into a home is not for the faint-hearted. However, if done properly, you can make it suit your needs to perfection.
A barn with its original oak beams left in place will enable you to colour co-ordinate the rest of the fittings around the beams. Oak flooring, for example, is ideal for throw rugs in neutral shades. If the building has no loft area which would normally be used for storage, one idea would be to construct fitted cupboards or storage racks in the upstairs rooms that will be placed neatly alongside the eaves bottoms to make use of the previously unusable space. To allow them to merge seamlessly into the walls, they should be painted a neutral colour.
Downstairs might benefit best from an open plan living area. The lounge space would flow through naturally to the dining area, then to the kitchen. Shelving units arranged along the walls in the diner will give more floor space in the lounge.
Barns sometimes have quite small windows, which can make the interior seem gloomy. This problem can be solved by using pale wooden window frames and white walls. If you are going to furnish your new home with white or tones of the same colour, remember to break it up by using different textures and subtle shades of colour that will act as a contrast. This will prevent the room from looking too flat.
Wooden venetian blinds make for a perfect finishing touch, as they will fit in with the rest of your home’s décor.
When you have gone through the house, cleared out what is no longer needed either to be dumped or recycled, you then have to bite the bullet and deal with the loft. The loft is a wonderful place to throw things that will be useful later or, if you have just moved in, boxes still packed and not urgently needed but are taking up space at the moment.
Ideally, you will want to use the loft as a storage area. If so, there needs to be a way of accessing it reasonably easily and providing adequate light to enable you to move around safely. Another good idea is to board it over to cut out the risk of accidentally putting your foot through the floor. Not forgetting that, depending how much you intend to store there, the extra weight maybe too much for the ceiling to bear.
The wall furthest from the access point would be a good place to install shelves or shelving systems. Consider flattening out the boxes specifically used to hold, for instance, computers, the television, DVD recorder and so forth, then storing them out of the way at the lowest part of the loft in case they are needed again.
Next, you must decide what stays and what goes. Documents from the bank, insurance company, utility companies, for example, could be sorted into separate envelopes then into plastic storage boxes and onto the shelves. Record collections, books and toys will probably also figure in your personal Aladdin’s Cave.
There comes a time in everyone’s lives when they need to de-clutter. Regard it as a de-fragmentation of your home. The kitchen and its potential for effective shelf storage will be hindered by items either no longer needed or unusable. It is all too easy to just push things to the back of the cupboard and promise yourself you will deal with it later.
However, it is always worth considering the wealth of kitchen storage solutions that are currently available on the market. Most are designed with specific products in mind, such as hooks for pans and mugs. Making use of these ensures that you are using all of the space available to you, and aren’t wasting any and therefore not expanding upon the original decor.
The cupboard under the sink can be a convenient place to put things that belong in the shed or workshop, usually under workbenches – tins of paint or varnish for instance. Decide what should be stored there, cleaning rags and cloths, sponges, furniture polish for example. Perhaps candles, a camp-stove and a torch in case of power cuts could be stored in plastic storage boxes, as well.
If you are a enthusiastic DIYer, making a cup tree would help store cups and mugs more tidily. Pans, spatulas and kitchen scissors for example could be stored out of the way with the help of metal hooks or shelves fixed into a strip of wood secured to the wall.