Making Furniture

The beginner needs to realize that the difference between an amateur-looking furniture and a professional job, though important, is very small.

How to Make Furniture...

Often it is merely a matter of a piece of moulding or a corner brace, or a little extra sanding of the end grain.

In making a simple bedside lampstand and book­case, for example, the tyro probably would be con­tent with finishing everything off flush, and running the sides down to form feet. The professional, on the other hand, would give the top a slight over­hang and form a simple thumb moulding on three edges.

He would certainly enclose the space below the bottom shelf, and perhaps cut the skirt into a decorative shape. This base would have the effect of giving four feet to the cabinet, and allow it to stand more firmly on the floor.

The difference between the two jobs therefore would not be one of extra skill on the part of the professional, but of a practical application of a knowledge of design and the way these things are usually done for the best results.

The closed-in base, as can readily be seen, is better from every stand­point. It shuts off a space that would collect dust yet be too low to permit of its being swept out. Thus for very little extra expenditure of labor and material a much more impressive and expensive-looking job results.

This principle can be extended to all kinds of furniture and cabinet-making jobs, including the selection of tools and the care they receive after they have been acquired. The professional gets the best tools he can afford, and buys at the same time

Continued....
From "How to Make Your Own Furniture"
By: Henry Lionel Williams

The Luxury Makeover
Greg Lipke
4d84 The luxury lifestyle does not require a mansion. You don't have to wait until you can afford a huge house on the beach to live in a beautiful home. Remember the luxury lifestyle is about quality things and people. Small cosy houses can be made luxurious for a small amount of money through clever interior design. Remember the self made wealthy don't spend money when they don't have to. Living a luxury lifestyle is not about throwing money away to look cool, it is simply about raising your standard of living. If you can do that inexpensively, so much the better.

In this article I will introduce you to the basics of interior design which I studied when I was renovating houses. The key to a successful renovation is to make cosmetic improvements, not structural improvements, to a house. Building new rooms, adding another level to a structure or moving walls around is very expensive and moving walls especially can weaken the structure. You want to improve a houses WOW factor to make an impression. Here are some tips...

Painting - A new paint job will do more to improve the look of your home than anything. It is a relatively simple job too, so you can save yourself a fortune by doing it yourself. Give the surfaces to be painted a good clean up with sugar soap and scrape of any loose stuff. Bog up any cracks or any depressions to make the surface smooth, then paint. Whether you use an undercoat or not depends on what paint you use. Get advice from a interiors shop. The underlying principle for all renovations including painting is KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. Keep your color schemes simple, use neutral colors, they reflect light better making rooms look bigger and they look cleaner. Be consistent throughout the house.

Kitchens - Don't go crazy, these can eat heaps of cash if you are not careful. If your kitchen is falling apart then you have no choice but to get a new one. If you can avoid it though, don't get a new one just cosmetically touch up the one you have. New benchtops, tile splashbacks, door handles, cupboard handles, tap handles, a paint job and floor job will make a huge difference and won't cost the earth.

Bathrooms - Another money pit. Light and bright is the secret here. Just like the kitchen if it's falling apart, you have no choice but to spent the big bucks and replace things. If you can get away with it though, change your benchtops, door handles, cupboard handles, tap handles and floor tiles (wall tiles can be a huge expensive job, avoid changing if possible) Get a new paint job, a new toilet seat, toilet roll holder and towel racks. This will transform the room and won't cost much.

Flooring - Makes a huge difference. New carpet, tiles or linoleum will transform a room. Also consider, if you have a timber floor of good enough quality, ripping up the carpet and polishing the floorboards. This looks fantastic and is inexpensive.

Doors - Change the door knobs throughout the home for a classier style and make sure you stay consistent throughout.

Window treatments - These also transform a room. Make sure they fit in with the rest of the room.

Landscaping - Can cost you a fortune. All you really need to do (unless your yard is a write off) is rip out all the plants except for the larger established ones. Install some edging, re lay some turf where necessary (if you have dead spots where grass won't grow, you can pave that area which is expensive or extend the garden over this area and plant shade resistant plants), replant the garden with colorful plants and add mulch to your garden beds. Plant tall plants at the back of perimeter gardens or the middle of central gardens and have smaller plants in front. Try to get a few different shades of green in the leaves of different plants. Try to plant a range of flowers so you have something blooming at most times of the year. Flowers can give your garden a pleasant smell as well and attract birds. River pebbles or conrete treads are also an inexpensive alternative to paths.

Painting of the exterior - Makes a huge difference to the WOW factor. Probably best to get a professional to do it though, they own scaffolding, let them risk their necks. Decking and verandahs - Cheaper than adding rooms to your house but adds square footage to your living space. If you live above the snow line this may not appeal, but for warmer climates outdoor living spaces are wonderful for entertaining. Tile over concrete porches.

Fences - If you have an existing fence, give it a new paint job. If you don't have a front fence put in a white picket fence. Add an attractive letterbox.

Get a new front door - These really add or detract from the look of your home.

The bottom line is, you don't need to change where you live necesarily, just how it looks. Spend your money on luxurious homewares not on expensive structural changes. Read on now to learn about how to layout your home and how to decorate it to raise your standard of living and to add to your luxury lifestyle.

1. The Basics of Interior Design

There are 3 basic guidelines for successful interior design.

A successful room is functional.

A successful room expresses a mood.

A successful room exhibits a sense of harmony.

Function - Ask yourself, what are the intended functions of this room? A room must serve it's intended function. No matter how beautifully you decorate a room, if your scheme can't fulfill all the functions you require the room to perform, then the room has failed. If a dining room is not convenient to eat in, then it fails. If a bedroom is not convenient to sleep in, then it fails. Does your living room have appropriate lighting for reading, if that is one of the functions of the room? Are there tables in easy reach of the seating to put your drink on? You get the idea.

Mood - What is the mood you want this room to express? Are you after a sleek, modern, sophisticated look, or a rustic, casual, warm mood etc? Every aspect of the room you create must maintain the same mood. Mood refers to the general look or feeling you want the room to express. The color schemes, furniture, window treatments, floor treatments and lighting styles etc. must all be consistent with this look and feeling.

Harmony - All the separate elements in a room must work together in harmony. All elements should feel appropriate and nothing should feel out of place. Every element should be harmonious in mood, scale, quality and color. We have already discussed mood. The scale must also be harmonious, this means all elements should be the same scale as each other and the same scale of the room itself. No huge chairs in small rooms or small chairs in huge rooms. No huge chairs with small chairs etc. The quality also needs to be harmonious. If you are using expensive high quality furniture then don't use them with cheap looking curtains etc. And lastly the color schemes must be harmonious. The color schemes in your furniture must not clash with the color schemes in your rug etc.

In every room you design for yourself you must follow these 3 guidelines.

Now let's discuss the 4 steps for designing a room.

Sketching a room.

Drawing a floor plan.

Furniture layout.

Lighting plan.

Sketching a room - At this stage you just need to do a rough sketch of your room and write down accurate measurements for length of the room, breadth of the room and ceiling height. Height of mouldings (the boards along the floor and between the walls and ceiling and the boards around doors and windows etc.), and the dimensions of your doors and windows need to be measured and noted. Measure how far windows and doors are from the corners of the room and from the ceilings and floor. Are there any features in the room (air conditioner units, fireplaces etc.)? Measure these and write it down. Note where the electrical outlets and switches are. Note where any lighting fixtures are.

Conduct a room condition checklist. Write down what everything is made out of and what condition it is in. Everything except the furniture I mean. Does anything need to be repaired? Note down what the window types are. Are they aluminium sliding windows, wooden casement windows etc? Now take photographs of every angle of the room for reference.

Drawing a floorplan - Buy some graph paper from a stationery supply shop. Re draw your rough sketch to scale on the graph paper. A good scale to use for most rooms is 1/4 inch = 1 foot. You need an accurate floorplan so you can do a furniture plan later. Show on your floorplan where the doors and windows are, also to scale. Don't show your measurements on the floorplan it will clutter it too much, keep all your measurements on your rough sketch. Indicate on your floorplan which way is North. This is important as it tells you where the sun will rise and set in relation to your rooms windows. How will the sun light your room? Will the setting sun need to be blocked by heavy drapes? Will you use the morning sun to your advantage to warm the room after a cool night?

Furniture layout - There are 4 questions you need to ask yourself when deciding where to put your furniture.

What are the balance lines of the room?

Where are the traffic patterns in the room?

What is the focus in the room?

How can I establish the axis of the room?

The balance lines are easy to determine. Draw 2 faint lines accross your floorplan dividing the room in half length wise and breadth wise. This will divide your room into 4 quadrants. This is important because you need to have an equal weight of furniture in each quadrant in order for the room to be balanced.

Traffic patterns are also easy. Leave 36 inches clear in front of each door opening to allow space for the swing of the door. Also keep 12 inches clear in front of the windows for access. Traffic patterns tell you where not to put furniture, mark these on your floor plan.

Now, what about the focus of the room? Is it a fireplace? Bay window? Blank wall where the home theater screen or an artwork will go? Plan your furniture layout to take advantage of this focus.

Establish an axis for the room. You now want to draw an imaginery line up the middle of the wall from floor to ceiling through your focus. Continue this line across the ceiling and down the opposite wall to the floor. The idea is this, you want the focus balanced from floor to ceiling. If your focus is a fireplace this would mean putting a picture or something above it to fill the space. You also need to balance both sides of the room. So you would have to put something on the other wall of equal visual weight along the axis line. Everything is about balance.

You are now ready to start planning where your furniture will go in the room. You need to place the furniture in the room so it takes advantage of the focus and so it serves the function of the room. Arrange your furniture so that all 4 quadrants have equal visual weight. This does not mean you need to have a mirror image of furniture in the quadrants, but it simply means you don't want every piece of furniture in one quadrant or one half. Visually on your floor plan the room should look balanced. Draw representitives of your furniture on your floorplan to scale. Try various ideas. Decide which one you find most appealing.

Lighting plan - Do not try to light the room. Light objects in the room. Firstly your lighting must permit people to perform the specific tasks of the room. For example using lamps for reading, playing cards etc. This is called task lighting. You also need sufficient lighting so people don't bump into things. This is called ambient lighting. You can use lighting to influence the mood. Bright lights for an upbeat mood, low lighting for a more intimate and romantic mood. As with everything else the different elements (elements, pardon the pun, I'm so clever) of your lighting plan must be harmonious with each other. Lighting decorative objects with spot lighting is also a nice touch. Don't forget to take into account where the electrical outlets are. You want to keep unsightly electrical cords as short as possible and hidden if you can.

2. Furniture

When it comes to choosing furniture there are a few points to consider.

Is the piece suitable in function and cost?

Is it suitable in mood and style? Does it have the right look?

Is it suitable in quality? Is it similar quality to the other furniture pieces?

Does the piece have suitable proportions? Are the different parts in pleasing harmony with each other?

Is the piece the right scale? Is it harmonious with the size of the objects and space around it?

Are the fabrics appropriate? Bright, intense colors and bold patterns increase visual weight. Muted, neutral tones and solid colors reduce visual weight.

When it comes to arranging furniture follow these guidelines:

The shape of the sides of the piece of furniture should match the shape of the wall. Don't put round tables in the corner of rooms.

Avoid placing rectangular furniture at an angle to straight walls.

If the space on the wall is horizontal, a horizontally shaped piece of furniture will look best there.

If the space on the wall is square, a square shaped piece of furniture will look best there.

Vary the heights of the major pieces in the room.

Spread your colors throughout the room.

Here are a selection of some of the major furniture styles from throughout history and how to spot them.

Early American styles - The lines of this furniture is very simple. The workmanship is unrefined and rustic. It is small in size, has a square frame structure, is usually painted and has square shaped legs with simple decorative turnings.

Mediterranean styles - This is heavy furniture. There is nothing delicate about it. It is solid, squarish and built to last. It is usually made of ornately carved wood. The Spanish Mediterranean furniture often featured leather that was decorated with metal nailheads.

French styles - Louis XIV style (1643 - 1715) has massive scale, X shaped stretchers that support the legs, a bacically square form and the seat & back were upholstered. This style had detailed ornamentation.

- Regence style (1700 - 1730) was a transition between Louis XIV and Louis XV. It had cabriole legs (curved legs) and a curvature on the top edge of the seat back.

- Louis XV style (1730 - 1775) had curved shapes and forms, extensive rococo decoration (elaborate decoration incorporating a shell mofif), romantic imagery, delicate shape & design and no leg stretchers.

- Louis XVI (1775 - 1789) had straight slim legs (usually fluted and topped with a box shape containing a carved rosette), rectangular shapes or mechanically produced curves, classical motifs (such as columns, urns and lyres) and delicate construction.

- Directoire style (1790 - 1804) had simple elegant lines, patriotic motifs (including military motifs, agricultural motifs and crossed flags), classical motifs (inspired by ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece), curled chair backs and scrolled sofa arms, outward curving legs or classic fat straight legs.

- Empire style (1804 - 1831) had a heavy masculine look, polished veneers more often than carved wood surfaces, excessive use of ormolu mounts (often large and badly cast), chairs with wooden backs and upholstered seats, inspired by classical Greece (including the boat bed, recamiore day bed and tripod stand), mirror back console table, motifs inspired by ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece as well as patriotic and military motifs.

English styles - William & Mary style (1689 - 1702) had hooded tops (tops in the shape of single or double round arches that look like dutch roofs), curved X shaped stretchers, inverted cup on straight turned legs, besides these features they had basically straight lines.

Queen Anne style (1702 - 1714) had cabriole legs often with shell motif on the knee, fiddle back splats and basically curved lines.

Early Georgian style (1714 - 1760) was the same as the Queen Anne style but with extensive addition of carving, particularly eagles, lions, satyrs and cabochons. This carving was made possible by the introduction of mahogany.

Late Georgian styles (1760 - 1811) was a collection of styles. In this era individual cabinetmakers developed their own styles. Some of these were:

Chippendale - He tried many different things so it is hard to pin down his style, but look for rococo motifs with open carved backs, Chinese motifs, Gothic motifs and curved open pediment tops.

Adam Brothers - Had straight legs that were often fluted but with no boxed rosette like you would find with the Louis XVI style. Also look for oval shaped chair backs with spokes, lyres or other classical motifs like vases and urns.

Hepplewhite - Had curved chair backs (featuring shield, interlacing heart and oval), straight legs (but with no fluting like in the Adam style), spade foot and serpentine front on casepieces.

Sheraton - The apostle of the straight line. Straight legs (no fluting but frequently reeded), lightness and eegance.

Regency style (1810 - 1837) was similar to French Empire style but used different symbols.

Victorian style (1837 - 1901) was an attempt by the nouveau rich to emulate the luxury of an earlier time. It was materialistic and ostentatious. It ultimately became a caricature of itself. Don't let this happen to you.

20th Century styles - are often produced out of formed wood, metal and plastics. We see these styles all around us. Four major styles were and are:

Art Nouveau - attempted to reject the machine age with carved wood and lines imitating nature with convoluted curves and shapes. An example of this is Tiffany lamps.

Art Deco - glorified ornamentation. Heavily influenced by the cubist movement of the day. It had geometric forms and shapes.

Bauhaus - embraced the machine age. It rejected all ornamentation and elevated function as it's ideal. A very minimalist style.

Post Modernism - is more of an architectural style really but makes it's presence felt in furniture design as well. Basically this is what is being produced today and it takes many different forms being explored by many different designers.