Posts Tagged ‘Introduction’
A brief introduction to Interior Design
Interior design can be a discipline which whilst being functional in providing us with the environment we live and work in on a day to day basis can also be something which produces great beauty enhancing our daily lives and arguably a form of art.
Interior design is a profession in which technical and creative solutions are used to design, create and build interior environments. Interior design follows a process using a coordinated and systematic methodology which includes the incorporation of knowledge, analysis and research to enliven the creative process. This in turn enables the needs of the client to be met ensuing the projects goals are accomplished using the clients resources and within the available budget.
The profession arguably evolved from interior decoration and requires an understanding of architectural elements as well as creative skills, analytical + technical to name but a few. Within the profession there are a number of disciplines and specialism’s and for certain projects, particularly if regulated by the government interior designers working on the project will have to hold certain qualifications to win or work as part of a team on the project.
Two areas within interior design are those which specialise in residential work and those that specialise in commercial work. Residential interior design encompasses areas such as; bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, universal design, design for the young and elderly to name but a few. Commercial designers may encompass areas such as healthcare design, furniture design, hospitality design, retail design and workspace design amongst others.
Interior designers arguably have the ability to improve the mental and psychological well being of their clients as our day to day surroundings can arguably have a significant impact on our mental states. In order to achieve these goals it is important that the interior designer or design team understands a number of factors in relation to their interior design project. For example being aware of clients potential social, cultural, religious, physical and psychological needs, their economic circumstances so goals can be achieved where possible within budget and applying all of these variables into the interior design process.
However many projects can also be quite straightforward where a brief is given by the client for the interior designer to carry out to a certain budget without incorporating so many complex factors!
This is large and very interesting topic and would advise further reading either from books from bookshops or libraries or from web or book searches online.
Wicker Furniture – a Quick Introduction
Many homeowners overlook wicker furniture when purchasing furnishing for their own home. That is understandable because wicker furniture doesn’t usually get a lot of exposure from the media. Besides, this unique type of furniture is made from materials that is found only in Asian countries.
Wicker furniture is made from cane. In many Asian countries, cane is available in abundance. For decades, natives have been using cane to create all kinds of objects for home use – carry baskets, stools, chairs, tables, etc. Cane itself is a very tough material. It doesn’t break easily, and it doesn’t rot even after many years. It is not uncommon to find wicker furniture lasting for several years.
The term “wicker”, does not refer to any particular type of cane. It is the name given to the process of converting cane into furniture. The term is often used interchangeably with “rattan” (the name of the cane) to refer to the same thing.
The process of manufacturing wicker furniture is an interesting one. Because cane is very tough, it must first be treated with high temperatures before it can be worked on. The temperature helps to soften the cane, making it versatile enough to be used in some kind of weaving process.
There are many different types of weaving process that is used for creating wicker furniture. Some are more complicated than others. Manufacturers like to use simple weaving methods such as webb caning to produce furniture at cheaper costs. Regardless of the weaving process, the furniture will still turn out to be beautiful and functional.
However, it is possible to weave complex patterns into wicker furniture. The more complex the patterns, the more skills and time required to create the furniture. Therefore, wicker furniture with complicated patterns are often rarer and harder to come by. That just adds on to the cost of production. This means that if you are going for more exclusive and unique patterns, be prepared to pay a premium price for such furniture pieces.
There is a wide range of wicker furniture available in the market. They may even be available in your local furniture store. Mostly, they are imported in bulk from Asian wholesalers. You can find sofas, coffee tables, bar seats, arm chairs, and more!
In addition, wicker furniture is very comfortable to sit on. The cane bends a little to accustom to the weight of the user. For instance, if a chair is used repeatedly by the same user, it will start to conform to the body shape and weight of the user. This leads to greater comfort. For this reason, many homeowners find it hard to discard a wicker chair that has been around for years. The chair has become a personalized item.
A brief introduction to Contemporary furniture
What do you think about when you hear about contemporary furniture? Expensive? Out of reach? How much do you know about contemporary furniture?
In fact, this category of furniture design started from the 19th century onwards. Heavily influenced by the modernism movement, which was characterized by its promotion of self-consciousness and the pursuit of new experimental forms which drew attention to using new technological processes and materials to create and construct innovative design solutions, it marked a shift from furniture as an ornament to an emphasis on its function and accessibility. Its pursuit for originality and new technological methods led to the collection of contemporary furniture that is flourishing around the world of today.
Contemporary furniture is not just limited to inheriting the aesthetic preference of Western European style designs, but is a worldwide concept. Japonisme, which first appeared after the opening of its ports in the second half of the 19th century, used aspects of its historical culture with contrasting patterns, colourful solid planes and linear depictions that disregarded a mathematical mindest to put the western audience in awe. A number of designers, such as the Irish Furniture American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Designer Eileen Gray were directly influenced by this movement and were notable for blending the two styles together to create new forms of artwork in the modernism movement.
Various new kinds of materials are used to create modern contemporary designer furniture that was not used before, such as the use of moulded plywood and stainless steel frames. Plastic is also widely used due to its high elasticity in being moulded into different forms and exotic shapes which captures the audience in awe.
One famous example of contemporary designer furniture is the Barcelona chair, designed by Mies van der Rohe for the Germany Pavilion for the country’s entry into the international exposition of 1929, which was hosted in Barcelona, Spain. Inspired by the folding chairs of ancient times, it marked a simplistic yet elegant design which enjoyed instant acclaim. Later in the century, various designers would add to its design. In the 1950s, the frames were replaced with stainless steel by modern designers, allowing the frame to be formed by a seamless set of metal, contributing to its smoother appearance. The Barcelona Chair represented the peak in the Bauhaus movement in contemporary furniture design.
The contribution of contemporary furniture to the world is astounding, it marked the first time that elegantly designed furniture was affordable to customers other than the aristocratic class. Much could be said about contemporary furniture, I encourage everyone to read more about this exciting age in contemporary furniture design.
Patio Furniture – a Quick Introduction
There are several factors that must be considered when deciding on patio furniture. This is primarily due to three specific reasons which include the type of building material the home was built with, the color(s) used and the furniture itself. In most cases people prefer to get patio furniture that matches the overall d?r of the exterior of their house. Color schemes and material types for the home normally dictate the style of patio furniture. However, in some cases the indoor ambience may be used to determine the patio furniture. Both the indoor and outdoor will be taken into consideration throughout this article as well as other factors.
Building material and color.
Homes can be built using many different types of building materials including brick, wood, steel and other kinds of stone just to name a few. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a building structure comprised of wood would likewise have wood based patio furniture as well. This may or may not be the case though. In certain situations color may be used as a substitute for building materials. Home owners may want to purchase steel patio furniture that has the same color as the wood used to build their home. When you factor in the various colors and materials available in patio furniture, you can see that there is something available for everyone. Another example of this would be a home with green plastic siding. Green patio furniture may be brought in to accent the look or green wicker depending on the homeowner’s taste. Either way, the furniture would blend in nicely to the homes d?r.
Inside out styles.
For the eccentric home owner who wants patio furniture that matches the interior furniture of their home rather than blend the exterior, this can be accomplished as well. The same principles mentioned above may be utilized to make outside patio furniture an extension of the inside. In some cases the patio is technically in the home enclosed with a roof or on a balcony. These ideal settings make it better to decorate in order to match sofas, recliners and desk located indoors. For enclosed patios, wallpaper and/or tile colors can be the basis for the color scheme of your patio furniture just as the actual colors of your home can be applied for outdoor patios. For people living with plants, trees or gardens, take into consideration the time of year it is when getting patio furniture. In the spring and summer months there may be a colorful array of flowers that aren’t present during the winter time. Patio furniture should match the environment that is most commonly present year round if you decide to use the terrain as a color scheme for your furniture.
Simply by mixing and matching colors and materials any home can be brought to life with patio furniture. For more information and articles on patio furniture, please visit the following links.
Wicker Furniture – a Quick Introduction
Many homeowners overlook wicker furniture when purchasing furnishing for their own home. That is understandable because wicker furniture doesn’t usually get a lot of exposure from the media. Besides, this unique type of furniture is made from materials that is found only in Asian countries. Wicker furniture is made from cane. In many Asian countries, cane is available in abundance. For decades, natives have been using cane to create all kinds of objects for home use – carry baskets, stools, chairs, tables, etc. Cane itself is a very tough material. It doesn’t break easily, and it doesn’t rot even after many years. It is not uncommon to find wicker furniture lasting for several years. The term “wicker”, does not refer to any particular type of cane. It is the name given to the process of converting cane into furniture. The term is often used interchangeably with “rattan” (the name of the cane) to refer to the same thing. The process of manufacturing wicker furniture is an interesting one. Because cane is very tough, it must first be treated with high temperatures before it can be worked on. The temperature helps to soften the cane, making it versatile enough to be used in some kind of weaving process. There are many different types of weaving process that is used for creating wicker furniture. Some are more complicated than others. Manufacturers like to use simple weaving methods such as webb caning to produce furniture at cheaper costs. Regardless of the weaving process, the furniture will still turn out to be beautiful and functional. However, it is possible to weave complex patterns into wicker furniture. The more complex the patterns, the more skills and time required to create the furniture. Therefore, wicker furniture with complicated patterns are often rarer and harder to come by. That just adds on to the cost of production. This means that if you are going for more exclusive and unique patterns, be prepared to pay a premium price for such furniture pieces. There is a wide range of wicker furniture available in the market. They may even be available in your local furniture store. Mostly, they are imported in bulk from Asian wholesalers. You can find sofas, coffee tables, bar seats, arm chairs, and more! In addition, wicker furniture is very comfortable to sit on. The cane bends a little to accustom to the weight of the user. For instance, if a chair is used repeatedly by the same user, it will start to conform to the body shape and weight of the user. This leads to greater comfort. For this reason, many homeowners find it hard to discard a wicker chair that has been around for years. The chair has become a personalized item.