History - Ancient Rome

I have done a few History assignments and particularly enjoyed the Ancient Rome HD1 assignment. I went there when I was 16 and fell in love with Italy and Pompeii was fascinating. Here a few of the pics I took which I found inspiring when working on the assignment.

Mosaic mural in Pompeii.

Staircase in Rome.

A street of Pompeii.

A church ceiling.

A beautiful courtyard in Assisi.

And, of course, the Colosseum.

- All photos by Anna Williams, 2005.

1000 Chairs or just 1

I was recently given a fantastic book called '1000 Chairs'. I'll post the full details later but it's very interesting if you're a bit of a chair enthusiast.

Each week I want to post a little about some of my favourites:

Michael Thonet. Chair, Model No 14, 1859.

Everybody will recognise the 'bentwood' chair. It's iconic shape is seen around the world. The No. 14 Chair was the result of experimentation in the bending of solid wood in the 1850s. The simple form allowed Thonet's goal of mass-production - 50 million were sold worldwide by 1930.

This chair is a design classic and is seen in rooms all around the world. Would you believe I saw one, or a very good copy, in my local 'op-shop' (second hand store) dressing room and asked if I could buy it. The lady told me, rather rudely, that it was not for sale and there were plenty of other chairs available (which were all of the pea green velour, nasty veneer or plastic variety). I didn't see the point in trying to explain the difference!

Introducing Lisa Canning

Lisa Canning is a Toronto based interior stylist with a modern fresh take to interior design. Many many bloggers follow her blog http://lisacanning.blogspot.com/ where she features her own work, along with ideas, fabric and furniture. Lisa's approach is simple with interesting colours and a touch of glamour. I find it really inspiring to see how designers started their careers so I thought I would tell you how Lisa Canning Creative Consulting came about.

(Photograph by DoubleCrossed Photography)

Lisa studied a Bachelor of Design in Fashion Communications from Ryerson University. She told me that while she was working on magazines and fashion shows she realised her love of styling and prop styling. According to Lisa, close to graduation a 'very random thing happened' - a production company contacted her and told her she would be perfect for their new show 'Marriage Under Construction', a HGTV show. With no interior design training and a $30,000 budget, Lisa had to learn the trade very quickly! She now works as a residential designer and set design.

Here is a few shots from her portfolio (available from her blog)...

Rental Decorating

I always wonder if anyone hires interior designers to decorate their rental apartments and homes. I think it would be a worthwhile investment if you planned to spend some time in the house, especially if you focus on 'removable' decor.

I am currently moving out of home into a rental home. We have some leeway as we know the owners and were allowed to paint. However, we are still left with some fairly average looking walls that need some quick fixes to brighten up the rooms.

Some ideas...

Removable wall decals

(From Jenny Mac Wall Art on Etsy)

Cheap Artwork (hung with rental-safe double sided tape of course)

Try a photograph collage

(From Desire to Inspire)

or paint a poem on a canvas

(Design by Catherine Ekstrom via Desire to Inspire)

Frame some of your favourite things...frame your favourite fabric...mirrors...cork tiles...wall hangings and carpets...frame some doilies...hang some baskets...or hats...or shoes...shelving with objects...frame old boardgames...paint something yourself...the list is endless!

Another option I am desperate to try out (especially after seeing the amazing wallpaper options during M6) is a removable wall fabric idea. Find the instructions by googling 'Fabric as wallpaper' or check out the Apartment Therapy instructions here.

(From Domino Magazine)

(From Little Green Notebook)

Some ideas for M7

I just realised that after all my talk about ideas for M7 I never showed you my finished product! I eventually decided to keep it simple in an off-white so the hall could update their look regularly. I found a lot of community halls I saw used strong colours like orange, maroon, blues and greens. This is fine while the colours are fashionable but date so quickly - a community hall doesn't have the money to update their paint colours every season!

Here is my moodboard which I created to inspire my final design.

And my final sampleboard:

I thought I'd also share some of Richard's comments for anyone else's benefit. He said to include the title to presentations like these in the lower right corner, since work is typically found to the left or top (I had my title on the back). He alo said to consider the wider community for supplies, sponsorship and sewing.

He also commented that he liked my use of varied and interesting types of paint. I chose to look at a metallic paint, milk paint, 'venetian glaze' and low VOC paint. Of course there are many interesting varnishes and stains as well - personally, I chose not to use one as I couldn't get an appropriate sample.

Some of the main paint suppliers in Australia include:

Dulux: http://www.dulux.com.au/
Taubmans: http://www.taubmans.com.au/
British Paints: http://www.britishpaints.com.au/
Nippon: http://www.nipponpaint.com.au/
Wattyl: http://www.wattyl.com.au/
Resene: http://www.resene.com.au/
Designer Paint Company: http://www.designerpaintco.com/
Haymes: http://www.haymespaint.com.au/
Porter's Original Paints: http://www.porterspaints.com.au/

Of course there are many small producers that make specialised products - do some careful research and you are sure to find some fantastic products you've never seen before.

History Lesson: The Edwardian Period

The Edwardian period is one of my favourite periods of design. Following the elaborate and cluttered rooms of the Victorian era, Edwardians brought pared down airy rooms. Colours were fresher, ornamentation simpler and dados, pictures rails and extensive paneling began to vanish. Although more detailed than modern homes, the Edwardian era is the beginning of more modern sensibilities, and works beautifully with modern furnishings and design.

The picture below shows some of the key architectural features from the Edwardian period. Although less detailed than Victorian rooms, Edwardian design still often featured a picture rail (the mouldings which run above the doors and windows), a dado or wainscot (moulding which rungs just below the hip level) and of course, cornices and skirting boards.

Image from Paint & Paper by David Oliver

Colours schemes of this era were also fresher; pastel tones and pearly greys were used extensively.

Here are some pictures of modern interpretations of the Edwardian style.

Image from Paint & Paper by David Oliver

Image from notebookmagazine.com

Above two images from design Hillary Wallace

A delay...

My business degree is taking over for the next few weeks as I prep for exams. I did get a good mark for my last assignment though - 87%. I have never manged to get over 87% with Richard Edgar and was wondering if it's just me or if it's the same with everyone else? Back to the books - shall start working on Fabrics seriously in two weeks.

Thought I'd leave you with a pretty picture for inspiration...

image from: Desire to Inspire