STRUCTURE & STYLE FIREPLACES have once again become the focus of attention in period homes and modern apartments alike with the use of gas-fired imitation coal fires.
The two main elements of most eighteenth- and nineteenth- century fireplaces are the surround, usually of wood, marble or cast-iron, and the insert with its cast-iron grate or fire basket. To create a focal point, this rustic wooden surround has been combined with a painted iron insert. There is no hearth, and the fireplace is not intended to be functional.
LEFT Inside an extravagant carved and gilded continental frame, hand- painted Delft tiles imitate original designs, an idea that can be added to as time allows.
STRUCTURE & STYLE STAIRCASES denote entrances and exits and by their very nature are dramatic, whether leading to a grand hall and reception room or to a tiny passageway to a cellar or attic. Although there are traditional ways of decorating staircases, you need not feel limited when planning what to do with them. Stenciling the treads of wooden stairs: using highly polished brass rods to hold the carpet in place, painting the wooden spindles with a paint effect and faking a dado rail to give symmetry to the staircase: decorative devices offer endless possibilities.
ABOVE The sweep of this elegant, cantilevered staircase has been skillfully matched by the curving dado rail along the facing wall. Stairwells often need added artificial light. Here, picture lights add to the natural light source above. RIGHT This open stairway in a Spanish villa with its curved, wrought-iron balustrade, is flanked by a handrail of thick tasseled rope, knotted through bronze rings decorated with lions masques.
ABOVE The coconut mat, stairs is per} keeping wit, carved oaks floor and w} walls. A col wicker bask. With dried wall as decorative STORAGE is a problem every home decorator has to consider. Whether you like to display your clutter or hide it away, there is no disguising the fact that today we all have more household items and personal possessions than our predecessors.
Displaying cherished possessions and beautiful objects is a clever way of accessorizing a room, but invariably there is a vast amount of material that has to be stored out of sight.
ABOVE In a bathroom created from a larger room, cupboards made from seasoned softwood provide ample storage for towels, and toiletries along one wall. The space at the end of the cupboard has been designed as a convenient recess for a shower.
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Look to the Re-arranging the layout of a room is a good way of exploring its possibilities. A large-scale plan drawing on graph paper with scaled cut-outs to represent the furniture shows immediately if the door will open fully when the sofa is against a certain wall, or whether a cabinet will mask an electrical socket. Keep a color board with your plan as a record of samples of furnishings you have or intend to buy.
