How To Incorporate Vintage Furniture Into A Modern Setting

October 13, 2014 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Not sure what to do with an impulse purchase, inherited furniture or a well-intentioned gift (yes, we’ve all been there)? While these pieces may not match your current furniture décor, they may still be of value, sentimental or material; and with some smart design tips, you could incorporate them to create a room that is truly distinctive. Here are some tips from vintage furniture experts that will help you bring together different styles and create a sophisticated space in your home. Less is more. When incorporating vintage furniture into a modern room, choose only one or two pieces. Select an antique chair or rug that will harmonize well with the existing furniture without making the room look mismatched. Each wood ...

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Antique Desks Tell Great Stories

August 8, 2014 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Remember the old-time movies where powerful men and women sat behind ornate or antique desks? Many a classic was written on one of those, with an oil lamp and the end of a feather dipped into ink. As the desk has evolved over the years, different styles, features, etc. have come into being. From the secretary style to a partner’s desk to a library table, each of these antiques has its unique characteristics. If you are visiting antique stores to find a stylish, antique desk, you’ll find that there are many different types to choose from. The Types Of Antique Desks You Will Find At Antique Stores Some of the more common antique desks you can shop for at Carrocel fine ...

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Brighten Up Your Home With Antique Mirrors And Lighting

May 13, 2014 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Antique mirrors and lighting can brighten up your home beautifully, in an affordable way. The very features you fell in love with while purchasing your home, for example, lots of trees for privacy and shade can sometimes turn out to be a problem as they block natural light and darken your home. Your home could be dark for several reasons such as: A deeply wooded property Trees too close to the house Fewer or smaller windows Low ceilings Deep eaves Faux beams Dark paint A dark home does not always mean expensive renovations. There are smart ways to brighten it up with stylish accessories like antique mirrors and lighting which will cost far less than adding windows, installing glass doors ...

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The Difference Between Upcycling, Recycling, And Antique Refinishing

April 15, 2014 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Preserve Sentiment And Value With Professional Antique Restorations Quality antique restorations can give worn out furniture a new lease on life. Concern for the environment and sentimental attachment for heritage items is causing more people to think about how they can salvage vintage items rather than dispose of them in the landfill. One environmentally-friendly trend that has caught on is the upcycling of old-fashioned items. What Is The Difference Between Upcycling, Recycling And Antique Refinishing? Upcycling involves taking an item that is no longer needed or wanted and giving it new life as something that is either useful or creative. Many people consider this to be a form of recycling, which involves breaking down the item and using the materials ...

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Different Styles Of Antique Furniture

August 26, 2013 BY Carrocel Interiors | 19 Comments on Different Styles Of Antique Furniture

How To Identify Different Styles Of Antique Furniture Need some help with identifying antique furniture? Here is a quick guide to help you distinguish between the different looks. It will also help you pick out the one that closely matches your décor and taste. Jacobean: English style (1640-1700), medieval in appearance with straight lines, rigid designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings and a dark finish. Early American: Modelled after European furniture styles (1640-1700), particularly from England, France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Spain. Rudimentary utilitarian furniture made from local woods. William and Mary: Dutch and Chinese influences, characterized by trumpet turned legs terminating in a ball or Spanish foot, padded or caned chair seats, and Oriental lacquer-work. Named after William and Mary ...

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Critical Must Know Aspects Of Interior Design

May 28, 2013 BY Carrocel Interiors | 1 Comment on Critical Must Know Aspects Of Interior Design

5 Critical Aspects You Must Know Interior design or decoration is a highly complex and sophisticated process. It goes beyond picking colours and materials and combining them in ways to suit your stylistic preferences. Here are that 5 critical aspects of interior design to consider when decorating any space: Balance - This focuses on the manner in which a room’s space is distributed. Too much or too little décor can make it appear off-balance. Interior decoration experts typically choose radial, symmetrical, or asymmetrical balance when designing the space. Traditional designs tend to use symmetrical balance. Modern style tends to veer towards the asymmetrical. Radial balance is generally used when the focal point is the center of the room. Emphasis - ...

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What To Look Out For When Purchasing Antique Dining Chairs

March 30, 2011 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

As a continuation of our last Carrocel post, this entry is to do with buying dining chairs. Apart from style and aesthetics, the most important thing to consider when buying a chair is its construction. Above all, a quality dining chair should be a solid hardwood, like maple or beech wood. There can be no exceptions to this if you are looking to buy and paying good money for antique dining chairs. I specifically aim to drive this particular point home because of the influx of so many poorly made chairs made in Asia that look stylish and solid but are made from MDF or a very soft lumber like gum wood. They can be purchased at a quarter or so of the price ...

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Furniture Woods

November 15, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Today and in the next coming days, we will be exploring the most commonly used woods in fine furniture. From dark to light woods, these posts will offer useful information on the origins, purposes, and characteristics of the woods used in fine furniture. So, let's begin. Mahogany Perhaps the most widely known wood for furniture, mahogany is our starting point. Even if you don't know much about wood furniture, chances are you've at least heard of mahogany. As previously blogged about, mahogany is part of the dark-coloured hardwood category of woods. True mahoganies belong to the genus Swietenia which are found in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. Mahogany also, however, can originate in Africa in which they belong to the genus ...

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Wood Types

October 26, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | 1 Comment on Wood Types

When working with wood or buying wood furniture, it's best to know what you're working with or spending your money on. Understanding whether you are dealing with a hard or soft wood can dictate the wood's appropriate purpose, how they take to stain or lacquer, and how durable it is. Here I put together a brief explanation of wood basics. In the next post we will visit specific wood types and their roles in furniture. Hardwoods vs. Softwoods Solid woods fit into two categories: hardwood and softwood. A hardwood is extracted from a broad-leafed tree (i.e., no needles) and include mahogany, oak, teak, birch, walnut, ash, beech, poplar, rosewood, elm, etc. Not to get too scientific, but specifically hardwood trees are angiosperms (plants that ...

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More Furniture Styles!

October 6, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Regency Furniture This style of furniture is known for its simplicity and elegance. It was the last true furniture style that was readily identifiable before the excesses and incoherences of the Victorian era. Inspired by classical forms from Egypt and Greece, nearly all Regency furniture were veneered. Surfaces were kept plain and decoration was limited to turning and brass inlay in rosewood and other exotic timbers.  ...

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Furniture Styles Continued

September 14, 2010 BY Carrocel Interiors | Leave a response

Louis XVI This style dawned the age of neoclassicism and was modeled an on idealistic view of ancient Rome. Despite the use of elaborate inlays and ormolu mounts the basic shape is rigid and square, unlike the rococo or Louis XV which flows all over the place. The cabriole leg disappears and is replace by a more straight leg. Apart from brass mounts and classical carving, the surface is flat and decorations takes the form of geometrical marquetry. French Provincial This style draws plenty of inspiration from the patterns of Louis XV. As is often the case with country furniture, designs were simplified and nonessentials removed so that the end result is often more appealing to modern taste than the original elaborate source. The armoire ...

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