Tag Archives: art

How to Use Dining Room Chandeliers

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There are not hard and fast rules about how to decorate a dining room with chandeliers but it is important to get one that you like because it is likely going to be a focal point of your room. One suggestion is that the circumference of the chandelier should be about a foot less than the width of the table at its widest point. This is so people do not bump their head on the light fixture when they get up from the table.

Another guideline is that the chandelier should not be closer than four feet from any wall or closer than 48 inches from any cabinet or other piece of furniture.It is important to get a chandelier that is big enough or it might get lost in the room.

When hanging the chandelier you should make sure that it is hung low enough to light up the eating area. However it should not be in the way of seeing people seeing each other while they are talking or eating at the table.

There are all kinds of different styles of chandeliers and the best one for you is going to have a lot to do with your décor. A simple crystal chandelier goes with just about anything. A lot of crystals make it more ornate which goes best with more formal dining room furniture. Simple candle styles go with about anything.

Rustic style dining rooms look good with a wagon wheel or wrought iron style of chandelier. Wooden or natural chandeliers, like those made from deer antlers, look great with older style furniture.
Stark wrought iron chandeliers in white or black look best with the plain lines of mission furniture. Wrought iron chandeliers also look fabulous with Goth décor and dining rooms done in a slightly distressed shabby chic fashion.

You can also get chandeliers that are in a starburst shape with offshoots that look like Christmas light bulbs. Sometimes these also look like orbs or circling planets. This type of chandelier best suits Fabulous Fifties type décor.
Faux metal shapes and artistic looking optic fibres are associated with chandeliers that suit a room from the sixties and seventies. Gold or copper metal chandelier arms are more late seventies in feel. Silver metal arms are more associated with the sixties, nineties and this decade.

Keep in mind too that if you are going to get a chandelier with crystals that you can get them in different colors. This can make a big difference in the look of the room.

How to Decorate a Chest of Drawers

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Sometimes if you buy a piece of used furniture it can be in desperate need of a makeover. If this is true then paint, stencils and glue can be your best friend when it comes to fixing the piece up.
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The easiest way to freshen up an old piece is to paint it a solid color. There are no real rules here but sometimes a glossy paint looks better than a matte finish. You can also sand and restain the piece to make it look better.

Decoupage is a wonderful way to rehab an old piece that has a battered surface. You can paste any type of image on I that you want. However If you choose the right wall paper the results can be absolutely stunning.

Applying gilt to chests of drawers can also make a used piece look more glamorous. Simply apply tissue thin pieces of metal to the surface. It is quite a labor intensive technique but the results are very impressive. Be forewarned that this is one of the most expensive ways to decorate an antique chest.

Nowadays you can also add subtle architectural details like molding or wood appliqués in the same color as the chest. You can also make chess board like diamonds and patterns using contrasting woods.

Adding a French Polish can make the piece look more elegant. This can complete renew and shine the top of a chest of drawers that has a lovely wood grain. It involves building up several layers of polish to create a mirror like sheen.

Another way to make it look new is to buy new knobs and pulls for it. Nowadays there a tons of different styles of pulls including and plain and ornate, jeweled, metal, plastic and wood ones.
To decoupage you cut out pies of paper and adhere them to the surface and then paint it over with varnish so it looks even. The experts say that wallpaper works best as the pattern is already built in and it won’t rip.

If you are really ambition you can create a mosaic out of wood or tiles on the surface of the wood. Drawer fronts can also be decorated with plaster or cement and bits of chipped glass or mirror. Beach glass can transform a battered chest drawer front into an artful collector’s item.

Finally you can vamp up the drawers by adding a top mirror on a swivel. You can buy these in the same color of the wood to extend the piece and make it look more glamorous.