Traditional Sofa Style Guide

December 30th, 2011
Luxurious Living Room

Grand Salon By Haleh Design, Inc.

When purchasing a sofa, oftentimes it is easy to get lost when trying to choose the perfect style for your room. Traditional, or formal sofa styles, first appeared at the end of the 17th century and a few of these styles became classics.

Whether you are searching for a glamorous look or a highly formal one, you’ll want to first decide what activities will take place on and around the sofa. Do you entertain guests frequently or have a large active family who will be using the sofa regularly? If so, you’ll want to choose a less formal sofa such as the English style. An infrequently used room will bode well with a sofa style such as the more ornate cabriole.

Following are a few traditional style sofas you might want to consider.

Tuxedo

The sofa back and the arms are the same height. They can be straight or slightly flared. The tuxedo sofa looks lovely in a Hollywood style regency room or a formal setting.

English

The English club style sofa is round and soft. It is often times found set atop casters. This style lends itself well to provincial or English style rooms.

Camelback

Highly formal, the camelback sofa dips and curves in all the right places. Thomas Chippendale made this sofa popular in the 18th century.

Cabriole

A popular French style, the cabriole sofa boasts a curvy body and ornately carved wood frame and legs. Louis XV used this style in his palaces and country homes.

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Focal Point: Big Art

December 30th, 2011

Haleh Design, Mural Artwork for Foyer

Big art, such as the mural pictured here, has adorned palaces and homes of the wealthy for centuries. With its ability to evoke emotions and stimulate the senses, large-scale art is a terrific way to add color and interest to a space.

Artwork can be incorporated into a room as a large movable canvas or using a technique which is applied directly on the wall, floor or ceiling.  When considering incorporating big art in your home, don’t limit yourself to a painted framed piece, consider a floor or wall mosaic made of tile.

Big art becomes a focal point of the room in which it is applied unifying color, design and thematic elements. The mural here brings a classical, romantic feel to the grand staircase and foyer it overlooks.

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Creating Conversation Areas within the Great Room

December 30th, 2011

Grand Salon Haleh Designs

Arranging furniture in a living room can be a tricky thing.  Not all rooms are designed equally, and not all rooms make it easy to know what should go where to maximize the space for comfort and livability.  Creating a layout that works for conversation and entertaining is all about balance.

This grand salon is a terrific example of creating an area for conversation and entertaining in a larger space.  The furniture is placed in a symmetrical grouping so conversation can easily flow across the room. The ideas that work in this room can be applied to other rooms of different sizes and layouts.

Deciding what the focal point is, in this case an art wall with large mirror, in others it might be a painting or a window with a view, is the first step. Orient the furniture arrangement to highlight the focal point.  Choose a selection of seating: sofa, chairs, ottomans, poufs, and stools.  This room uses two sofas flanked by a pair of chairs centered by a large coffee table.  These versatile seating options allow for different size gatherings and activities.  Low back chairs or stools can also be placed toward the focal point since their low profile will not obscure the view.

Flooring should be used to draw focus to the conversation area. This is done with an area rug, which can be placed on hard surface flooring like wood or tile.

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A Guide to Rococo Style

December 9th, 2011

Rococo style historically follows the Baroque movement, which came after Renaissance and Mannerism of the 16th and 17th centuries.  Rococo is a term that comes from “rocaille”, a French term that can mean stone or shell and was used to refer to the grottoes of Versailles, the Royal Palace of the French Kings. Rococo was most popular in the early 18th century, where it grew out of a response to the Baroque style of Louis XIV’s Versailles. Rococo is closely related to France although the style was popular in Germany and Austria, and to a lesser extent, England. English Rococo style tends to be more reserved and was done in imitation of the French style.

Rococo is a lighter and more elaborate style than Baroque or Renaissance. It is highly ornamented with both carved and gilded surface designs.  Rococo furniture also features marquetry, an inlaid pattern created with thin wood veneers. Ormolu, which is gilded bronze, can be seen as accents and pulls on furniture as well as accessories like candlesticks and candelabra.

Rococo designs tend to be asymmetrical and inspired both by nature and the influence of Chinese designs.  Shells, acanthus leaves, garlands, flowers, rock grottoes and even birds can be found tucked into the thickly carved designs typical of Rococo style. C-form scrolls and “rocaille” or shell shapes are hallmarks of Rococo ornamentation. Decorative furnishings like over-mantel mirrors and console tables were popular in the Rococo period. The curving, undulating shapes also carry over to objects like clocks and candlesticks, which tend to have asymmetrical forms.

Rococo style gave way to more linear designs of Louis XVI style and Neo-Classical style of the second half of the 18th century.

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Art Collecting for the Home

November 28th, 2011

While you may not boast a classic van Gogh or a contemporary Jasper Johns in your private art collection, collecting nonetheless is a long enjoyed endeavor. Art brightens our lives, brings emotion and movement to a space, and challenges us to think past our own ego to contemplate the mind and heart of another.  Art comes in many forms; it can be as simple as a small framed found object or as expansive as a large scale painting.

Often times, people simply hang artwork that “matches” their décor but has no personal meaning. This approach is unfortunate as the richness of art is lost to a certain design or look. When visiting the home of a true art collector, there is an immediate feeling of awe at the works which are displayed throughout the home.  Whether your art is from little known artists or a master, the key to creating an art collection you’ll love is to choose pieces that move you.

 

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Experience the Tradition of Custom Designed Furniture

November 28th, 2011

Custom design furniture is a terrific option for both freestanding and built in furniture for the home. Many people don’t think of custom furniture as an option because of budget or lack of knowledge.  While there are may furniture options that may cost less than custom designed furniture, custom designed furniture’s quality far surpasses many ready-made options. Having the ability to choose the design, wood and finishes makes custom designed furniture truly unique.

Custom designed furniture comes in many levels of customization. Most furniture retailers will allow you to customize existing designs. Selecting upholstery and cushion filling is a way to customize a sofa or chair at a traditional retailer.

Taking the steps to custom design furniture with a designer is a different experience. For a custom built-in piece like a bookcase or banquette, you can work with a cabinetmaker. You might be surprised that a custom built-in bookcase or desk is not that much more money than retail.

For custom designed furniture such as a dining table or coffee table, you’ll want to work with a skilled furniture maker.  Ask to see a portfolio of their work and any current pieces in their studio so you can see if their quality is up to your standards.  Finding a furniture designer and maker with a similar aesthetic to your own will help you in the design process.  They may have a signature table or chair that you can tweak to fit your design needs. Working with a furniture maker through a designer can make the process go even smoother.

Another wonderful aspect of custom design furniture from a cabinet maker or furniture designer is that you are supporting local craftsmen and business. Supporting the centuries old tradition of handcrafted furniture is a good way to be green as well.

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Italian Renaissance Style

November 28th, 2011

Italian Renaissance style furniture and design is a heavily ornamented style based on the designs of 16th century Italy.  Antique Italian Renaissance furnishings tend to be heavy wood pieces decorated with carving. Woods favored by the Italian furniture makers of this era are walnut and oak.  Some antique pieces are painted in a multicolor decoration. Gilding, layers of gold leaf and gesso, is not as common on the antique pieces of furniture, but can be found on smaller objects like candelabras and table top objects.

Typical Italian Renaissance style furniture includes the cassone, a wood trunk with carved decoration. Long refectory tables like those used in monasteries are simple designs made from oak or walnut or fruitwoods.  A classic Italian Renaissance style chair has an X-form base as is named for a famous priest in Florence, Savonarola. Tables and straight back chairs typically had straight stretches between the legs for support. Leather and tapestry are common textiles of Italian Renaissance style. Wrought iron accents and lighting are beautiful complements to the dark wood furniture.

Because the Italian Renaissance was a pinnacle of art and design firmly planted in the Christian church, many of the designs are religious in nature. Putti or cherubs, small winged angels, can be found on many surfaces both painted and carved. Stylized leaves, known as acanthus, flowers, garlands and wreathes with more of a pagan influence can also be found on objects and furniture.

Italian Renaissance furnishings are simple in form and the ornamentation comes from carved details.  Later Renaissance style begins to evolve into Baroque and then Rococo style, which is far more elaborate in both design and decorations.

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Louis XVI: A Style Guide

November 28th, 2011

Louis XIV (1638-1715) was known as the Sun King because of the dominance of France during his reign as king for 72 years. His greatest contribution to the decorative arts was the construction of the royal palace of Versailles, the extravagant monument to the French monarchy and the style of the Sun King. Closely related to Baroque style, Louis XIV style is  trademarked by classical design motifs, wood marquetry, gilding and carved forms.

Classical ornamentation taken from the ancients can be found on Louis XIV furnishings and decorations.  Sphinxes, caryatids, satyrs, masks, and lion’s feet are some of the design motifs fashionable during Louis XIV reign. These design motifs can be found carved in wood or cast in bronze and gilded, known as ormolu.

In Louis XIV furniture, wood is richly carved, gilded (giltwood), or inlaid in marquetry patterns.  Popular woods include mahogany, ebony, walnut and oak.  Fruitwoods like boxwood, pear and holly were used in thin sheets of veneer and in marquetry.  Typical furniture forms in Louis XIV style have stretchers between the legs. These stretchers were often curved and undulating (versus the straight stretchers of Renaissance designs).  Marble was the popular choice of tops for both tables and commodes (chest of drawers).

Armoires, commodes, monumental beds, console tables, desks and gueridon (small tables) forms were all popular during the Louis XIV style.

There is a heaviness to the furniture in the Louis XIV style.  The heaviness begins to lighten with Rococo style, which emerged at the end of the reign of Louis XIV.  Louis XIV’s love of classicism would return as Neo-Classicism in the later part of the 18th century.

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Creating Flow in an Open Concept Space

November 26th, 2011

Open concept kitchens, living spaces and dining areas are making their way from urban loft living to the suburbs.  New construction and renovations are featuring a noticeable lack of walls between the main living areas.  Opening up these spaces definitely changes the feeling of the home, but can also present new challenges in decorating.

There are two basic ways of decorating an open concept space: treat the space as one large room or try to break it up into individual rooms within the open space. This room does both successfully.  The library is easily identified because of the built-in nature of shelves.  Otherwise this room was a blank slate that could be divided in a number of different ways.

This open space is divided into three distinct activity areas simply by furniture placement. An  area for tea or a card game is created by placing a table and chairs just off to the side of the room. A conversation area takes its place alongside a fireplace.  A library table and chairs is placed within easy access to the books. Laying out the room in this manner creates flow between the spaces, but allows them to feel separate as well.

No matter if you decide to divide or unify an open concept space, open concept is a great high end design layout for today’s living.

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Haleh Design Hosts a Private Lalique Trunk Show

November 4th, 2011


Representing the ultimate in artisanal skills, utmost precision and fundamental values, Lalique stands for luxury, excellence and creativity.

Lalique is known to be the inventor of modern jewelry and perfume bottles, before becoming a Master in the art of glassmaking.  In 1907, Rene Lalique acquired a passion for glass, which had become an element of his earlier works in jewelry.  His highly developed sense of balance and harmony combined with his total mastery of the glass-working technique made him ideally suited to the challenge of creating works on a monumental scale.

 

 

The architectural projects on which Rene Lalique collaborated on played a large part in his career.  He is the man who created what Colette named the “Marvelous Fountain” displayed at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925.  He was also commissioned to decorate the presidential cabins for the Orient Express and the lighting for the first-class dining room of the Normandy ocean liner.  Similarly, he designed the doors in the Imperial Palace of Prince Asaka, a Japanese collector of Art Deco pieces.  The palace is known today as the Teien Museum in Tokyo.  Perhaps Rene’s most widely appreciated contribution, seen every day by thousands of people remains his magnificent glass windows adorning the Henri Bendel building on New York’s Fifth Avenue.  Lalique’s daring designs brought him international acclaim until his death in 1945.  He remains the undisputed Master of glass.

Now, a crystal company, Lalique remains faithful to the spirit of its founder and has always prided itself on the core values of art and craftsmanship.  All pieces have been manufactured at the Lalique factory in Wingen-sur-Moder, France since 1921.  The Lalique style plays upon the beauty created by the use of clear and satin-finished crystal.

Today, this luxurious and sensual architectural universe opens up for all to see with the Lalique Interior Decoration Exhibition (IDE).  Lalique enhances and elevates any interior space with its light and beauty.  Featured in the IDE are a wide range of spectacular furniture and lighting pieces including crystal tables, consoles, mirrors, chandeliers, sconces, lamps, door handles, door knobs, cabinet knobs and architectural panels.  Catering to this growing segment, Lalique is now creating dedicated architectural pieces and lighting collections for interior designers, architects and customers to fully experience the Lalique universe.

Haleh Niroo, is hosting private trunk shows until December 1, 2011 to introduce these luxurious pieces to local Interior Designers and Architects. For more information, please contact Haleh Design at 301.767.0034: staff@halehdesign.com or visit www.HalehDesignInc.com.

 

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