bits here and there

Fiona cut out the tiles for the heater/fireplace then me and Kirby painted them white then glazed them. Once they were dry we sanded any odd lumps and bumps and passed them to Fiona who had already created multiple designs and they were to be drawn on the tiles using tracing paper a simple process where drawn on one side with pencil the tracing paper is turned over and scribbled over to transfer the design. All the tiles needed to be painted a large group of helped Fiona to quicken the process. We painted over the design with navy blue paint using a fine paintbrush and the passed the tile to another person to paint another part finally ending up with Fiona who painted all the details so that they were all in a similar style they were then glazed to protect them and give them a professional finish. The photos below shows the individual tiles and the finished heater.

(Photos with thanks to Vicky and Sarah )

Props that I have brought to the rooms

One of my favourite items that I brought for the room was a £10 vase from a Charity shop the poor image below shows the vase and the the link below is an antiques website showing the styles of vases and porcelain in the 19th century very similar to mine. I chose this vase because of its pinkish tones and large scale and feel it would fit best in the drawing room due to it colour pallet.



Link to Antiques
Another small vase I brought which I found out later to be an urn can be seen below I'm not so confident in this piece as all though it is the correct colour pallet it may be to minimal for the 19th century style of the room.



I also brought a wall light all though electric it was very fitting with the style in the room it was gold leafed and was a similar colour to the other hand made lights in the rooms.

And finally a silver plated flower holder and a gold candelabra as seen in the cabinet below

The Shining film review

Watch my personal favourite scene


The Shining Film Review
The first film we watched was The Shining (1980) directed by Stanley Kubrick. The film is based upon the book The Shining by Stephen King it is of course a classic, A film that everyone knows about and many have seen. And one of Jack Nicklesons greatest roles.
In terms of horror in the 1980s this was massed watched and is definitely a classic physco film, it uses non-diegetic sound, long shots and the use of actors to build suspense. You know something is going to happen but don't know when, this is what makes you think, pay attention and really watch this film.
The story follows the events that occur at the 'Overlook hotel' during the winter something which automatically makes you think of isolation and cold. Ironically the hotel is closed to the public in the winter due to terrible snow storms that cut it off from civilisation. though not populated the hotel needs to be maintained and writer Jack Torrance a recovering alcholic, his wife Wendy and his psychic son Danny agree to look after the hotel and keep it running. As Jack is being interviewed for the role of caretaker he is told of the horrific tale of a caretaker who, many years ago, brutally murdered his family, knowing that this is always going to repeat its self somewhere in the film and the audience is already prepared for a brutal murder to take place possibly involving the Torrence family.
Danny has visions which are filled with torrents of blood and gore. A psychic link has been established with the hotel's past, Jack ignores these warnings as is hoping to have a peaceful place to write his book and the Overlook Hotel seems perfect.Little do they know that the hotel is built on Indian Burial Ground and the evil spirits that live in it.
The film deals with the subject of abuse and betrayal as well as the supernatural it portrays the inner phsyco in Jack Torrences mind. He has already hurt his son in a drunken episode and then Danny is injured and visibly traumatized after going into room 237 Wendy's thinks in must be Jack that has been abusing Danny. The character Danny seem to always be aware of what is happening but is quiet even and still traumatised by the events in which he sees an feels are happening in the Hotel and through Danny the audience really start to feel this fear as he roams the hotels endless corridors on his bike shadows seem to fill darkness creating a sense of being watched.
The clip above shows how camera angles helps change our perception of the situation as the shot is from behind the child on the bike seem to appear small and the never ending corridor adds to the isolation of the small boy a sense of paranoia of what will happen next, a perfect example of the effect that can be created using long shots and shadows.

Making Curtains and Tails

Last Thursday Sarah, Fiona, Callum, and Nicky took to the streets of London in search of fabric shops in Soho,recommended by Henry Jones this area is known in the trade by costume designers and set makers. They visited Borovick Fabrics in Berwick Street Soho and found fabrics for the baroque drapes in the drawing room. We needed 16 ft for the pair Eventually they chose a rusty pink ( though I think its more terracotta as seen below) with an appropriate baroque golden design.They then brought this and a few metres of a pink silk seen below which will be used make the tails and also to blend in the rusty pink of the wall paper. Once they had found the Drawing room fabric they then searched for the Study and discovered a rather expensive £44 pm of Fibre Naturella red velvet with embroided details this fabric is rich and expensive and suits the Study setting perfectly as seen in the imasge below it has beige, gold and green floral detail which is another texture and pattern to add to the room. Constructing My Curtains and Tails:

I began by measuring and cutting out the Drawing room fabric I started by cutting two cuts of 8ft 9" the 9" excess makes up the hems and turnover.

After I had cut the Drawing room curtains out I noticed there wasn't enough of this fabric to make the tails out of it so I then decided to use the dusty pink silk and cut out my tails using a paper template which I made at 4ft long the image of this template can be seen below. I then cut out the tails. Cutting out one tail in fabric and in lining, adding 5/8 inch (1.5cm) seam allowance all round the pattern i then flipped the test tail over and cut out the second pieces of fabric and lining, as the mirror image of the first. When making up the tails I had to machine the right sides together and edges matching, stitching the lining fabric to the main fabric down both sides and along the slanted lower edge, leaving the top edge open allowing me to pull the fabric through.

I then trimmed the seam allowances and clipped across corners before turning the right side out and pressing them. I then attached fringe to the edge of the tail and began to pleat the tails into shape to do this I folded each tail into evenly spaced pleats and pinned and then tacked them together across the top. I finally machined across the top to hold the pleats in place and pressed the folds to remove creases. I then repeated this process to make a matching pair of tails and then made a tail for the Study.

I then made up my curtain for the Study at the same drop of 8ft adding heading tape to create gather these would be pulled back to frame the window. Making these curtains was very simple expecially as they were not lined and im now confident in the process of curtain making and tails.
The tassels above are the tie back for the curtains I tried to match the friniging as well as I could from this photo.



( a mixture of my own photos and that of our unnominated photographer Sarah Laker)

Curtain Research

History of Curtains:
Drapery goes all the way back to the Middle Ages as a way of blocking out the light furs,skins and membrane were used to cover small holes in caves.
Until the late 16th century in England, window curtains were virtually non-existent. Instead, internal wooden shutters were used to keep out light and cold. When curtains did finally make an appearance, they were made from one piece of fabric hung on an iron rod from iron rings sewn onto the fabric, and drawn from one side of the window only.During the Middle Age, fabric was so expensive that only the upper class used it as curtains
But in the Industrial Era, the development of textile trade drove fabric prices down making fabric curtains available to the middle class. Window curtains were still rare in 17th century England, normally found only in important rooms in grand homes. Shutters were often used on the first and second floor windows of townhouses for privacy. Keeping out the cold was a constant worry, so that sometimes special window cloths were hooked into the window recess at night in order to keep out the draughts.
Yet when the Glass Industry came, houses were installed with glass windows and required fabric curtains or window blinds to protect the people inside from heat and drafts and prying eyes. Fabric manufacturers increased their production and lowered their prices as the demand for it greatly increased. This paved the way for the common person to buy their own fabric curtains. Drapery was the most fashionable type of curtaining in the Neoclassical period. It consisted of several pieces of fabric put together to give the appearance of one flowing piece. One or more swags would normally go at each end, with the joins disguised by trimming

Style in the 19th century:

Something used widely in the 19th century was to make a long pelmet of many swags and tails to hang across more than one window. Particularly in England this way of draping most of a window wall in fabric became very popular it framed the window and a sense of wealth was created instantly the original designs for Empire style curtains are incredibly complicated with swags of different colours we hope to recreate the elaborate style of swags and tail in our set.
The highly improved dyeing and printing techniques of the early 19th century resulted in more realistic colours for floral designs, as well as in vastly reduced prices as textiles were produced in bulk. This resulted in the decline of Britain’s silk industry.
From the middle of the century a number of new dyes were available for yellow, purple and blue-green.

Fabrics:
Velvets, brocades and silks and satins were all used to frame a window and add drama to the parlors, salons and dining areas of the wealthy members of society.
Beautiful silk velvets had been produced in Italy since the 14th century, but by the 15th century the Italians found themselves competing with the French in the production of these exquisite fabrics.
Motifs on fabrics were popular, especially in France, and featured Napoleonic bees, swans, laurel wreaths, crowns, lyres, vases, eagles, and oak leaves. When the monarchy was restored in France, Empire ornaments on fabric designs were altered, with the Fleur-de-lis replacing the Napoleonic bees. Elaborate brocaded silks were no longer fashionable, although other silks were still popular, as were tulle, lustrous taffeta, velvets, damasks, satin, printed linen, sprigged muslin and printed cotton chintz.

Asymmetrical patterns replaced symmetrical designs during the early part of the Renaissance, with designs showing movement becoming popular, e.g., floral scrolls, birds in flight and running animals. Damask was a favourite material of the period. Although traditionally made of silk or linen, damask was also woven in wool or a mix of fibres. Linen damask evolved when the Flemish linen-thread weavers of Bruges copied the patterns of the Italian silk damask in linen thread.

Italian and Flemish weavers were established at Fontainebleau to weave intricate tapestries, and in Lyons to produce silk. Silk was woven in England from the early 1400s, but only the wealthiest households could afford it, so wool and linen remained the fabrics of popular choice. The first indiennes - brightly coloured hand-blocked and hand-painted calicoes which were colourfast - were introduced into France from India at the end of the 16th century, and were immediately popular. As dyeing techniques spread into the West from the East, the colouring of fabrics improved, although European block-printing techniques remained crude for some time

Accesories and Detail :
Trimmings were rich and ornate. Braid was large and stylised with a variety of decorative motifs. Gimp braid with clusters of bobble fringe was fashionable.
Fringes were usually deep and topped with braids bearing geometric patterns or appliquéd flowers. There were ornate bullion or ball fringes. Per
Tassel tops were arrow-head in shape or domed, with long skirts. Some tassels were severe and stylised, appliquéd with golden leaves or shells.
Contrasting linings, corded edges, dark silk fringing, embroidered panels and trompe l’oeil valances were all features of this period, and bell pulls with braided edges, appliquéd centres and tassels were very fashionable.


Reference:
Jenny Gibbs, Curtains and Drapes: History, Design, Inspiration. Cassell Illustrated; New edition edition (9 Dec 1999)

Images: www.selectionfurnishing.com

www.cviias.com
www.supplierlist.com

Making our Drawing room look bigger !

In this post I will be looking at tricks of the trade which will make our small set seem like a lavish drawing room but how we can make a small room look bigger?

Small rooms can feel confining and uncomfortable and for the drawing room this is not what we want. Luckily for us we can utilize certain design concepts that fool the eye and make our rooms seem much bigger and spacious. Some solutions for small spaces, that can make a room in your home look larger are color techniques, furniture arranging, and lighting considerations can give the look of space and as this room is meant to be a grand drawing room we need to take this into account.
It is all about illusion. Light colors make your room look bigger and brighter. Light and brightly colored walls are more reflective making a space feel open and airy, which will help to maximize the effect created of natural light which we are unable to have in a set. for this effect we need to select soft tones of blues and greens and pastel colours such as pink.
another way to add detail to our set and keep it light and is airy is by painting our walls light and using dark colors for the border and trim, in our case our panelling is a dark walnut/mahogany.
another trick with colour is to paint our wall trim and moldings a lighter color than our walls. if we painted our moldings light, the wall would appear further back, making our drawing room appear bigger.
In our set we decided on pale pastel pink with a slightly darker print to create a wallpapered effect this colour was authentic to the period.

Whilst in the study we needed to use darker tones to create shadow and the sense of darkness to reflect Ivan's state of mind.
Dark colors absorb light, making the room look smaller which is a desired effect for this room. (more information on the wallpaper of the rooms in later post)
(image on left jenny and rhyan painting the dark green walls of the study and lighter green stencil)

Also the use of furniture can also make our room look a lot smaller then we want using known tricks of the trade to create space yet still having the antiques and furniture we need to set the scene the following tips have helped shape the Drawing room.

Placing the large pieces of furniture against the walls opens up the space. allowing room for smaller side tables and chairs to fill the middle of the room.

Making sure that the scale the furniture fits the size of the room and doesn't block walking pathways. With furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room and out to open spaces, a room will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you’ll open up the space and make it feel larger. If you can see the floor, the room will look larger. Having over sized sofas or too much furniture will make the drawing room look smaller and his room is not meant to be small !
Setting our furniture at an angle works because the longest straight line in any given room is it’s diagonal. When you place your furniture at an angle, it leads the eye along the longer distance, rather than the shorter wall. And finally choosing a sofa and chairs with open arms and exposed legs allows light to filter under the furniture, making the room appear airier. Luckily the furniture period meant a lot of exposed wood and and legs of chairs and love seats showing.
Mirrors can also make our room look larger. Using a focal point and angling the mirror towards it, which will give the illusion of depth. The mirrors also reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night. They bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. This is especially effective with near a window so the outdoors can be reflected. Mirrors on the walls and glass tabletops will make it seem like there’s a more open flow.We could also use mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered. in this specific styled room we will use a lot of guild mirrors which not only help create extra light but will create a sense of wealth.

Researching light and the use of mirrors i came across a very well known room in the same period called the Hall of Mirrors located in Versailles France some where i have visited recently the photo below is one of my own.
finally using the natural light from a window what in this case we wont be able to get a rule is that you Make sure window coverings are sheer, or are pulled back, to bring more light in. hopefully we will be able create the appearance of light outside the window using set lights.

creating flats

Flats needed for the drawing room and study
17 @ 4 x 8 ft
1 @ 3 x 8ft
7 @ 2 x 8ft
1 @ 3 and 1/2 x 8ft
1 @ 1 and 1/2 x 8ft
3 @ 3 x 3ft footers for the windows
3 @ 4 x 1 and 1/2 foot headers for the doors

(only 2 doors but double needed for connecting the rooms)
Please note that the headers for the doors are only for support whilst the set is under construction. They will be replaced with the doors at a later date.

For each 8 x 4 flat, 2 x 8 ft pieces of wood and 5 x 4 ft were cut using the saw in the workshop. On the 8 foot pieces of wood, one end was marked so that we knew where to start when putting everything together. We measured along these and made a mark every 2 feet with a pencil, using a square to make sure the lines were straight. We finally realised we could mark them in bulk which saved a lot of time!
On each end, we made a mark a distance from the end equal to the thickness of the wood. Using a power drill to make two holes in each end, which helped to prevent the wood from splitting when the screws were inserted we then starting from the marked end of the 8ft piece of wood and drilled the screws in the 4 foot pieces of wood at each marked point repeating this process at the opposite end.
Once this had been screwed together we then PVA glued over one side of the frames. A 4 foot by 8 foot plywood skin was then placed on top and manipulated to be flush with the edge of the frame. An electric nail gun was then used to fix the plywood to the frame. manipulating the board was the most difficult part of the process.


Using an air pressured nail gun we had to be aware of all the health and safety and PPE only one person should operate it and must always wear safety goggles/glasses as a nail could easily hit you in the eye and blind you !

After skinning with the plywood the lower half sheets approximately 3ft of the full flats and footers were painted in a wood effect as this will become the authentic walnut paneling in the rooms. Putting the flats together required a lot of man power as the screws need to be put in at the back working from the bottom up every 2ft while being held together. The front needs to be checked at the same time to ensure that the ply is flush at the point the screw is going into the frame.
We layed the flats out into an approximate positions befor we joined them as it saved time and hasle.Remember always start in a corner and work your way out!
Once assembled the walls need to be further braced with long L shaped sections of wood (made by screwing two lengths together) at the top and the bottom of the flats.

Documentry of drawing rooms

Living rooms through out history very interesting historical insight into the living areas of homes including an interesting depiction of the drawing room very valuable piece of research which made me personally understand the use of the Drawing room in upper/middle class society.

programme shown on BBC4 throughout the month of April and May in four parts specifically focusing on the first episode dedicated to living rooms http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010flp4

other research i have looked at is the obvious book The Death of Ivan Ilych' Leo Tolstoy, Fine Creative Media 2004
and an interesting book me and nikki found called 'Russian Houses' Elizabeth Gynor, Benedikt Taschen Verlag, 1994