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Check out some DECORATING OPTIONS for your TIMBER FRAME HOME below...

Transparent Dreams Stained Glass Studio

 

 

A home is a home is a home. It doesn't matter whether it's a ranch style, an urban condo, a stately Southern mansion, or a rustic log home... it's still your home, and you still want it to have all of the charm and elegance that makes it the home that you'll be glad to come back to again and again. Stained glass and beveled glass are popular options that people use to create that perfect atmosphere, both for themselves and to impress or make a articular statement to visitors. As a long-time stained and beveled glass artist, I think any home can be enriched by these wonderful architectural art forms, and log homes are no exception!

Those who might downplay the idea of stained or beveled glass in a log home are thinking in too limited a fashion. They probably have one or more preconceived notions about these forms of artistic glass that, in their opinions, wouldn't seem appropriate for a log home. I hope to dispel some of those notions here, and allow you, the log home owner, to feel more confident about considering this form of art glass, and its place in your new or existing log home.

Probably the most common misconception is that log homes and art glass don't go together because stained and beveled glass windows, doors, cabinet inserts, lamps, etc. are too elegant to compliment the rustic style of a log home. This is, of course, complete nonsense. Log homes have come a long way from the rustic, one or two-roomed dwellings that most people think of when they think of log homes. Today, log homes span the gamut from small, unpretentious dwellings to massive, architectural masterpieces encompassing as many types of floor plans as we see in other contemporary homes constructed with conventional or unconventional materials.

In recent years, log homes have even been impressive enough to have been featured in most of the fine homebuilding magazines. To say that log homes are too rustic to include certain amenities, including stained or beveled glass, is to think of log homes in a stereotyped way that has long since been outdated. Log homes are capable of being as impressive and elegant as any other type of contemporary home, so why shouldn't an architectural art form such as stained or beveled glass be considered? The truth is that no matter how elegant or rustic a log home is, an art form such as stained or beveled glass can be designed to fit in with the environment. Artistic glass can be designed to be elegant or rustic or anything in between! The limitations are only in the imaginations of the consumer and the glass artist chosen to design and create the artistic glass project.

Another widespread misconception is that stained and beveled glass has to cost an arm and a leg. This, too, is utter nonsense! Sure, intricate designs in stained or beveled glass windows can cost a lot, but an experienced glass artist (such as myself) should be able to offer many reasonably-priced designs that are original, well-crafted, and able to satisfy the needs (privacy, light reduction, etc.) and desires of the consumer.

A visit to my web site will not only inspire and amaze, it will convince you that this wonderful art form can be tailored to fit any environment... even a contemporary log home! My site also contains a lot of information on how to recognize good craftsmanship from bad in stained and beveled glass (it is unfortunate but there are many poor craftspeople masquerading as professional stained glass artists) and the major issues to consider before and during the process of commissioning an artwork in stained glass or beveled glass. Whether you end up commissioning me or another glass artist, my "Craftsmanship" and my "Commission Process" pages are, by themselves, worth a visit to my site.

Well... there you are! Don't be dissuaded by any designer or builder from considering the appropriateness of any amenity in your new or existing log home. As I have told my clients many times, "I'm going to go back home and you're going to stay here.... so who am I to tell you what your home (...office, commercial environment, place of worship, etc.) should look like. My job is to advise, to design and create according to your wishes, and to keep you from making any obvious mistakes. Other than that, it's completely up to you!"

5082 E. Hampden Ave. #250
Denver CO 80222
voice: (303) 758-6059
fax: (303) 757-6734
email: stine2@diac.com
internet: http://www.diac.com/~stine/page0.htm

 

Decorating with Quilts

 

 

by Martine Caillon-House

There are few things more beautiful than the wooden structure of a timberframe house. The sturdy beams bring a sense of comfort and security as well as esthetic to your home. What better complements that feeling of comfort than quilts or quilted objects placed here and there? Whether the quilts are spread on a bed or the back of a couch, folded on a rack or just hung on the wall, they will contribute greatly to make your home a special place.

The great room of your timberframe house is where the beam structure is likely to be apparent and where you will have lots of decorating space. Although you probably won't have a bed in that room to spread a quilt on, there are still many ways you can use quilts as decorating accents.

Fold a quilt on the back of your couch. You can see the colors, feel the softness of the fabric and when you sit down at the end of a long day, the quilt is right there to wrap yourself. Choose a new quilt rather than an antique one for this purpose. Handling and folding will damage the aged fabrics of an old quilt. However, if you like the look of an antique quilt, you can find reproductions from many different periods and styles on the market. You are sure to find one that will complement the style of your decor.

You can also put a quilt rack at a strategic place in the room so that the quilt folded on it will be well in sight. You can display an older quilt this way because it will be less handled that on the back of a sofa. However, just remember every few months to unfold it, and refold it in a different way. There are three reasons for that:

• The exposed area of the quilt is more likely to get a little dirty, from dust, pets and just the loving touch of passing hands.
• Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid fading. Even it the quilt is not exposed directly to bright light, some fading will occur. Periodically refolding it will avoid one area to become more faded than the others.
• If you keep your quilt always folded in the same way, the creases will become permanent and if the quilt is already old and fragile, the creases might cause the fabric to break. Refolding will take care of that problem and prolong the life of your treasure.

Apart from spreading it on a bed, the best way to enjoy a quilt in all its beauty is to hang it on the wall. It becomes the focal point of your room, adds its color and warmth to your decor and gives your home an incredible sense of comfort. Because of the height of your ceiling and the size of the room, you have the possibility to display very large quilts. The best way to avoid putting irregular stress on the fabric and causing damage is to put a sleeve on the back of the quilt and thread it through a rod. You can decide to have an apparent rod and in that case choose the style of rod that complements your decor or leave the rod out of sight.

Here is how you put a sleeve on the back of your quilt:

• Decide how your quilt is going to hang, the long side up and down, or the long side parallel to your floor (this depends on the size of your quilt and the place you want to put it in the room). Most commonly, quilts hang the way they would be on a bed, long side up and down.
• Measure the side that will be on the rod, from edge to edge. Let's take 85" as an example. Purchase a 1/4 yard of muslin or any other fabric that will be 85" wide (you can find muslin 90" wide. Most other fabric will be 45" or 60". Then buy two 1/4 yard pieces and sew the short sides together to get the needed length). If your quilt is going to be hanging from the ceiling or away from the wall and be visible from both sides, you will want to make your sleeve out of a fabric that will match or complement the fabric on the back of the quilt, so that it is not too obvious.
• If the rod is to be apparent, measure the long side of the sleeve to be the same plus 1" than the side of your quilt. Here 86" (85" +1"). Turn under 1/4 twice at each end and top stitch. If the rod is to be hidden, measure the sleeve so that it is approximately 3" shorter than the side of your quilt. In our example, 82". Turn under the ends in the same way as above which will leave you approximately 81".
• Fold the fabric lengthwise, right sides together and sew. You will have a tube of fabric. Turn it right side out and the sleeve is ready to be attached to the quilt.
• Place the sleeve just underneath the binding, positioning it so that the center of the sleeve matches the center of the side of the quilt and whipstitch both long sides, catching the backing fabric and the batting but not going all the way through to the front. When you are done, your quilt is ready to be hung. Just thread the rod through the sleeve, hang it and enjoy.

Quilts will give you many, many years of pleasure and make your house a cozy and comfortable place to be. The style of a timberframe house will let you decorate in a traditional way or with a "country" look or lets you use very contemporary art pieces. This will be true for the quilts you use; they can be very traditional bed quilts or modern pieces of fiber art. No matter what you choose, there are a few things that will help you keep them longer: - make sure your quilts are displayed away from any direct sunlight. Quilts will fade, no matter what but you can slow down the process by avoiding direct sunlight. A north wall is a perfect location. You can also help by refolding your quilt periodically.

• If you own several quilts, change your displays every few months. Take some down and replace them with others. The ones you are not displaying should be carefully folded and stored in a clean pillow case, never in a plastic bag which promotes humidity and mildew as well as parasites.
• It is a lot of work to wash a quilt without damaging it. So, unless your quilt is very stained, a gentle vacuuming through a clean sheet or cheese cloth will remove the dust and give it a cleaner look.

For more information about contemporary fiber artist Martine Caillon-House, contact Housefiber@aol.com