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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-10-20, Page 21THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011. PAGE 21. When facing an empty room, there are countless options for decorating. After the standards, such as the colour of paint that will define the room and the flooring option (whether it be hardwood flooring, carpet or something else), it comes down to more complex decisions, like furniture and adorning the walls. That’s where it can get tricky. There is no hard and fast rule to decorating the walls, but there are plenty of guidelines and strong opinions out there. Some people like a clean wall, others prefer busy collections of pictures and objects from ceiling to floor. One thing is for sure, framing has evolved over the years. “Framing isn’t like it used to be,” says Janice Peters of The Gift Cupboard in Blyth. “People change what’s on their walls more frequently. It’s cheaper to frame items, so you can just change something without feeling guilty.” Peters says that years ago limited edition prints were being framed regularly. Now the trend has shifted to the framing of memorabilia and items, rather than pictures and art prints, she says, at least in her experiences. “We get a lot of (sports) jerseys, cross-stitching and shadowbox requests,” she says. “And we do still get prints, but not limited edition prints like we used to.” Peters says the requests she gets are all different and because she works in selling decorative items and framing items, not interior decorating, she can only help customers create a piece they want that will fit into their homes. “There isn’t a book to go by,” Peters says. “Every piece is so unique and different.” When a customer comes into the store, Peters says, generally she works with them as to what they want to see in the frame and how they want it to look, whether it’s an art print, several photographs or some sort of item the customer wants preserved. Peters admits that sometimes what she thinks is ideal for a piece isn’t what the customer had in mind, so they start again from scratch, together. “Sometimes what we think isn’t what the customer likes,” she says. “We don’t see the person’s home and it’s them who has to look at it all day.” It can be pretty difficult too, Peters says, and that’s why she likes to spend as much time with the customer as she can planning the piece out. Peters uses an example of a framed piece involving the pictures of someone’s seven grandchildren. The grandchildren had to be organized according to age, but also kept in their respective families. Peters said it was a difficult task that could have been approached hundreds of different ways, so getting the customer’s vision for the piece before committing to anything was key. Generally, Peters says, the decoration of a room starts with the furniture. Once the furniture in a room is set up where the customer wants it to stay, then they can begin to think about adding framed pictures to the room to “help accentuate the furniture”. When it comes to adding framed pictures to a room that’s already furnished, Peters says a large frame above something like a couch or a television is the standard and is never usually a bad idea, but an idea that is emerging is a frame collage over such pieces. Peters says she can frame several different pictures or pieces and work with the customer on a grouping that can be hung tightly together on a wall. “A good idea is to lay the grouping out on the floor,” Peters says. A similar concept can be achieved with one large picture or art piece and several smaller frames. Peters says a larger picture could be divided into several smaller segments of the picture, framed on their own and placed into a tight grouping to recreate the picture in a different and artistic way on a wall. Another emerging trend is a kind of anti-framing exercise with an art print on canvas. Peters says often when people come back from a vacation, they don’t have the luggage room for an art print they’ve purchased in their destination country. The solution is to take the canvas off of the boards and roll it up. Upon returning to Canada, the canvas can be stretched over a wooden internal frame to be hung on its own without a frame, giving the picture a minimalist look NC – As the cold weather approaches and the first snowflakes begin to fall, it is important to ensure your home is winter-ready. There are plenty of simple ways to winterize your home without breaking the bank, with a positive effect on lowering your heating bills. Interior:First, inspect your furnace and replace the filter. Stock up on furnace filters and be sure to change them every month. Next, have your fireplace cleaned so it will be ready for use. Screen the top of your chimney to keep out rodents and birds and store firewood in a dry place away from the outside Possibilities can be endless when decorating with frames Ready for winter? The Heart of the Home. www.mdldoors.com The perfect style can turn a simple doorway into a grand entrance, giving your home warmth and personality that’s uniquely your own. With hundreds of doors, side lights and transoms to choose from, finding the 'perfect' entrance system for your home is a breeze. Visit mdldoors.com to find a dealer nearest you. Scan with your smartphone for more information. centralboiler.com Bernard Enterprises Various sizes in all models available Outdoor Wood Furnace E-Classic 2400Classic Maxim Outdoor Wood Pellet and Corn Furnace INSTALLATION • SALES • SERVICE Brussels, Ontario N0G 1H0 519-887-6405 Dave Franken CONCRETE FORMING For All Your Concrete Needs! 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