The Rural Voice, 2000-04, Page 52Home Decorating
What's new at the Home Fashion Show
By Patti Robertson
It's the morning after Hubby Ward
and I returned from the 2000 Interiors
Showcase. This panorama fashion
show features displays ranging from
windows walls, flooring, decorative
accessories and all the manufacturers
of paints and sundry products for any
well dressed
home!
Obvious on
the decorating
scene is the
large part the
Orient, Asia and
Africa are
playing in the
decor industry
for this season.
Beautiful, rich
earthy
colouration
combos,
patterns
featuring
Chinese
symbols, gorgeous paisley prints and
textures flowing arabesque patterns,
animal and tribal scenes all were
prevalent. There was lots to capture
the eye and keep a body charged up
with many possibilities.
My personal favourite this year
was from Maxwell fabrics: a fabulous
sheer drapery fabric featuring a
French, chain stitch and embroidery
motif in luscious hues ranging from
pink champagne, tantalizing taupe,
creme de la creme, glazed honey and
bronzed melon. The display featuring
this new showstopper dripped with
romantic elegance. The display's
designer had hand-crafted miniature
rosettes which adorned the generous
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drapery swags and had clustered trio
groups of these, beautiful rosetted to
grace the. corners of the ample plump
'toss cushions. WOW! As my
salesman Michael Boyd pointed out,
this fabric will be a purchase of
passion for those who indulge. This
delicious number sells for $102.99 per
yard. •
Persian carpets are more elegant
than ever, toned and tinted in
incredible neutrals and monotone hues
subtle yet incredibly rich allowing us
to incorporate these gems into today's
more neutral homescapes.
Quality high-end accessories for
one's home are being featured in
French, English and Italianate
antiquity pieces. These are always
worth consideration for an investment
purchase. Mirrors, original and
reproduction numbers are another hot
decorating accessory now in vogue.
Once again Flemish, English and
Tuscany styles lead the possibilities. I
personally find mirrors delightful
when added to an interior, to open up
the space and reflect beautiful interior
decor and accessories. A mirror
positioned correctly in one's dining
room can work wonders for the'
atmosphere, capturing and reflecting
the candlelight, finely attired dinner
guests, a festive table setting and an
array of scrumptious foods and
beverages.
All this elegance aside, the
reigning champions of this trade show
are still the manufacturers of products
which create the paints, kits, tools and
techniques to create faux finishes for
both furniture and walls within our
homes.
Demonstrations abounded in
PATTI ROBERTSON'S
4,16
Unique Residential and
Commercial Interiors
135 Victoria SG, WINGHAM
357-2872
• Custom-made Window
Fashions, Bedspreads
& Accessories
• Fine Domestic &
Imported Fabrics
• Select Wallcoverings
• Furnishings, Lighting
& Artwork to suit
any interior...
48 THE RURAL VOICE
everything from antiquing to combing,
ragging, smooshing, bagging, tickling,
dragging and the newest the "fresco"
look. There is a new pad brush which
allows the user to apply three
colourations at one time to a wall
surface, plasters and fiber -fill
additives to add texture when mixed
with paint and applied to a surface,
and a tremendous array of paint roller
sleeves which enable any do-it-
yourselfer to accomplish these faux
finishes with ultimate finesse. After
close inspection of one such roller
sleeve which featured flaps of ripped
and torn pieces of fabric Ward began
to chuckle stating that it definitely
looked like something that was ready
to be thrown in the garbage.
A word of caution here, if you are
dealing in walls in poor surface
condition adding a textured surface
can be just the ticket to camouflage
the problems ... but if you have wall
surfaces in pristine condition the faux
finish techniques and textural
treatments will not be in vogue much
longer and then you will be forever
dealing wiht a textured surface that
can be annoying when smooth walls
are the "in" effect. One would be
much better advised to choose a faux -
textured wallcovering to dress your
home's walls. As a rule it is a, less
expensive treatment than hiring
someone to texture your walls with
paint, plus you will know the exact
finished effect as portrayed on the
designed wallcovering and returning
to the original wall surface is as
. simple as stripping the covering.
Just a few points to ponder before
beginning.
One other tip before I go —
sponging as a faux treatment is no
longer in fashion.
So, all in all, this year's Home
Fashion Show was interesting and had
many stimulating high points. A large
array of new fashions, products and
styles intermixed with old and
classical favourites for the interiors of
our homes. A trip to your favourite
decorating store will put you in touch
with all that's new and interesting and
it's a marvelous way to "Spring into
Decorating!"0
Patti Robertson operates Classic
Interiors in Wingham.
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