2. THE AXEMAN COMETH - Lovejoy buys a Welsh dresser with a valuable Arab wedding headdress hidden inside. Will it be Lovejoy or the Inland revenue or a criminal with an axe who get to keep the money? (2)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Ercol Furniture
Ercol is most famous for its modern interpretation of the classic English Windsor chair. This traditional design has its origins in the seventeenth century, but in the 50s it looked fresh and new. The Ercol Windsor chair appealed to both modern and traditional tastes, and was a runaway commercial success. It inspired a complete range for Ercol furniture in English elm.
Lucien Ercolani designed the Windsor chair in response to a Wartime enquiry to supply cheap chairs. However, it was first shown to the public in the 'Britain Can Make it Exhibition' at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1946. Although based on a traditional design, the Ercol Windsor chair became a modern classic. Ercolani also displayed the Windsor chair at the Festival of Britain in 1951.
The choice of English elm as a wood sounds traditional, but it was a radical decision. Wartime and post-war restrictions meant a search for alternative timbers was imperative. Elm was not a good timber for furniture manufacture, because it was hard to dry out sufficiently. Ercolani himself found this out the hard way when he bought a large quantity of elm that had been stored under cover for five years; only the top layers were dry.
In spite of this setback, Ercolani discovered a process of kiln drying the elm with the help of the Forest Products Research Laboratory. As a result, elm became the wood used for the majority of Ercol's production in the post-war years. Although English elm has a wonderful traditional ring to it, it was a modern material, very suitable for the Ercol Windsor chair, which was a perfect fusion of modern and traditional ideas.
The Ercol Windsor chair inspired a whole range of furniture which included sideboards, coffee tables, sofas, day beds and the classic Ercol refectory table. Ercol's use of elm could not survive Dutch elm disease in the 70s. Fortunately, Ercol was one of the first English firms experiment with the favourite furniture fashion of the 70s, pine. The Ercol Welsh dresser was yet another classic piece of English furniture.
Today Ercol is a much loved range of furniture with a huge following, both for new and classic pieces. It is of good quality and is well made furniture built to last several generations. For more about Ercol read my main feature Ercol on Retrowow
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Decorating Themes For Homes
It is often thought that certain decorating themes should be avoided in certain situations but this is too much of a simplistic statement to hold true in every case. Whereas an ultra-modern home with a kitchen that sports the full paraphernalia of traditional, rustic gadgets would take some getting used to, a traditional old-world cottage with an ultra-modern kitchen often works quite well - as long as you observe some limitations along the way. The idea behind all decorating themes is that nothing at all is set in stone and, with careful preparation and foresight, even the most avant garde decorating themes can work extremely well. It is not really an incongruity of decorating themes that fails to work, but the way the decorating themes are implemented.
Taking the example of an old house, installing a chic kitchen with the adjacent rooms being decorated in chintz gives out the wrong vibes: that is incongruous. However, taking that same old cottage and, from the front door, tasteful alterations have been made which, when you get to the kitchen, actually complements the previous rooms you have trailed through, then the idea is far from incongruous. In a traditional miners' terraced cottage the front door opens into a traditional hallway and the stairs are generally boxed in. Space is always at a premium and the bathroom is found on the ground floor, after going through the kitchen. There is usually a lobby-area between kitchen and bathroom.
This traditional miners' cottage has been tastefully modernized, with widened doorways for wheelchair access and sliding wooden doors, each painted in gloss white. The two living rooms have been opened up, retaining the feel of the two rooms, but with access to the back living room through a brick-faced archway. An antique Welsh dresser stands proudly against the left-hand wall as you go through the archway. To your right, the stairs have been opened up and, instead of being closed off with a wall; they are now open with attractive wooden spindles, again painted in gloss white. The hallway, stairs, and both living rooms have been decorated in wedge-wood blue, with hardwood floors in the downstairs rooms and a matching wedge-wood blue carpet fitted up the stairs. A widened sliding door, painted in white gloss leads the way into the kitchen which is the epitome of ultra-modern chic. The floor in the kitchen has laminate flooring, in the same wedge-wood blue as the walls of the previous rooms. The rest of the kitchen is an awesome surprise - a delight to behold. No indication of the delights of this kitchen could ever be imagined from outside the traditional front of this old terraced cottage.
The kitchen cupboards are all fitted in the latest modern gloss finish - in cherry red. The washing machine, cooker and fridge-freezer are all dove grey: the work surfaces are textured matte terracotta. The walls of the kitchen have been painted wedge-wood blue to match the kitchen floor and the decorating theme from the previous part of the house. The kitchen then leads you through another widened sliding white gloss door into a lobby-area whose floor consists of a textured lilac composite. This composite in lilac then continues its theme through to the bathroom. The tiles on the bathroom wall are fuchsia, pink and white, with a shower area made into a wet room - again, all ultra modern. Why should all this work so well in such an old house? It is because the decorating themes are intertwined and work together, taking the beholder's eyes from the front door through the ground floor on a journey of intrigue. The wedge-wood blue theme flows from hall to lounge to dining room to the wedge-wood floor in the kitchen on to the lilac floor in the lobby and bathroom. The red in the kitchen then flows into the pink, lilac, fuchsia and white of the lobby and bathroom.
It is not so much that decorating themes cannot work in particular settings, it is that decorating themes need to be taken into context so that your eye flows gently from one room to the next, with your brain accepting the flow of ideas you have put forward in your decorating theme. Your decorating themes should tell your visitor a story and should be able to lead them through the house with a continuity of ideas until your decorating theme is unraveled and understood.
Conversely, it is just as easy taking an ultra modern setting and playing the decorating theme backwards so that your visitor experiences the taste of tradition and the past as they enter, with additional connotations unfolding before him as he moves through your rooms. Treat your individual rooms as a concerted whole and you have a completely blank canvas to introduce any decorating themes you wish, regardless of your setting.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Hutches - What's in Yours?
Do you have a hutch in your dining room? What do you keep in it? Dining room hutches are the equivalent of bedroom dressers and armoires, where the shelves are behind cabinet doors, even if their contents are visible to the rest of the room. Indeed, hutches and welsh dressers often denote the same item of furniture. The word dresser is commonly used in England, while neighboring countries elsewhere in Europe speak about a "buffet".
Hutches are often made out of wood and it is possible to have either an open or closed deck. Smartly placed lighting, often underneath the shelves, then illuminates the porcelain, cut glass or other valuables on display. Styles may vary, but are typically centered on rustic or country farmhouse themes.
If you have decided that your dining room could benefit from one of the hutches available, then first think about how a hutch would look in your house. They are imposing pieces of furniture and you want to be as sure as possible that one of these will fit in with what you already have in place. As contemporary designs are not really the goal of hutches, you will often be limited to furniture made out of a material such as pine. Although there are variations possible in the tint of the pine according to the staining choices of different manufacturers, you are still within a fairly narrow band of possibilities. Oak and chestnut are other possibilities as well - just don't expect to see a chrome and vinyl dining room one, at least, not yet.
Getting your hutch in through the door of your dining room is another challenge sometimes. These furnishings are built to impress, from their overall size and dimensions, to the "presence" created with crested tops and so on. Although some of them may separate into two pieces to allow for easier transport and installation, this is by no means the case for all models. If you have the slightest doubt about installing a hutch in your dining room, then check the measurements and check to see if, by good fortune, you have also selected a model that lends itself to this kind of operation.
A word of caution concerning the things you might want to put in your hutch. Hutches that are built using traditional quality methods often do not have adjustable shelves. The designs are such that maximum rigidity and robustness are achieved when the shelves remain fixed in one place. So if you have objects that exceed the dimensions of the space in between the shelves, you may have to find them another means of display.
Finally, even if hutches are currently marketed as an enhancement to the dining room experience, you may also come across them in kitchens. Dimensions may vary from the models destined for the dining room, but the principle is still the same: an imposing display space, possibly protected by glass cabinet doors. This is part of the American Midwest heritage, where such hutches served in the kitchens as handy storage space amongst other things.
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
Why Choose a Welsh Dresser For Your Dining Room?
A dining room is one of the most important rooms in a home. Dining together is a pleasant and social experience that most people enjoy. Family dining is a time to gather, share the events of the day and create a special bond of memories that are often enjoyed for a lifetime. Gathering with friends for a dining experience allows time for conversation and sharing life in a relaxed setting. A dining room needs to be functional and create the mood for the dining experience to be a pleasant experience. Most people find that a welsh dresser is an essential piece of furniture to have in the room.
A welsh dresser is impressive, functional and attractive. The piece instantly commands attention when entering a dining room because it is high, dramatic and stately looking. The open shelves at the top are a great place for showing off collectibles such as fine china, pewter, silver or any precious object worthy of being on display for others to enjoy. Often the piece will have drawers for storing silver or utensils as well. A welsh dresser can have all the items needed for dining in one place. The shelves can display the dishes, the drawers can hold the utensils and the lower portion can hold any large serving items needed for the meal.
It is important to create a mood for a dining experience to be a pleasant one. A welsh dresser is a very nice way to create a country side dining experience. The general mood of the furniture lends itself to a feeling of being casual and relaxed. Yet, the welsh dresser can have an air of sophistication about it that is conducive to fine dining.
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Monday, November 7, 2011
Handmade Oak Welsh Dresser
!±8± Handmade Oak Welsh Dresser
Brand : English Classics | Rate : 
| Price :
Post Date : Nov 07, 2011 10:15:05 | Usually ships in 6-10 business days
| Price : Post Date : Nov 07, 2011 10:15:05 | Usually ships in 6-10 business days
This beautiful antique style Welsh dresser is handmade in England as a reproduction of a Georgian antique. Using traditional methods, the makers produce an incredibly stunning piece of furniture, displaying a rich, fine oak grain and lustrous complexion that are sure to make a bold impression on any room. The solid oak used in the making of this antique style Welsh dresser looks especially fine because it has been hand-distressed, hand-finished and hand-waxed, producing the most luxurious appearance possible. The solid-brass hardware forms a wonderful contrast with the oak, while the shaped skirt, moulding and antique style paneling contribute to a classic elegance made possible by true English craftsmanship. The three drawers, each of which feature hand-cut dovetailed joints, provide plenty of storage space, while the three shelves all feature plate grooves so you can display your best china. Because this antique style Welsh dresser is solid wood, it is extremely sturdy and will last for generations to come, so acquiring a Welsh dresser like this would be a long-lasting investment!
Dimensions: 72" wide x 20" deep x 89" high
More Specification..!!
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