Victorian Homes for Sale in the Boston area

Since colonial days, the American kitchen has been thought of as the heart of the home. It is the first room a family shares each day; it is not only the place where meals are prepared, but also where they are often eaten. The kitchen is where children and adults do their homework, and where they linger for conversation. Yet, although the role of the kitchen has not changed in three centuries, its appearance has. Once, cooking was done by the central fireplace, and the larder was stored against the cold, north-facing wall. Today, a kitchen must be carefully planned to meet the demands of a busy household,and to accommodate a battery of laborsaving devices. This chapter focuses on the work of today’s kitchen-especially its cabinetry-introduces popular designs, and outlines some basic principles that will help you create a kitchen that meets your needs.

A kitchen design often starts as a natural extension of the architectural style of a house. Just as trim, molding, and furnishings can distinguish a home as being Victorian or Colonial, cabinet doors, molding, and hardware can define the style of a kitchen. For example, Victorian is an opulent style marked by complex egg-and-dart molding, porcelain pulls, and exposed hinges, while Shaker style is a model of austerity, relying on simple, recessed frame-and-panel doors, an absence of molding,and the muted colors of milk paint.

Whether you choose a traditional architectural style for your kitchen or a blend of severalstyles, adequate room must be provided for work.The kitchen is a workshop like any other,and should be laid out with efficiency in mind.You would not think of locating the table saw and a planer at opposite ends of a workshop; the primary work centers of a kitchen–in most cases,the sink,refrigerator,and stove/cooking area–are no different.Work triangles are one way to minimize the trips between the three.

Arriving at an efficient layout for a kitchen in a confined space can be a challenge.Invariably, the size and location of your kitchen cabinets will have to be flexible enough to accommodate the location of appliances,utilities,windows,and doors. Drafting scale floor plans and elevations can help you visualize your layout; Once you have settled on the placement of your cabinets, you can divide their runs into individual cabinets and drawers. While most kitchen cabinets adhere to basic dimensional standards inheight, their width and number of doors can be fine tuned to reach a visually well-balanced kitchen design.

Accuracy is crucial when drafting floor plans and elevations.A site-referenced story pole tells you everything you need to know about a kitchen wall in precise detail, including the location and size of the cabinets. By using these small lengths of wood for each wall and cabinet, you can proceed from floor plan to cutting list with a minimum of errors. From there to your dream kitchen it is only a few more careful steps.

The Fleur de Lis is a time honored symbol in both art and architecture and a wonderful addition to any home. Fleur de Lis (French for Lily of the Flower) is a stylized lily or iris composed on three petals along a fluted or curved shaft. Although most typically associated with French architecture, art, and monarch symbols, the fleur de lis has actually appeared several cultures and societies (both Eastern and Western) over time.  

The fleur de lis can be seen in a variety of applications – especially in architecture and design. Often used on the top of iron fences it served the dual purpose of making the fence more visually appealing while providing an extra defense if needed. Today the fleur de lis is popular in former French colonies in North America (such as Louisiana or Quebec) and is still used as a symbol on many flags.

Fleur de lis cabinet and bathroom hardware is a timeless and elegant addition to any room in your room. This classic design provides a beautiful finishing touch to either older furniture or new pieces. Fleur de lis cabinet hardware is typically found in solid brass or iron and in a variety of finishes including Polished Brass, Antique Brass, Oil Rubbed Bronze, Polished Chrome and Brushed Nickel.

The fleur de lis design is produced today – allowing you to easily incorporate it into your home. It is a simple way to create a French Victorian theme into any room in your home – just be sure to follow a few simple steps when replacing your older and worn cabinet hardware. First, use ornate solid brass or iron hardware on all the doors, cabinets and drawers to create a tie the look together for you. Although it is not necessary to use a fleur de lis on every piece, using similar styles and finishes will create a common and beautiful theme in any room. Second, remember to replace old and worn doorknobs, lighting and window hardware as well – these are often overlooked and can be a great way to add new details into your home. Look for further assistance in home decorating catalogs of ask a design expert for advice.

Fleur de lis cabinet knobs, bathroom and window hardware is readily available online as well as in many home decorating catalogs. Search for solid brass or iron construction and be sure to ask questions. When you work with ornate French Victorian style hardware you can be sure that different shapes and combinations will work to tie themselves together nicely. These cabinet knobs can be found online through LookintheAttic & Company and they offer free design assistance and help.

Eventually jewellery changed in function from being an aid in holding clothes together to being worn for aesthetic reasons. Jewellery also began to gather symbolic meaning and was used to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and keep the wearer healthy.

Jewellery also became a status symbol, indicating power and wealth. In fact, it has been discovered that humans have had the ability to use symbolism since the Stone Age, approximately 100,000 years ago. Previously it was thought that humans only developed this ability 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.

Egyptian Jewellery

The art of jewellery design is considered to have originated in Egypt. The use of copper in jewellery creation (metallurgy) occurred at around 5,000 B.C. which is also the period in which the Egyptians began to fashion jewellery from gold, which was relatively soft and easy to craft but strong enough to withstand wear and tear.

The Egyptians believed heavily in symbolism and mysticism. Jewellery was not only worn for this purpose of showing a person’s status in life, but also in death to assist with the transition into the afterlife.

Typical jewellery designs from this period use gold fashioned into shapes such as eagles and scarab beetles. Gemstones were not used by the Egyptians as they favoured glass, shaped to appear a specific colour as ‘mock’ gemstones.

Ancient Roman Jewellery

Jewellery was a prominent part of everyday life in the Second Millennium BC, the Ancient Roman period. The Romans had easier access to natural resources and materials which they used to create bracelets, rings, necklaces and brooches.

A special pin known as a “fibula” was used to fasten clothing together as garments were pinned and not sewn during the Roman period. Rings were decorated with carved gemstones which could be pressed against wax over the seal of important documents to ensure that they were only opened by the correct person.

Hellenistic Jewellery

The Hellenistic Age was from 330-27BC and despite only lasting 303 years, there were extreme changes in styles of clothing, architecture and jewellery during this period. This was because of greater contact with the Far East and Egypt.

Semi-precious stones such as chalcedony, cornelian, garnet, amethyst and quartz crystals became widely used in jewellery during this period.

Renaissance Jewellery

The 17th Century marked the beginning of the Renaissance when jewellery became far more decorative in purpose. Wealth was fashionable and living a life of indulgence and luxury was admired. The Renaissance Period followed the Middle Ages, a time of depression, unrest, illness and misery and fearing that a decline into another dark age was possible; people invested their money into extraordinary jewellery to concentrate wealth.

Pearls and precious stones like emeralds, rubies and sapphires were used to adorn women. Jewellery also included diamonds, which had been discovered in India in the 1300′s.

Royalty were key players in the establishment of exotic jewellery as a fashion. Henry the VIII lived from 1491 to 1547 and definitely lived a life of excess. He owned over 234 rings and 324 brooches when he died. Maximillian I married Mary of Burgundy in 1477 and set the fashion and tradition of diamond engagement rings.

Victorian Jewellery

The reign of Queen Victoria was also a significant time in the history of jewellery. Social norms changed once again to a “Romantic Period” where women were required to portray themselves as pure and subservient. Celtic fashions became popular during this time because Queen Victoria and Prince Albert purchased Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This led to polished agate jewellery known as “Scottish Pebbles” becoming fashionable.

When Prince Albert died in 1860, the nation went into mourning. This sombre period lasted until the mid-1880s and saw darker stones such as black onyx used in jewellery design. Pendants and brooches with carvings of agate, conch shell and ceramics were also popular and depicted mythological images. Diamonds were discovered in Kimberley, South Africa during the late Victorian period and were used in jewellery far more frequently due to their abundance.

Contemporary Jewellery Design

Contemporary jewellery design has become a skill which requires study and qualifications. Stones and metals are graded and certified to show authenticity and quality. Bespoke jewellery is a very popular choice for important occasions such as engagements, weddings and anniversaries as the jewellery is custom made, according to the stipulations of the buyer.

Bespoke jewellery allows for the combination of personal sentiment with professional expertise. Materials like white gold, platinum and tanzanite (a rare gemstone found in Tanzania in the 1960′s) as well as diamonds are very popular. Many different styles are incorporated into modern jewellery design from all cultures and influences. What is most notable is the emphasis on personal sense of style and individuality, especially with bespoke jewellery.

Tin ceilings are an absolutely addition to any home.They are without a doubt the one extra expense I would Anne up for. This type ceilings really ads depth to a trey ceiling. They come in all kinds of custom colors and you can get them painted to match any room in your home. If you like the look of doing the whole ceiling this is OK or you can just do part of the ceiling and trim it out. I especially like this because this makes them so versatile to use. Their are companies that will custom paint your tin panels and custom paint your tin crown molding to match. Tin panels can also be used for the back splash in your kitchen. The uses for them are limited only by your imagination. These ceiling were used a lot in the 19Th century era. Consider working them into your interior design. Start by looking at pictures of tin ceiling and you will see what the big deal is for using them to ad beauty to your home. Below I have listed 3 reasons to consider tin ceiling are your unique ceiling designs of choice.

1. Victorian Era Tin Ceilings They will take you back to a different era in time when life was at a slower pace and style grace still abound. They were originally used in the Victorian-Era. They were made to replace a must heavier type plaster ceiling. Over time it seems to me that design got pushed to the back burner and people just went for larger homes. I myself had rather have a smaller home with plenty of architectural detail. Splurge on your interior design using tin ceilings in at least one room and I think with the end result you will be glad you did.

2. Ornamental Value of Tin Ceilings Panels come in just about any design or color so the ornamental value is very great. They make basic colors in gold, silver, black, white and some other basic colors but many companies will custom paint any color you want. This makes tin ceilings available in any color that you need. If you choose to go with a basic gold or silver then you can paint your walls any color. Custom colors are a little more daring but can ad a stunning focal point to your favorite room.

3. Efficiency Value of Tin Ceilings Besides the ornamental beauty of the tin ceilings they also ad efficiency to your heating system. Even after your heating unit kicks off the tin ceiling will help hold the heat longer. Tin tiles beside and above your fireplace can catch and reflect heat. They are also valuable for their flame resistance.

I guess you can tell that unique ceiling designs are very special to me and I love to design them. I have just started using the tin ceilings but that have become one of my favorite. I suggest that even if you choose not to use the tin ceiling idea at lease give them a look and you may find other design uses for the tin panels. they even make a beautiful wall. Remember to give your home that little extra special touch because it is who you are and

” Your Story Begins At Home “

By Gail J Richardson http://www.dimedecorating.com

Decorating is my passion and I love finding cheap home decorating ideas. I love having nice stuff just creating it in the least inexpensive way possible. Come join me at Dime Decorating to explore lots of unique decorating ideas. Decorating your home is a personal thing and always remember to do it in your own style because:
” Your Story Begins At Home “
By Gail J Richardson

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Richardson

If you are searching for information relating to living room design then you have come to the right place. Decorating or redesigning any part of your home should not be thought of as being an expensive and complicated activity. To minimize the amount of effort involved you should check out the five themes listed below.

Ethnic Design: An ethnically styled living room would be awash with fabrics and furnishings made by traditional craftsmen around the world. With more of us now concerned about the welfare of the world’s poor, as well as the environmental aspect of choosing home furniture, an ethic design can perfectly illustrate your tastes and beliefs. When shopping for any traditional handicrafts be sure that they are part of a Fair Trade scheme and have been manufactured out of renewable materials.

Classic Modern Design: This is one of the most common styles present in people’s homes. Properties which have a classic modern living room enjoy a relaxed ambiance with warm textures. Typically the furniture would have sharp distinct edges.

Zen Design: The word Zen is often associated with a very tranquil and serene atmosphere. By creating a Zen themed living space you will be able to ensure that the room is conducive to relaxation. A zen room design would incorporate basic elements such as water and light to create a natural relaxed setting.

Victorian Style Design: Perhaps you would like the timeless appeal of a Victorian styled room. These are often thought of as being highly sophisticated as well as plush and luxurious. It would involve using traditional wooden furniture and warm colors.

Before settling on one design you will need to consider whether it will compliment the rest of your home’s decor. If you are planning on hiring a professional interior designer then always have a budget in mind before making contact.

At the crack of dawn (night light is still on in the porch) I stumbled on this grand old lady on Castro Street. The gingerbread trim and design flourishes are so quaint! I’m ready to move in lock, stock, and barrel. HD Video captured by Julian Ayrs @ the Tattler. www.julianayrs.com

Building a bird house design is one of the funny experiences of life. You could let the imagination run wild and eventually create something unique. Like humans, birds are extra careful while choosing a home. So, you need a few basic tips. Each species like the wood ducks, the passerines or the purple martins have are different when it comes to choosing a home. Depending on the species you would want to attract, bird house designs can be small or big.

Do a simple research on what kind of birds are around your house or the farm you are making the bird house design for. Make sure the roof is extended over and slanted in order to keep away the sun and rain. The ventilation holes must be put right. Once you are done with the bird house design its time to bring life to it. Make sure to cut the wood in proper dimensions that you need and use all other material in the right way. It might be a thoughtful process to decide how to invite birds in the new house.

Some unique tips for fancy and unique Bird House Designs

Attracting birds to your back yard not just makes your estate pleasant to watch. The harmonious sounds of the bird also keep your estate cheery and lively. A lot of species of birds bring along some wonderful sounds. The bird houses you plan to build in your back yard are miniature houses, which must have great interiors. The birds are much more like to like the interiors than the exterior of the birdhouse. It means that you could add in numerous personal touches. Below are a few great ideas you to inspire you:

* Church Birdhouses: There is a church house design to suit your taste. These are the Byzantine eastern Christianity old style, the Gothic look, the Notre Dame state, or a simple chapel in the old country style.

* Victorian Mansion: This could be made in multistory design. Victorian Mansion reflects the best houses this era has to offer. These give you a feel of a mansion due to their presence and size.

* Designs like Log Cabins: These are made of traditional woods like fir and sometimes from contemporary choice of bamboo. These reflect the architectural designs of the early settlers.

* Birdhouses of Stained Glass: These are simple designs and the sides of the birdhouses are made of stained glass. These help in capturing and reflecting the sun. These add a visual appeal that attract. The glass as well as the entire house captures the eye attention.

* Face Birdhouses: These have recently gained some popularity. The houses have a frame front face is made of a form of resin. These could be made in the face of a frog, pirate face or deer. They are very attractive.

* Painted Birdhouses: You could adorn your bird house design with paintings, pictures and lots of colors. This will make it catchier to you and to your friends and family. It is the cheapest type of a house you can build for birds.

Modern kitchens may be efficiently kitted out and look seamlessly well designed with nice materials fixtures and finishes – but lack any personality, and thus don’t fulfill their new role as the epicenter of socialising in the home.

Whatever the style – Gothic, Punk, Eclectic, 50′s American retro, Victoriana or Bauhaus -  design  influences  of  the recent and more distant past are the ultimate source for inspiration in giving your home and kitchen design that memorable touch, whether you are refitting or accessorising.

I recently visited a successful designer friend’s home recently, who has a very impressive kitchen extension on an equally impressive 19th century house.

It wasn’t the scale and the impressive skylights that gave made the space memorable and individual, but the clever selected touches from the past both classic and quirky; the 1970s ceiling light tracking system, the 1960s influenced furniture, the 1800′s kitchen enamel pots, and the 1980′s wall graphics.

Here are six tips to help you give you a flavour of the possibilities to achieve your own equally individual, memorable look and feel.

Make your walls talk.

Wall graphics are the easiest way to bring life to and unify a space, especially if you have large white or light coloured wall areas. It is good to move and re hang the pictures every so often to re energise the space.

Image content can enhance your design theme, a modern kitchen can have abstract paintings a traditional one antique food engravings or maps, or be in direct contrast – gothic frames and imagery can look good in a slick white environment. It is always best to get original content by artist where possible or print it out and frame it yourself.

Victorian secrets.

The Victorian era is one of my favourite periods, where decorative influences came from far and wide, Chinese willow pattern plates and prints, Middle Eastern rugs, glam lamps and chandeliers -a great source for your inspiration and also the unexpected. Combine the decadent with the functional.

The Appliance of Science.

Retro design influenced kitchen appliances -from American style fridge freezers to the humble toaster are now big business, as tastes becomes more eclectic.

Kitchen ware product design and gadgetry has become as sophisticated as car design and similarly uses upgraded and hybrid versions of retro forms and styles.

The use of colour and materials  are constantly being reinvented and becoming ever more exciting, with Scandinavian designers taking over from the Italian classics of yesteryear.

- so it’s worth investing some time, effort in getting the look of your appliances right.

Illuminate your approach.

Kitchen are leaving behind the old look of fixed ceiling mounted spotlights. Candelabras, hanging lights, lamp shades are all making a comeback, and all add theatre and flexibility to the lighting mood and level of the space.

At the other extreme,  a custom built neon sign, hand made to suit -whether a word or motif – can add real excitement and expression to a room.

Ideas in store.

Original old enamel storage bins, old branded tins, sweet jars and anything glass are all great touches to add to your work surface of shelves. Good flea markets are full of interesting branded ephemera.

Time to make a statement.

No self respecting kitchen should be without a good wall clock, as mobile phones have replaced the need for clocks in public places, they are becoming ever more a rarity.

You can either make it a focal statement or use one to enliven a ‘quiet area’ we have an old railway station clock in our utility room.

My favourite though, is the cuckoo clock, you can either get an Alpine original or one of the fabulous new versions now on the market.

So remember to avoid the overly bespoke look and discover your design passions from the past.

The many styles of copper gas lanterns, and the subtle variations within those styles are one of the many things that make gas lanterns such a fascinating and fantastic choice for your home or office. Some of the major style categories and their sources of inspirations are listed below.

French/Spanish: The French and Spanish influences can be seen most heavily in the French Quarter style gas lanterns from Flambeaux Lighting. As New Orleans was a hub for both of these cultures, the style of the gas lanterns that were used there and can still be found there integrates aspects from both traditions. The unique complexity of this style can be seen particularly in the tops of the lanterns, which are not composed of a single sheet of copper like the other styles. Federal Style: The Federal Style refers to the style used during colonial America. Examples of this style can be seen in well-known federal buildings in and around Washington, D.C. such as the White House. These building are generally simple geometric shapes with symmetric facades. The simplicity of these buildings is reflected in the simplicity of the gas lanterns in this style, such as the Williamsburg style and the Jamestowne style. English Tudor: An older style, the influence of the English Tudor style is evident in many of the later styles, including the Federal Style. After all, many of the first Americans were of British descent, and their taste and preferences reflected that heritage. The English Tudor style is marked by heavy and sturdy materials often constructed in a formal manner. It is obvious in the Tudor Cottage Style lanterns, and the undertones of this style can also be seen in the Williamsburg Style as well. Victorian: The Victorian Style is different from the others because it is more ornate and elaborate in nature. Victorian lanterns would often have etching in the glass partitions. Modern imitations of this style often have elaborate and intricately designed mounts. Georgian Revival: The Georgian Revival style was popular in the earliest part of the twentieth century, when electricity was gaining in popularity and accessibility. As electricity became the “safer” mode of lighting, hanging fixtures became more popular. The lanterns in this style are generally hanging or wall-mounted for safety purposes.

In the early days of the 20th century, America followed Britain into the architectural response to the previously dominating Victorian style. The upper class and upper middle class during this time believed in a complex set of social rules about appropriateness which is greatly reflected in many houses from that era. The homes built at the time were full of fancy single purpose rooms for public functions and private use as well as less ornate rooms for their children and servants, as deemed appropriate by the social mores of the day.

Jump up to the present day now, where our modern housing trends seem to echo the Victorian trend to large superfluously roomed homes. As the American family has slowly shrunk over the last 40 or so years, the size of the homes that we live in has steadily inflated so that many of our neighbourhoods are shoulder to shoulder with characterless monster homes built to the edges of their tiny city lots. Many of these homes echo the Victorian trend of multiple rooms all serving related purposes, sometimes exactly the same purpose.

This trend is of little consequence until you take a look at a vital difference. There were cultural reasons that the Victorian-era family needed duplicity in their homes. The rules about public and private areas dictated that you needed to have a foyer, a parlour near the entrance to your home to receive guests, a butler’s pantry, a china closet, a drawing room, and servant’s quarters. Some of these rooms were needed, of course, because home design hadn’t progressed to the point where kitchens had food and dish storage built into them yet, but some were also a matter of manners.

In our modern times most people would be hard pressed to explain why they really need to have a living room as well as a family room much less six bedrooms and five bathrooms in their house. One of the accompanying trends that we’ve seen over the same years that houses have been increasing in size is a shrinking of the ‘average’ family size in North America. So, this means that we’re building bigger and bigger spaces to live in with smaller and smaller families.

I’ve been very interested in the trend that’s slowly becoming more prevalent in North America lately. At the end of the Victorian era there was the drive to return to more useable spaces, emphasizing the form of function and the genuine materials that houses were made from instead of faux finishing. This trend meant for many people the movement away from homes that existed for other people to homes that existed to be lived in. This was known as the Arts and Crafts movement.

Our modern down-sizing trend is strikingly similar to the Arts and Crafts movement in many ways. Both movements were concerned about building livable spaces with quality materials. Many of the small home designs being designed and built currently have an emphasis on quality over the ‘quantity’ involved in the massive “McMansions”. The smaller homes have a much smaller carbon footprint, making them a wise choice for the environment as well. Hopefully we will continue to see this trend grow.