Design techniques can
_ bring life to your wails

Well-planned walls could help liven up every room

Edith
Saatkamp

i af

DESIGN OF THE TIMES

FOUR WALLS, a floor and a
ceiling — they can be our cas-
tle, our territory, a quiet
retreat, a space to entertain,
or an enclosure that separates
“us” from “them.”

Walls provide privacy if they are
made of solid material, and sound-
proof quietness if they are insulated.
Glass block walls create diffused
light in a dark area. A partial wall,
four or five feet high, is often all
that’s needed to separate a home
office from kitchen or family room.

Walls also pose challenges,
including these:

CO) What shall I do with this wall?
This is a question I’m often
asked.
Smooth plaster or gypsum board

: Su NLOOMS - custom designed

‘hs ma

walls form an ideal background for
pictures, plants and wall hangings.
They are suitable for any style of fur-
niture. If painted in Nat off-white or
pastel-colored latex. they will visual-
ly recede and enlarge space. Dark
colors are dramatic and intimate.

Satin or semi-gloss o1 paint is a
good choice for jewel tones because
it will reflect fight rather than absorb
most of it: oi] is preferable to latex: it
covers i: (Wo coats.

Dark-painted walls have another
advantage. Pictures und colorful fab-
ric prints come alive: simple. light
furniture appears more interesting
against a dark wall than against a
light-colored one.

There is one point to consider
though — satin or semi-gloss paint
will show any unevenness: good sur-
face preparation is important.

J How can I make this wail
appear taller?

Furniture in rooms with low ceil-
ings should be close to the ground
and small in scale. It helps to avoid
pattern and to emphasize vertical
line.

If windows need to be treated,
draperies should de floor to ceiling
and plain or vertically striped rather
than patterned. Blinds the same color
as the wall will blur the distinction
between wall, ceiling and window.

Another way is to diminish the
transition from wall to ceiling is by
painting the wali and ceiling in the
same color.

Adventurous souls might try sev-
eral paint washes in pastel colors of
the sume family. The darker pastel at
the bottom fades gradually until it is
white at the top and on the ceiling.

ae

Summer Special 20% off materials

Enjoy the sunshine all year round
with our top quality installations

¢ Skylights
¢ Solariums
* Balcony enclosures

IMPERIAL GLASS & ALUMINUM

For free estimates call

¢ Canopies
* Fully guaranteed
* Special ends July 22/94

985-7622 §

3 How should | place all these pic-
tures?

A collection of farge and small.
round and square pictures looks
wonderful on magazine pages. Have
you ever tried to put one up?

If you are as impatient as [, your
wall will likely be pockmarked with
nail holes placed just slightly off-
centre. too high or tuo low.

One way to avoid this is to install
at picture rod at ceiling height and to
suspend all pictures from it on thin
wire or on 40-pound strong fishing
line. It is available in “crystal clear”
and is close to invisible. | also use it
to suspend plants and as an invisible
support for climbing plants.

The easiest way to place pictures
of various sizes and shapes at differ-
ent heights is to lay them all out on a
large sheet of paper. The overall
effect can then be seen before they
are installed.

When the plicement is just right.
mark the outline of the picture on
paper, tape it to the wall at the appro-
priate height and hammer away.
Don’t forget to measure the centre
point and the distance from the top of
the frame to where the nail will go.

{J Where shall [ put all this stuff?
Storage for basic household
necessities inside the four walls of a
room are often a source of frustra-
tion, especiaily if items need to be
organized and stored out of sight.

Friday, July 8, 1994 - North Shore News - 13

Rate wD

ee ot aed Mn be fi :

|

yrds om, 3

"Photo submitted
A WALL with a combination of prints and wall hangings should
be carefully planned out before any nails are pounded.

also provide space to install lighting.
Movable or free-standing walls

are an attractive and practical solu-

tion to store large items; they can

Shelving is an obvious solution
for small items. It can be as simple as
one or more wooden boards with a
four-inch moulding attached to the
edge. This will make the boards look

more weighty and permanent and See Walls page 19