For a dramatic floor, one that emphasizes the furniture and grandeur of a room, stain it a very dark brown or black. Staining it so will make the floor disappear, thus giving emphasis to the furniture, adding drama to the room’s landscape. It also makes the furniture look as though it is floating in the room, an altogether appealing aspect. For a particularly humanistic feel, relate the floors to the ceiling. By recreating the same color on the ceiling and floor or by creating some kind of pattern on both, this effect can be achieved. Wood floors can, if well designed and properly installed, make a room appear larger and enhance the overall feel of the room.
{Abby’s Footnotes}
I prefer either dark floors or all white floors. Although polar opposites, both produce similar effects. A room with a dark floor creates a cozy atmosphere and adds shine to the entire room. A white floor is extremely glamorous and promotes clean lines. Both options are dramatic and both work with almost any type of décor and furniture options.
Best wishes from New York City,
Gail Green
devoted2mylife
July 4, 2012
Very nice indeed! Love the design concept!
J. campbell
Douglas Stock
July 5, 2012
While I greatly respect Gail’s opinion, expertise and remarkable eloquence, I do not concur with the idea that one needs to make a floor disappear in order to give emphasis to furniture. Indeed, historic precedent, whether it is with Oriental carpets (disclosure: that is what we deal in) in either a “period” or “modern” style room, French carpets in an 18th century French style room or English carpets in a room filled with Chippendale furniture, in all cases BOTH the floor and the furniture were highlighted with great results. The concept that emphasis on a certain category, whether it be fine art, furniture, ceramics or carpets, is mutually exclusive in regards to emphasis on another category seems largely to be a product of recent years. I do not recall people taking this approach, which is so prevalent in the “modern” aesthetic, twenty five years ago. If one looks at the interiors of some of the great English country houses, various forms of fine and decorative arts co-existed in a harmonious whole, with emphasis on one category not detracting from emphasis on another. It can all be great art and appreciated both individually and as a piece in a beautiful room. This is still entirely possible.
Douglas Stock
D.B. Stock Antique Carpets
http://www.dbstock.com
Tom Higginson
July 6, 2012
TRICKS OF THE TRADE – Support your local porter.
Auctioneers porters also gain knowledge & they often see problems with items long before you start bidding on them. Get to know them, share a joke & ALWAYS tip them when they help you load up. Sometime in the future their friendship might just save you buying an expensive problem.
Not a trade secret. Just advice handed down though the mists of time since Adam was a dealer..