HOME FURNISHINGHome furnishing help you to make your dream

house come true. Every person wants their house to be a reflection of themselves, but don't know

how to go about making it real. We will help them realize their dream of having a beautiful home.

What are Home Furnishing?

• Home furnishings refer to the different kinds of linen, furniture, fittings, flooring and the bundle of other accessories used for decorating and beautifying our homes. It includes a wide range of bedspreads, furnishing fabrics, curtains, rugs, carpets, placemats, cushion covers, table covers, bed spreads, bath linen and much more.

Planning of Home Furnishing

• Creativity-ability to produce new ideas or things using skill and imagination

• Art-Creating unique effect of charm in a house by reflecting refined and cultured taste of the members

• Good taste-Set up the home pleasant , agreeable, excelling , interesting , satisfying to ones own needs

Objective of Home Furnishing• Beauty: It is the art of adjusting the space and equipments

to suit the fundamental and cultural needs of the family and create a pleasant atmosphere. An awareness of good design and beauty is an integral part of the individual.

• Expressiveness: the quality which differentiates one home from another. It reflects markedly the very personality of the occupants.

• Functionalism: To provide comfort , service and pleasure apart from furniture and furnishing.

• Furniture must be arranged that it meets the needs as eating , sleeping , studying, relaxing of the family. No areas should be uncomfortable or uninviting ,nor bits and pieces lying around making movement difficult.

Four qualities of Expressiveness• Formality: unbroken lines , large space and

symmetrical look .House front with two vertical halves are alike

• Informality : Bright ,warm colors and simple comfortable furniture .Houses express informality through modest size , asymmetrical balance

• Naturalness : Use of native materials , native styles, handwork showing natural irregularities in structure and primitive colors

• Modernism : express the spirit of modern age. The families who selected modern furnishing were associated with youth ,carriage , logical and impersonal traits

Interior Decoration• Defined as :“It is a creativity which can transform an

ordinary house”Aim• Planning color schemes• Overcome structural defects• Judge quality and care of furniture • Judge good styling , mix and match style harmoniously• Helps to handle walls and drape windows• Plan light for efficiency , beauty and aesthetic

satisfaction • Express individual taste and preference within economic

limitations.

Elements and Principles of Design and Art

Elements Principles • Line Balance• Form Proportion• Texture Emphasis• Pattern Rhythm• Light Harmony• Space• Color =(To Attain) Beauty + Expressiveness +Functionalism

Selection of Fabrics

• Style• Color• Durability• Thread Count• Fade Resisting • Tailoring• Form and Fibre.• Fibre Characteristics: Text Book

Fabric Finishes• Durable and permanent press: little or no ironing , wrinkle free, holds oil

stains unless specially treated.

• Soil release: Fabric is more easily wetted to facilitate detergent action while washing. Does not prevent stain.

• Water Repellent: Fabric repels water and water based stains.

• Soil and stain repellent: repels water and oil based stain

• Crease wrinkle resistant: Wrinkles less than normal – cotton, linen, rayon

• Shrinkage control: Fabric shrinkage limited to 1 % ,2% . Does nor guarantee No Shrinkage.

• Flame retardant: ignited fabric will self extinguish when source of flame is removed.

• Fabric grades: Ranges from A on the less expensive end, to F on the pricy side. Grade vary from one manufacturer to another. Depends on fibre , weave, construction and performance characteristics.

• Grade should not be an indication of quality and durability.

Carpet

• Gives expensive look• Quality depends on: • How it is made ?• Fibre• Quality of fibre used.• Density of pile

Types of Carpets Woven carpets: Best quality – weaving method. Piles and woven are woven together.

Backing is of jute and polypropylene yarn and pile of wool, rayon, nylon.

Tufted carpets : The tufts are needled into polypropylene sheet. The tufts are locked in to place with latex – foam or jute . If foam is used underlying is not used . Available in plain and pattern.

Bonded carpets: neither woven nor tufted. Material is glued /heat fused. Made from hand made fibres – flat, corded or velvet pile in appearance.

CarpetsFactors to be considered while selecting a carpet:• Selecting the right carpet for the right area is very important.• You need to check out the quality of the carpet. • Budget is also an important issue. So, you should do proper

research on the carpets and compare the prices. • Maintenance factor should also be considered while selecting a

carpet. A beautiful and stylish carpet can really add some elegance to your house thereby increasing its aesthetic value.

• You can give a fresh look to the décor of your house by placing an attractive carpet.

• The color of the carpet is a crucial issue. You need to select it wisely. It should match well with the color coding of the interior.

• Carpet comes in different colors, designs, patterns, shapes and sizes. You need to choose the one that is compatible with the décor of your house.

Materials of Carpets • Wool: has excellent durability, can be dyed easily and

is fairly abundant• Nylon: Nylon is the most common material, printed

easily and has excellent wear characteristics. Nylon tends to stain easily because it possesses dye sites on the fibre.

• Polyster: good physical properties and is inherently stain-resistant because it is hydrophobic

• Polyproplene: is used to produce carpet yarns because it is inexpensive. Locked into place with latex then foam and jute sheet. Called Tufted Carpets

• Acrylic:Acrylic is fairly difficult to dye but is colourfast, washable and has the feel and appearance of wool making it an ideal rug fabric.

Care of Carpets• Carpets should be daily cleaned using vacuum

cleaners. Brooms should be used as well to get rid of hair (esp. pet hair, if you have cats or any other pets at home).

• Wash your carpets once annually or bi-annually at laundry facilities. You may choose to call a specialized company to get an indoor cleaning for your carpet.

• If the carpet gets stained with juice or any other similar substance, it should be washed immediately, with no delay, as such stains are harder to remove if left unwashed.

• Small carpets must be placed at the entrance of the house as this helps keeping dust away.

Carpet - Terms

• Rug- A single piece of floor covering made with a pattern or a border with fringe.

• Area rug- Smaller rug used to emphasize an area.

• Scatter rug- Very small rug used to complement room .

• Wall to wall carpet- difficult to clean as it is difficult to shift, traffic lanes appear.

Upholstery Fabric

• Upholstery fabric might seem pretty obvious such as selecting a color, the single biggest factor in

fabric selection. • Choose a fabric based on who will be using your sofa.

If your pets will also be sharing your sofa with you, consider a microfiber fabric or leather as they can withstand heavy use.

• Consider fabric durability if your sofa will be placed in a high-traffic area of the home.

• Woven patterns hold up longer than printed ones, as do higher thread counts. Should be rust proof.

Choice of fabric• Principles of design• Personal and family use• Cost• Weaving• Utility• Beauty• Comfortable- stain proof• Colour• Wear and tear• Durability• Quality

Pictures• Select the picture in proportion to size of wall ,large

picture for large wall and small picture for small walls• Leave sufficient empty space around the picture• Hang all pictures with the bottom edge in one line.

Irregular hung picture looks unattractive• Pictures to be often placed over a sofa,table or fire

place.• Smaller pictures can be grouped together for greater

impact.• Hung pictures in pleasing proportion to furnishings and

walls –create sense of balance and unity in interiors

Flower Arrangements• Arranging flowers gives you a chance to participate in an

art activity, to express yourself creatively, and to make your home or room more livable and attractive.

• Flowers are not expensive and are very refreshing ,colourful and provide a lot of variety.

• Choose flowers whose color does not clash with colors of walls, curtains ,sofa

• Select the flower vase of appropriate size. Small vase for large flowers and tall vase for small flowers

• Place the arrangements where it can be easily seen and appreciated

• Keep the size of the arrangement according to the place it is meant for.

Styles in Flower Arrangement

• Modern style: Highly individualistic composition. No fixed rules and employs unorthodox materials for making flower arrangements.

• Greater freedom in personal expression is given

• Aim is to achieve strong, uncluttered effect with natural plant form,relying on contrasting textures and shapes for greater impact.

Styles of Flower Arrangements

• Traditional : Full symmetrical groupings of mixed flowers displayed in a highly decorated ornamental vase-colourful ,expensive . Large blooms and deep hues are placed in the centre ,pale colors are used as outline

• Round or oval arrangements depending upon setting and plant materials

• Oriental style-China , Japan , Egypt has been practiced with great skill for many years.• They are more aesthetic groups of plant

materials.• Symbolic presentations of an ideal harmony

which exists between earthly and eternal life.• Triangle arrangement

• IKEBANA -The Japanese Art • Used as constant decorations in Japanese

home• An indispensable part of life.• Guest are welcomed and bought to sit and

admire the beauty of flowers for a moment or two silence.

Principles of Flower Arrangements

• Line: Circular, triangle or rectangle.• Form: Sphere, cone and cube-depends on the

plant material and container.• Texture: Surface of the plant material. Rose is

velvety and zinnias is rough. There must be unity mong plant material, container and background

• Color: One dominant color is necessary for emphasis unity. Analogous colour scheme is the best type. Complementary color scheme looks best in large rooms or dim lights

• Rhythm: Either slanting or upright or blossoms may form C or U curves. Curved stems ,leaves ,flower stalk, weeds and grasses can form rhythm.

• Proportion: Plant material should be one and half times as the cylinderical container. Horizontal arrangements look good in shallow containers.

• Balance: Symmetrical or asymmetrical.• Emphasis: Flower to be placed in the centre of the

plant material and close to the neck of the container.• Unity and harmony: Between the container and

contents are must for effective flower arrangements . Roses look good in glass container.

Curtains and Draperies Curtains and draperies are chameleons. They work hard at

blocking light and sound, heat and cold. They're also extraordinarily decorative and add enormous personality to

a room.

Drapes are pleated and are more formal.

Curtains are informal and it can be easily made.

Both can make the window more appealing with extended flows of fabric.

Curtains and Draperies

• It changes the apparent size , shape and character of a room or the architectural awkwardness

• Small rooms look larger if curtains and draperies blend with and extend the length of walls

• Low rooms look higher if draperies go from ceiling to floor.

• Drapes and curtains control privacy ,light , heat and noise.

Functions of Curtains and Draperies

• Help in maintaining privacy• Control heat and light inside the room• Absorbs and smoothen noise• Add beauty to the room• Help modify shape and size of the room• Curtains hide architectural faults of the room• Brings coziness to the room

Curtains• They are light weight, lined fabric that filters and diffuses

light• They are used alone or under drapery ,close to the window.• Draw curtains: Transparent and opaque –mounted on

traverse rods• Drapes: loosely hung fabrics. They are heavy ,opaque that

can be drawn or stand idly at the sides of windows.• Glass curtains : Thin transparent fabrics which hang next to

glass• Cornice: Rigid horizontal bands of several inches wide

placed on window top to conceal curtain tops and rods from which they are hung

Cornices, Valance , Ropes and Cords• Cornices: Horizontal bands several inches

wide placed at the window top to hide curtain tops

• Valance: Gathered or pleated or piece of straight fabric stiffened with buckram .Used to hide from view an ugly top part of windows.

• Ropes and Cords or Beads- Used where curtains and draperies are not used .Hung closely very near to one another as a substitute.

Curtain style

• Material used for curtains should be strong , durable and flexible

• Denim is strong and durable while gingham is informal

• Satin hangs in soft folds and dressy when woven of smooth silk

• Dark colored curtains stand out against light colored wall

Factors that affect selection of fabric

• Texture color and pattern of the fabric• Laundry qualities of fabric• Cost• Sunlight• Durability of the fabric• Ability to retain the shape on constant

hanging after dry cleaning• Resistance to insect attack

Fabrics available in market• Brocade-• Damask• Gabardine• Gingham• Plastic• Satin • Taffeta• Velvet• Organdy

Draperies

• Found with glass curtains , large doorways as a separating part of a room.

• They are heavier and do not necessarily pull across the opening they cover .

• They are loosely hung.• Used for decoration purpose

Selection of Curtains and Draperies• Small rooms look large if curtains and draperies blend

with wall• Rooms of low ceiling give an appearance of height if

diagonal lines are used on curtains• Plain curtains should be used in rooms that have more

patterns in them.eg many pictures and pattern in furniture

• Plain curtains can be used with plain walls so as to give a sense of continuity and spaciousness

• When choosing curtains with patterns ,size of room ,general color of the furnishing should be kept in mind. If there are too many windows ,pattern of curtains should be less striking .

Things Learnt• Home Furnishing: Planning and Objectives• Interior Decoration• Elements and Principles of Design and Art• Colour and scheme• Wall accessories• Curtains and Draperies• Carpets• Furniture• Flower arrangement

• Lighting Measurement Terminology• Wattage: The amount of electricity consumed

by a light sourceLumens: The amount of light that a light source producesEfficacy: Lumens per wattFootcandles: The amount of light reaching a subject