You could easily fall under his charm if you insist on originality and you have a bit of patience and a few dollars. This strange name is not that of an Austrian rock group or a German sausage. It designates a style of decoration that was all the rage in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848, mainly in Germany and Austria. It can be easily recreated today at little cost. Some shops sell Biedermeier objects, such as the porcelain in the photo.

[caption id="attachment_698" align="aligncenter" width="560"]Porcelaine Biedermeier ISTOCKPHOTO decoration iStockphoto[/caption]

Before going any further, here’s a brief picture of the Biedermeier style. It designates a political, artistic and cultural movement born after Napoleon’s devastation in Europe. Once the wars ended after the emperor’s defeat at Waterloo, people felt the need to fulfil themselves by creating a new ambience, tinged with simplicity and joie de vivre. This need carried over into homes, thus resulting in the Biedermeier look: warm, understated, soft, and friendly.[……]

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Anita was a romantic adolescent. She read romance novels and watched romantic movies. She saw passionate scenes (for that time at least) in front of the fireplace, the actors stretched out over a bearskin, usually white. Anita told herself that when she grew up she would have her own bearskin on which to lie with her lover.

Guess what? Anita has never had a bearskin in front of her fireplace. Times change, as do tastes. She became more pragmatic. She didn’t want to have to constantly clean a white fur that was likely to gather ashes and small flakes of wood. But animal skins are still popular in decoration, whether they’re real or not.

Those who believe that animal skins are only suited to country decors will be surprised by the modern look that a room takes on when it has an animal skin on the floor. Look at the photo. Isn’t black and white the modern trend?

Anita recently saw nice chairs covered in an imitation-leopard fabric. Amazing! She admitted that if she hadn’t seen them beside a black couch in a caramel coloured room, she never could have imagined such elegance.

[caption id="attachment_672" align="aligncenter" width="580"]decoration_decembre_2013 iStockphoto[/caption]

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Porcelain has been used as table art for a long time. Major European manufacturers are internationally renowned for the incomparable quality of their dishes. Take Limoges or Sèvres porcelain for example.

Porcelain’s charm is explained by its finesse and translucency, properties that are also found in other pieces used for decorative purposes, such as figurines, ornaments, clocks, lamps.

In another vein, would you be tempted by a porcelain floor? At first glance you might doubt its strength. But wait!

We learned from Joyce Barakett, of Couvre-planchers Magnan in Trois-Rivières, that most porcelain tiles used as floor covering are stronger than ceramic. Most varieties of ceramic tiles are fired once whereas porcelain can be fired several times, making it stronger.

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Porcelaine COUVRE PLANCHERS MAGNAN deco Couvre-planchers Magnan[/caption]

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Glass is often used in decoration: vases, knickknacks, lamps and stained glass windows. We often use it to erect a low wall in a bathroom to separate the toilet from other sanitary fixtures.

However, glass isn’t used very often as the base material for staircases. But if you look at the photo, you can see that it has quite an impressive effect.

[caption id="attachment_617" align="aligncenter" width="504"]decoration_octobre_2013 Thinkglass[/caption]

Wikipedia reminds us that glass is a very solid material. Primarily made of sand, of which there is a virtually inexhaustible supply, it’s ecological, especially since it doesn’t need a sealant. Its rot-proof and inflammable, which makes it very long-lasting.

And talk about durability! Glass panels measuring one and a half to four inches used in stairs are stronger than stone or granite. The thicker the glass, the stronger it is. Since glass isn’t porous, it’s easy to maintain.[……]

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How would you like to have your home illuminated by the rays of the full moon, with a hint of the fantastic, all summer long? The light wouldn’t come from the moon or lamps, but from furniture that emits its own light.

[caption id="attachment_556" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Fauteuils_Lumineux_Exterieur_JARDINCHIC_decoration Luminous Sereno chairs. Available at JardinChic.com[/caption]

The variety of models designed with avant-garde materials will take you on a journey around the world. These two luminous statues in the lotus position are actual chairs that open the arms of serenity to you. Known as Sereno chairs, they are part of a collection of outdoor furniture designed by Moderndesign at Twentyfirst. [……]

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[caption id="attachment_529" align="alignleft" width="226"]decoration_sec_juin_2013 iStockphoto[/caption]

Stained glass is an assembly of pieces of glass joined by lead strips. Coloured glass was already used at the time of the Egyptians and Romans. However, it’s in the Middle Ages that stained glass began to play a major role in decorative art.

Are you one of those people who love to gaze at stained glass windows when you visit churches? Does their sweet serenity soothe your spirit? Did you know that you can use stained glass to enhance your home decor? Tiffany lamps, as lovely as they are, are not the only possibility—not anymore.

Stained glass design can be contemporary, country, ultra modern or even contemplative. A full range of colours is available, from pastel to dark to outright garish. The effect will be soothing or stimulating, depending on the colours chosen.[……]

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What do you think of the look of these cabinets? The pairing of two tones gives a modern, minimalist look to the kitchen. Here, white is paired with a dark wood-tone, but wood cabinets next to black are stunning too. Melamine with stainless steel also creates a big impact.

[caption id="attachment_491" align="aligncenter" width="486"]Cuisine Horizon Armoires ISTOCKPHOTO decoration source: iStockphoto[/caption]

Did you notice the many drawers in the lower cabinets? The European trend toward horizontal lines is increasingly popular in Quebec. There are more drawers for storage, whether as cabinets or inside a pantry. This increases storage and provides access to the drawer’s contents at a single glance. No more looking for a plastic container lid in a low cabinet. Your back and your knees will thank you!  [……]

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