Decorating Room

[mark12_30]

Hmmmm-- good idea! Thanks.

THe scary thing about improving the bedroom is that first Ihave to CLEAN it. No wonder elves live in flets-- one good wind, and it's done.

[mark12_30]

THis shouldn't have taken me so very much by surprise but it hit me that since (as a mom) I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I should make that a place where I am happy. Elvish. Sparkly, viny, leafy.... tendrils, stars, silver lamps? Ideas? Has anybody decorated their kitchen in a middle-earth manner, and what did you do?

I would, once, have decorated as if it was Bag-End. But I think now I am looking for the kitchen in Lorien, or perhaps the kitchens in Mithlond...

What would an elvish kitchen LOOK like?

[mark12_30]

Second question. The basement, around the woodstove.

And over by the laundry, too. Now I realize elves don't have (or need?) washing machines. But they do, some of them, live underground. How do I take a normal basement-- with rafters, a cement floor, and lolly columns, and a single casement window ( the other is in Gary's workshop) and turn it into something less mannish and more elvish...? I'd start with a rug but that's where the wood comes in for the woodstove, so rugs are sort of out.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by mark12_30

THis shouldn't have taken me so very much by surprise but it hit me that since (as a mom) I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I should make that a place where I am happy. Elvish. Sparkly, viny, leafy.... tendrils, stars, silver lamps? Ideas? Has anybody decorated their kitchen in a middle-earth manner, and what did you do?

I would, once, have decorated as if it was Bag-End. But I think now I am looking for the kitchen in Lorien, or perhaps the kitchens in Mithlond...

What would an elvish kitchen LOOK like?

Wouldn't there be several elven styles of kitchen? Assuming that they eat more than just lembas, of course. The flets of Lothlorien don't lend themselves to large ovens, so I would think of something that would include small portable stoves, or even bbqs at the base of the trees and earthen ovens on the ground. Rivendell would be less "en air" as it were and possibly would have large formal kitchens where vegetables would be cleaned and a wall for hanging herbs to dry. But where to place the slaughtering house for chickens, rabbits, other fowls, and larger animals--unless elves are vegetarians. Mirkwood I think would have heavy beamed kitchens, maybe even smokey and dark, real old fairy tale kitchens. And would they have an ice room, lacking modern electrical refrigeration or would there be some elven high art for that? But honestly, I cannot imagine a sort of upstairs/downstairs arrangement for any elven home.

And as for basement, well, one could lay stone on top of cement if one didn't want to go Raefindel's delicate route of painting. But as for

something less mannish and more elvish

I can't help but think of Gilgalad and the long line of elven warriors and wondering what their homes were like. Or did they live in tents like many an army does? Then their laundry facility would be outdoor clothes lines, no?

Just a few thoughts.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by mark12_30

THis shouldn't have taken me so very much by surprise but it hit me that since (as a mom) I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, I should make that a place where I am happy. Elvish. Sparkly, viny, leafy.... tendrils, stars, silver lamps? Ideas? Has anybody decorated their kitchen in a middle-earth manner, and what did you do?

I would, once, have decorated as if it was Bag-End. But I think now I am looking for the kitchen in Lorien, or perhaps the kitchens in Mithlond...

What would an elvish kitchen LOOK like?

Hey, do you remember the cottage in Devon for sale with murals of Goblins and Fairies and Elves all over the kitchen walls by Alan Lee, Brian Froud and Charles Vess?

http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthr...highlight=alan

I checked the link on there and you can still see the pics.

[mark12_30]

Bethberry, many interesting ideas.

I think perhaps the first step is (sigh!) to clean it all. The Laundry, that is, and the woodstove 'room'. A few local rugs would be good (that's where the dead rugs end up, of course. So it's another step, finding a not-dead rug. Wish I could put an area rug down there but... really in a laundry, with two boys-- not a good idea. )

THen I think Rae's idea of painting is the next step-- Laundry and woodstove room. The grey cement walls need to be less blackish; I'm not sure if I should go all the way to white; white will show the smoke. Cream will always look dirty around a woodstove. Hmm. Woodstove... brick would be the obvious choice; guess a woodstove is more hobbitish than elvish.


The awkward thing is of course all the appliances... well appliance & water filtration is in the woodstove room; furnace is in the laundry room. How do you disguise a furnace...? Of course one can't, really. Wishful thinking. I must decorate around it or in spite of it. THe freezer...? I guess I could put a poster of trees on it...

[Raefindel]

You said my house was very elven, yet I made no attempt to hide the modern conveniences.

Just bring in what style you can and it will work.

[Beregond]

This may be a bit "out there" but you mentioned "lolly columns" which I assume are some form of metal support - what about carving a painting styrofoam (the dense kind) and sticking it over the pipe to form an elven carved column (the movies may provide good reference for elvish columnar design). Of course it will make the upright bigger, more susceptible to bumping, which would be bad for the styrofoam. Hence way "out there."

I also found this Yahoo Q, which includes a link that may be helpful: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...1122128AAFWBsc

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Here's an idea to pep up appliances - how about leaf decals? They could look like vines, bushes, or just a few fallen leaves, depending on how thickly you strew them, thereby tying in the modern necessities with decorated surroundings. A few on top, down the fronts and sides...

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Beregond

This may be a bit "out there" but you mentioned "lolly columns" which I assume are some form of metal support - what about carving a painting styrofoam (the dense kind) and sticking it over the pipe to form an elven carved column...

Hmmm, nice thought, Beregond. I will keep that in mind! I do have a forest theme brewing, and it makes sense to also have a few trees in the basement. Four, in fact.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Raefindel

You said my house was very elven, yet I made no attempt to hide the modern conveniences.

Just bring in what style you can and it will work.

Okay. I will try to remember that! Since your laundry is tucked under your stairs, it's less of an issue, I guess. My laundry is a rather large space, which I would like to make more enjoyable. But you are right. I have to work around what is there, to some degree.


Turning the lolly columns into trees is getting more interesting; because then, the clotheslines could go between the trees. Kind of funny.

I think I want the woodstove area to be like a cave or maybe a foundry or maybe a sort of stone dell. I could transition from the laundry forest into the woodstove cave... The well equipment could either stay there, looking out of place, or I could put up a light cover (plywood) around them that is removable to get at the well equipment, and paint that too.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by mark12_30

I think I want the woodstove area to be like a cave or maybe a foundry or maybe a sort of stone dell. I could transition from the laundry forest into the woodstove cave... The well equipment could either stay there, looking out of place, or I could put up a light cover (plywood) around them that is removable to get at the well equipment, and paint that too.

Be ecologically responsible (in imitation of our elf friends!). For your cave, they now have cast concrete that exactly mimics stone (in fact, the concrete is poured in molds made from real stone):

http://www.themoldstore.com/

It's much cheaper than real stone and concrete can be recycled.

Also, consider recycled log products rehabbed from demolished old barns and buildings. You'll get the ancient look without cutting down more forests:

http://www.vintagelog.com/lumber.htm

Check out vintaglog.com's section on fireplace mantels and chimneys for some really neat rehabbed stone products as well -- including an actual iron foundry!