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Born in Austria in 1862, Gustav Klimt was among the most important artists of the Austrian Art Nouveau movement. The Kiss (1907-1908) is possibly his best-known work. It was painted during his Golden Phase, a period during which his works were distinguished by the prominent use of gold-leaf. It is thought that the famous mosaics of Venice and Ravenna inspired this technique. The original hangs in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna but you can own The Kiss Tapestry as a woven art work. As in the original masterpiece, Tapestry Art, The Kiss depicts a couple poised together on a flowered slope. As they share a kiss, their selves appear to merge. Mirroring Klimt’s gold-leaf technique, the tapestry has been embellished with golden threads. (more…)

Carpeting on the stairs serves a variety of purposes. The most obvious is it’s decorative value, adding color and elegance to what is often the first impression your visitors will have of your home. It also helps to keep noise to a minimum since the sound of shoes marching up bare wooden steps tends to echo throughout the house. Carpet for stairs serves to dampen the sound whilst providing comfort under foot. It’s final, and perhaps, most important function is to increase grip and thus, safety by helping to prevent slipping and falling. This will only be achieved of course with the correct installation. Specialist padding will also help.

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Old homes are a painting challenge because of the potential need for plaster repair. Drywall mud can be sculpted to the contours of an old ceiling or wall, but it should be laid on a little at a time so it doesn’t shrink too much when it dries. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth when you finish putting on the mud. You can always sand it off. You must prime your repairs before painting.

Another painting challenge in an old home is old wallpaper. This all needs to be scraped off. There are gadgets that can be used to score the wallpaper so a solution of vinegar and water can soak in, but really the only thing that removes five layers of wall paper covering the original 80 year old layer is elbow grease.