Accessories

1. Read and translate the text. What is the main idea of the text?

2. Find unknown terms and words in the text and give their translations?

Furniture and accessories work together in defining the style and feeling of a space. Because accessories can do so much to enhance a space, the process of selecting and arranging accessories for both residential and commercial settings de­serves thoughtful consideration. Accessories add the finish­ing touches to a room, reflecting the personal taste and indi­viduality of the user more than any other element.

Accessories may have sentimental value to the client and may incorporate personal collections. Accessories can also be a powerful tool in establishing the design theme or ex­pressing a cultural background. Interiors are enriched by the addition of both functional and decorative accessories.

Functional accessories serve a utilitarian purpose but may become an interesting display item as well. Some items, such as towel racks, draper rods, door handles, or accent plumbing fixtures, may be attached to the architectural background. Other practical accessories such as a mirror, lamp, clock, or tray may be moved from one place to an­other within the space.

The purpose of use of the room should be the prime con­sideration when selecting functional accessories. For example, if lighting is required beside a lounge chair in a living room, choose an appropriate lamp that will meet the needs of the user.

Lamps, known in the industry as portable luminaries, are at­tractive accessories serving the purpose of providing light when and where needed. Common types of lamps include table lamps, floor lamps, sconces and pendants (chandeliers). Lamps are available in a wide range of styles – traditional or modern, decorative or structural. A lighting fix­ture that is carefully chosen for a specific room, style, mood, location, or purpose can be an important contributing ele­ment.

Cicero said, “A room without books is a body without a soul”. Books add friendliness to a home. Usually no room has a mood that precludes their use, or a colour scheme so complete it could not benefit from their warm tones and tex­tures. Bookshelves can go in almost any room, require little space, and create a warm, friendly atmosphere. Children need bookshelves in their rooms at a height they can easily reach. Other bedrooms can accommodate shelves where space permits usually close to the bed for night time reading. Kitchens need handy shelves for reference books and cookbooks. Conference rooms benefit from shelves used to display company memorabilia, awards, and reference books.

Additionally, books can add a decorative quality to a room with their textures, colours, and shapes. They also mix well with other accessories; for example, a few books flanked with interesting bookends, next to a plant and a small sculpture, or placed on a coffee table with other items add interest to a room.

Since the 4th century mirrors have been used as functional and decorative objects in homes and public places. Mirrors are available in almost any size and in frames to fit any decor. Mir­rors are a helpful tool for the interior designer; they can add beauty, multiply space, conceal unattractive structural features, distribute and double light, brighten dark areas, and bring life into an otherwise drab room. Mirrors have steadily increased in popularity and now play an indispensable role in all styles of interiors.

Clocks have long been important accessories in the home and office. Naturally a clock must be placed where it can be seen easily. Outdoors, clocks frequently serve as landmarks in metropolitan settings. In smaller com­munities the chime of a clock tower helps to define the “sense of place”.

In addition to its decorative value, a screen may serve many functional purposes. Screens can set off an entrance where the front door opens directly into the living area, act as a divider between living and dining areas, close off a kitchen, or set off a private area by making a room within a room. They also can redirect traffic when strategically placed, extend the apparent size of a room by replacing a door, control the flow of air and lie direction of light, camouflage an old-fashioned radiator or conditioning unit, or conceal storage. A decorative screen can give an architectural quality to a room, enhance the room's decor, provide a backdrop for a furniture grouping, substitute for side drapery, or serve as the room's focal point.

A contemporary room can be made strikingly modern and a traditional room can take on an authentic feeling through the discriminating use of small accessories such as doorknock­ers, doorknobs, switch plates, curtain rods, and tiebacks. Drawer pulls, escutcheons (the plate behind the pull), and hinges can give a piece of furniture the feeling of a particu­lar period.

3. Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

4. Ask your groupmates to find answers in the text.

5. Discuss the content of the text in the form of a dialogue.