Щ TEXT 3
Read the text and name the pieces of art that were used to furnish interiors.
Art and Design
The art of interior design encompasses all of the fixed and movable ornamental objects that form an integral part of the inside of any human habitation. It is essential to remember that much of what today is classified as art and exhibited in galleries and museums was originally used to furnish interiors. Paintings were usually ordered by size and frequently by subject from a painter who often practiced other forms of art, including furniture design and decoration. Sculptors in stone or bronze were often goldsmiths who did a variety of ornamental metalwork. Many architects also designed interiors, including the accessories-furniture, pottery, porcelain, silver, rugs, and tapestries. Paintings often took the form of cabinet pictures, framed to be hung on a wall in a
particular position, such as over a door.
Mirrors were employed for adding space to an interior. The deliberate use of antiques as decoration was unusual in most periods. Generally, in older houses elements of the previous decorative scheme were relegated to less important rooms when new decoration was undertaken to bring an old interior into line with current fashion. In this way many antiques have been preserved. The art market has existed from the earliest times for the purpose of providing both new and antique works for the decoration of interiors, but in early times the market in old work was usually limited to paintings by admired masters and goldsmith's work. Only within the recent historic past have any interiors but those belonging to the rich and powerful been considered worthy of consideration. The division of the arts by museum curators into the fine arts and the decorative (or industrial) arts has helped to obscure the original functions of interior furnishings. Porcelain and silver, for instance, no longer fulfill their original purpose as part of the household furnishings but are collected into cabinets, since they are so precious. Similarly, the small porcelain figures of Meissen, which were originally Dart of a table decoration and an integral part of a service, are now too highly valued to be so used.
TEXT 4
Read the text and translate it in writing.
East Asian motifs of decoration bear no relationship to those of the West, although many of them are familiar from objects d'art and decoration exported during the last five centuries. No such conflict of styles as those to be observed in the West has existed. The motifs of Eastern art are many and varied, such as the dragon, the so-called phoenix (actually the Chinese iong-taiied pheasant), and creatures of all kinds, actual and legendary.
The yellow dragon symbolizes the power of the spirit, the tiger- the forces of animal life. Flowers and foliage are part of an elaborate flower-symbolism, and there are many abstract motifs, all of which are part of a complex and rich symbolism, which can usually be interpreted if the key is known.
The pine, willow, and bamboo in conjunction are termed the "three friends," and represent Buddha, Confucius, and Lao-tzu. Scrolls of painting or calligraphy are characteristic of interior design in the East. Scrolls decorated with an admired calligraphy are hung on walls. Calligraphy often plays a part in the decoration of bronzes and porcelain, and inscriptions on paintings are not uncommon.
TEXT 5
Read the text and name the problems dealt with,
VViioiC iiousc Colour Scheme
When faced with four or five rooms to decorate and furnish at once visual continuity is the secret of success. Professional interior designers consider visual unity very important. Experience enables them to see the whole of a house interior as one inter-related, complete decorating unit rather than a series of separate rooms. Viewing in this way helps avoid lack of continuity.
In smaller homes where space and light are usually at a premium, creating a light, neutral-coloured background using different shades of white, cream, beige and grey in walls, woodwork and flooring always work well. Any strong colour can then be added as accents with rugs and accessories.
LINKING - WITH FLOORING
Visual continuity and a feeling of space can be achieved by using the same or similar colour floorings throughout a home. Your choice of floorcoverings do not all have to be exactly the same material or colour to produce an effect of continuity. For instance, a honey or tan miniprint carpet in the hall and on the stairs works well with, perhaps, slightly darker floor tiles in the kitchen and a toning plain caramel carpet for stripped floorboards in the living room.
Again, when it comes to floorcoverings for the whole house, neutral colours such as being, grey and cream work very successfully because they allow a wide choice of decoration.
Flooring alternatives
Carpet tiles are well worth considering. There are some attractive neutral colour combinations such as grey/cream or beige/cream. Border effects can be created which also help to lead the eye through from one room to another.
Patterned floorcoverings in neutral colours are a good compromise if you want to break up large expanses of floor and yet at the same time don't want anything too obtrusive. There is a lot of choice now in two-tone, small geometric designs and stripes available in both hard and soft floorings.
Linking - with wall colours and accents.
The simplest way to handle all the different colours in rooms that lead off a hall or landing is to pick several different shades of the same colour. In this way
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First, decide on the mood and whether you want it warm or cool. Magnolia, maize and deep egg-yolk yellow in rooms and a pale cream-painted hall or landing work well together and would give a warm effect. Pale blues, greys and lavender, on the other hand, would give a soft, cool feeling.
Accents in pictures, lighting and accessories also help to lead the eye through from one room to another. The eye will focus on any brilliant, primary coloured accents in an all-neutral scheme.
Ask and answer questions on the text. Work in pairs.
Explain how visual continuity can be achieved.
What colours are more successful for floorcovering for the whole house?
What helps to lead the eye through from one room to another?
II. Some tips
1. MAKING A ROOM FEEL LARGER. Pale colours reflect more light than dark colours, and cool colours recede. So a combination of the two is perfect for making a small room seem larger. The lighter the colour the more light is reflected and the larger the room feels, (a)
In a room that doesn't get any sun, temperate colours - such as pale lemon
yellow or pale lilac-grey - would be a better choice. A wall-to-wall carpet in a soft neutral colour is another way to add to the illusion of space, particularly if the skirting boards are painted in a similar colour. A neat window treatment, such as the roman blind, helps to keep the room uncluttered and spacious.
MAKING A LARGE ROOM COSIER. Spacious rooms can sometimes feel unwelcoming, particularly if they get little sun. So, choose a tone from the warm side of the colour wheel - for both the ceiling and wail - to create a cheerful colour scheme which draws the wall inwards slightly and the ceiling downwards, making the room feel more inviting. The strength of the tone is as important as the colour itself, so use soft mid-tones for the best results.
RAISING A CEILING. To make a ceiling higher, paint it in a lighter colour than the walls. The light ceiling makes the room feel taller than it really is, and the dark tone draws the walls inwards, creating an intimate atmosphere. It is important that the colour of the walls is continuous, right up to the height of the ceiling, (b)
4. TO WIDEN A CORRIDOR use a very light colour on the walls, ceiling and floor. The reflected light will make the space seem less confined, (c)
To shorten a corridor, or a long narrow room, paint the end wall in a dark or warm colour, to make it appear closer, (d)
To change the proportions of a corridor, decorate the ceiling and floor in a darker colour than the walls. The space will appear wider and lower, (e)
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Retell each paragraph in English.
Write some sentences how using tones you can change the shape of a room.
Explain what you should do to raise a ceiling.
TEXT 6
Elements of Design
Garden design is an art form. Like all good design, its aim is to create a satisfying composition. This must please the senses - especially the sense of sight. It must also be functional, fulfilling the designer's brief and fitting the user's intended purpose. Successful design looks good and works.
The art of garden design is particularly affected by restrictions and complications. In the first place, a garden relates to its associated architecture and its surroundings. The relationship may be a very close one: in some of the great historic gardens, plants grow between walls and'steps that match those of thp house. On a smaller scale, this relationship occurs in a modern design wlicie patio doors opening on to terraces or courtyards bring the garden indoors. Occasionally a garden is separate or remote from a house; sometimes it is completely enclosed so that the outside world does not impinge. However, in some respects a garden always remains part of the surrounding landscape. Shelter, drainage, irrigation, soil quality and so on can be improved more or less, but the garden's aspect (whether it gets morning sun, for example) and the prevailing climate (high rainfall, mild winters, and so on) are factors that you