The furniture that you choose for your home can serve as a starting point for your decorating scheme, providing a palette of favorite colors or the beginnings of a specific style. Or it can be inspired by a distinctive element that you alredy have- an Oriental rug found at an antiques store, a drop- lid […]
The Extrusion Process Extrusion is a method of forming in which metals or plastics are forced through a die or series of dies, resulting in a specific shape of constant cross section. With the proper tooling, extrusions may be tapered or stepped. Extrusions can be either very thick in cross section or very thin and […]
Forging The general concept of forging is transforming metal by hammering or under pressure. Hammering can be either manual or mechanical, whereas pressure is applied with a press. The most commonly used metal for forging is steel. Steel is forged when heated. Copper and aluminum are also forged. When forging highly strained parts are made, […]
From the book The Artful home by Toni Sikes A truly artful home nourishes our soul and satisfies our psyche. This life-size work in progress is a place of repose and stimulation, comfort and inspiration. Art lives on the wall above the sofa… as well as in the linen closet and under foot. The […]
I began designing this lamp from an entirely individual perspective of a floor lamp. I was missing a lamp with a square shade. I wanted to add a forged element and some glass to the shade so light would radiate into a space in a controlled way. /I was missing a floor lamp with a […]
Living with beautiful objects by Toni Sikes: Many of us seek out the unusual, the original,and the handmade. Objects made by artists are much more than eye candy; they speak to us and move us. They tell stories. We take them home, learn their stories by heart, and add our personal embellishments along the way. […]
Terrace chairs or wrought iron garden chairs usually considerably differ from indoor chairs. Outdoor chairs are often loungers for us to lay down in with a good book or enjoy a pleasant company at a garden party. It is different with indoor chairs. They are set around a dining table and their back rest usually […]
Copper and iron forging in my smithy Color of metal is very important in forging as it indicates the temperature of the workpiece. For this reason, it is essential that it is dark inside a smithy because it makes it easier to determine the color of the heated metal. There used to be a rule […]
Gothic elements in modern furniture Gothic is a term that denotes the art of the late Middle Ages, between the 12th and 16th century. It originates from the Italian word gotico, and it came in use in the 16th century. It described the raw, barbaric culture and art, and so it had pejorative meaning. Today […]
When I was learning the craft of blacksmithing with a master blacksmith, we mostly made wrought iron fences. The blacksmith was a true master of the craft, an acknowledged and esteemed artist. All the pieces he created were handmade, and he rarely used welding machine. The joints were always made using the forge-welding technique or […]
