Newspaper Article "It`s`All in the Finishing" (originally appeared in The Gazette, on February 24, 2010)
Nelson Calfat has a lesson or two for you: "You can make over your home with a few hundred dollars," he says. "It's about the finishing. People are always walking into a room and saying: 'I have to do something.' Usually they change floors, draperies, tables, something - but they inevitably make the mistake of not realizing that all they really needed is the finishing." By finishing, Calfat means flowers, plants and trees - decorative elements that tie everything together in a room. Whether a plant to balance a long wall, colour to liven up a drab space, maybe a tree to soften that tight, awkward corner, using flowers as elements of home decor - to create focal points or distract the eye, if need be - is not new, but Calfat demonstrates that it is affordable, simple and very effective if done by professionals. Essentially, says the longtime floral designer and decorator, the perfect arrangement must incorporate everything in that room: colours, styles, angles, everything. "It's a tall order, if you're not versed in it", he said, "but with an experienced person, it's a five-minute conversation." | A simple tip he has for everyone buying pots for their plants: "Use the pot as furniture. Simply put, the container for a plant must go with your furnishings, not your decor. Match the pot to the chair or the sofa, not the drapes or the paintings." All these considerations combine for a surprisingly simple approach he uses with the artificial plants, flowers and trees that he creates. In fact, many of Calfat's own techniques have permeated the modern artificial plant and flower industry, one of them being his expert use of artificial and live elements in the same arrangement. While fresh flowers are wonderful on your wedding day, or dining-room table during Easter or Passover, for the other 363 days of the year Calfat says you need to ask yourself: "Do you want a hobby or a decoration? With live plants, you'll be watering, cutting, cleaning and transplanting. That's wonderful if you want to do it or have someone do it for you," he said, "but if you want a decoration, something to expertly finish your room, then artificial is the way to go." | His company, Calfolia, offers a new service: home decoration parties, demonstrating to people what an impact it really can have. "Whether large homes, condos or apartments, it's accessible to everyone," Calfat said, adding that by witnessing the "before" and "after" - much like the home-improvement shows on television - homeowners can see
"It's tremendous what we can do. You have to see it to believe it." The visual line figures prominently in Calfat's view, like all rules of proportion, height, width, movement and volume. "When we walk into a room, our eyes go into the far corners. It's natural," he said. "If an element is below the eye's visual line, the mind registers it as a blank space. There is a feel that something is missing." (Original Article in The Gazette, on February 24, 2010) |
