It’s always a great surprise to find old tiled flooring hidden underneath carpet or linoleum which appears especially common with 19th century properties where it’s not unusual for the owners to uncover fantastically patterned, original Victorian tiled floors and, naturally, they want to restore them to their former glory. If you have a property of this type you might want to look under the carpets. The majority of the time, however, these tiles have been covered up for decades, allowing for thick layers of muck to build-up and are invariably damaged carpet grippers, surface glue and adhesive tape. This was pretty much the case with this customer who lives in the town of Warminster and was keen to have her own newly discovered Victorian hallway brought back to life, and called me down to see what could be done. Upon arrival at the property, I determined that the tiles would definitely require a very deep clean, including the remove of numerous glue stains, followed by the application of a new seal. Before I could begin the deep cleaning process, I needed to remove the carpet grippers and surface glue, attempting to remove as much as possible by hand using a scraper. For the particularly stubborn areas, I applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go, a powerful stripper specially designed to break down adhesives and solvents, and left it to dwell for 20 minutes to eat through the glue deposits. I then attached a black pad to a rotary machine and scrubbed the area thoroughly to clean the affected areas, before removing the resulting slurry using a wet vacuum and rinsed with clean water. Once I was satisfied that all of the glue had been removed, I proceeded to soak the floor using a solution of the high alkaline cleaner known as Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This is a versatile product that can be used on a wide range of natural stone floors to deal with heavy soil build-up. I left the Pro-Clean to dwell for ten minutes, and then scrubbed it into the tiles to remove the ingrained dirt and also to break down any old and ineffectual seals. The floor was then once again rinsed thoroughly with clean water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum before being left to dry for a couple of days. Upon our return to the property I immediately tested the floor for damp using a damp meter. This is an extremely important test to carry out before sealing any kind of tiled flooring, due to the fact that excess moisture left over from cleaning can cloud the sealer and damage its ability to protect against dirt and stains. Thankfully, the damp test revealed no excess moisture, and I was able to proceed with sealing the tiles. My choice of sealer was Tile Doctor Seal and Go, a water-based topical sealer that simultaneously provides both a stain resistant surface seal and a durable and aesthetically pleasing low sheen finish, also being water based it doesn’t give off a smell as it dries. This is a very cost effective product that is highly suitable for use on Victorian and Quarry tiles, I applied five costs to achieve the desired finish. The customer was very pleased with the final results. It’s always satisfying to restore original Victorian tiled floors to looking their best once again – and this one was no exception. Stuart Ford Wiltshire Tile Doctor

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

Transitional Architectural Theatre Lighting & Interior Design This Batman themed theater was not part of the original theater plans. I was hired by the owners to do lighting design for their new construction home. In my first preliminary lighting plan presentation the husband expressed his passion for a Batman themed theater and showed me an image of a Batman themed theater he liked. Which he followed up to say it was out of his budget. I was hired for lighting design. What the owners did not know was that I have an interior design degree. I asked what amount he was willing to spend for a Batman themed theatre. I knew I could design the theatre for a quarter of the cost of the theatre he had shown me. I felt comfortable saying I could design lighting and interiors for the theatre within their budget. I proceeded with bringing in my team of artists to review the images of his Batman comic magazine collection that had to be in the theater: Batcave, Wayne Manor, Lincoln Penney, Bat phone and the Joker. As the images indicate, we succeeded in designing and installing the Batman themed theatre to meet the client's criteria. At the owner’s request: Linear LEDs lit the Batcave faux wall murals of stone and Wayne Manor aged wood columns, custom crystal wall sconces, and a library with a life size Batman costume hidden behind a false bookcase. A false wooden window with a Gotham City Mural of the Bat signal were revealed by using ultraviolet black lights. It was a fun project but could not have been accomplished without a team of excellent artists, building contractors, A.V. control company, millwork fabricators and electricians. Lighting Designer: John Rogers Design Interior Design Concept & Millwork Design: John Rogers Design Faux stone and murals Artist: Robin Tucker Builder: Richard Harp Homes https://www.richardharphomes.com A.V. Company: Electrical: Photographer: John Watson ​ Published AY Magazine

This previously unused attic space is now a sauna/yoga room. The left sauna wall follows the attic rafters down diagonally to allow a wider space for leg room on the twin sauna benches.

It’s been my experience that it’s not un-common to discover fantastic tiled floors hidden underneath an additional layer of flooring usually carpet or linoleum. This was the case with this property, situated in the town of Canley, Coventry, where the owner had found a Quarry tiled floor underneath Vinyl tiles which had been stuck down using an adhesive. Quarry tiles are typically hard wearing and very durable and a sensible choice for flooring in high traffic areas of both residential and commercial properties, a tiled floor is of course a difficult to remove so it’s not surprising that tiles do get covered over rather than replaced during redecoration. Taste’s change and like most property owners who unearth hidden tiled floors, my client was keen to restore them as an original feature. Despite the amount of adhesive and the poor state of the Quarry tiles, I was confident that the floor could be restored to new, so we agreed a date for me to come back to the property and complete the work. The process of cleaning the Quarry tiled floor – including remove large amounts of adhesive – took a total of two days to complete. I started by carefully removing the Vinyl tiles using a hand scraper which as you can imagine was a lot of manual effort and the adhesive proved quite difficult to remove. In the end I had to use a combination of a very coarse 50 grit pad fitted to a heavy rotary machine lubricated with water, to clear the area completely of the substance. The resulting slurry was rinsed away, and the floor was then given a thorough acid rinse with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up. Grout Clean-Up is a cleaner which contains concentrated phosphoric acid, and is designed to dissolve minerals such as salts and cement left on the surface of the tile. This was followed by a final thorough rinse with water, and the excess moisture was soaked up with a wet-vac machine. After the cleaning process was complete, I left the floor to dry off completely for 24 hours. Upon my return to the house the next day, I checked for any dampness that could have damaged the performance of the sealer, thankfully, the floor was dry and ready to seal, and so I proceeded to apply several coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra. Seal & Go Extra is a fully breathable sealer that provides for effective moisture transmission. It provides durable surface protection against dirt and stains, and is suitable for most kinds of internal, natural stone tiled floors, including Quarry, Victorian and Flagstone. As you can see from the photographs the Quarry tiles came out really well and it’s hard to believe that this is the same floor. Mick Gayton Warwickshire Tile Doctor

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info. Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

Ontario’s Leading Manufacturer of Wood Doors, Mouldings & Millwork Door Sales & Installation Location: Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 8M3 Canada
Example of a transitional entryway design in Toronto

It’s fairly common for owners of older properties – especially houses those that are over 100 years old or more – to find original Victorian tiled flooring hidden underneath carpet. It can wait years for the tiles to be discovered, by which time they have amassed huge amounts of dirt and dust. Such was the case at this property in Bridlington, a Yorkshire town through which a stream known as the ‘Gypsey Race’ runs, before emptying in the North Sea at the Bridlington Harbour. Interestingly enough, folklore says that when the stream is flowing, bad fortune is at hand. The stream must not have been running on the day that we restored this Victorian hallway, as we managed to achieve some truly fantastic results!! The hallway had been severely dulled after going years without professional care. We set about giving it the thorough clean and fresh seal that I’d des partly needed. Here’s how we did it. Our first task was to remove any old, no longer effectual sealer. We did this by liberally applying a strong dilution of our alkaline-based Tile a Doctor Pro Clean, which doubles as a reliable cleaner and a stripper capable of stripping away old sealer. The product was worked into the tiles using a black stripping pad fitted to a 17″ rotary machine, and the process was repeated three times. I noticed that there was still some stubborn dirt and old sealer around the edges of the hallway, so I used some of our handheld diamond encrusted burnishing blocks to grind it away. To finish the cleaning process, we washed the floor with Tile Doctor pH Neutral Tile Cleaner, leaving it fresh and ready to be sealed once left to dry overnight. Upon our return to the property the next day, we ran some quick tests to check for any excess moisture (even a small amount could have damaged the performance of the new sealer). Once satisfied with the the condition of the floor, we proceeded to see it with an impregnating sealer, meaning a sealer that penetrates into the pores of the tile to fill them and therefore prevent trapped dirt and ingrained stains. Our impregnating sealer, Tile Doctor Colour Grow, has the added benefit of being colour intensifying, which really highlights the unique colourful patterns of the tiles. To give the floor a durable sheen finish, as requested by the customer, we also added a coat of Tile Doctor Seal and Go sealer. The result was a complete transformation of the condition and appearance of this great Victorian tiled hallway. Our customer is very pleased – the floor is now a complete asset to any property, and will now be easier to keep looking great in future. Ronnie Phipps East Yorkshire Tile Doctor

I was recently called down to a client’s house in the market town of Wellingborough, situated approximately 11 miles from Northampton. My client’s situation was an interesting one, as she had an old gas pipe sticking out of her Victorian tiled floor, very close to a doorway. Not only was this a bit of an eyesore, it was also significant trip hazard. The floor had been previously covered by carpet, so it is understandable that my client would have been initially unaware of the obstructive gas pipe. Rather than risking an accident in the future, she asked me to see what I could do to rectify the issue. At the same time, I was commissioned to give the floor a much needed clean and re-seal. My first priority was, of course, to deal with the exposed gas pipe. I was unsure whether the pipe was live or not, so I carefully removed the surrounding tiles, allowing a certified engineer access to it. He ensured that the pipe was capped below the tile line, allowing me to safely proceed with my repairs. I returned a few days later, rescreened the area, and began to refit the tiles, carefully hand painting some of the black tiles to hide the damage and cracks. I also applied new grout to fix all of the replaced tiles into position, and this was left to set overnight. Returning to the house the next day, I set about treating the floor to a normal strip, clean and re-seal of the entire floor. There was very little old sealer still remaining on the tiles, so I mixed a solution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean and water, before applying this to the floor. Pro Clean is a strong alkaline cleaner which also contains stripping properties, allowing it to both clean and break down any old sealer. The solution was worked into the tiles using a black scrubbing pad, and any excess residue was quickly absorbed using a wet-vac machine. With older floors you never can tell if a damp proof membrane was installed and it can be troublesome applying a sealant to a damp floor so I left the whole floor to dry for seven days, giving it more than sufficient time to dry completely before the re-seal. To seal the tiles I used five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go Extra, which provides both a robust surface seal and the pleasing sheen finish requested by my client; Seal and Go Extra is especially suitable for exterior applications or damp floors due to its increased breathability. My client was very glad to see the back of the gas pipe and pleased with the overall results of the clean and seal, as it had given this Victorian tiled floor – once hidden under carpet – new life and character. Additionally I’m sure that restoring such an original feature for the property has increased its value. Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor

Scott Shigley
Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in Chicago

Example of a small classic 3/4 white tile and stone tile mosaic tile floor alcove shower design in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, black cabinets, quartzite countertops, a two-piece toilet and gray walls

Chris Golden
Inspiration for a transitional carpeted living room remodel in Phoenix with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace

Advice on interior design is available everywhere—from TV shows and websites to books, magazines and apps. We love seeing people become engaged in design and educated on the wide range of possibilities. But we hope you’ll proceed with caution. It’s not that style errors are a matter of life and death. It’s just that it’s easy to choose designs that aren’t necessarily reflective of your own personality and character. And since you’re typically stuck with your interior design decisions for years, styles that don’t quite fit can tend to grate on you. Interiors that give one person comfort may unleash chaos in someone else. This goes beyond favorite colors or hot trends, right to the heart of interior design, where you find questions of composition, balance, repetition, space and more. The goal is to find that unique combination of design elements that gives you comfort, support and balance. In one home, that perfect balance was struck through the use of symmetry. A pair of comfortable swivel chairs sit beneath matching indigo patterned paintings. Matching bookcases below the paintings contain similar, but not identical, arrangements of books, vases and bowls. Woods and bronzes help warm up the simple white bookcase shelving. Two matching poufs in front of the fireplace provide additional seating. The sofa is accented with a pair of pillows with a blue pattern that echoes the artwork. The effect of the symmetry is to achieve order and simplicity, which I promote at every opportunity. After all, your home interiors should be the setting or the backdrop of your life—not center stage. Antique bronze and blue are complementary colors. Together, they offer a rich palette of richness and depth, which brings out the beauty of wood and stone. In the home office, a unique, whitewash-stained wooden desk rests on metal, Sawhorse-inspired legs for a warm, rustic look. The black leather chair features a contemporary silhouette with an antique brass frame. An adjustable desk lamp has bronze accents. The bookcase combines a sleek, black metal frame with concrete shelves, for another unusual pairing. It’s kept uncluttered for an orderly, peaceful look. Items on the shelves include a bronze-accented lamp and a pair of high gloss-finished wooden bookends. The elegant artwork behind the desk is a simple midnight-blue and bronze with mottled white. Deep blues are again picked up in the rug, which adds a stately vibe with a modern pattern and satisfying texture. Within the framework of symmetry, the living room repeats the blue-and-bronze color scheme. A large midcentury brass clock above the fireplace keeps the natural stone visible, rather than hidden behind a painting or television, while its straight lines and color create a beautiful contrast. The sofa is a soft, neutral blue. The pattern on the round brass side table features echoes the darker blue-patterned rug, as well as the rug in the office, tying the rooms together. Indigo blue books adjacent to bronze vases on the shelves repeat the color scheme. The soapstone-topped coffee table echoes the shape of the fireplace. A pair of tall, matching floor lamps with long wooden bases, brass pulls and simple linen shades combine both the colors and symmetry found throughout the home.