At Home
Decorating with The Flags of The World
We went searching for banners and other fabric art,
such as kites, tapestries, religious and cathedral
hangings and even Japanese kimonos (next issue!), but nothing we found
could compare with the flags of the world, for sheer impact and simplicity.
Each is a work of art and, when combined, the results can be sensational.
Here are a few suggestions for hanging flags in your home, apartment or loft. Each flag is three feet by five feet in size. All of the treatments below are easy to accomplish, even for those with minimal do-it-yourself skills but don't hesitate to seek the help of that "handy" neighbour, if need be.
1. the tryptich floating art wall
Using three flags the same, and one rod or wooden pole, which is 9 to 10 feet long, create a floating art wall behind a free-standing sofa. The pole is hung from transparent wire from your ceiling, using simple hooks. It will look this this:
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Imagine this floating art wall, moving gently
in the breeze from your open window. Imagine the same tryptich hanging
over the head of your bed, or even dividing a dining area from a living
area. Of course,
you can hang it as low or as high as needed.
The flag of Barbados was used above.
2. the suspended door
Using two flags the same with a different one in the center, and using the same hanging directions as above, you can create the illusion of a doorway by centering the flag pole over the area in your room where a door, could conceivably be. Are you still with me? I have seen this done in a NY loft in Chinatown and it really is beautiful. Here's the final trick. Grab the lower right or left-hand corner of the center flag (the flag that is different from the one on either side) and pin it up onto the upper left or right-hand corner, to create a triangular opening or "flap" style doorway. My friends in Chinatown placed a large pot of flowers at the end of each side flag and even though people can walk around the suspended door to get beyond it, everybody chooses to enter between the flags. It will look like this:
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with all flags down
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with the center flag tacked up to create an opening
the flag of Guyana was used on the sides
the flag of Jamaica was used in the center
3. the cabana
Using two identical vertically striped flags, again, on a 9 to 10 foot rod, leave the space in the center open (the space will be the width of the third or missing flag). Now you have an open doorway with stripes on each side. Have some fun. Paint the wall that is visible through the opening the same colors of stripes as the two side flags. You can use this treatment on an existing door opening, in which case the two side flags will be flush against the wall. It will look like this:
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the flag of Mauritius was used in treatment
4. the bed cover
Use four flags that you really love and simply baste them together. As each flag is 3' by 5', you will end up with a bedspread that is 6 ft. x 10ft. or 72 inches by 120 inches. You can also use four different flags or two of one and two of another. Be creative. Here is a bedcover I created. Once completed, I took it to a seamstress, who machine-stitched all the seams. She also backed it with a plain red sheet.
The flag of Zimbabwe was used above
5. the wall shrine
Choose a pictorial flag for the center and mount it right on the wall using tiny nails, only in the upper right and upper left hand corners. The two matching side flags are on a 12 foot rod, which is suspended from the ceiling on transparent wire to sit out from the wall about twelve inches. It will look like this:
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the flag of China is used on the sides
the Scottish Rampart Lion is in the center
6. instant pop
Sometimes three or more of the same flag look best just mounted on
a wall, like a great modernist painting.
The flag of Seychelles looks particularly interesting when grouped this
way. Overlap the edges just enough to enable you to use four tiny nails
across the top, instead of six. Do not use nails along the bottom unless
necessary to get a smooth look. This is the perfect treatment for a
long white wall. It will look like this:
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the flag of Seychelles was used above
7. the garden dragon
This flag would be my first choice for the garden, yard or patio and I would use two of them, each mounted firmly into the soil of planters, one on either side of patio steps or anywhere you wish to create a dramatic passageway. Plant brilliant, multi-colored flowers in the planters, then tell your friends you are flying the flag of Bhutan. Just because you can.This dragon could also be hung from the branch of a tree in or near your garden. Simply choose a strong, slender branch and slide the flag right onto it, as if it were a flagpole. The dragon will appear to be descending from the tree.
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the flag of Bhutan
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the flag of Algeria also looks wonderful
in the garden or suspended from a tree
We can help you find a flag from any country in the world. just send us an email.
