Does the history of flight fascinate you? Do you love the romance of the early 20th century pilot sagas? Are your shelves lined with books by Beryl Markham and Antoine de Saint Exupery? Why not turn a room in your home into a tribute to your passion? Any living room, den, study, or library can become a shrine to the glory of aviation pioneering.
Here are 10 decor tips that will help you turn back the clock and step into an adventure.
1) Upholster the room’s furniture in brown stressed leather (slightly reddish hue undertones) — reminiscent of the bomber jackets and wrist watches worn by early 20th century pilots.
2) Hang white silk drapes that flutter in the wind, like Amelia Airheart’s iconic scarf.
3) If you use headphones to listen to music, or to talk on the phone or through the internet on Skype, cover the headphones with an antique leather flight helmet, or a copy of one you make out of the left-over upholstery scraps.
4) Sew goggles on the top of the “helmet”, as if you’d just pulled them off your face and rested them on the top of your head; or hang them casually on a desk lamp, as if you’d just taken them off.
5) Choose analog face clocks that are framed in copper colored metal that looks aged and in need of polishing. Embed the clocks in a backing and round frame of the same brown stressed leather used for the upholstery. These can be attached to the walls or made to stand on a desk or shelf.
6) Put a wall sized print of an antique map, done in shades of amber, on the wall. This can also be a painted mural.
7) Hang a mobile of your favorite model airplanes from the ceiling, near the map, and with enough clearance that the planes can circulate. When a breeze puts the mobile in motion, the planes will appear to be flying over the world.
8) On the opposite wall, hang amber colored monochrome photographs of aviation pioneers like Bessie Colman and Jerrie Mock, and framed old photos of your favorite antique aircraft.
9) Cover the desk or coffee table with aviation charts, and cover the entire surface with a piece of transparent glass. This will allow you to see the charts on the table surface, while keeping them clean and safe from spills or shredding.
10) Rest a leather-bound compass on one corner of your desk, or as the centerpiece on your table.
This room will be a refuge from the cynical homogeny of modern times, and rekindle your spark of innovation and daring. This article is copyrighted. You may re-print it on your ezine or website provided that the resource box below remains intact, including the active links in it.
