With its clean, and orderly quilt-style pattern, and subtle ecclesiastical, classic aesthetic, our 'Washington' decorative screen design is aptly named, and inspires an early American, colonial interior decorating style. It is also a highly versatile design, however, and looks just as fabulous in modern settings as in the installation projects we share here among colonial style inspiration.

This charming pattern nimbly rests between classical folk and stylishly modern. It has a 60% block-out rating, making it the ideal choice for a very light scattering of sunshine if used as a shade as in the photograph above, or as a privacy partition in the one below.

'Washington' was the choice design of this year's House Rules contestants Danielle and Ben, who painted it bright red and installed it as a side partition on the patio of their backyard reveal.

Though this design looks fabulous in these modern settings, if it were to be styled around its more classical aspects I imagine it would suit an Early American colonial interior decorating style extremely well. It could be used as a shade cover on the outside of upper floor windows,  as a foyer partition, stair and balcony banister, or for something simple such as a wall hanging over a bed.  Here are some good examples of the early American colonial style:

It's a clean, uncluttered aesthetic that features functional, versatile furniture with a natural or rustic finish in a plain or classical style. It is composed with natural colors with warm undertones of black or brown.

Pewter, brass, and tin metal decorative objects are a common element, as are handmade textiles like hooked rugs, needlepoint pillows, knit blankets, and crocheted doilies. If you like this style, here are some rustic colonial products I found online that are available now:

1. Folk crow dinnerware by Park Designs via Flower Patch Blessings. This online shop is overflowing with absolutely charming rustic country table linens, tableware, and decorative objects.
2. Ladderback raffia chairs are an extremely iconic colonial furnishing. I found this set available on eBay for a mere $70 (located in Katoomba, NSW).
3. Beautiful white magnolia needlepoint pillow by Richard Rothstein. There is a large and beautiful selection in his online shop.
4. Traditional diamond pattern handmade oilcloth rug by Beautiful Floor Cloth via Etsy
5. Napkin and Salt & Pepper Caddy via Flower Patch Blessings.

Oriental gardens have an allure of peace, tranquility, meditation, and mystery because they are specifically composed to create such. What are the elements used to create this atmosphere in an oriental garden, and how can they be copied in our own backyard?

Following on my last post on QAQ's 'Bamboo' decorative screen feature, I wanted to take a look at oriental style gardens--specifically, Chinese style gardens, leaving the Japanese style garden for another day--because there are specific differences that make each give a different sort of feeling when you walk through them. Chinese gardens are a little more bold and colorful; a bit more ornate; whereas Japanese gardens are more restrained, less ornamental, and more conducive to Zen meditation.

Elements of a Chinese Garden

There are three main elements of a Chinese garden that have representational meanings to encourage a meditational stroll:

1. Water - Represents the constantly changing flow of life and of nature
2. Stones - Represents strength, endurance, and stability
3. Plants- The beauty and texture that gives life its meaning

Japanese gardens have these elements but express them differently: typically, Chinese gardens will be centered with a large, ornate building as a focal point while buildings are less important in a Japanese landscape, and may even be hidden from the garden path views. Stones are larger in a Chinese garden, and again, serve as focal points. A larger variety of plants and flowers are used in a Chinese garden, and in a less tightly manicured fashion than in a Japanese garden. However, there are many more similarities than differences between the two styles, as both incorporate these key elements:

• A Welcoming entrance - A round 'Moon Gate' or 'Torii' gate, or two potted, manicured 'bonsai' trees
• Bridges - Rounded arches or as zig-zagging, flat platforms
• Tea houses and private pavilions
• Lanterns - hanging or in stone statues
• Statues - though never too dominating as used in Western gardens
• Moss - for the less sunny areas between pathers, rocks, and statues
• Garden gravel
• Meandering pathways for easy contemplation
• Water - a water feature, a pond, a creek

The plants and trees specific to a Chinese style garden are:

• Bamboo - Bamboo -used as railings, fences, and as a plant, and representing flexibility in life
• Pine - representing endurance
• Lotus - symbolic of spiritual purity

Specific Chinese Garden Flowers:

The easiest to grow--and for that reason the most common--of these beauties are the magnolias and wisteria.

Now, as we are a decorative screen company, I can't help but suggest beautiful garden screens to evoke the Orient in your garden or home, so I've curated what I consider the most oriental of all QAQ's screen designs...

To see a Chinese garden in Australia, visit the Sydney Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbor which is a superb and beautiful example of a traditional Chinese garden.

Hope you have enjoyed this little foray into Chinese gardens. Please leave a comment if you have, and if you can suggest where any other Chinese gardens may be within Australia!

Cheers,

Christine

Decorative screens and panels featuring QAQ's 'Bamboo' design inspire the tranquility of nature and the exoticism of the Orient, with its long history of using bamboo in stunningly beautiful building construction and design. This design is most popular as a garden screen in compressed hardwood or corten with  those who are after evoking a Chinese or Japanese style garden, a topic I will cover in the post to follow after today's screen feature: the 'Bamboo' design. For now, let's look at a few of the installation projects featuring this simple, yet elegant design, then at the design inspiration and things made with bamboo, one of the most versatile and beautiful natural construction materials on the planet.

This patio is given an Oriental touch with the simple installation of compressed hardwood 'Bamboo' panels along the center patio fence area.

An even simpler installation of a single compressed hardwood panel behind an Oriental style structure  creates an elegant decorative focal point in this patio area.

Here, corten panels with the 'Bamboo' design are installed along an existing fence to raise the level of privacy in a backyard.

Now, for just a few pics showing the magnificence of bamboo construction (all to be found with detailed descriptions and links on the 'Bamboo' QAQ Pinterest Board for those curious):

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, and it is also one of the strongest, with a higher ability to withstand heavy loading than that of wood, brick, or concrete.  This makes it an ideal building material for sustainability. Keeping this in mind, there is more to admire about bamboo than it's iconic vertical verdure. Here are just a few of the millions of nifty products made in or inspired by the very bountiful bamboo plant:

1. Keep your soap high and dry on this handmade bamboo and clay soapdish by Hand Star Designs via Etsy
2. Keep your devices charged and organized in this bamboo organizer by Great Useful Stuff via Amazon
3. Keep your tea steady on this sofa arm Tray Table by Lip Lap via Etsy
4. Beautiful bamboo leaf hand painted ceramic noodle bowl with chopsticks by Sylwia Glass Art via Etsy
5. Elegant bamboo hanging lamp 'Pod' by Australian lighting company Earl Pinto

Decorative gates give homes charm and character, and are a lovely, welcoming object to behold after a day at work or time away from home. They can set the decor style for the rest of the house to come, with an endless variety of designs and materials that can be perfectly matched to any theme, from modern to provincial. Here at QAQ we have had many of the decorative screens we manufacture installed as gates, with custom sizing, painting, and choice of material chosen by the client to suit the needs of their home. Here are just a few of these projects, plus a look into some other rather gorgeous gates and gate details that make them so exceptionally charming.

Earlier this week I featured this gorgeous side gate on the left on QAQ's Facebook page; it's our 'Christchurch' screen design in compressed hardwood. On the right is the 'Pretoria' design in mild steel.

Here's the extremely popular 'Cayman' design in mild steel.

And again, same design, same material, but in a smaller size. The contrast between the Victorian home front and modern gate is strikingly attractive here. Now for just a few of the other gorgeous decorative gates I found online:

Gates like the top two are often made by a local artist adept at metal sculpture. The adorable flower gate at the bottom left looks like an easy DIY project using straight wooden rods and wood flower sculptures. The gate at the bottom right (not QAQ; artist unknown) is a very clever way to incorporate a decorative screen in a traditional gate structure.

Charming details in hinges and handles can continue a decorative theme and maximize character. Found objects like these horse shoes and old cake servers can be made into gate handles, or for a more polished art piece, an artist-crafted handle like the exquisite vines on the bottom left can be purchased through the online handmade market Etsy or at a local artist market (warning- Etsy is highly addictive!). Another fabulous gate detail is a latch to hold the gate open--which, as you can see it the top right picture, can be attached to a painted decorative timber buried firmly in the ground near the gate.

In the upcoming months check back for feature posts on how to install decorative screens as gates, part of a series of posts on all the ways decorative screens can be installed that began last week with 'How to Install a Decorative Screen on a Wall'.

I hope I've been given you a little home improvement inspiration here!  If you would like to learn more about decorative screens, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or give us a call for a guide and quote on what we can do for you.

~Christine

QAQ's circular pattern decorative screen design 'Capri' suits modern, minimalist design in products and interiors and has the vibrant, playful energy of its stunning namesake, the island of Capri, Italy. Geometric shapes are extremely trendy at the moment, so rather than focus on the rather limited aesthetic connection this screen design has with its namesake, I've decided to focus this screen feature post on all the beautiful circular pattern decorative objects and products. But first, a few of our 'Capri' screen installations:

'Capri' in mild steel was used here to enclose a small outdoor area in order to create a bit of privacy.

In this office, 'Capri' screens in integral pvg have been installed as room dividers to create a separate lounge area. Integral pvg is always either black or white. (Please excuse poor-quality photo, our clients often use their phones cameras!)

Again in mild steel, 'Capri' screens have been used here to create a large backyard fence for a much more interesting backyard view.

'Capri' screens would suit many styles of interior decorating, especially those leaning toward retro, eclectic, modern, and minimalist. Circles break up the dominating vertical and horizontal lines of wall hanging arrangements, can be the focal points of symmetrically arranged furniture, and can work as a surprise feature where a circle is most unexpected.

The easiest ways to work circles into your decorating scheme would be to hang circular frames and mirrors on the wall or to decorate with spherical lampshades, lamp bases, and pendant lamps.

Here are is a fun and eclectic mix of circular pattern decor objects and products I found online and where to buy them:

1.  Handmade Harmony Bangle Bracelet via Etsy by JLBox

2.  Handmade Black and White Swirls Light Switch Cover via Etsy by Cathys Crafty Covers

3. Mingling Slats Mirror by Horchow

4. Handmade Contemporary White Ceramic Rocking Fruit Bowl by Golem Designs via Etsy

5. Handmade Decorative Throw Pillow via Etsy by The Motivated Type

6. Circular Geometric 'Darcy Pearl' Wallpaper by designyourwall.com

I hope you've enjoyed this brief foray into the world of circles, spheres, and circular patterns our 'Capri' decorative screen design inspires. For more circular decorating inspiration and a few stunning photos of the island of Capri, its namesake, see QAQ's Pinterest board on this design: 'Capri Design', alongside pin boards focusing on many other of our screen designs, with a new one each Tuesday!

~Christine

The most affordable and basic way to enjoy a QAQ decorative screen is simply to hang it upon a wall as decorative wall art. Hanging a screen flat against the wall would seem to be the most obvious method, but it is also the least flattering. Screens are more three-dimensional artworks than flat canvases, so you want to make the most of the sculptural aspects of the inner cut-outs by hanging it a few millimeters from the wall, creating shadows, depth, and ultimately more of a visual impact in your home.

Most of the screens hung in the QAQ headquarters have been hung in this method, using a bolt called a standoff or separator. These can be easily purchased at any local hardware store, or purchased with the screens from QAQ. The standoff is a small two-piece bolt that has one bottom barrel that screws into the wall, and one top, flat-head piece that screws into the top of the screen and screws through to the bottom barrel. Two plastic washers sandwich the screen in between the two main pieces just to give it extra grip and protect the screen surface.  It looks like this:

Standoffs come in many a variety of sizes and materials, such as: brass polished chrome or gold; brass satin chrome, silver, or gold; and in aluminium satin, blue, black, chrome silver, and satin silver. They should be matched to the color of your screen or interior decorating scheme.

Here's a black aluminium standoff on a black powder-coated aluminium 'Valencia' screen.

And here is a blue aluminium standoff on a blue powder-coated aluminium screen.

The larger the screen the more standoffs required, so we recommend one standoff per every 600 millimeters. If you purchase QAQ standard sized screens, this equates to:

• 6 standoffs for a 600 x 1200 mm screen
• 8 standoffs for a 1200 x 1200 mm screen
• 10 standoffs for a 1800 x 1200 mm screen
• 12 standoffs for a 2400 x 1200 mm screen
• 16 standoffs for a 3600 x 1200 mm screen

Two of the larger screens we have in the QAQ showroom are an aluminium 'Pretoria' and corten 'Cayman'.

The corten screen has a brass polished chrome standoff and the aluminium screen has a matching aluminium chrome silver standoff. You can see the decorative possibilities of this simple detail in coordinating your screen with your overall interior or exterior decor scheme. And as any fashionista will tell you, style is all in the details!

How to Install a Decorative Screen on a Wall Using Standoffs:

Installing a screen onto a wall using standoffs is easy and will only take a few minutes work, though it's best to have an extra pair of helping hands to help you hold the screen in place for marking and screwing it into place. Here's how:

1. Place the screen on a wall and mark your drilling points.
2. Drill the marked holes in the screen.
3. Drill or awn a hole in the wall. Drill hard materials like concrete and awn into drywalls. The harder the wall, the stronger the anchor will be once it has expanded inside the wall.
4. Insert the nylon anchors that come with each standoff into the wall holes.
5. Screw through the long, bottom bit of the standoff into the nylon wall anchor.
6. Place a washer on the standoff cap screw and pass it through the screen holes, then add another washer onto the same screw before bolting all together in the bottom standoff barrel.

QAQ screens typically weigh around 4.5-5 kilograms each, while the larger, 2400 x 1200 mm size weigh up to 20 kilos, so be sure to hang the heavier screens on a hard wall for a maximum security hold.

So there you have it, our complete installation guide using standoffs. If you have any questions or issues regarding standoff installation, I am happy to assist you.

~Christine

The 'Fern Leaf' decorative or privacy screen design is for nature lovers who admire the symmetry and beauty of the fern leaf. This design works really well on its own as an individual panel, or, when placed side-by-side, makes a dramatic impact on an enclosed space. It's 80% privacy and block-out rating makes it ideal for a backyard or patio that faces a nearby neighbor or street.

This enclosed patio gets just lots of privacy and just enough sun light to make it a cozy, inviting space.

This patio is a lot more open to the outdoors, yet needed a bit of enclosure to feel like an inviting alfresco dining area, so the single wall with one single centered 'Fern Leaf' panel works well to enclose the space while keeping a bit of sunshine. This is also a useful way to shield a patio that gets full sun during a part of the day.

Here two small 'Fern Leaf' panels in compressed hardwood hang as wall art to give this outdoor area a bit of character and tie the decor to the outdoor scenery.

The 'Fern Leaf' screen design inspires me to think about homes with a lot of potted plants, natural decor colors schemes, and natural furnishing textures, or with views out onto a forest--perhaps like those here in Victoria near the lush green fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges or the Otways. Here are some beautiful ways to match this design to the decor of your home, or, if you're longing to get away and immerse yourself in a whole forest of ferns, two of the loveliest tourist accommodation spots I found via my Pinterest search:

1.  Handmade Watercolor Fern Leaves Throw Pillow by The Wooded Trail via Etsy

2. Fern Leaf Ceiling Fan by Faucetlist.com

3.  'The Treehouse' cottage rental by Arcadia Cottages located in the Dandenongs, Victoria

4. A lovely way to tie 'Fern Leaf' used as a garden screen would be to add the fern motif to your footpaths! While I couldn't locate exactly where these pebbles paths were made, I found a similar how-to article on using leafs to make concrete gardenfootpath stones connected to the photo here via Pinterest!

5. The luscious lagoon pools of the Silky Oaks Lodge in the exquisite Daintree Rainforest of Queensland

I don't know about you, but I am dying to visit the Daintree Rainforest now!

Hope you enjoyed this little foray into all things rain forest inspired by our 'Fern Leaf' decorative screen design. For more forest decorating inspiration, see QAQ's Pinterest board on this design: 'Fern Leaf Design', alongside pin boards focusing on many other of our screen designs, with a new one each Tuesday!

~Christine

Just a Quick Update!

Hello, and thanks for checking in! Today I am just going to make a quick update on two of the most exciting things happening here at QAQ HQ and a third thing that is exciting for me, at least, and may also be of interest to cat-lovers!

A New QAQ Web-site Coming Soon!

It's been a busy week here at QAQ as we are currently re-vamping this web-site with a launch planned by the end of July. That has certainly kept me busy, hence no normal blog post today!

QAQ Decorative Screens on 'House Rules'

The contestants Ben & Danielle of this season's 'House Rules' channel 7 television program chose QAQ's 'Washington' screen for their beautiful backyard reveal, episode 32. You can see how gorgeous the screens look by watching the full episode or seeing the episode's photo gallery on the Yahoo 7 'House Rules' web-site.

The best thing about the reveal, in my opinion? They painted the screen a gorgeous shade of bright red! As you may know from the little tanty in my last post, I am always keen to see more QAQ decorative screens in color!

The QAQ Parking Lot Cat Care & Rescue Mission

Now, this third update is my own little project here at QAQ, and one which is very close to my heart, as I am an avid animal lover, especially of cats. There have been a litter of kittens living in and around our parking lot here at QAQ, and I have personally taken responsibility of feeding the two that have survived, hoping they will no longer need to dumpster-dive the industrial bins in this area. My hope is to get them to warm up enough to human care that they will have a chance of being re-homed, either through the Maneki Neko Cat Rescue or perhaps by a volunteer--maybe even one of you! These were the first successful photos I've been able to take of one of the two cats, I've affectionately named 'Fluffy', who is slowly growing less fearful of my presence each day.

I'll be making at least one update on the mission each week on the QAQ Facebook Page, so follow us there if you do not already to hear more about 'Fluffy' and friend!

Till Tuesday, have a great weekend!

~Christine

QAQ's most baroque decorative screen design is by far 'Morocco', a lavish, damask-like pattern that evokes exotic, faraway locations and is capable of creating a truly luxuriously rich decor touch to even the most boring of spaces. I long to see customer project photos of this exquisite design installed in a home or garden that truly suits its sensual style, imagining a colorful, richly decorated room with 'Morocco' used as a room divider to create intimate alcoves, or a decadent, modern glass and mirror living room with it hanging on the wall, cut in a high-gloss ACM color like ruby red, deep purple, or emerald green. Most of the projects I have photos here to show you are with this ornate design in natural wood shade of compressed hardwood in un-decorated settings, and though still gorgeous, they hardly meet up with the decorative impact and potential of this ornate design that I have in my imagination! Would someone please buy this screen and show me otherwise??! Here are the kinds of settings I imagine it suitably installed within and how I imagine it, all of course inspired by its namesake: Morocco!

Patios

In these Moroccan style patios, I imagine the 'Morocco' screen used in the back of each lounge setting, hanging from the patio roof or along the fence in a brightly powder-coated aluminium or mild steel, which are ideal for outdoor settings. In the lower right picture, screens could be used in place of the curtains on the side behind the lounge seats, perhaps in a crisp, white, satin-painted compressed hardwood. Notice three decor elements that are similar in all 4 of these photos that make up the Moroccan style:

1. Stripy rugs

2. Lots of throw pillows

3. Low seating and low furniture

Bedrooms

The 'Morocco' decorative screen could be used as a headboard or hung above the beds in these beautiful bedrooms, especially if it were cut in a smooth and lightweight material like ACM, which comes in a variety of colors--and color is the defining decor element of so many Moroccan styled interiors! Once again, there are throw pillows galore, and a lot of varying textures in soft and hard furnishings.

Living Rooms

Though still Moroccan in style, these living rooms are more minimalist, lighter, and have more modern furnishings than traditional Moroccan interiors. I imagine the 'Morocco' decorative screen cut in pale blue or white ACM and hung as wall decor in the top left picture, a bright red or yellow ACM in the top right, and a pale green or mustard yellow powder-coated aluminium in the bottom right pic. In the bottom left pic, I can't imagine anything more beautiful than 'Morocco' being cut in raw aluminium (which is a beautiful matte silver and very lightweight) and hung on the wall to match the silver chest of drawers.

Now to see the 'Morocco' decorative screen installed: here it is in black powder-coated ACM in an outdoor kitchen area. These screens were cleverly installed on runners so that they can be pulled to the side when needed, like sliding doors.

And here it is installed in a sunroom. Imagine how glorious this room would look when filled with palms, striped rugs, low furnishings, and too many colorful throw pillows...beautiful!

Where & What to Buy For Moroccan Style:

Previously, I've featured some beautiful, but exorbitantly expensive products--no longer! From now on you'll see only affordable products that can be easily purchased, often on eBay and Etsy! Here are just a few:

1.  Moroccan hamsa necklace: via Etsy by The Blue One Designs

2.  Moroccan Tea Glass Set: via eBay here

3.  Throw Pillows: handmade by Chloe and Olive via Etsy

4.  Purple Hanging Hexagon Lamp: via eBay here

5.  Pink Violet Magenta Purple Moroccan Filigree Box: by Merry Meeting Gifts

6. Moroccan Hand painted Corner Table: via eBay here

Hope you enjoyed this little foray into all things Moroccan inspired by our 'Morcooco' decorative screen design. For more Moroccan inspiration, see QAQ's Pinterest board on this design: 'Morocco', alongside pin boards focusing on many other of our screen designs, with a new one each Tuesday!

~Christine

Privacy is what most all of us crave to come home to after a day spent out in the world, so it's an important thing to create if it is lacking both in and just outside of the home. A cozy, enclosed patio or balcony can become an extra lounge room for romantic moments with your partner, and a private backyard or garden can become an inviting place for meditation or yoga--there are just some activities that you don't want your neighbors to be able to see! So if you've recently had your outdoor privacy decimated by your neighbor's new second level bedroom with its window view onto your patio, or if you've always longed for more cozy privacy outside, here are the 4 main ways to achieve it:

1. Privacy Fencing

The first and most obvious choice to new home owners is to build a tall fence. Fences keep the kids and dogs from escaping, the burglars reconsidering burgling, and the demarcation between 'not-mine' and 'mine' tight and secure. Fencing can be basic or elaborate, continuous or broken up into standing panels, as in the first top left picture below. It can be something made from scavenged pieces of wood or, as in the bottom right picture, up-cycled shutter doors!

Decorative screens work exceptionally well with fences to break up the monotony of plain wood, or they can be used to create the entire fence. Here's QAQ's 'Cherry Blossom' in black acrylic, installed over the top of this fence to create a more stylish, Japanese-inspired garden area:

Custom sized and cut screens can also be used to add height onto the top of an existing fence as it was here with QAQ's 'Bamboo' design:

2.  Privacy Hedges & Landscaping

Though it may take a bit more time to create and then to maintain, a long-term plan to grow a tall hedge for increased privacy is the most environmentally sustainable option, and the one that will make your enclosed space feel a lot more like a natural, whilst highly manicured, oasis. There are endless varieties of good hedge species to choose from, with one of the fastest-growing, and tallest being bamboo, as seen in the picture bottom left:

3. Patio Curtains

To enclose a smaller area just around the patio or balcony, a very quick and easy to install option is to hang curtains. Not only will these give the space privacy, they will also shade any area from the sun during the day, and as the afternoon progresses the curtains can be opened or closed along the sides of the patio as the sun moves across the sky. At night, they will make the enclosed space feel like an outdoor room. Curtains that can flow open or be held back by beautiful braided cords and tassels are an especially stylish, romantic decorative feature. Here are some beautiful examples:

4. Decorative Screens

Decorative screens are a newer trend toward creating beauty and privacy, and here at QAQ we are on the forefront of providing the most designs in the largest variety of materials, standard or custom sized, made and sold within Australia. There are so, so many ways screens can be used to create privacy, and all at varying levels of privacy: some provide near total block-out, others are barely there as exotic and intimate, shapely divides.

Here is QAQ's 'Fern Leaf' design installed as a center decorative feature in a patio wall:

For a more DIY, easy installment, screens can simply be hung along a patio ceiling, as with these 'Cayman' screens:

With a bit more planning, a larger structure can be made using screens with a high block-out rating for near total privacy and sun shade, as with these 'Eden' screens in compressed hardwood, painted beige:

Though we can't help you with the first three options, we can definitely help you with the fourth if decorative screens appeal to you! Take a look at our many designs available and contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a quote or more information.

I hope you enjoyed this post and got some inspiration for improving your home!

~Christine