When I was a girl growing up in the north of England, dining alfresco was sheer luxury. My area has the highest rainfall in Europe, and even though this allowed us perfect rosy complexions, outside rooms were not the norm. As soon as the sun poked through the clouds, my mother would drag out the kitchen table, throw on a checkered tablecloth and shove a bunch of garden flowers into the milk jug. Nothing was better than having lunch outside.
Now, wherever you visit in the world, the millisecond the weather even suggests summer, the patios, balconies and terraces are full. This trend for relaxed outside entertaining has evoked its own lifestyle, and with it the choices for furnishings and accessories are nearly as vast as for our interiors. (more…)
The South West’s brightest design-led furniture showroom uncovers this year’s must have furniture designs
Choosing furniture for your home can prove a tricky business with a number of important factors to consider such as size, shape, colour, style and feel. Not forgetting the very important issues of practicality and comfort, what should be an enjoyable shopping experience can easily become a time consuming and daunting task. (more…)
Let’s be honest: buying bespoke is relatively expensive. Just as you pay for the privilege of a made-to-measure suit, so custom-built furniture will cost you.
So why is it worth contemplat-ing? Well, for starters, you’ll get a piece of furniture that is absolutely right for your space and just what you want. You’ll also get a very high-spec, handmade piece, something that can’t be compared to the average high-street product.
It would be misleading to compare the cost of a bespoke item of furniture with something from Ikea, for example, but set it against some of the price tags of top design firms and you’ll be surprised at how well it compares. (more…)
The human home is now just as much the dog’s. Homeowners who are building or remodeling have taken to considering their pets’ needs as much as they do those of their biped family members, turning “pet-friendly decorating” into industry buzzwords.
This is about more than stylish dog beds that cost upward of $350; this is about stain-resistant fabrics, scratch-resistant flooring, colors that match a pooch’s coat, or out-and-out design and architectural elements.
In Chris Rudolph’s case, the Chicago architect put in “dog overlooks” and a “Doggy Detox,” a large porcelain-tiled shower with hand-held showerhead, when building his Michigan home. (more…)
