The Annual Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition is returning to Glasgow’s SECC on the 28th – 30th October 2011, bringing together a wide range of exciting attractions to improve your home and lifestyle.

Show highlights include the inspiring Interior Design Showcase, where the country’s leading interior designers show their unique takes on six different rooms sets, a Kids’ Zone filled with fabulous ideas for children and, for the first time, a Christmas Fair featuring luxurious gifts and stimulating décor ideas.

The Talented Makers section is returning to the show for a second year, presenting the work of the country’s finest up-and-coming furniture and craft makers.

Editor’s Picks, the show’s most popular attraction, features modern and contemporary designs from around the world, plus talks by one of the UK’s leading artists and interior designers, and President Elect of the British Institute of Interior Design, Sue Timney.

The Exhibition will also present a host of high profile chefs, landscapers and gardeners, who will be on hand over the weekend sharing their tips, tricks of the trade and trend predictions for 2012.

The exhibition will be split into zones with exhibitors grouped together by sector, to make it easier than ever to find exactly what you’re looking for.

There will even be a state of the art cinema room, kitted out in the latest high tech gadgets from Loud & Clear, plus a demonstration area.

Presentations will take place over the weekend in the show’s Design Theatre, in addition to TV personalities including interior designer John Amabile.

Meanwhile the hugely popular champagne bar and wine tasting area, will give you the chance to take a break from browsing to sample some fine tipples.

There will also be a host of retailers exhibiting with something to suit every style and budget.

Key Information:

• Opening times: 10am until 5pm, Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011. Advance tickets £7

• From ticket soup: £7 (plus £1 booking fee) www.ticketsoup.com or 0844 395 4000.

• On-the-door tickets, £10 per person.

For more detailed information on the Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition, please visit the website.
Tel: (0141) 567 6025

The featured picture - courtesy of Amabile Designs.

In past times a separate dining room with dining table and chairs was fashionable and kept especially for entertaining occasions throughout the year rather than for daily use.

Now the modern trend favours an open plan central dining space as the hub of the home, thus changing our styles in the process.
The 21st Century catchphrase ‘kitchen/diner’ is used to describe how most of us structure our kitchen and eating areas, to suit the flow of modern life.

Most of us now require a family friendly space that enables us to multi-task during the week, but also provides a dining area large enough to accommodate gatherings of family and friends to enjoy at the weekend.

Responding to this call for for multi-functional living, Leekes have introduced the new Calligaris range, an ideal selection of dining tables in true Italian style that will set your home apart from the rest:

To compliment the luxury of your separate dining space, why not treat yourself and go for an elegant oval dining table?

The Odyssey table and six chairs - featured here, is more sociable than a square or rectangular model and portrays the ultimate in modern sophistication, with a hardwood veneer base and tempered glass top. It also features an automatic opening system, which allows it to be easily extended while maintaining the oval shape. Priced at £3599, New York chair, £180.

A quiet corner - The Planet round table with four Jam chairs and weighted pedestal base, is ideal if your kitchen space is too small to seat six or eight, but has room for a smaller breakfast table. Priced at £999, L’Eau Chair, £110 each.

Stylish and practical - The Baron extending table will tick every box if you wish to combine a designer look with everyday needs. Made from a contemporary combination of 11mm thick laminated ceramic glass, it extends to 240cm, allowing you to seat up to ten guests at a time. Priced at £1459, or with four L’Eau chairs £1899.

To view the entire new Leekes ranges of dining room furniture, please visit the website.

For your nearest Leekes store Tel: (0845) 050

As Gold Sponsors of The Scandinavia Show, 8-9 October, Earls Court, modern-day sofas brand Stressless (made by Ekornes in Norway,) will present their finest in comfort and style there.

To celebrate its 40th birthday this year, the brand will feature a wide selection of sofas, chairs and contemporary recliners.

There are 13 modern sofa collections to choose from; several having corner seats and others can also be arranged in modular style. The majority have reclining high and low backs.

Some of the most recent designs include the ultra modern E200 model, (pictured here) which has an exceptionally paired down shape.

Alternatively the E300 has more of a traditional retro feel, with more curved contours. Both designs have seats that gently tilt behind the knees for comfort, when sitting and return to flat when lounging.

Also in our picture is the Magic, which is new in the recliner range and presented as the most comfortable model to date. Introduced to celebrate the 40th birthday year.

The stylish Blues and Jazz, which also has a retro edge, will be showcased alongside the classic Royal.

There are also three sofa groups designed for home cinema enthusiasts:
The Arion, Space and Wave can be linked in a combination of groups with sector or arm units. These units offer handy storage provision, as well as mini tables for drinks and snacks.

Stressless also stock a selection of ottomans and occasional tables in glass, steel or wood combinations.

The brand also provides a helpful online design feature, to enable you to plan seating combinations in units to fit your room space and to select, fabric, leather and wood colours.

To view the complete Stressless furniture collections and the colourful lifestyle brochure, please visit the website.

http://scandinaviashow.co.uk/

Arighi Bianchi the inspiring home interiors store is introducing a number of new ranges for its own label Merit Collection, including sofas, dining sets, beds and bedroom furniture.

The Merit Collection products comply with the store’s well-known design and presentation quality, but at surprisingly reasonable prices.

The initial new range to appear is the typically beautiful Ercol inspired Isola range of dining and occasional pieces, which is defined by its stimulating look and bold styling:

• The range is designed to fit effortlessly into classic and contemporary settings, with high-quality materials and practical finishing touches.

• Products include the Isola console table (£399) lamp table (£199), entertainment unit (£345), wide sideboard (£699), wide mirror (£129), coffee table, in our picture (£349), dining table (£455), upholstered chair (£199) and bookcase (£699) all crafted from a blend of oak veneers and sculpted solid oak legs,

Arighi Bianchi’s Merit Collection embraces over 290 traditional and contemporary design pieces, with a reliable level of quality and style that has become the Arighi Bianchi trademark. All are now available to buy online.

To view the entire collection, please visit the website.

Arighi Bianchi is one of Britain’s great ground breaking businesses and first began selling inspirational interiors from its Cheshire home in 1854.

Julia Kendell, interior designer, well known for her dramatic room schemes on TV makeover programmes such as DIY SOS and 60 Minute Makeover, has teamed up with Spaceslide, the sliding wardrobe door supplier.

Julia demonstrates how fitted wardrobes offer more than just a practical feature for a bedroom, but can become the main focal point to achieve some of the hottest home interior design trends for 2012.

Reflective And Relaxing (In our picture.)
A wall of mirrored wardrobe doors doesn’t have to be dreary –, but certainly makes a room feel twice the size.

The furniture is the lead feature of this room, where the doors complement the look and are just ideal for a spare room.

White and mirrored surfaces have all round, timeless appeal, so you can play around and update with coloured walls and accessories.

This calming mint scheme has a touch of glitz – where the metallic element in the wallpaper complements the wardrobe doors. This room delivers a New England feel with a contemporary twist. The use of reflective surfaces adds perspective and dimension.

Julia’s top tips for this room:
Mirrored doors make a room look bigger, but a sandblasted/mirrored mix gives the impression that there is a room behind the panel – adding another dimension.

The wallpaper panel adjacent to the feature wall provides a balance to the room and is an inexpensive alternative to artwork.

You can use either door architrave or a mitre block to create a frame that’s then glued to the wall, or wallpaper a strip of wallpaper to the wall and stick the architrave around it.

Other styles available include:

Contemporary Asian Style
The Asian influence of the Oriental Bar design on the sliding wardrobe doors led the theme for this room, and this is going to be hot look for 2012 predicts Julia

Catwalk Cool
Ideal for cool couples and sexy singletons, the frameless sleek lines of this mix and match wardrobe, provide a great backdrop to other design elements in the room.

Playtime
Keep playrooms clutter free to let fun feature walls take centre stage with the clever and practical use of sliding door wardrobes.

Spaceslide.co.uk is one of the UK’s largest online stores for made-to-measure sliding wardrobe door systems and wardrobe storage solutions

Julia Kendell’s six exclusive designs for Spaceslide can be viewed online, and clearly show how sliding wardrobe doors can suit all styles of bedroom interior, whether classic, traditional or trendy in design.

Tel: (0800) 9803499

The studio and workshop of British clock designer Charlie Turner, is located a few miles from the coast on the Cornish Moors.

Long-case or grandfather clocks usually conjure up images of large and impressive pieces of furniture made from dark woods, like those seen in many grand country houses or old school libraries.

However, Charlie Turner designer, sculpture, artist and horologist is breaking the mould when it comes to clock design. Each of his unique and eye-catching clocks is designed and made by hand in Cornwall.

His exciting new approach to furniture design has led to the launch of his own collection of contemporary grandfather clocks:

• Made from natural timbers and designed to reflect minimal and contemporary lifestyles, his designs are thoroughly modern.

• Although Charlie’s sculptural clocks appear simplistic in style, the quality of the technology incorporated within the designs is every bit as intricate and precise as classic timepieces.

• Featured here is the Helix Contemporary Clock - this ultra modern design is his latest creation. Priced at: £4550.00.

Charlie Turner explains “I get inspiration from all around me, the sea, the coast, the Cornish landscape. I am always on the lookout for materials, colours and shapes that would never be associated with clocks, from the rocks, driftwood and the amazing range of colours in the sea”.

The process of creating a new contemporary clock design is a long and meticulous process and Charlie has spent several years perfecting his collection prior to its launch.

This month Charlie Turner will be presenting his collection of contemporary clocks with the launch of his own brand ‘Charlie Turner Designs’.

A new website showcasing the 2011 Collection of Charlie Turner Designs will be launched soon.

Tel: (01208) 75696

BeanBagBazaar, the leading UK designer and retailer of bean bags and bean-filled furniture, has announced the launch of a unique and exclusive range of two-in-one chairs.

The company’s new design in bean-filled furniture takes space-saving, adaptable furniture to a whole new level.

The Do2 Home range of bean bag chairs can be quickly altered from one product into another, with a novel system of transferring the bean filling:

The Do2 Home in our picture

• Features a bean-packed ottoman that unzips in seconds to become a squishy, bean bag seat.

• The Do2 is one of the first two-in-one products of its kind to hit the UK marketplace.

The classic XL bean bag doubles up as a full size lounger mattress, ideal as a spare bed for guests.

Mark Dolder, managing director of BeanBagBazaar said, “This flexibility in shape and function is increasingly in demand, as consumers look for adaptable furniture to suit open-plan living and a more fluid lifestyle.

“With half of all new UK homes now being built as flats or maisonettes, we know there is a lot of competition for space in the home. Consumers increasingly want products that ease the pressure.”

The Do2 Home range is now available to buy online, exclusively from the BeanBagBazaar website, priced from £89.99.
Both new products are demonstrated with videos on the website.

About

BeanBagBazaar is part of The Bazaar Group of furniture designers who have taken the original 1970s beanbag concept, and transformed it into a range of innovative bean-filled furnishings for adults, children, babies, pets and gaming enthusiasts.

To view the complete ranges of BeanBagBazaar’s bean-filled furnishings, please visit the website.

Iconic Interiors are presenting a large range of classic, inspired designs, identifiable from the 60’s through to the 70’s and beyond, to coincide with Andy Warhol’s birthday in August this year.

Iconic Interiors are passionate about immaculately designed contemporary furniture.

They are dedicated to reproducing unique iconic designs, inspired by famous designers such as Robin Day, Josef Hoffmann, Florence Knoll, Arne Jacobsen, Charles and Ray Eames,Eero Aarnio, Eero Saarinen, Eileen Gray, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer and Verner Panton.

Featured here is the Egg Chair Orange - Designed by Arne Jacobsen:

• Upholstered in Orange Cashmere Wool.

• Rigid foam shell, base has tilt function and a swivel base.

• Dimensions H104, W87 and D77 cm.

• Available upholstered in either wool or full aniline leather.

• Colours available are Red, Orange and Blue Cashmere, Wool or Black, Brown and Tan Leather.

• Priced from £560 Wool or £682 Leather.

The team at Iconic Interiors have a real enthusiasm for interiors and classic design and create clearly identifiable pieces, which look as fresh and modern today as they did in past times.

Authenticity and craftsmanship is of the upmost importance to Iconic Interiors. By working closely with their suppliers, they ensure that every item is of the highest quality and is a faithful reproduction of the original design, resulting in stunning furniture, which will last for many years.

These contemporary classics include chairs (occasional, office and dining), sofas, tables, chaise-longues and day-beds.

To view the complete Iconic Interiors collection of 60/70’s contemporary furniture, please visit the website.

Tel: (0800) 9155 313

IKEA has announced the launch of their curvy new ISALA range, which has been motivated by Swedish furniture of past-times, with modern details like thicker legs for a fresh appearance.

We all try to add our individual style to our homes, to gratify our desire to live with beautiful fashionable furniture.

IKEA has the perfect pieces to help you realize your ideal style, whether you’re adding a new coffee table to the living room or a laptop table in the bedroom:

• The ISALA colours are of soft and muted lilac and grey tones, which work well with white and various wood finishes. ISALA also co-ordinates well with their HEMNES range of furniture.

• Some pieces in the collection have feature details such as locks, or deep and adjustable shelves and soft-closing drawers.

• The tall legs make cleaning easy and thanks to the additional floor protectors, your floor will be safe from wear and scratching.

• The ISALA range is designed by Johanna Asshoff and Hanna Brogård and would fit easily into any area of your home, from the living room to the hallway.

Prices for ISALA: From the left in our picture are the ISALA cabinet, £179.00; laptop table, £149.00; side table, £159.00; sideboard, £220.00; coffee table, £179.00; another side table, £159.00.

Available from August 2011.

Visit the website to view more of IKEA’s trendy furniture ranges.

Work-related stress is suffered by many people in the UK, due to the damaging effects caused by poor posture while sitting at a desk all day, which often results in exhaustion and even illness.

When sitting, strain on the spine’s vertical discs can be up to 90 per cent higher when compared to standing, so it’s essential to unwind in comfort on returning home.

In response to this widespread problem, Furniture Village has launched two new exciting departments, the Zerostress and Relax Studio.

Zerostress

• The Zerostress recliner chair removes stress from the vertebral column, while supporting the neck, creating a totally new sitting experience.

• Each product ensures maximum comfort and support for the spine. Using patented technology, Zerostress chairs not only recline effortlessly, but tilt smoothly and respond spontaneously to bodyweight movement.

• The Zerostress range has a Superlastic interior foam that ensures lasting comfort as it warms and moulds to the body’s shape.

There are over 100 different leather and colour options to choose from and an enormous selection of models available offering a wide variety of functions and extras including head bolsters, side tables and adjustable footstools.
The in-store advisors at Furniture Village are trained to ensure your individual needs are met.

Relax Studio The St Lucia collection from the Relax Studio pictured here, perfectly blends contemporary style with pure relaxation:

• Created using high quality leather and cushion fillings, every piece has a fully adjustable headrest, allowing you to choose between lower back support and high back head support.

• St Lucia Modular Sofais priced from £1,599 and the St Lucia Chair £529.

For further information and to view the Furniture Village Zerostress collection, please visit the website.

Tel: (0800) 7833 833