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.

HRH Charles Prince of Wales launched an initiative last year to encourage the use of wool, – promoting it as an eco-friendly, versatile, fashionable and durable material.

The enormously successful campaign centred around Wool Week last autumn and this year, it is scheduled for 5th - 11th September, for which the Yorkshire bed maker, Harrison Spinks is an official partner in the promotion.

Harrison Spinks prides itself on rearing its own flock of sheep for wool, which is then used in manufacturing its mattresses:

• Yorkshire wool is not only the best wool to use for its resilience and breathability, it also reduces the carbon footprint of the wool from 12,000 miles by container ship from Australia, to a maximum of 100 miles.

• The Harrison Spinks Farm provides wool for all three of its brands – Harrison, Sonmus and Spink & Edgar.

The use of locally sourced natural fillings in mattresses has many benefits.
As well as being kinder to the environment, materials such as hempure and British wool, help to regulate body temperature during sleep and promote a restful night – ensuring comfort, resilience and breathability.

For further information about the Harrison Spinks Farm and the processing of raw materials into mattresses, please visit the website.

Urban dwellers and novice gardeners throughout the UK are to be encouraged to grow their garden knowledge and transform their tired, outdoor space as part of Ronseal’s Urban Gardens Week 2011.

The leading woodcare manufacturer has announced Urban Gardens Week 2011 will take place for the third year running between 11th and 18th April 2011.

With many urbanites shunning the green fingered approach to gardening and neglecting their often overlooked outdoors spaces, the week aims to encourage and empower novice gardeners, providing easy-to-follow inspiration and support.

Urban Gardens Week 2011 will again be supported by celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock, who will provide advice and top tips on how to improve your urban space, whether you own a new build with a blank canvas or have simply inherited an overgrown mess!

• Throughout the week a series of template garden designs will be available for easy download and execution, offering a range of simple styles to suit even the most novice of gardeners.

• Ronseal will also be linking with conservation charity, The Woodland Trust, official partners of the week, highlighting the environmental and economic value, of planting just one tree in domestic gardens and showing urbanites how native trees can flourish in even the smallest of spaces.

Novice gardeners - turn your forgotten gardens into green havens with Ronseal!

First time buyers - grow your green fingers to get your dream garden!

For more information about Urban Gardens Week, please visit the website.

Upgrading the kitchen is currently the most popular home improvement and the organisers of The Kitchen & Bathroom Show, at the Harrogate International Centre from 5th to 7th November, have come up with some great top tips to help you create that dream kitchen.

Also if you’re looking to extend, improve, enhance or even build your own home, then pay a visit to the co-located Homebuilding & Renovating Show with over 200 exhibitors.
Tickets to The Kitchen and Bathroom Show give entry to both Shows.

Create a Personal Storyboard
Start by imagining yourself in the kitchen and think about the way you like to cook, entertain or spend time with friends and family. Cut out pictures of kitchens that inspire you, collect samples and build up a storyboard of styles, appliances, colours and materials. Add an outline plan of your kitchen with dimensions and positions of windows and doors. Now you’re ready to speak to the experts.

Get Advice from the Experts
Take your storyboard to one or two kitchen design experts – most good kitchen companies offer this service; the best ones ask you lots of questions about your home, lifestyle and tastes, to build up a clear picture of what you are looking for.

Then Visit The Kitchen & Bathroom Show and book a one-to-one consultation at The Kitchen & Bathroom Design Experience, an individual design, advice and information centre with experts from The Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom Specialists Association.

Consider the Golden Triangle
The golden triangle connects the three main work areas – the sink, cooker and fridge and the principle of the ideal ‘work triangle’ is that these appliances are no more than 2.7 metres from one another. The space between should be kept clear of obstructions and cabinets so that you have no restriction of movement when you’re cooking.

Working the Surfaces
Choosing the right work surfaces is an all important decision, as they often define the ‘look’ of a kitchen. And remember you can never have enough!

Creating the Mood with Lighting
Separate your lighting into zones to meet the needs of the different areas in your kitchen. Bright lights should be focused directly over your work triangle with the option of softer lighting over the dining and/or relaxation area.

Your dream kitchen should reflect your personality and lifestyle and meet your future needs. Having a bespoke kitchen isn’t always a more expensive option so do consider the individual kitchen design companies that can’t be found on the High Street.

If you’re looking for the latest innovations and inspirational designs, then a visit to the UK’s only dedicated Kitchen & Bathroom Show, at the Harrogate International Centre from 5th to 7th November is a must.

Tickets to The Kitchen & Bathroom Show are £5 in advance and £8 on the day (children under 16 go free).

For more information please visit the show website.
Tel: (0844) 5811306.

The Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition returns to SECC Glasgow on 27th - 29th August 2010, presenting a three-day showcase of what’s hot in the world of interiors.

Now in its sixth year, Scotland’s leading home event is set to be bigger and more stylish than ever, with an impressive array of design attractions and over 100 exhibitors for visitors to enjoy.

The breathtaking Interior Design Showcase makes a welcome return, with eight of Scotland’s top interior designers working their magic on a different room of the house.

Outdoor spaces aren’t neglected either with a Trend-setting Show Garden, so no matter what area of the house is needing a make-over, visitors are sure to pick up some great decorating tips thanks to the awe-inspiring room-sets.

In the Design Theatre, a packed programme of talks and demonstrations boasts slots from world-renowned furniture designer Tim Gosling, sessions from leading interior designers and architects plus flower classes by Mood Flowers.

Foodies will love the Cookery Demonstrations by award-winning Scottish chef and restaurateur Tony Singh, Scottish Chef of the Year, while the Scottish Chocolate Centre will be holding mouth-watering chocolate-tasting sessions.

Afterwards visitors can cleanse their palate and learn how to tell their ‘legs’ from their ‘noses’ with delicious wine-tasting workshops hosted by Pete Stewart from Inverarity One to One fine wines.

Key Information:
Homes & Interiors Scotland Exhibition 2010, SECC, Glasgow.
Opening times: 10am until 5pm, Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August 2010.
Advance tickets £7 (plus £1 booking fee) from www.ticketsoup.com
Tel: (0844) 395 4000.
On-the-door tickets, £10 per person.

BRITAIN’S most loved consumer event; The Ideal Home Show, is to be officially revamped to its former glory in time for the next show, running from the 20th March – 5th April 2010 at London’s Earls Court.

The famous, trend-setting show that made home-making a national passion, will be returning for its 102nd year, with a completely new and revamped format; offering a 17-day long event, packed full of the latest trends, technological advancements, and design innovations; the show embraces social attitudes of 21st Century living.

The new-look Ideal Home Show will explore the world of home interiors and style with a fresh, new inspiring and entertaining show format that combines EIGHT shows in one, offering:

Ideal Home Improvements, Ideal Village, Ideal Food, Ideal Gardens, Ideal Shopping, Ideal Woman, Ideal Gadgets, Ideal Interiors, as well as expert advice on everything from DIY, to fine dining, gadgets and pampering, with a host of celebrity guests across the 17 days; there’s something for the whole family, all rolled into one.

The show will take visitors through an exciting and spectacular showcase, unveiling a series of industry firsts, UK product launches and interactive features, as well as looking at topical issues such as social housing, homes and property trends, interiors, how to go green in the home and save money, offering inspirational living for everyone, to help consumers achieve their ultimate, Ideal Home.

The show organizers said, “We want to welcome visitors from every corner of the UK to come and experience and enjoy, the brand new Ideal home show, an event that we aim to make the UK’s most unmissable event of the year”.

The 2010 event takes place across 17 days, at Earls Court from 20th March – 5th April 2010.
Ticket Information:

Weekday Adult: On Door - £15 In Advance - £10.
Weekend Adult: On Door - £17 In Advance - £12.

Tickets can be either booked online or by calling the Ticket Hotline on (0844) 415 4144.

For further information about the show and to purchase tickets online visit the website.

House prices are starting to rise, private sector building applications are significantly up, plots of land are selling quickly.

All good news for The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show, on at the NEC from 18th to 21st March, and the biggest self build and renovation consumer event in the UK, attracting over 40,000 visitors each year.

“There is definitely a growing optimism amongst the self-build community,” said Jason Orme, Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine. “House prices have increased, particularly in the South East, and houses are selling faster, releasing the capital many homeowners need to finance their building project.”

This confidence in the self-build market is mirrored by recent comments from Vicky Bayliss, Manager of www.plotfinder.net, a comprehensive online land-finding service. “Plots of land, including those that have been around for a while, are now selling quickly, particularly over the last few months. We expect this trend to continue throughout 2010.”

Latest figures from NHBC, covering September to November 2009, reveal that the number of private sector applications (commercial and domestic) to build new homes in the UK were up by 74% to 18,617 from 10,719 during the same period in 2008.

With the opportunity to acquire an individually designed home and achieve a potential saving of up to 30% compared to the cost of buying a similar sized house, it is hardly surprising that the self-build route is an increasingly attractive option.

Whether you are self-building, renovating, extending or wanting to make the most of your home, now is a great time to visit The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show.

The Show offers over 450 exhibitors, 112 free seminars and masterclasses, The Eco Home Show, ‘Ask the Experts’, Independent Advice Areas and much more.

The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show is on at the NEC, Birmingham, from 18th to 21st March 2010.

For more information and tickets, visit www.homebuildingshow.co.uk.
Tickets are £10 in advance, by calling (0844) 5811377

or £14 on the door (children under 16 go free).

Whether you’re building a home from scratch, doing some serious home improvements, converting renovating an old property to create a stylish new home, The National Self Build & Renovation Show (February 26 – 28th) at Lydiard Fields, Swindon is a must!

Each day, the Show has four theatres hosting seminars from more than 25 specialists; live demos featuring installations of hardwood flooring,
wood-burning stoves, insulated brick-slip cladding, and living roofs.

Walking workshops through the self build education zone and over 250 companies showcasing their products; plus and one-to-one appointments with over 20 industry experts and professionals.

As one of the most popular events in the National Self Build & Renovation Centre’s calendar, you can expect to see all the big names, such as:
Potton, Wolseley, Velux, EDF Energy, Framewise, Baxi, VillaVent, and Eurobrick.

The experts on hand to share their self build and renovation wisdom include:
Architects, project managers, Building Control officers, SAP Assessors, mortgage advisors, and CAD Designers.

For free tickets and more information, visit the Buildstore website.

Tel: (0845) 223 4455

Herend will be showing the largest collection of their popular VH or Fish Scale figurines at Thomas Goode, who will also display these beautiful animals in their dedicated Zoo Window for Christmas from November 9th.

In addition Herend has introduced a new special colour – emerald green – which is available exclusively at Thomas Goode in Mayfair, London until spring next year, when it goes on general sale.

These popular fish-scale figurines from Herend in Hungary, stir up a passion for collecting no matter what your age.
You might have been given a baby bunny rabbit as a child and been collecting ever since, or recently fallen in love with a great lion spotted in a china shop and now can’t wait for the next one!

These colourful figurines of animals in all shapes and sizes, appeal to people for all sorts of reasons; some collect specific species like frogs or dogs, others a special colour to go with their décor, whilst some have a selection of animals in various colours.

About 400 different animals will be on sale at prices ranging from £54 to £1200. Featured here is The Tortoise.

The History.
This type of Herend figure dates back to 1860, when the first little figurine of a cockerel was painted in VH colours for the famous author Mór Jókai who used the penname ‘cockerel’ in the newspapers.

The pattern itself is older, for it appears on early Chinese porcelain figures as a stylized representation of bird feathers and fish scales.

The Chinese forerunner, like so many other motifs originating in the Far East, was given a distinctively Herend touch that integrated into the style characteristic of the manufactory.
Herend revived the earlier décor in the second half of the 20th century. Since then, more than 400 figures have been designed in the VH or fish-scale pattern.

Visit the Herend website to view this gorgeous collection.

Habitat has launched the ‘this is my Habitat’ competition, by inviting people across the UK to dig out their cameras and share with them  - What Makes Their House A Home.

Helena Christensen, who fronts Habitat’s ‘this is my Habitat’ campaign, will judge the competition, which is intended to give enthusiasts of design and interiors, a platform to share with others their own style, and show the Great British public what inspires them.

With almost two thirds (62%) of Brits feeling that their home urgently needs a revamp, but unsure where to start, now’s the perfect time to share sources of inspiration.
Anyone can enter, whether you are a budding interior designer, have a unique living space, or simply feel house-proud.

All entrants need to do is upload a photograph of themselves, in a room which best represents their sense of style and eye for interiors, accompanied by a short explanation, of what makes that space so special at www.thisismyhabitat.co.uk.

Habitat research recently found that one in five homeowners, trawl through ‘friends’ pictures on social networking sites, hoping to find design inspiration for themselves.
The public will vote for their favourite home via the campaign website, before Helena and the panel of judges decide on the winner.

Helena, who has shared her own unique style and design philosophy throughout the campaign, will be looking for a photo, which reflects and celebrates the entrant’s home, individuality and style.

• The overall winner will become the next face of Habitat’s ‘this is my Habitat’ campaign.

• The prize includes a photo shoot in London, an overnight stay at a 5* star London hotel, plus £1,000 worth of Habitat vouchers.

• ‘this is my Habitat’ aims to inspire everyone from the independent thinkers, to the creatively curious and those who just don’t know where to start.

• A selection of photographs will be exhibited in Habitat stores across the country in 2010, as well as online at www.thisismyhabitat.co.uk, until the winner is announced in February.

• There will also be £100 Habitat vouchers available for 34 runners up, one from each Habitat store in the UK.

The competition closing date is 31st January 2010 and is open to UK residents aged 18 and over. Terms and conditions apply.

To enter visit ‘this is my Habitat’ competition website.

Tel: Lynsey Morris on (020) 7025 6430