An Ideal Dining Space For 21st Century Living

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

An Ideal Dining Space For 21st Century Living
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

Read more about : Contemporary Furniture, Dining Chairs, Dining Tables

Yankee Candle’s Scary Scents For Halloween Hi-Jinks

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Yankee Candle’s Scary Scents For Halloween Hi-JinksThere’s fear and fantasy in abundance for All Hallows Eve, with Yankee® Candle’s latest collection of fun filled Housewarmer® jar candles and accessories!

Lining the pathway to your door with the new wicked scents, will give the tricksters a real treat this year.
Place the Housewarmer® jars on your windowsill to illuminate your home with a ghostly glow, or use Jack-O-Lantern as a spooky alternative to a pumpkin, illuminating his face to those daring to knock.

Witches Brew offers a dark mix of enchanting fragrances in a bloodcurdling jet black colour way.

Reminiscent of succulent sweeties, Candy Corn is bright orange with a sugary-sweet scent.
The Trick or Treat Housewarmer® Swirl® candle is a mix of two colourways – vibrant orange and creamy white, with an enchanting fragrance of candy corn entwined with luscious buttercream.

Conjure up a creepy but fun atmosphere, by recreating the childhood passion for scary stories and spooky illusions.

The new Halloween fragrances are available in Sampler® Votives, Tea Lights, Small and Medium Housewarmer® jars.
The Swirl® candle is available as a Medium Housewarmer® jar.

Add your choice of spine tingling accessories and place them around your home, to produce a chilling scene guaranteed to give you goosebumps.

The Spider Tea Light Holder, Jack-O-Lantern and votive holders will generate an eerie atmosphere and are sure to set the mood for an enthralling evening of fun and hi-jinks!

To view Yankee Candle’s complete Halloween collection, please visit the website.

Read more about : Home Entertainment, Home Interiors

Yale’s Christmas Home Security Tips

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Yale’s Christmas Home Security Tips Would be thieves are well aware that we all have lots of high value presents in our homes during the festive period and they do their utmost to take advantage.

So Yale are offering some seasonal security advice, to help keep your gifts safe from surprise visitors, other than Santa Claus:

Alarm Systems
It’s important that your home is protected while you’re out visiting family and friends or away on holiday, therefore a security alarm can act as a crucial visual deterrent and will alert neighbours when activated by burglars.
60% of burglaries attempted on homes fitted with an alarm are unsuccessful – Yale’s wirefree alarm kits are quick and easy to install, and offer discreet protection for all types of properties.

External Doors
External timber doors should be secured using a mortice lock and/or night-latch that meets British Standard BS3621 and if you have a PVCu or Composite door, then it is recommended that you upgrade the euro profile cylinder in your multi-point lock to British Standard as well.

Windows
Yale advises that all windows, both upstairs and downstairs, are fitted with at least one appropriate lock. Many burglars will avoid smashing a window and will instead try to force the window frame itself.

Sheds, Garages and Outbuildings
Sheds and garages are often used to store larger, more expensive presents like bicycles and televisions, making them a prime target. Heavy-duty padlocks are recommended for shed doors, whilst anchor locks and cables can secure individual items. Stand alone alarms, which run on battery power, can also be fitted to outbuildings as an extra security measure.

Identity Theft
At Christmas time, you are more susceptible to fraud, as the increase in larger purchases, Internet shopping and a busy social calendar means you are less likely to notice unusual activity on your account. To protect yourself, keep your gift receipts in a home safe that’s bolted securely to the floor or wall.

Answering The Door
Yale recommends fitting a door chain and spy hole to external timber doors to enable you to check who is at the door before opening it.

Personal Safety
Christmas is the official party season but don’t let your fun be ruined by compromising on your safety. With darker nights and more evening social events to attend, it is crucial to remain self-aware when travelling and Yale recommends always carrying a personal attack alarm.

Yale security products are available from your local DIY store, locksmiths or hardware stores.

For more information please visit the website or visit http://www.yalesecuritypoint.co.uk , where you can fill in your details to request a free home safety security survey.

Tel: (01902) 364647

Read more about : Burglar Alarms, DIY Advice, Security Services, Wireless Alarm Systems

Treat Yourself To A New Guest Bed For Christmas

Monday, October 10th, 2011

Treat Yourself To A New Guest Bed For Christmas Christmas – is the perfect time to make sure your guest bedroom is a soothing retreat for relatives and friends to unwind in after their travels – and also to treat yourself to a new bed!

Earlier this year, expert bed makers Warren Evans released an elite new range of beautiful hand-crafted beds at reasonable prices.

These include the Sunday low deco bed (featured here), the chic Contemporary, the eye-catching Richmond, the stylish Slatted and the classic Birch – ideal for sinking into after an indulgent Christmas dinner.

  • Available in nine different finishes to suit any taste, Warren Evans offer homeowners a whole range of possibilities to be enjoyed for generations.
  • Warren Evans have also created a selection of new fitted under-bed storage for the popular Sunday, the timeless Siesta, the traditional Trinity and the beautiful Brahms; ideal for hiding away things you want out of sight. The fitted drawers are only £100 for the pair*, easy to open, compact, and offer 365 whole litres of storage.

As one of England’s largest independent bed makers, Warren Evans put love and care into every handcrafted bed. They use only FSC certified wood in their environmentally friendly workshop in London, making their beds the perfect choice for anyone looking to improve their home this winter.

Warren Evans has been handcrafting bespoke wooden beds for over 30 years.

Beds and furniture are handcrafted in a unique green workshop in London, using energy efficient tools, and best environmental practice.

For expert advice on designing your bedroom, storage and choosing the bed that’s right for you, please visit the Warren Evans website.

*On selected bed ranges only.

Read more about : Bedroom Furniture, Beds, Walk-in Showers, Wardrobes

Kandabi Creates A Desired Atmosphere In A Given Space.

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

Kandabi Creates A Desired Atmosphere In A Given Space. Kandabi is a lighting design studio in Edinburgh, specialising in mood lighting, just right for those wishing to make a space statement in home lighting.

Mood lighting is a term now widely accepted in the interiors world inspired by cinematography:

Just as in film production, it involves the composition of a scene and addition of special effects, to achieve the images desired by the director – so mood lighting for interiors is a critical lighting layer used to create a desired atmosphere in a given space.

“Mood lighting is the indescribable stardust, the ‘special something’ that allows an interior lighting scheme to become more than the sum of its parts.

It is all about injecting extra character into a space through visual drama, a sense of calmness and relaxation, an element of frivolity and fun, a quirky individual touch, or a combination of any of the above.”

Character and individuality is precisely what Kandabi stands for” commented Eva Hammerson, Head of Design, Kandabi.

Perhaps more than any other type of lighting for home interiors, mood lighting has the potential to create a true delineation point between one interior and the next.

Unlike most conventional lighting, mood lighting’s true reason d’être is perhaps less functional and more aesthetic and emotional.

As the interiors world moves into the age of personal interior design, the Kandabi statement wall lighting, (Five star rated by the UK Lighting Magazine) is designed to take centre stage and created to capture the eye, engage the mind, and put a big smile on your face.

From the pop art iconic “LOVE”, to the Japanese philosophy centred “The 4th Monkey”, there is a Kandabi design for everyone out there.

For further Kandabi home lighting inspiration, please visit the website.

Read more about : Home Interiors, Home Lighting

Latest Lounge Seating From Stressless Launched

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

Latest Lounge Seating From Stressless Launched 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/

Read more about : Contemporary Furniture, Custom Furniture, Recliner Chairs, Sofas

The 40W Household Bulb Is About To Get Better

Friday, October 7th, 2011

The 40W Household Bulb Is About To Get BetterLast year IKEA launched, LEDARE (meaning ‘leader’) light bulbs, which are made with Light Emitting Diode technology, which use up to 85% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Now the company has created an LED bulb that looks just like the old light bulbs we know so well:

  • This reduced usage makes a marked difference on electricity consumption and if you save energy, you save both your own money and the earth’s resources.
  • If you decide to replace your bulbs with the new LEDARE E27 8W bulbs, it’s estimated that you won’t have to replace them again for another 20 years. That’s a long time, but it also means big savings!
  • IKEA believe that high prices shouldn’t put you off saving resources, therefore, they are offering the LED 8W bulbs at the lowest price in the market at £10.99 each.

LED lighting also has great benefits such as, energy efficiency, longer lifetime, mercury free, instant start-up, natural colours and of course better design.

LEDARE bulbs will be available from IKEA online in October 2011.

For further information about IKEA’s LED energy home lighting and bulbs, please visit the website.

Read more about : Home Lighting

Enjoy A Family Christmas In Warmth And Comfort

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

EnjoyLooking forward to a joyous family Christmas in warmth and comfort, whilst the snow is deep and crisp outside?

You may well achieve your dream with a Harmony wood-burning stove from Euroheat.

The Harmony collection offers a great choice of stoves including traditional cast iron styling, coupled with the very latest heating technology, to make sure that your home is kept warm and welcoming throughout the festive period and beyond, while keeping that dreaded fuel bill to a minimum in the future.

It is a fact that wood-burning presents an environmentally friendly and energy efficient alternative to conventional heating methods, such as gas and oil.
However, the Harmony collection goes one step further, with the very latest heating and burning technology, to ensure maximum burn time with minimal wood consumption.

This includes a unique Plexus air supply system, which offers accurate stove control for high efficiency and long burning operation, plus Euroheat’s innovative ZR combustion technology, for highly advanced and clean combustion throughout the burning process.

There is nothing more welcoming than the sight of a real fire and with Harmony the view of the flames within the stove remains clear, thanks to the innovative air wash technology that keeps the double glazed door of the stove effortlessly clear and soot-free.

Available in a range of sizes and with various heat outputs to suit any size space, the Harmony wood-burning stove collection offers style and grace in abundance and will guarantee your home is kept warm and inviting, for family and visitors over the Christmas period, enabling you to sit back, relax and let it snow.

For further information and to view the Euroheat Harmony choice of stoves, please visit the website.

Tel: (01885) 491100

Read more about : Fireplaces, Multi Fuel Stoves, Wood Burning Stoves

Create A Truly Flexible And Smart Home Office

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

NCreate A Truly Flexible And Smart Home Office Do you dream of working from home, but have limited space available, so need help to create a truly flexible and smart home office?

Sliding Panels from The Fabric Box offer an ideal solution for generating an office area for young professionals, living in contemporary spaces, for whom adapting a box room is seldom an option.

  • Sliding panels are designed to divide study areas from sleeping, eating or living areas.
  • You can leave the structure permanently closed to conceal the office clutter, or alternatively, pull it back to revert to the existing open plan.
  • Prices for the Sliding Panel in ‘Boho Chic’ in our picture, start from £77.84.

Wherever your working space, a good blind is great for reducing glare and heat build-up, or simply to diffuse light.

There is a blind to suit every office in The Fabric Box collection, including some metallic-backed fabrics for ultimate light reflection.

  • Roman Blind in ‘Lola Bolero’’ are priced from £84.70.

To see The Fabric Boxâ„¢ collection for yourself, visit your nearest stockist or logon to the website.

For stockists – Tel: (0844) 8118280

Read more about : Home Interiors, Venetian Blinds, Vertical Blinds, Window Blinds

Versatile New HandyCutâ„¢ DIY Tool From Worx Icon

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Versatile New HandyCutâ„¢ DIY Tool From Worx IconIntroducing the compact and lightweight HandyCutâ„¢ DIY tool from Worx Icon, which is half the size of standard models, making it a resourceful and desirable tool for dealing with tasks in tight spots easily:

  • The protective blade guard automatically lowers, to enclose the blade for increased safety once cutting is completed.
  • With four interchangeable blades, the HandyCut slices easily through materials such as floorboards, tiles, plastics, wood, aluminium and more, all without the need for another tool.
  • Laser guide technology projects a sharp laser to ensure total precision when sawing and an adjustable gauge lets you control the depth of the cut at the flick of a switch. The blade depth varies up to 22mm, making it easily the best tool for cutting out kitchen surfaces and other plunge cutting tasks in the home.

So forget frightening and bulky circular saws and treat yourself to the versatile Worx HandyCut tool, available exclusively from B&Q. Priced at £99.99.

About Worx Icon – Worx Icon is the latest innovative range from power tools brand, Worx. This multi-use range, offers powerful performance, whilst being ultra-lightweight, incredibly versatile and, in some cases, unbelievably compact.

Read more about : DIY Advice