Seating, in particular, is often relatively un-stylish. Partly that is practical: people want a comfortable sofa more than one that is nice to look at (and that is more than fair enough – coming home after a hard day’s work to an uncomfortable sofa is not much fun). It is also partly because of a lack of options: it can be difficult to find exciting, well-designed living-room furniture that also meets the needs of a busy family. It’s difficult, but not impossible. There are a few ways to make sure your living-room is as stylish as the rest of your home.

Whole-room design

Putting in a new kitchen generally means ripping everything out and starting again. Very often, that’s not so in the living-room. Sofas and chairs in particular are expensive, so many people tend to make-do with what they already have, even if what they have doesn’t fit their ideas for the rest of the room. If you can’t afford to replace your seating, then try and update it with new covers, or pick out elements in the design of them which you can link to other things in the room (for example, if they have chrome feet, make that part of your theme by bringing in chrome picture frames or a chrome fire surround).

Statement pieces

Living-room seating can be a great way of making a statement, so if you are able to bring in new seating, do. Be brave with the designs you choose and make them the centrepiece of the room. The key to finding something that will really act as a focal point of your living-room is to be imaginative. Look a little further than the high street chains: there are many online suppliers and small ‘boutique’ furniture shops which may be able to help supply something that meets your practical needs and looks great.

Think carefully about the configuration of seating and how it fits the room and space you have. You don’t need to go for a traditional three-piece-suite. A corner sofa or modular system that you can adjust according to how you want to use it can work really well, for example. Another option is to have one large sofa for general family use, and one or two statement chairs which don’t match, but contrast.

Use your imagination

As with any kind of design, let your imagination run riot initially. Then consider whether what you want is practical. If it isn’t, then work out ways to compromise. Everyone has their own style, but if you’re struggling to put a living-room seating design together, perhaps these ideas will give you a kick-start:

-          For sophisticated urban homes limited on space, a leather loveseat combined with a couple of leather chairs can be attractive and flexible.

-          For a retro, sixties look try to get hold of a second-hand Eames chair or a modern copy. This design classic adds instant style to a room.

Go for a luxury look with something more old-fashioned. How about an elegant chaise longue? Or a high-backed wing chair? Both can be either understated, or indulgent, with metallic decoration on the feet and patterned fabric.

-          See if you can make your own seating, or hire a professional to do it. With the requisite carpentry skills and some wood un-used space in a bay window can be turned into a comfortable window seat (make the seat hinged, and you also have some useful storage).

There are, of course, countless other options. Good interior design is about matching up your lifestyle, aspirations and interests to create something that feels like yours. If you love design, don’t allow your living –room to let you down – put some thought into it and make it somewhere you love to relax in.

 Author: Izzy A. Woods

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Tom’s fish course was the most amazing lobster burger and in our opinion was the dish of the day. Of course we are slightly biased I guess as his alternative use of the Mobilo Soap Dispenser as a thermidor mayonnaise dispenser was a stroke of genius.

Of course it’s designed to dispense liquid soap, but why not mayonnaise instead? And this got us thinking. Do you have a Zack product that you use for something other than it’s original design? Let us know. You never know, if the idea is good enough and it works, it could be the next big thing!

See Tom and his fellow competitors, Phil Thompson and Tom Aikens, in action on the BBC iPlayer.

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Energy saving and cost effective additions such as double glazing, eco-friendly radiators and roof insulation will be promoted, as well as other forms of home improvement such as underfloor heating, draught proofing and water efficient tap systems.

To qualify, householders must prove that their energy usage can save money, saving on bills in order to qualify for a share of the £10,000 sum. Anyone hoping to benefit from this should ensure that their boiler and radiators are up to scratch, and that they have ideas for further improvements.

Ministers claim that the scheme could boost the economy by up to £2.5 billion and create up to 70,000 jobs. The initial costs are to be covered by retailers and utility providers, with the idea being that the home-owner repays the cost of the improvements over a 25-year period, with small additions to their utility bills.

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Stuart Baxendell, managing director of OOZOO UK, commented:

The success of OOZOO watches over the past year meant it was a logical next step to build an online shop. One of our primary objectives is to showcase a large range of watches to compliment and support our growing retail network. With more than 400 watches for men, women and children and many variations in size, shape, style and colour, there’s a watch to suit every taste. The collection also includes many larger faced watches (up to 52mm diameter), which are so “on-trend” at the moment. With retail prices starting at just £39.95 (to £129.95) OOZOO watches make an affordable gift for any occasion.

In addition to the website OOZOO is expanding its retail network across the UK – growing in size to match the Dutch (600 outlets) and German (800 outlets) markets.

With Christmas on the horizon we think that OOZOO has timed this just right. Check out the site at www.oozoowatches.co.uk

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Crohn’s and Colitis UK aims to improve life for everyone affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), the most common forms being Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which affect about 250,000 people in the UK.

The charity helps its members by providing support for sufferers of these diseases and their families, through newsletters, booklets, helplines and a website.

Feature Radiators’ General Manager, Helena Gerwitz, a Crohn’s sufferer, has been inspired to help as she has personally found Crohn’s and Colitis UK essential for support and advice.

As a member, I am sent useful information that helped me prepare for my surgery and for the ongoing management of my condition. My consultant is fantastic but when you have a quick question that needs answering, then Crohn’s and Colitis UK is my first point of call.

In appreciation for the advice and guidance she has received from the charity, Helena was keen to give something back and help to maintain these services for years to come.

Helena approached her directors with a proposition.

I thought it’s Red Hot Day, so why not have a Red Hot radiator! I sourced a fantastic contemporary radiator, in stock in both red and chrome, at a competitive price that would really appeal to our customers but also tied in with the “Red Hot” theme. And our directors kindly agreed to donate a percentage of the sale price! I couldn’t believe it!

Feature Radiators have agreed that for a month, from 15^th October till 15^th November 2010, 20% of the price of their brand new Red Hot radiator will go to Crohn’s and Colitis UK! Helena is confident that this could be a real fund-raiser, as well as being a fantastic addition to people’s homes.

Feature Radiators based in Bingley, West Yorkshire is the UK’s leading retailer of contemporary, designer, traditional cast iron and electric radiators and heated towel rails, providing quality and design as well as value for money.

Crohn’s and Colitis UK
Charity registered in England Number: 1117148
Charity registered in Scotland Number: SC038632
A company limited by guarantee in England. Company number: 5973370

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Feature Radiators is a clear illustration of how quickly the industry has been to respond to consumer demand for attractive, efficient, well designed radiators, with an impressive range of products made from a wide range of eco-friendly materials and including attractive valves with thermostatic controls. As well as the traditional heating systems that are powered by gas or oil, there are now some superb all electric systems that can take advantage of alternative fuels but can also act as “central heating”.

The celebration really kicked off the heating season as well as demonstrating the progress we have made in keeping our homes warm and cosy.

For more information contact Helena at Feature Radiators on 01274 515734 or email.

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Architects and Jersey City citizens Richard Garber (assistant professor at NJ Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture and Design in Newark) and Nicole Robertson of GRO Architects in NYC rose to the challenge of constructing and overseeing the building of a single-family house that’s a genuine proof of both progressive design and environmental-friendly technology.

Denis Carpenter not long ago purchased a compact vacant lot and, to achieve his concern for the environment, wanted a residence that was efficient and very easy to maintain.

What’s so particular about this home?

- Inside the home, on the floor level, radiant heating below the exposed cement floor warms the full bathing room and two bedrooms.

- In the attic-like 2nd level, sleek aluminum and stainless steel railings accent the bamboo stairway to the mezzanine, family room and an artfully designed kitchen made with restored devices and cabinetry.

- Passive cooling strategies like ceiling fans and clerestory windows allow occupants to be cool during summer months and hot during winter.

- The roof contains 260 feet square of photovoltaic panels that deliver around 2,000 kilowatts of energy per year to a battery stored in the basement.

This single family 1,600-square-foot home was constructed in six months and won a 2009 American Institute of Architects merit award and the 2010 Green Building of the Year Award from the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

Ok now what? How can you transform your home into an ecologically-friendly home without investing too much money?

If you’re remodeling a home, execute an energy review first to help you determine what energy efficiency improvements should and can be made to your home. In this way you’ll calculate how much energy your home consumes.

My favorite eco-friendly technique is the passive solar cooling/heating design.

Passive solar signifies that your home’s windows, walls, and floors can be created to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer.

Existing buildings can be adapted or “retrofitted” to passively collect and store solar heat too.

The following five elements constitute a comprehensive passive solar home design:

The Collector – The area through which sunlight enters the building (usually windows).

The Absorber – The hard, darkened surface of the storage element. Sunlight hits the surface and is absorbed as heat.

The Thermal Mass – The elements that retain or store the heat generated by sunlight below or behind the absorber surface.

The Distributor – The method by which solar heat circulates from the collection and storage points to different areas of the house.

The Controller – Roof overhangs can be used to shade the aperture area during summer season or Thermostats that signal a fan to turn on.

The author – Cynthia Booth – shares knowledge for the architecture careers blog. It’s a nonprofit web site dedicated to provide help for young architects who need resources for their careers. With this she would like to increase the attention on eco-friendly home design and change the general public conception of energy efficiency.

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To inspire people into solving the issue and bring awareness to the situation, one of the world’s largest home appliance makers, Electrolux, will go to the scene of the crime and gather plastic from the plastic islands and, from the material gathered, turn it into vacuum cleaners.

The global initiative is called “Vac from the Sea” and aims to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and at the same time combat the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances.

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They say “We do not want plastic bags. We want sustainable design.”

Their mantra is “reduce, reuse, recycle.”

used by you… Armadillo is an art object intended to be used by you. Hot stuff for cool people!

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The Office on Wheels, or het Kruikantoor which is a combination of the Dutch (I think) words for wheelbarrow and office which seems apt! It certainly brought a smile to my face.

Manufactured from polystyrene with a hotspray polyurea coating and available in a wide variety of colours it pretty much does what it says on the tin. The image speaks for itself I guess.

Practical? Probably not. Amusing? Certainly. Clever? Absolutely.

What do you think?

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