blog:proleno

Invite birds in with the multi-award winning Window Bird Feeder designed by Pascal Charmolu and manufactured from recycled plastic by Born In Sweden.

An innovative bird feeder that encourages small birds to feed next to a window. Perfect for apartments & flats where a garden is just not possible.

The bird feeder can be mounted on any smooth window pane, thanks to an innovative double-sided suction cup. The carefully selected materials can cope with extreme temperatures as well as UV rays. It is designed for small birds and features a drainage hole at the base of the bowl.

Available in the UK from Stylish Life.

Warm days and evenings in the garden may not be upon us yet but already, especially after this long and cold winter, people are starting to think about their gardens and the quality time that can be spent there.

For some authentic Italian culture in your garden, the stylish Toscana Wood Burning Oven is perfect. Add homemade pizza, Italian wine and good friends for that perfect summer party.

It’s not just for pizza though. As many celebrity chefs suggest, a wood burning oven can be used to great effect for roast meats, bread, tandoori and even one pot dishes. Cooking with wood-fired ovens creates irresistible tastes and aromas.

“Wood-fired ovens are helping today’s busy families to reclaim the ability to relax around the table and enjoy each other’s company. Not only do they add features to the garden, they can cook any type of food and provide a focal point”, Scott from retailer Garden Gift Shop tells me.

Manufactured in the UK by Hand, The Toscana Wood Oven is sure to satisfy the most committed outdoor chef!

If the ‘stay-cation’ was the holiday phenomenon of 2009, could 2010 be the year of the home exchange?

Millions of Britons chose to spend their holidays at home last year as the economic recession took hold, and with confidence still not fully restored, would-be travellers are continuing to look for ways to keep their holiday costs down.

One creative option is a home exchange: ‘swapping’ your property with that of another homeowner elsewhere in the world – cutting the cost of accommodation almost to zero in the process.

“Last year seemed to be all about saving money by staying at home, while this year there’s a greater consumer willingness to travel but still an emphasis on affordability,” commented Dianne Stewart of global home exchange site Homes-Club International.

“A home exchange is the perfect solution – providing travellers with potential access to a range of accommodation across the world while helping them to save money too.”

A glance at a leading online travel website shows just how significant these savings could be, regardless of destination. A week-long stay from 24 July in a centrally-located three-star hotel would cost a family of four £973 in Bath and £1,035 in Geneva.

Further afield, the same seven nights would cost £830 in Perth, Australia, £607 in Cape Town and £1,030 in Manhattan, New York.

“Home exchange can also provide a more comfortable experience for families – a private house or apartment is generally more spacious and will have more home comforts than a hotel room or suite,” added Ms Stewart.

The home exchange concept started in the 1950s, largely in the USA at first, then spreading across the world as demand for international travel increased and levels of home ownership grew. Although still a relatively small part of the overall travel market, it is growing quickly, partly in response to the global economic downturn.

Home exchange typically works on a membership scheme basis, with annual membership of Homes-Club International currently priced at just £25. After joining, members are free to browse the site to identify properties in their chosen destination and make direct contact with the owners to negotiate a property swap. If second homes are involved members can use each others’ properties at different times and negotiate over length of stay.

More details can be found at Homes-Club International website.

For an entirely fresh take on wallpaper and fabric for the new season, London’s House Couturier introduces a stunning collection from textile designer Lori Weitzner.

Matching wallpaper and fabric collections with a focus on tactile and surface designs take centre stage. Utilising innovative weaving technologies, sumptuous materials and handcrafted effects, each fabric and matching wallpaper are quietly beautiful and artistically groundbreaking.

Suitable for both residential and commercial applications, House Couturier also offers these fabrics as part of their upholstery service and their fabric walling installation. Four colour options are available.

See more details and the full range at www.housecouturier.eu.

Using maize bio-plastic and bamboo trim, Elium Studio is extending its research on materials applied to household products.

The designers have looked at small electronics for the home in eco-friendly mode: a radio with rechargeable battery by manual wind-up, clock, alarm clock, calculator and pocket flashlight with solar-powered battery, a range of eco-design pieces for Lexon.

As for the finish qualities of maize bio-plastic, which is matt rather than the super shiny plastic, they are honed and counter-balanced by the addition of bamboo for the covering. This is a technically bold option that adds an artisan touch to mass production and gets around the problem of appearance, fade in particular, since bamboo takes on an elegant patina with use where ordinary plastics age badly.

…To Join The “Grow Your Own” Revolution.

600 acres of windowsills are ripe for transformation thanks to a new mini veg plot that turns fingers and small spaces green.

The clever new Windowgrow, from Greenhouse Sensation, launches in March. It has been specifically designed for use on windowsills and has a unique way of automatically feeding and watering plants that prevents over-watering and under-watering – even during holidays. Simply keep the Windowgrow’s integral reservoir topped-up and plants are provided with the water they need, when they need it.

The space-starved amongst us can now stop throwing envious glances at those with bountiful kitchen gardens and allotments. Whole meals can be grown on a couple of windowsills, with tomatoes, chillies, beetroot and chard all thriving particularly well along with the usual salad leaves and herbs, so there’s plenty of scope for us all to reduce the carbon footprint of our diets.

Experienced and novice fingers turn greener as a result of using the Windowgrow. The automated watering is more responsive to a plant’s needs than manual watering, it’s like standing over their plant all day adding teaspoons of water, and because ‘growers’ can see how much water has been taken from the reservoir they quickly develop a keen understanding of how the amount of water plants need differs according to soil dampness, plant size, light levels and weather conditions.

Emma from Greenhouse Sensation explained:

“Watering is notoriously difficult to get right and is the most common cause of many gardening problems, especially in a container like a window box. Our combination of clever automated watering, the Healthy Crops Guarantee and the Gardening Angels advice line all serve to get nervous growers started and to ensure that new and experienced grow your owners enjoy more successful harvests.”

Even the most nervous of wannabe growers can be eating home-grown crops in as little as six weeks. Just fill the Windowgrow with compost, add the seeds or young plants and keep the integral reservoir topped-up. The lid keeps the soil warm, so seeds get off to a head start, and the water level indicator warns when the reservoir needs topping-up.

The Greenhouse Sensation team is so confident that their Windowgrow enables anyone to grow their own that they offer an Incredible Edible guarantee. They promise that in the very unlikely event that a customer doesn’t raise a healthy crop they will provide free seeds and plant food as well as one-to-one advice to get them back on track.

More detail at www.greenhousesensation.co.uk or call them on 0845 602 3774

These eye-catching wall clocks from Proleno are at home in whichever room you care to hang them. Designed by and made exclusively for Zack of Germany, they seem to define the tone and decor of your home.

A room without a contemporary wall clock does not look finished. Set one on your wall and instantly it transforms your house into a home. A modern wall clock can also act as a modern piece of art that can be proudly displayed in any room. No matter what your choice is, it will always add a sleek and modern appeal to your decor.

For a timely display of elegance, function and conversation, make these contemporary clocks the right choice for you – the perfect way to add style and grace to a lifeless wall.

Available now from Proleno, on the web at www.proleno.com, on the phone on 0844 357 9855

From now on even dirty laundry will make a tidy impression with the new Reisenthel Looplaundry Bag. A far cry from laundry baskets in the traditional sense, the Looplaundry Bag with its durable exterior, generous capacity and stylized oversized handles is ideal for the demands of 21^st Century living!

The handy grips make for easy transportation from bedroom to washing machine, just sling over your shoulder and you’re ready to go. The special cushioning inside the bag ensures it will stand firm even if empty, while the discreetly hidden magnets in the inside keep the Looplaundry closed – even when full, allowing for no unsightly overspill!

With a design intelligent enough to know that sometimes laundry-day doesn’t quite happen on laundry-day, the Looplaundry is spacious enough to accommodate two loads of laundry!

Available from www.for-keeps.co.uk

Lift your spirits with the Daylight Biobulb!

This time of year is not the most pleasant for everyone. The cold weather, long nights and dark mornings makes many of us feel low but the winter blues can often be a sign of a physical problem that affects millions of people every year.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a genuine mood disorder that many people suffer from during the winter months.

These seasonal mood variations are believed to be light related. Light, as we know, is essential for human health. Not only does sunlight help us produce vitamin D but it also appears to affect our mood and internal rhythms – such as our body clock.

Normal light-bulbs do not produce the same type of light that daylight does. The Daylight Biobulb produces a more natural light that can go a long way to lift the depression that affects so many people during the winter months.

The natural daylight producing bulb gives off three times the amount of natural light, or lumens, that conventional bulbs do. But this high output doesn’t mean they are not environmentally friendly, the Biobulbs are only 25W and work in a similar fashion to energy saving light bulbs – lasting for over 10,000 hours.

And even if Seasonal Affective Disorder doesn’t affect you, having a natural light source can improve mood, prevent headaches and give a more natural, softer feeling to your home in the evening.

Avaialble from Greenstamp at www.greenstamp.co.uk or call 01637 854717

Fireplace accessories have a very practical use; they are often stored close to the hearth and present a great opportunity to show off your unique style and personality. Enhance your living space with these stylish Zack fireplace accessories from Proleno. They are the perfect elegant and practical solution for modern living.

Fireside wood storage has never been so stylish! This beautiful wood storage rack from the Zack Alon range at Proleno is simple in design with defined lines, elegant good looks and outstanding construction. Clearly it will do its job effortlessly but it is sure to be a talking point with visitors on those cold dark nights!

Much more than a stylish addition to your fireplace, the sturdy five-piece fire tool set from the Alon range contains a stand, poker, dustpan, brush and tongs, all beautifully presented in stainless steel.

Proleno is the largest European online retailer offering the entire Zack range. Synonymous with independent, exclusive, accessories for modern living, trust Proleno to provide you with a zesty range of homeware from the hottest homeware designers.