As pressure on interior designers to come up with consistently unique designs grows, furniture pieces are being reimagined, from coffee tables to electric heaters. This development has given rise to a few slightly more bizarre concepts and ideas of how furniture should be in terms of form and function. Here are a few of them…

More an “installation” than a light fitting, the BotoxLamp is interactive and can react to the users in its proximity. The lamp itself is made out of aluminium that has been bent and plasma cut before being laid out in an abstract geometric pattern. The LEDs within receive a signal from the built in sensor and then respond to any movement around it. Whether you would want it in your home or not is debatable but it is certainly very cool! See a video of it in action here http://vimeo.com/27123472. (source: mocoloco.com)

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Garden sheds are used by people to solve their storage problem. A shed is a great help if you have different items which cannot be stored easily in the house. It provides an easy solution to the common storage problem. We had a wooden garden shed at our home and it stored lots of items which were not used in day to day life. My mum loved gardening and we stored our gardening supplies like the lawn mower, fertilizers, manure, seeds, and other gardening equipment in the shed. Apart from these supplies, this shed kept our bicycles safe from sun and rain. Actually, this garden shed was a one stop solution for our storage problem. We would often pile old books, newspapers and magazines in the shed and use them later when the need arose. My sister was pursuing a designing course and she would often buy expensive magazines which she needed to refer later on. Storing these magazines in the loft wasn’t possible as it was difficult to retrieve them when required. This shed was also great at storing old toys and clothes which mom gave away to the needy and poor.

Unsure what type of shed will suit your personality and your garden? Well, here is a guide about how to choose the perfect garden shed; you want to choose a shed that will match your personality and the characteristics of your garden.

You want to choose a shed that will make a statement in your garden, make your neighbours envious and impress your visitors. Yet at the same time you want to choose a shed that will blend into your garden and match the theme in your garden. For example if your garden has a lot of wood work such as a wooden patio or a wooden walk path you may want to choose a wooden to shed to match that or a metal shed to contrast the wood.

Also, if you have ornaments in your garden such as gnomes then you may prefer a wooden shed as it adds traditional character to the garden. Or if you are after a more modern theme throughout your garden a metal shed may be more up your street a metal shed will add a modern, minimalistic look to you garden and can be teamed with a garden lights and chrome garden furniture to look very up to date, allowing your garden to be the talk of the town.

When deciding exactly what kind of wooden garden shed would be most suitable for your property, you will also need to consider the function for which you want this shed in the first place. So when choosing a garden shed, take your time and choose something that not only takes your fancy but also something that is going to fit in with the layout and theme of your garden. Don’t rush the process and take the time to get advice from the experts. Rushing into buying a garden shed can leave you with something that you aren’t too sure about and it can become the eye sore of your garden. Visit York Timber Products today to see thier great range of garden buildings including all the latest garden sheds.

There was a hairstyle some years ago known as ‘curtains’ where bangs of hair draped down over the forehead either side of the eyes – the windows of the soul. Curtains or drapes as household décor hang either side of a building’s windows for both practical and decorative reasons. Way back in time before there was glass to fill a window space, light could only get through to the room if the space was unobstructed so there was no covering for it during the day time. Once night fell though, the air got chillier, curious nocturnal animals came investigating and it became necessary to provide a covering to keep out animals and the cold as the opening did not serve a light providing purpose during the dark night. Poles with skins draped from them probably were the first ‘curtains’ and they were easy to use. Skins could be strung or crudely stitched together to fit the gap and keep the elements and animals out of a dwelling. They were much easier to utilise than shutters or rigid covers on the ancient structures from long ago.

Windows or ‘lights’ as they are otherwise known became paned with glass during the reign of Elizabeth I. They were very expensive items for householders to own as the glass making process at the time depended on blowing glass and cooling it on a flat surface then cutting out small panes, which were joined together in a frame with lead providing the joins and creating the lattice effect in casement windows that were hinged and able to open out and let air and light in. When homeowners moved they often took their windows with them! By allowing so much more natural light into a room than candles alone could provide, houses appeared more spacious and owners to demonstrate their considerable wealth to their neighbours could display furniture and objets all around them. Details of carving on wood and works of art could be better seen and ‘keeping up with Joneses’ became something of a game for the nobility and the wealthy upper classes of England. Being such indications of opulence the windows were seldom dressed though other areas of the house received curtain treatment. Four-poster beds were curtained or draped and canopied to provide privacy and retain heat or an arras hung on the wall for decoration and sometimes screening purposes. Mobile standing screens and tapestries acted as a divider in rooms and it is from these objects that the first curtains, as we know them now, were probably inspired.

Rather than having to move screens to block out early morning light from paned windows or operate interior or exterior shutters, which provided an added insulating benefit, curtains soon solved the problem of light requirements and temperature control in a room where draughts were prevalent. Not only could they be practical but also they could actually draw attention to the wonderful glazed window in a style and colour that suited the room befitting the owner’s status.

Fashionable curtains can be acquired from many UK stores, big retailers such as Tesco or Marks and Spencers, but also many smaller retailers such as Laura Ashley or Terrys Fabrics (their curtains section) for example. Advice is always to shop around, and never be afraid to request fabric samples if you have doubts over the quality!

Hardwood floors are very fashionable and popular these days. It gives you a fine old fashion look to interior of your house. However, it is very important to keep it clean and take proper care of it. The thing is, wood is natural, beautiful, expensive and timeless design. So, proper caring, maintenance will insure it remain that way.

The tools you need
For cleaning the hardwood floor you need good quality of broom. Make sure that, the brooms you use to sweep the floor are soft. Also use vacuum cleaner without the beater bar. You will also need spray and soft mop. These are the basic tools you actually need.

Shoe problem
The most common and easy way the hardwood floor can be damage is by shoe. The tiny particles from the shoes like dirt and grit acts like sandpaper and will scratch your floor.

Stains
Another common way you precious hardwood floor can be damage is by the stains. There can be many different kinds of stains and cleaning suggestions are also different for various types of stains,

• Liquor: Use a cloth dampened with warm water and detergents and rub the floor with it. You can also use cloth dampened with denatured alcohol for rubbing.
• Fruit: Warm water and detergent should work, and if it doesn’t then try rubbing with a solution of water and oxalic acid.
• Ink: First try warm water and detergent, if it doesn’t work then go for commercial ink remover.
• Nail polish: Detergent solution like scouring powder, water, and a plastic mesh pad should work for removing nail polish.
• Lipstick: Detergent and warm water are best solution. You can also try light pressure with a plastic scouring pad if it’s a tough stain.
• Dye: Firstly, DO NOT soak the area. Try rubbing with a cloth moistened with a 1:3 solution of bleach and water.
• Grease: First, let the grease clot by applying bag of frozen peas then gently scrap it off with knife. Remove any kind of remains by putting a rag on it and then carefully ironing the rag.
• Blood: Sponge the area with cold water, and if it is extra strong then use the solution of ammonia and cold water and sponge it.