Monthly Archives: May 2012

Planning the Perfect Street Party

May
2012
29

Posted by

Leave a reply

Are you going to be having a street party in your neighbourhood to celebrate the Royal Jubilee? Or how about for a birthday or wedding? Street parties in the summer are a brilliant way to enjoy the sunny weather and spread the joy with your friends and family. Have the perfect party with large dining areas to fit all your friends, and lots of fun and easy decorations (that won’t be a nightmare to clear up afterwards!)

Long tables are great to use whether you’ve got just a few guests, or several hundred. They are ideal when you want to seat everyone together, as they can be easily joined up into any arrangement to fit your space. An attractive rustic style dining table would look lovely decorated with fresh flowers, and fresh treats, and needs little else to spruce it up. Strong, sturdy oak tables are very useful if you want to line up several tables to accommodate the whole neighbourhood. Extending tables are also very handy if you’re not sure of how many people will come and you need to create extra space quickly.

Round tables are another great alternative for outdoor events, especially when you want to accommodate lots of groups, such as a wedding or birthday party. You can often find then in circular or oval options, and they are fantastic conversation starters, as everyone can easily speak to other members of the group. An extending round table is a great option for fitting around a large family group around a single table. To decorate them, why not create a simple, stand out centrepiece, using floral or edible arrangements, or innovative solar powered lighting, for when the sun goes down.

While simple, unadorned and sturdy tables are very practical, you might want to include some more ornate styles to, to create a more festive atmosphere. To complete a vintage party atmosphere, spread out chintzy mismatched crockery and retro cake stands across a Regency style table. For a more elegant and polished party, ornate floral table legs create a fantastic standout effect, and would perfectly offset a quirky floral arrangement. A more contemporary design would be a great for adding an innovative touch to an otherwise traditional street party. Glass dining tables are another exciting option, though of course, be sure to be safe with moving glass outdoors to prevent breakages.

For a more dramatic party effect, try stepping away from traditional light wood or white tables, for a stunning black or dark wood table. They are especially perfect for after-hours parties, lit by candlelight or a string of outdoor lights. Whether you go for a long narrow table or a square table, they are guaranteed to create an attractive grown up look to your party.

Other great table options for outdoor parties include bistro and breakfast style tables. Small bistro tables dotted around a large space create ideal hubs to chill out and have a drink, while breakfast tables can be handy to create a mini bar.

Street and outdoor parties are a lot of fun, although they take a bit of planning! Once you’ve got your organisation and seating sorted, you can start to relax and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

The Benefits of Oak Bedroom Furniture

May
2012
26

Posted by

Leave a reply

Oak furniture is synonymous with style, wealth and quality. A dense, slow growing hardwood, oak is the material of choice for those who wantValentino Oak to bring a natural warmth to their bedrooms.

Strength, Durability and Resistance

Oak bedroom furniture is extremely strong. As a material, oak can support considerable loads, which is why it is so useful in furniture design.
 
Dressing tables, wardrobes, cabinets, bedside tables and other types of bedroom furniture are sometimes required to support heavy loads. Offering exceptional tensile strength, oak can support clothes, ornaments, books, lamps and other bedroom items without easily stretching or buckling.
 
The dark, reddish hardwood is also extremely durable. The material is sufficiently robust as to brush aside the majority of knocks and bumps, whilst it is resistant to most scratches and sharp edge impacts. The ability to withstand everyday wear and tear is what makes oak bedroom furniture so appealing to many people. Though some households regard furniture as items of necessity that can be discarded as soon as they become functionally obsolete, others consider high quality furniture as an investment in the future.
 
Because oak furniture lasts for a long period of time, especially if maintained regularly, items can be passed down through the generations.
Buying new furniture is expensive, so high quality pieces should be retained for as long as possible. It is a testament to the standard of craftsmanship and quality of material that oak bedroom furniture can survive for hundreds of years.
 
Another important component of oak that enables it to last for such a long time is tannic acid, which exists naturally in the wood and helps to protect the material from certain insects and moulds. Additional layers of staining are applied to unfinished items of furniture to prolong their longevity.
Treatment also helps to maintain a fresh look and unscratched surface.
 

Attractiveness

 
Oak is one of the most attractive woods available. Featuring a reddish hue and distinctive grain, oak produces truly outstanding results when handed to a professional craftsman. Oak furniture for the bedroom is particularly attractive, not least because it is able to lift the mood of one of the most important rooms in the home.
 
Oak furniture can appear warm, inviting and relaxing, encouraging occupants to feel at ease with their surroundings. There is also an element of opulence about oak, which is heavy and solid in appearance. These qualities combine to make oak the premium product it is. Though not the easiest of materials to work with, oak can produce stunning items of furniture for use in the bedroom and around the home.
 

Cost

 
The relatively high cost of oak furniture is often described as a disadvantage. Many people opt for pine and other soft wood materials on the grounds of cost, but oak is actually competitively priced. Buying oak furniture for the bedroom should not be seen as an ordinary expense. Often purchased in sets, bedroom furniture made from oak ought to be regarded as an investment. As noted above, oak can survive generations, so what might seem expensive at first could prove a bargain over time.

Storage Solutions to Improve Productivity in the Home Office

May
2012
25

Posted by

Leave a reply

This week, we’re taking  a closer at working from home. In the first part of our series, we looked at how we can multitask with workstations. In today’s installment, we’ll look at how having the right storage system can help create the ideal home office.

There are lots of options available when it comes to storage, and choosing the right system depends on what kind of material you have. Bookcases are an ideal solution and come in a range of styles, sizes and finishes. Bookcases are great for storing, well, books, obviously! But they’re also a great way of managing filed documents, as you can clearly see what you have. A small bookcase might be a good option if you have limited space, or if you do not need a large storage area. A taller bookcase is helpful if you’ve got a mixture of things to store, and the adjustable shelves means you can tailor the sizes to suit you.

You can also find some bookcases with additional drawer space. These come in different sizes, and are very useful for storing materials which may be more sensitive, as you do not have to have them on display. Other bookcases come with glazed doors – this is useful if you do not want everything on display, and looks nest and tidy.

As well as storing paperwork and books, bookcases are a neat solution for storing CDs and DVDs - perfect for ensuring software and system discs are at hand when you need them.

Bookcases come in a wide range of styles – from attractive pine, which looks good in a range of environments, to more contemporary styles, built in metal, or wood. A backless bookcase looks eye catching, and is also practical if you need to have access from both sides.

Filing cabinets are another useful storage solution to consider, to store paperwork. Having a clear filing system – such as alphabetical or by client name, can help keep important information at your fingertips, jut when you need it. Filing cabinets usually come in two or three drawer options, and can be fitted alongside your workstation. Gone are the days of ugly grey metal cabinets, now you can have an attractive pine or even mahogany unit, to give a classic look and feel. For more minimal tastes, a sleek black unit made of ash is a brilliant option – that is both attractive and hard wearing.

As well as filing cabinets, another handy option is an occasional cabinet. This is great to put away bulky things you don’t want clogging up your office, such as stationary or packaging. A printer can rest neatly on top, meaning it doesn’t have to occupy your precious desk space, keeping a better environment for you to work in.

Having a clear, manageable filing system for your work materials means you’ll be able to increase your productivity, and feel a lot more organised about your daily to-do list. Not having lots of paperwork piled up in front of you will let you get through the tasks a lot quicker!