Rek Bookcase

I love this expanding shelving unit by Reinier de Jong. As your book collection or collection of anything come to that! begins to grow you can simply slide the unit apart to reveal the ideal shelving unit.

The Rek bookcase looks simply stunning closed up with the added intrigue of it opening up to cover virtually a whole wall. Great idea for rented studio flats where space is usually confined or you don’t like the décor in a room!

The other aspect of Rek which appeals to me is the variety of different shapes and sizes of the shelves/cubby holes when the bookcase is open. The long thin ones would be ideal for storing magazines; there is even storage for oversize books which I can never seem to find the right place on a shelf for.

The overall simple clean lines provides the opportunity to use the Rek bookcase in any style of interior. It would look equally at home in either traditional or modern room designs. No over the top fussiness; just a very functional piece of furniture. Being white it will coordinate with any colour scheme, style of furnishings and window dressings such as roman blinds or curtains.

Although Rek has been designed as a bookcase I think any sort of personal collection would look equally as stunning. This bookcase is perfectly in keeping with this year’s interior design themes of no clutter or mess, just be careful that it doesn’t become an untidy dumping ground as that would completely ruin the look!

For further information and image source visit MoCo Loco.

'Lull' Light

The concept of this amazing light has 'blossomed' by the Norwegian design group Varmo 1 Kollstad 1 Buene. It works by a motor which has a timer attached. When it is time for sleep the light slowly dims and the petals of the light slowly close. In the morning the bud comes to life by reversing the action-the light comes on and as the bud opens the light becomes brighter. What a wonderfully relaxing and ingenious way to let your body clock know when it is time to sleep and when it is time to get up.

Lull, the apt name of this design, is a great way to get children into a good sleep routine from an early age. No more being afraid of the dark, as the light fades and the flower closes the room will gradually and gently become darker, rather than the usual 'shock' of being plunged into complete darkness. It may also be very useful for anyone who has problems drifting off to sleep or waking up.

In order for Lull to work effectively it would probably be best to use a blackout roller blind to prevent unwanted light coming into the room too early in the morning or when trying to get to sleep-as these would defeat the object of controlling the amount of light in the room.

Lull would be ideal for use all year, most particularly during the long summer evenings and early morning sunshine!

The design group consulted psychologist and specialist on sleep problems Dr. Staalle Pallesen during this wonderful lights conception.

For further information and image source visit yatzer

Beat the Wintry Weather!

Beat the wintry weather and stay cosy and warm by ensuring your windows are draught free. Double glazing has improved the number of heat lost via windows in recent years, however, studies show that many homes still loose a substantial amounts of heat through windows and doors.

Finding modern curtains in a heavy weight fabric can be time consuming and very frustrating! These contemporary designed, Elston curtains are the ideal solution.

The curtains are fully lined , with deep three inch headings they are perfect for using with a modern curtain pole made from either wood or metal. Coordinating tie-backs and cushion offer a stylish and elegant look to a room.

Traditional floral pattern with an up-to-date design looks great in both traditional and modern interiors. Shown here in a dining room style setting, these curtains would look equally at home in a lounge or trendy bedroom.

The subtle red and green contrasting colours provides the opportunity to use these curtains with many different colour schemes. I must admit to having a difficulty with rooms that have patterned walls and patterned curtains! The thought of having a completely coordinating room fills me with dread-I have recently seen on TV, a room where the wall paper, curtains and bedding were all exactly the same-eek!

The colours used in Elston curtains offers the opportunity to having a variety of different plain wall colours. By selecting one of the main colours as an accent, subtle injections of the same shade can be incorporated elegantly in the room.

Image source: Terrysfabrics

Dream Bag

This new design concept made from beaver nylon and foam filled polyester brings the humble bean bag right up to date. Dream bag offers the ideal resting and relaxation place for people of all ages.

Designed by Ulrika Engberg and Kasper Medin- they have used the idea of a flower bud when the Dream Bag is closed which blossoms when open. A simple yet effectual concept.

Like most bean bags Dream Bag looks incredibly comfortable. I love the idea of having that extra support from the contrasting ‘petals’. Ideal for letting babies snuggle into to rest, as long as they are not left unsupervised of course, and great for oldies like me who still like to sit low down but need extra help to get comfortable!

Dream bag is lightweight and therefore easy to transport around the home or in the garden-when it’s a bit warmer.

I also like the use of black and white beaver nylon fabric- as this enables the Dream Bag to blend well into both modern and traditional interior designs with ease. It looks great against this wooden flooring and would be ideal in chic apartments which have a monotone, minimalist interior. Coordinated with either white or black wooden blinds, white walls and black and white rugs a remarkably easy and affordable interior can be created.

No doubt once Ulrika and Kasper have found a producer for their Dream Bag, a huge variety of different colour combinations will become available.

Source information and image via Yanko Designs.

Pixel Couch

I just love the multitude of colours in this Pixel Couch designed by Christian Zuzuanga.

The couch fabrics is designed by using artificial Picture Elements more commonly know to us all simply as pixels. I’m not really into understanding the complexities or simplicities of how pixels ‘work’- I simply love the striking effect they produce!

The squares remind me for a contemporary patchwork, without the necessity of sewing the individual pieces all together. The slight blurring of the colours looks stunning close up, but I’m not sure when viewed from a distance if you may have the feeling of being unable to focus your eyes properly, a bit like when you’ve had too much to drink!

This Pixel Couch offers the possibility of using any colour within the spectrum for the rooms design colours. In large rooms I would opt for the brightest of the colours for curtains and accessories; smaller rooms would look great with the more mid-range colours. Plain black or white would look striking in a room of any size.

The great advantage of using multicoloured furniture is the ability to have curtain fabric in practically any colour and it will blend beautifully.

The couch offers a contemporary approach to traditional style furniture. I’m sure if you search you will find that someone has already designed fabric using pixels from which numerous different furniture and accessories have been created. I’m sure I have seen a woman’s dress made from pixel style fabric- I just can’t remember where!

For more information on Pixel Couch and image source visit Yanko Designs.

Ready-made is not Cheating!

Window dressing should always be given careful consideration. It can be really difficult finding exactly the right colour and patterns, especially if you don’t have the skills, time or inclination to make your own curtains.

I just love these beautifully patterned, wave eyelet curtains. They look striking hung from these contemporary steel effect curtain poles, offering a really clean and crisp look to the room. The subtle wave effect pattern provides the illusion of height to the window and room. Made from robust and durable fabric which has a soft lined look these curtains would look stunning in both traditional or modern homes.

The great thing about modern ready made curtains is the simplicity of hanging them; especially these eyelet style headings, it’s just a matter of sliding them onto the pole and fixing the pole to the brackets.

The key factor in having curtains like these is to ensure they hang to the floor exactly. Too long and the wave effect pattern may be lost; too short and they will remind you of trousers which are not quite long enough to be trendy and stylish!

Another good aspect of buying window dressings ready made is that they generally come with other accessories such as tie-backs and cushions to match or coordinate, providing a really stylish look very easily.

Having ‘ready made’ is not a cheat’s way out, it’s simply a practical and affordable way to have elegant window dressings throughout your home.

Visit Terrys Fabrics for further information and inspiration!

Reflection Chair

This relaxing snuggle into ‘Reflection’ chair has been designed by Vincent Lai.
I can’t help but think that it reminds me of a pet basket!
The upholstery may not be to everyone’s liking; somewhat bland colours in my opinion. Maybe that’s the whole point not to be distracted by too many colours and patterns while relaxing; the chair certainly doesn’t want to be the focal point in a room if it’s used as a personal hideaway, just blend into the background in an unobtrusive way.

Would look great in any room; ideal for teenagers who don’t want to have to interact or talk to anyone else; ideal for snuggling into and shutting yourself metaphorically away from the world, if only for an hour or two at the end of the day; a great space for quietly reading the weekend papers, it makes a statement of ‘I want to be left alone, this is my space’ very clear!

Being up off the ground and virtually encircled with high padding, anyone who lives in a draughty house would welcome the warm advantages this delightful chair brings. Team Reflection chair up with some thick discount curtains in a plain lemony yellow colour and a small living space could be transformed into a warm, welcoming zone specifically designed for one. Ideal for students and those who enjoy their own company.

As much as I like Reflection chair and the concepts behind the design, I still think it looks like an oversized pet basket-but that’s just my view!

For further information visit Yanko Designs

New Year-New Sofa

Well another year draws to a close! The New Year may be a difficult time for many, however, there are some very affordable and innovative ways you can use to transform rooms to inject a new lease of life to your living space.

This sofa has been designed by Kati Meyer-Bruhl to provide the perfect solution. Made in white leather with deep buttoning, its purpose is to be covered in fabrics of your choice. Changing the cover can lift your mood in an instant. No need to completely redecorate a room. Simply change the fabric cover from red and white to whatever you like, add some cushions and throw some cheap rugs on the floor and ‘hey presto’ a new look to lift both your mood and living space!

This classical style of sofa looks equally great without any covers and blends effortlessly into any modern or contemporary style interior.

Using a throw to rejuvenate an aging or soiled sofa has been around for years, however, getting a throw to stay in place can often be a bit of a nightmare. Having covers which fit the furniture reduces this problem in an instant!

This sofa reminds me of a modern version of the stretch covers that became fashionable in the middle part of the last century, with much more flair and panache I hasten to add! The materials and fabrics used are also right up to date-no more stretchy nylon!

For more information visit Yanko Designs

Image source: www.yankodesigns.com