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Stuff - how to display it, not drown in it
We all acquire stuff as we go through life and most of us would, if push comes to shove, agree we're more hoarder than Marie Kondo aficionado. Interior designers Studio Dean urge practicality and suggest we can be a bit more judicious about what we keep and then use some of that stuff to make our homes look cool, not stuffed to the gills
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Are you on a quest for a truly comfortable lounge chair?
Finding something comfortable to sit on for more than a few moments is surprisingly dificult. Most sofas are too hard, most chairs have backs too high/low/rigid, many beanbags are too difficult to get in and out of and they make too much noise when you move around. So we've done a bit of legwork for you and have some suggestions for chairs you really can spend an evening on watching telly.
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Eco-friendly wedding presents for green-at-heart couples
You've got weddings or civil partnerships coming up... The happy couples have eschewed a list at John Lewis, Harrods or Selfridges, saying airily that 'anything recyclable, bio-degradable or generally CO2-lite will be simply divine!' Rejoice, there's much that fits the bill.
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Affordable luxuries: eco-friendly candles
Sales of candles, particularly fragranced ones, continue to grow. And we're seeing more small artisan manufacturers bring delicious, quirky, new fragrances to the market while striving to make their products environmentally friendly
Accessories
Not familiar with outdoor art and don't think pictures belong in the garden? well, Yorkshire's Insideout Garden Art begs to differ. So if you look out on an empty wall or fence, turn it into a gallery space!
Forget pilates, yoga's the exercise of the moment. And it's all the better when performed on an environmentally friendly mat made from natural rubber and recycled plastic
Don't surreptiously wipe sticky fingers on your clothes...invest a few pounds in some impactful paper napkins that will elevate every mealtime
Events
Buying antiques is a great way of furnishing with minimal impact on the environment. And if you're always on the look-out for fascinating one-off pieces, don't miss the Decorative Antiques & Textile Fairs, which running through the year
A new exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum in Helsinki aims to get us all repairing things rather than buying new
Interiors
Exposed wood beams don't need much in the way of day to day maintenance but periodically it makes sense to have them renovated to ensure they'll be doing a grand job in 200 years' time
Lots of us are buying flowers fairly regularly because well..they look lovely and cheer us up. But they are an expense, so if you've got room, start growing flowers in your garden. And to avoid the annoyance of them wilting in a few days, we have some maintenance tips
We all acquire stuff as we go through life and most of us would, if push comes to shove, agree we're more hoarder than Marie Kondo aficionado. Interior designers Studio Dean urge practicality and suggest we can be a bit more judicious about what we keep and then use some of that stuff to make our homes look cool, not stuffed to the gills
Gardens
Is your garden or outside space in need of some colourful autumn blooms? The HTA suggests planting Asters, as they flower pretty much up to Christmas.
For small projects such as garden rooms, is it time to embrace the ground screw over concrete for the all important foundations?
If your perennials are on their last legs, refresh your garden or outside space with berry laden shrubs that will give colour over the autumn and well into winter
