Features

Small space living: be stylish and eco friendly

Just because you're living in a small house or flat doesn't mean you can't choose eco friendly furniture that's multi-functional and adaptable, such as extendable or collapsible tables. Small space living needs good storage, whether built in or freestanding.

Interior designer Oliver Heath shares his eco chic tips

Oliver Heath interior designer and promoter of eco chic says we must all endeavour to live greener lives at home. Recycle, reused, buy less

Woven Image - using recycled plastic to transform interiors

Sharing an office but long for a bit of privacy? Living in a flat with noisy people above you? Perhaps your children are sharing a bedroom and want to mark out clearly which is THEIR side of the room? Or maybe you're living or working in a place that's full of hard surfaces and the acoustics leave a lot to be desired? These are all situations, says Woven Image's Kate Ingram, where EchoPanel can help, whether you use it in panel, screen, peel-n-stick tile or ultra thin Mura 'wallpaper' form.

The best way to organise your wardrobe

Rummaging around in the dark is probably the way most of us would describe finding stuff we need in the wardrobe..particuarly when it comes to smaller items such as socks, ties or T shirts. But a neat and clean wardrobe makes like much easier because you can get dressed more quickly. It may take a whole day (or two..) to organise your wardrobe and assign a special place for everything, but it's easy enough once you've committed yourself to the task. So here's the best way to organise your wardrobe. 

Window restoration: a key part in maintaining historic buildings

Taking on a period house can be a long-term undertaking because you'll have to maintain its original architecture and features. Leaky windows can be a nightmare if you're trying to conserve energy, but don't rush to fit modern units because you'll almost certainly fall foul of your planning authorities and could well be asked to remove any replacements deemed not in keeping with the property. 

Architect Robert Kraus' spectacular Vienna new build

At Deco we're generally not in favour of gawping at pictures of wealthy people's houses. But this house - while far beyond most self-builders wildest dreams - is rather lovely; and on the grounds that it uses lots of sustainable European oak, has ground source heat pumps to keep it warm in winter and uses fabric from Essex-based MissPrint, well, we thought you might find it inspiring.

bluebellgray: flowers to the people

bluebellgray is something of a phenomenon if speed of success is a measure. Because this 13-strong Glasgow-based textiles and homewares company started its journey just eight years ago as a one-woman show; on  Fi Douglas’s kitchen table to be precise, as she painted some floral designs.

Renewable energy: our futures depend on it

Renewables offer cleaner and safer types of energy, which will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. So which are the best, most widely used and efficient sources of electricity from renewable sources?

Reasons to make your home green

Making our housing eco friendly doesn't have to cost the earth. While many of us can't afford heat pumps, solar panels or new electric boilers, there are things we can all do to help ourselves and the environment through minimising our energy consumption. Remember, around 30 per cent of the UK's CO2 emissions come from our housing stock.

Look for A, AA and AAA rated appliances

Are you bored with your doors?

Good doors are worth investing in because doors are an important design feature. And they can be very eco-friendly, being made from sustainable wood or recyclable materials such as glass or metal. Urban Front is a UK manufacturer of solid wood and veneered doors.

 

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