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Featured Articles:

Furniture - Built To Last Or Built For Landfill
by: Jonathan Howkins
 
From flat pack to landfill – the journey of ‘modern’ furniture
 
The life of your average flat-pack piece of furniture is often short-lived. It’s affordable price and simple contemporary aesthetic draws us in, providing a quick fix for modernizing our homes. However, the initial attraction soon wanes, as legs begin to wobble, doors and drawers no longer fit, and we grow tired of it. It’s then but a short journey to confinement, hidden away, probably to the spare room or garage, before finally the hammer is wielded and it’s off to the local tip to join its flat pack friends in landfill.
 
The flat-pack market is now huge. What was started in the 1980s primarily in the kitchen’s market has now extended to all types of furniture – you could pretty much furnish an entire house with flat-pack. What’s more, it’s cheap, easy to buy, easy to deliver (except for the weight of all that chipboard), and some would say, easy to assemble. What’s more it allows us to quickly transform our rooms, allowing us to buy into the desire for a modern, comfortable home, as portrayed by the many TV programs and magazines.
 
Of course the furniture it won’t last, but does that matter?
 
The fact that the furniture will probably be falling apart in five years is not really a problem, as we’d more than likely want a change by then anyway. And also, what can we expect when we only pay those sort of prices?
 
The furniture is designed to be as cheap as possible. The use of materials, manufacturing and finishing processes, even the number of fittings and screws has to be tightly controlled to ensure the cheapest price.
 
Nowhere in the designers brief does there seem to be any consideration environmental sustainability and product lifecycle. Flat-pack is virtually 100% non-recyclable.
 
We must start to look at furniture in a different light. Why is it that we have some furniture in our homes we love, that we have a real attachment to? These pieces, even when we no longer have use or space for them, still have a value and can be sold, refinished or re-used.
 
These pieces were designed and made to last. In many cases the natural aging and wear and tear, only add to their charm and character. Giving them a greater sense of permanence, lending real character and warmth to our homes.
 
What of the new furniture today, will provide us with the same feelings in the years to come? We need to see furniture as an investment, something we save for, and consequently truly value and have attachment to, rather than a quick fix that’ll soon be in a skip.
 
Alternatively flat-pack needs to move, beyond price being the only criteria, if it is to provide us not only with convenience, but also more permanence, not landfill.
 
About The Author
 
Jonathan Howkins is Managing Director of Otto Furniture Limited. Otto is is a contemporary furniture design and manufacturing business, with an environmentally responsible approach. Visit the web site http://www.ottofurniture.com.

How To Place Furniture In A Room For Maximum Impact And Comfort
by: Katerina Mitrou

Discovering the ideal furniture placement for a particular room can be difficult, especially if you’re missing that all-important interior designer gene. We all want our homes to look beautiful and feel comfortable, and properly placing furniture is a big part of creating a personal space we can be proud of. A well-designed room is warm and inviting, not just because of the paint on the walls and the chosen lighting, but also because of the way in which the furniture is placed around the room.
 
The placement of furniture in a room has a great influence on the overall mood of the space. Although there are some general rules you should follow when placing furniture, the first “rule” of thumb is to realize that, ultimately, there aren’t any hard and fast rules. What is important is to create a room that is comfortable for everyone in the home. It is your home, after all, and you are going to be living with the arrangement, so make choices based on your own needs.
 
That said, if you keep a few guidelines in mind as you furnish your abode, things will fall into place more easily.
 
First, stop and observe the space. If you’re rearranging a room that already contains furniture, ignore what’s already there and try to make sense of the actual structure of the room. Does it contain interesting architecture; are there windows, a fireplace, or multiple doors? After taking note of such factors, decide how you want to use the room. How many people are going to be using the room and what are the potential traffic areas? For example, is the room located near the front door or is it hidden in a back corner of the house?
 
Secondly, decide what you want the focal point of the room to be. Maybe you want to focus attention on a fireplace or a large, attractive window? Or, perhaps you’ve just purchased a lovely piece of furniture such as an elegant armoire, or found attractive artwork you want to show off. It doesn’t really matter what you choose – a focal point in the room will give you a starting point to help you define the space. When you begin arranging furniture, you will have to keep the focal point in your mind as you go along.
 
Place the most important furniture (the pieces you plan on using the most) before anything else. So, for example, in the bedroom position the bed is first. In the living room, you’ll probably want to find a place for the sofa before anything else. You get the idea. One tip to keep in mind is to avoid placing many large pieces along the wall. Bigger pieces look better placed evenly throughout the room so that everything is balanced. In fact, balance is key to proper furniture placement.
 
Here’s how you can achieve a sense of balance in a room:
 
Keep scale in mind. Place furniture of differing sizes and heights throughout the room to create visual interest. Although scale is important, you do need to be careful when placing something small next to something gigantic. A good way to keep things proportionate is to place several smaller pieces around a larger one to balance out its weight.
 
Grouping is always a good idea. For instance, don’t place a sofa all by itself; instead, put a table and lamp beside or near it. Multiple pieces that go together bring a sense of uniformity to a room and add coziness.
 
To soften a room, place pieces on angles. This breaks up the hard lines and makes the room easy on the eyes. Another good tip is to use a medley of colors, patterns, and textures to bring the whole space together.
 
Create conversation areas. Achieve this by placing seats no more than 8 feet away from each other so that people can talk while comfortably seated. A television needs to sit a distance three times its size from the seating area.
 
It’s amazing how powerful furniture placement really is – it can transform a room from a place that is dull, drab, and cold, into a retreat your whole family will want to enjoy as much as possible. Your home is meant to be full of comfortable spaces you can take pleasure in throughout the years – an oasis that can ease the stresses of daily life. If you take the time to create a dwelling that is warm and inviting, coming home will always be something to look forward to.
 
About The Author
 
Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/ People’s Furniture sells high end, low cost dining, living room and bedroom Furniture: http://www.peoplesfurniture.net/. Please link to this site when using this article.