Why Car Showrooms are so Important

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Admin

Nowadays the purpose of a well-designed showroom is about more than just marketing products. With so many consumers choosing to purchase goods online, it’s difficult enough just to get people to the stores.

There’s been much talk about the threat online shopping poses to bricks-and-mortar retail, but a well-designed showroom demonstrates how retail can play to its strengths by offering consumers an experience they don’t get online.

Creating an immersive environment

One effective design trend is to convert the showroom into something that resembles a real-world environment appropriate to the product being advertised.

An example would be a showroom designed to promote furniture, its approach being to create a realistic living room or dining room area. In some cases the designers even use mannequins gathered around a model dining room table or fireplace to capture the family environment.

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Do You Ever Actually Use Your Dining Room?

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Admin

Eating in dining rooms used to be quite a formal occasion. Think about Jane Austin and Charles Dickens and their depictions of families seated around a well-set table with servants and different courses and rituals. Think about the ‘50s, ‘60s and 70’s, when families ate their dinner around the table and woe betide the kid who was late.

Then TV dinners came along and laps become the dining surface of choice.

Many people tried to hold onto the evening dining habit. Phrases like, “the family that eats together stays together”, were bandied about.

And then kitchens came into vogue. Formal dining rooms were abandoned for comfy kitchens. Kitchens became pseudo family rooms; they became the heart of the home, where friends and family gathered and where parties ended up.

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Welcome Home

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Craig

If you dream of giving your house and garden a make-over but the financial implications or the enormity of the task are enough to stop you in your tracks, not to worry. There is no need to go rushing to your bank to apply for an assortment of instant loans just yet. There are simple ways to make your house look more welcoming.

Firstly, make sure that the entrance to your house, from the street to your front door, is clean and clear of any obstacles or overgrown bushes. If you have a verandah, this should be swept regularly and kept clear of clutter. Stepping stones or some sort of pathway makes it handy for visitors to be able to see at a glance where they need to walk as they enter your property.

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Now You’re Cooking …

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Craig

But what are you cooking with?

For a long time in South Africa gas cooking ranges were almost unheard of; it was electric or paraffin or nothing. But these days you’ll find that most electronics and appliance stores offer a range of gas and electric options. The additional choice is great for consumers, but it does raise a few important questions: questions regarding initial cost, operating cost, energy efficiency, cooking efficiency, safety and even looks.

Most South African houses are geared towards electric stoves; very few have the infrastructure in place to support gas stoves and ovens. This means gas is quite expensive to set up and install; the prospect of which discourages all but the most financially comfortable consumers. However, gas cooking ranges are far more affordable to operate, especially with the escalating cost of electricity in the country. It doesn’t take too long to recoup the set-up costs and after that you benefit from more money in your wallet.

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Women love their bathrooms

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Craig

The bathroom is a sanctuary for many women. And by bathroom we mean the whole room, not just the loo. It’s the one place where they feel they can relax and have at least 10 minutes to themselves while they soak in a bath or let a steaming shower wash away the day. That’s why women can be a bit obsessive about their bathrooms. They want the right tiles, the right (matching) mats and towels. They want flowers and scented candles and freshness and light.

The bathroom is like a DIY spa for many women and not merely a functional space for taking care of bodily functions and getting clean. If women had their way the bathroom would be the most well-designed and lavish room in the house, followed by the bedroom. You might well find that the reason women buy home living magazines and watch home design reality shows is just so they can get new bathroom ideas.

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Cover unsightly boundary walls – the natural way.

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Craig

An ugly boundary wall can make or break a well-designed garden. Instead of using plaster and paint, why not try alternative wall coverings? Brightfields Natural Trading Company supplies high quality products made from natural materials, such as bamboo and sisal. Their range of bamboo is perfect for making a boundary wall more aesthetically pleasing, and you can even do-it-yourself.

Brightfield’s bamboo range is just right for your backyard. Bamboo is a versatile and durable material – and it looks good. The Japanese sometimes say, ‘Be like bamboo’. This means you should be strong of character, but also able to ‘bend with the wind’. Bamboo is lightweight and flexible, yet incredibly hard. It also makes for excellent ‘green’ wall coverings, as it’s highly renewable. Bamboo is known to be the fastest growing woody plant in the world! It needs no finish work, and it’s usually affordable. Using bamboo can also add an element of the ‘exotic’ East to your outdoor space, or even calming tropical flair.

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Blue Bay’s outdoor fabric: Bring your lounge onto your patio!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Craig

How would you like to relax on your sofa…in your garden?

Outdoor furniture doesn’t have to mean sitting on heavy, uncomfortable wrought-iron chairs. When buying outdoor furniture, people usually opt for harder, more ‘solid’ varieties. In the process, they sacrifice comfort for ‘durability’. After all, no one wants a moldy couch out on the deck, right?

However, it is possible to get comfort and durability. Blue Bay’s Patio Collection is a perfect example of how the two can be combined. The trick lies in the use of outdoor fabric. Blue Bay’s outdoor furniture is made with the highest quality fabric. It’s so durable that they even guarantee its longevity. It’s woven from solution-dyed acrylic fibres, so you know it’s tough, and that it’ll last for ages. Concerned about colour-fade? Not an issue, as the fabric’s colours are designed to stay bright – despite the elements.

Blue Bay’s outdoor fabric is treated with a coating, which not only repels water, but damaging UV rays too. It also prevents dreaded mildew formation. Messy entertaining isn’t a problem either, as the fabric is stain-resistant. If only the same could be said for your indoor sofa, which has to endure a multitude of sins! The outdoor furniture is easy to clean, and very low-maintenance. Just like it should be.

When thinking about what colour fabric to choose, bear in mind that it will be outside – so you can lose all inhibition. You can even have bright pink armchairs if you want. The rules of interior design are much less rigid when you’re in the garden. Being outdoors is all about relaxing and having fun. It’s also a good idea to select different kinds of material for your outdoor furniture, for example: wicker, cane, and even a bit of ceramic here and there. Don’t forget about cushions – nice, big comfy ones. Combining interesting prints with bright solid colours is key.

Blue Bay is based in Ballito, Kwa-Zulu Natal. They pride themselves on their high quality outdoor furniture – and the fact that all their products are manufactured locally. They ensure that the highest standards are met, both in their materials, and customer care.

There’s no need to get clunky, dead weight chairs for your patio. Throw in a brightly coloured couch or two, and enjoy reading, having a glass of wine, or just lounging outside. You may never want to come inside again!

For more information, go to www.bluebay.co.za

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Help! My bathroom is a mess!

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Craig

How to rescue a bathroom when surface changes alone simply won’t do the trick.

Bathroom design experts will all agree that the first step to remodeling your bathroom is having a clear idea of what you want. This is so that you can draw up a plan for the project: what to do when, what you’ll need and drawing up a budget, so you can achieve the best results. Granted, sometimes things don’t go according to plan or we can’t afford all the changes we want, but having a plan is essential to making the most of the space and budget that you have.

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Where the tote bags are

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Craig

Making a tote bag is a great craft activity. You can decorate an existing one or make one from scratch quite easily. You can make it as complicated as you want by adding pockets and intricate embellishments.

This Wild Things-inspired tote bag is perfect. Kids and the stylishly young love monsters and adults love functional bags that can be used for shopping, as a handbag or as an overnight bag. Skip the monster appliqué and use the tips to create any pattern or design that you want. This bag was originally a plain white tote, but if you’re looking for something sturdier than a store-bought bag with no zip, making your own is a good idea.

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Is your website like a hardware shelf in a coffee shop?

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Craig

Or do your visitors have to navigate around a lot of junk to get to what you want them to find?

The rise of publishing and blogging platforms means that anyone can make themselves a website in minutes. This is exciting and people with no web design course behind their name can create a very pleasing page if they have a basic understanding of the platform’s functions and a vision for the site.

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Category Archives: Design