However, these fantastic features do come at a price. The energy consumed by the in-tub heater is not inconsiderable and if your hot tub is not well insulated, the cost of heating the water to a comfortable temperature can soon add up. To keep down the running costs of your new appliance, while maintaining a nice, comfortable temperature, an investment in a high-quality hot tub cover is going to be money well spent.

Most hot tub covers are made from vinyl-covered polystyrene. This is because polystyrene is a very good insulator, so it retains heat in a hot tub much better than most other materials. The density of the foam used in the cover has a large bearing on how good an insulator the cover will be, so if you are looking for a high-quality hot tub cover that offers maximum value for money, choose one that is made from thick, densely packed polystyrene.

Another reason why polystyrene is used so widely in hot tub covers is that it possesses the ability to repel water and to remain dry despite being in such close contact with moisture for extended periods. Over the course of time, the cover will need to be replaced, but polystyrene offers the best protection against water damage and the longest lifespan compared to alternative materials.

The materials that hot tub covers are made from are very easy to cut and shape, which is a big bonus when you are attempting to find a cover for a custom-made hot tub. If the tub you are buying is an unusual shape or size, it is worth paying a bit extra to have the cover custom made for it, as any gaps or poor fitting around the edges of the cover will lead to increased heat loss and, therefore, higher running costs for your new appliance.

Fashion for Home offers a great choice of couches in different styles, colours, fabrics and leathers. Small or large, convertible or not, simple or showy, there is a sofa that suits everyone and every room.

The Paddington 3 seater sofa for example combines elegance and comfort in a strong, but still simple way. Its Scandinavian style isn’t just minimalistic, but it also offers great comfort thanks to its ergonomic design and its upholstery in a high quality fabric blend.

If you are looking for something a bit more ‘cool’, then the Chelsea 3 seater sofa in black leather is the perfect one to impress your guests with. Inspired by 20th century cubism, this sofa gives you high quality, comfort and practicality. So if you fall asleep on your couch, don’t worry, because it is long enough to be used as a bed, night and day. And luckily it also comes with two rounded cosy cushions for ultimate relaxation and enjoyment.

To fully complete your living room setting, you can combine your Chelsea sofa with the Chelsea armchair. With this fabulous Chelsea range, you will definitely become a sophisticated and modern ‘couch potato’.

]]> http://www.homeofours.com/easy-entertaining/design-couches-for-comfort-and-style/feed/ 0 http://www.homeofours.com/special-space/modern-bed-frames-and-the-versatility-they-offer/ http://www.homeofours.com/special-space/modern-bed-frames-and-the-versatility-they-offer/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:57 +0000 Belinda http://www.homeofours.com/?p=228 While the recession continues to bite for many families, one area in which people are still happy to invest money is in bed frames and mattresses. After all, the average person spends up to a third of their lives in bed so it makes sense to have a decent bed and comfortable pillows to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

Having a good mattress can alleviate all kinds of modern maladies such as back problems and tension headaches. However there is no one mattress that will be a perfect fit for everyone out there. We all have widely different needs, lifestyles and, in some cases, health issues to accommodate. Finding the perfect mattress may take a little time, but is worth every bit of effort.

Fortunately there are a wide variety of both mattresses and beds now available. While mattresses are generally considered to be the most important part of the ensemble, it is actually the way in which the mattress and base work together that will ensure the requisite amount of support. It is definitely worth exploring the various combinations of base, mattress and pillows.

The bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. Here you are able to recharge your batteries and restore your spirits in preparation for the next day. Modern rooms are becoming ever more multifunctional than in the past. It is not unusual for a bedroom to double up as an office, play room or even as a chill-out zone away from the hubbub of the rest of the family.

As as result, beds have come a long way over the past few years and now offer a fantastic degree of versatility. There has been a notable shift towards multifunctional furniture. You will now find an array of in-built storage options, allowing you to de-clutter your personal space.

Some models boast adjustable head boards and many are available in a wide variety of materials, colours and styles. This allows you to complement just about any decor imaginable.

Having good quality downtime is one of the most important elements in creating a good work/life balance so it is hardly surprising that people are on a quest to create the perfect chill-out space. The versatility offered by modern bedroom furniture assists greatly in creating an atmosphere in which you can totally relax and get away from it all.

If ever there was a proponent for having one’s own territory, it is I. Not because I am selfish or want my family to behave as such, quite the contrary. By each of us having a spot that is all ours, our things are not getting intermingled, and organisation is the responsibility of the individual. It also allows us to assert our personalities in a little nook, and that I do promote vigorously.

For myself, I have put in place a very skinny secretaire, or some might call it an armoire, underneath a oddly raised window and sill. The zone had gone undecorated, or used as it is part of a turn off to other rooms. It is not even what I would consider to be part of any room in particular, translation it instantly became mom’s office. When closed up it is quite an attractive piece, so that pleases us all. Take a second look at your home, is there an under the eaves space, or a closet that could be made into a private work space?

As such, revisions have to be made from time to time, as I have learned that I can tell my family members they need to put away what they take out, but it will never happen regularly. Sure, they do well for a few days after “the talk” but then it all reverts back to the edges of our tub being overtaken by shampoos, soaps, gels, foams, razors, coombs and even the occasional juice box.

I have finally reached the point of throwing up my hands and declaring, “if you can’t beat them, join them”….well kind of. I have invested in a couple of toiletry organisers for the bath/shower. They are stainless steel, and have suction cups that affix themselves to the wall. I swore I would win this battle, as storage space is not our issue.

Alas, when I read that the stainless steel organisers could be put into the dishwasher, I reconsidered. They are not those rinky dink plastic ones, so they fit into the décor, and quite frankly I am tired of having to not only put things away, but scrub off the ring marks left behind on the tub rim. Win some lose some I guess.

Interior design is easy. What we hear you ask? There are so many new trends and styles to follow, how can it possibly be easy? What you need to remember is it’s all about simplicity, sticking to some specific rules and knowing the odd occasion when you can break them. Whatever, the style or trend it will always rely on the elements of the room coming together in one cohesive form. This should apply regardless of the specific look you’re trying to accomplish.

Taking the example of matching your carpets and your walls, we’re going to show how simple things can be. Take a look at our tips and see what you think.

Complimentary tones

You shouldn’t be looking to match; it’s actually about picking complimentary tones. We’re not looking for something the same, just some colours that work well together and enhance the look and feel of the room.

What you need to think about is the different textures of the surfaces and their different light reflecting properties. Paint, wallpaper and carpet samples that look a certain way when viewed on a shop floor may look very different in your own home where they’ll be subject to very different lighting conditions. If you want to compare samples together bring them home and put them together in the specific room at different times of day both in natural daylight and with the lights on. Taking a little time and doing it this way will enable you to really understand how different colours and textures work together.

Choosing your new carpet

If your walls are already painted and a new carpet is what you’re looking for don’t just grab a couple of samples. If you’ve got an idea of the kind of tone you want grab a few different shades of the same colour. Then don’t just compare them in the same area of the room, move about a bit to test how the different colours look in varying degrees of light. Remember they’ll look different next to windows or lamps, or in dark corners. You have to be happy with how the entire room works so this is an important step to take.

Choosing your paint

If you’re carpet is in place, but you’re looking to change the walls, select 4-5 colours you’re happy with and take home several squares of each. Again it’s important to think about the lighting in the room, so stick them on the wall in different places and at varying times of the day. You can’t always tell how a specific tone will work with the flooring so place the squares on the carpet as this will help you decide which complements the carpet the best. Once you’ve got a couple of shades you like, give sections of the walls a paint and see how it works – and yes keep checking throughout the day.

If you think the tones complement each other, got for it – after all it’s your home!

When buying a home in the UK there are always a number of considerations that will be at the forefront of your mind. Clearly price is a massive concern, as is location, transport links, schools and open space.

This all adds up to create a quality of life in a certain place. After all it’s not just your home that makes you feel happy. Your surroundings always have an effect. If this could be a “deal breaker” for you when moving home, take a look at the UK’s top locations for a better quality of life.

Hart

Located in the northeast of Hampshire, the district of Hart has been found to be the best place to live in the UK. According to a 2011 survey measuring the quality of life throughout Britain it was found that residents of Hart are healthier, better paid and better educated than our nation’s average.[1]

Included in the region are the towns of Fleet and Yateley which continue to prosper amid a struggling British economy. The River Hart flows through the rural area which has 1,000 buildings that are listed as being of special architectural or historical interest, as well as having over 30 conservation areas.[2]

Location is key here, with plenty of green space all around and being only an hour’s drive from both London and the South Coast you couldn’t be better placed.

Elmbridge

Topping the survey for the previous three years, Elmbridge in Surrey just missed out on top spot in 2011. Home to many Premier League stars due to the close proximity to the Chelsea training ground in Cobham, residents here benefit from some of the largest homes in the UK with 6.1 bedrooms being the average[3]. School results are high and there’s supposedly two hours more sunshine enjoyed than the UK’s average – second place doesn’t sound too bad does it?

Shetland Islands

For those living north of the border, the Shetland Islands have been named as the best place to settle in a separate study focussing solely on Scotland.

The employment rate here is the highest in the country – close to 84% – with many residents earning weekly incomes above the nation’s average. Most who call the Shetlands home are fit and in good health with life expectancy over 77 years. Crime is low and education standards high, but perhaps the biggest difference with the top scorers in England is the house prices compared to residents earnings.

The average house price is 4.2 times average gross annual local earnings – below the average for Scotland of 4.7[4]. Great quality of life – and affordable!

But, she was hosting a family get together for my step-father, and I suppose the number of those invited exceeded her supplies. Or, maybe she thought she was making a statement since she is not really a fan of his side of the family. Well, that is neither here nor there, but something for me to question at a later date I suppose. She served on break resistant dinnerware. The plates looked like any of the others she has used in the past, but you knew instantly from the weight of them that they were closer in relation to the plastic plates. When I inquired, she looked at me as though I must have been living under a rock for the last ten years not to know these plates were scratch resistant, chip resistant, stain resistant and dishwasher safe. Truthfully, I think she was just resistant to going all out for her guests, but the plates were so nice I don’t think anyone felt her resistance.

Now that all of our children have learned to lay and set a fire in the fireplace, the thrill is gone. The excitement of properly stacking the kindling, or the dried lavender, along with toilet paper cardboard rolls, or newspaper underneath a bed of well situated wood no longer garners applauds. We all just want the fire up and heating as soon as is humanly possible. That said from time to time when we rush the process, it can result in failure.

And while it might surprise you, we have taken a fancy to those ready to go logs made of recycled materials. I know, I know it almost seems like cheating. Yet, they are so efficient, and after a long hard day out of the house we all want to sink into our well defined seats in the living room, take pleasure in our homeware delights and snuggle up to a roaring fire. Now, I could outline all of the virtues of these logs, but I instead am going to rest on the importance of efficiency and convenience. They are just great, enough said.

They are available in a variety of materials, so you’ll be able to find one to match your kitchen work tops, cabinets or appliances, and some of the most popular ones tend to have a seat made from either faux or real leather.  The quality of the material, the myriad of designs, and wide size range of the seats means that there really is something for everyone.  Another major benefit of real leather is that many leather seats are well padded to create extra support and comfort, enabling all those involved to get the most out of their new seating area.

For those looking to make a statement there are gloss finish stools, available in a range of bright and illuminating colours.  These are great as they can either compliment an already vibrant area, or add a welcome splash of colour and excitement to a more neutral space. Perspex also has much the same effect, but being translucent it offers a lighter visual space.

Interestingly, wooden stools are being increasingly sought after, with many admiring their sophisticated design and homely, rustic feel and charm. Strong yet natural, wood is a tactile and timeless material fit for any location.

The choice that customers have when choosing their kitchen bar stools isn’t limited to the seat however.  The frame and bases of the majority of bar stools now come in a choice of either mirror finish chrome or satin finish brushed steel, and in a variety of shapes and sizes with differing functions ensuring that you are able to adapt them to your home environment.

Many come with a gas hydraulic permitting family members to adjust the height of their stools to suit their individual needs and comfort, also giving the option of lowering and then neatly tucking the stool away under a breakfast bar when not being used. 360 degree rotation also makes access to any bar table or counter all the easier.

Finally and maybe one of the most important factors when choosing a kitchen stool is its colour. Thanks to the surge in popularity, many stools are created in a variety of colours and shades, giving the buyer a much wider choice to choose from and meaning that you won’t have to settle for one, only in the colour that you want.  This has created greater flexibility and choice, really ensuring that you can have the perfect kitchen.