Most of the furniture that has been made in China are perceived to be of lower quality compared to the other graded furniture manufacturers today but apparently it is the art and design to which they have been finished that is perhaps something that really makes a difference as far as striking and attention-getting instances are concerned.

China has been known to be a rich country when it comes to artifacts and artisans. In fact, some people actually go there to make sure they are buying authentic China made furniture designs. While many are exported, it cannot be avoided to find fakes being sold as before these items even reach their destination, you will be surprised at how many imitations would come out.

So lower quality or not, it remains that China has a rich heritage that only they can boast to go with classical designs that most people in the world these days look for.

Since 1966 the Cultural Revolution has taken its toll on Chinese artisans and artifacts. Under the rule of Mao Zedong the Red Guards campaigned to destroy the Four Olds – prior Chinese objects, customs, habits and ideas. It has been said that priceless historical works of art were considered dangerous items of a dangerous past and that the new direction led to the persecution of many of China’s finest artists and craftsmen.

(Source) Times Online

IKEA Mobile Device

We all know of the world going techie these days and it seems IKEA has gotten a new idea to help entice people to buy from them. And to cap it all off, they are offering a free mobile phone to its 1.4 million members for its loyalty programme thanks to its tie-up with T-Mobile.

The deal is identical to ones already offered by Asda, Tesco and Carphone Warehouse, with punters having to slap down an initial £10 airtime purchase, with no fixed monthly payments. Apparently, the service is tailored for an environment where “every penny counts”, whatever that means.

As part of the deal, all 9,500 of Ikea’s staff in Britain will get a freebie phone with a fiver’s worth of free calls thrown in.

(Source) Digital Lifestyles

Aside from the phone, this can be seen as a new interface for modern and online shopping. Rather than waiting for the people to come to their store, they are just a handheld device away.

Sharp Cinema Rack System

For the people who invest heavily in home theater setups and devices, here is a good multimedia rack that can store everything and perhaps save you the trouble of buying home theater enhancements individually and get you a lot of savings.

Sharp’s cinema rack system may seem the standard TV rack at first glance but take a look close and you will see a lot of bonuses such as an integrated 1080i upscaling CD/DVD player and HDMI output and DivX compatibility.

It is being sold in the market at £599.

The rack also sports a 300W 2.1-channel audio system. Elsewhere there’s USB connectivity for JPEG support, digital amp and FM tuner, aux input for MP3 and WMA playback and dual microphone connectors for the karaoke enthusiasts amongst you.

Available in piano black and targeted to team up with Sharp’s AQUOS series of LCD TV.

(Source) AVR Review

Beeb @-Space Chair

For the people who spend countless hours playing games with their Playstation or even just want to watch their favorite shows with the standard home theater setup, here is a chair that will definitely complement your entertainment pleasure.

The Beeb @-Space chair is equipped with a 2.1 speaker system with built-in cables for computer interface and a 19-inch screen to go. You can use your keyboard and mouse while seated via a knee-top board with a grain-filled cushion bottom.

The @-space sports a cover made of pure wool on a layer of comfort foam. Leather or other materials can be added as requested, as can wheels or a chrome rocking chair bottom

Price: €3290

Via Beeb@space via Born Rich

One thing that is normally misinterpreted is the manner to which famous fashion designers would live. For famous fashion designers like Veronica Etro, many would be surprised at how she visualizes her home and how elegant yet logical her definition of a good home is.

“For me, a house is all about your life, your character, who you are,” she says. “So I find it very difficult to hide who I am – it just comes out in the things I buy.” Which is why there is plenty of fun and colour about. On the wall, amid antique, Greek, Japanese and pretty English plates, hangs a plain white one with a plaster-of-Paris fried egg stuck to it, and another bearing the faces of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. “It’s kitsch, I know, but they make me laugh,” she smiles, slightly embarrassed. Ditto the Cath Kidston cowboy fabric on Filippo’s bed, the Ingo Maurer heart-shaped red lamp on her bedside, the drawing of Alice In Wonderland, Frida Kahlo-style, in her bedroom, with a blank face and single black eyebrow.

(Source) Times Online

So before you start jumping to conclusions, fashion designing is not that far from interior designing. The flashiness may be there but underneath all of that in a home, it all boils down to how you can closely relate a home with your life and in this case, your profession.

For every home lies a different interior design perspective. Not all people will take that up as a profession as many feel that interior designing is something that is inherited and done according to what they have in mind.

People who have not really gotten in the interior designing specialization field have a chance this time around to compete with other interior designers in sharing and perhaps providing new home decorating ideas through this residential design competition offered by the partnership of Dwell and Google Sketchup.

The Design Your Dwelling competition challenges aspiring architects and design enthusiasts to create a virtual model of their ideal home on a predetermined site location.

Each entry must take into account climate, public access, and size constraints, among other issues.

Designs will be judged on basic principles such as sustainability, cost-efficiency, and interior and exterior design.

The grand prize winner will be flown to San Francisco for an awards lunch at the Dwell headquarters, an in-person tour of the design site, and an AIA / Dwell architectural home tour.

(Source) Dexigner

With everything going up these days, the best buy of furniture pieces and bed ensembles seems to be beyond reach of an aspiring home builder. But thanks to breaks such as tax free weekends and additional special discounts, consumers can now troop to the nearest furniture store and try to pick out the furniture or home furnishing that they want to have.

For retailers, not all will be as accommodating as the ones who have set base in the various stores today. But just the same, you are bound to get something simple to elegant that will certainly be a welcome addition to beautifying your home.

Some stores see their foot traffic increase by almost a third during the sales tax holiday.

“Because you have so many consumers out in the market this weekend, this three-day period, the first question you’re going to receive is, ‘So are you guys doing tax-free this weekend?’ ” Anterio Kittrell, of Heavner Furniture Market, said.

Even national chains, like Oreck Vacuums, are offering a 7 percent discount throughout the state. But that will cost them.

(Source) News 14

For travelers who may want some change in the atmosphere, a portable fireplace may get the job done. There are people who put preference on ambiance and class and apparently having a portable fireplace with you wherever you go may seem crazy but cool.

It looks like a standard briefcase but inside it you will be surprised that it is made up of black powder-coated steel with glass panels on the sides and weighs about 55 lbs. Now that is not something easy to carry around. So unless you really need it, it would be best to know where you are going and listing down the things you need to bring along, including this portable fireplace.

It’s available from Unica Home for $3,300, and at that price you’d think they’d at least throw in a bottle of liquid fuel, but I’m afraid it’s not included.

(Source) Oh Gizmo

Turning to visual aids to help educate a child is one thing you will notice in any nursery. While we look at posters that make use of animals or objects that are easily associated to a certain letter, here is something that associates the alphabet with furniture images.

Ideally this may sound like a different way to teach children associating their ABC’s with the standard characters we know of today. But if it works, it can help a child easily distinguish the various furniture designs and images that they normally see in their homes from beds to sofas.

As you are well aware, we spend a lot of time looking for great nursery decor, especially when it comes to alphabet posters. I think that this one by Italian graphic designer Francesco Dondina makes an interesting addition. A father of two, Dondina is also a professor of visual communication at the Design Faculty of the Politecnico in Milan. At $13, this gem is quite a steal.

(Source) Baby Gadget

Reclining on your La-Z-Boy may not be as comfortable most of the time and while the name itself seems to make a person do less, perking them up for makeovers and added features such as handles wouldn’t hurt. Besides, when you find yourself relaxing comfortably, finding the proper help to get up or move from one position to another may need minor assistance such as handles which provide a new look as well from the popular reclining La-Z-Boy that any person would want to have in his home.

“The traditional recliner handle symbolizes La-Z-Boy and the comfort associated with our furniture,” said Doug Collier, chief marketing officer for La-Z-Boy. “This new twist on the iconic La-Z-Boy handle offers customers the ability to modernize their reclining furniture with a sleek, contemporary addition.”

The new ergonomic handle, known as the “Arc,” lives up to its name with a swooping arc shape. A brushed metal coating adds durability to the handle and protects its sleek silver finish from scratches.

(Source) PR Web