While the design is brilliant, the price is not. But who’s to say what a diehard fan of the sport might do?

Imagesource: scandinaviandesigncenter

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They can help you create a whimsical, playful environment or they can be
used to create a romantic, charming ambiance. Whatever mood or atmosphere
you desire to create, you can do so by using garden accessories.

Garden Design Must-Haves
The following are the top 10 garden design accessories that you should
consider.

1. Bird Baths – every garden that can fit a bird bath needs one. Not only are bird baths
beautiful, but they also attract numerous types of birds. Birds will enjoy
the water as well as the insects in your garden.

2. Garden Cart – a garden cart can be a functional or non-functional
accessory. You can place your watering can, gloves, and tools in the cart
or you can put a planter in the cart and use it as decoration.

3. Water feature – a waterfall or fountain will provide water movement in
your garden. The splashing and trickling sounds will attract wildlife such
as birds. These soothing sounds will also be a delight to both you and
other visitors to your garden.

4. Statues – while not very functional, statues can aid an air of mystery,
intrigue, and elegance to your garden.

5. Arches – these structures add a special appeal to your garden,
especially when covered in ivy or some other type of flowering vine.
Butterflies are quite fond of ivy.

6. Gazebo – a more expensive garden accessory, a gazebo can provide a
place for you to escape from the cares of the world. Gazebos are quite
romantic as well.

7. Planters – these can range from clay pots to sophisticated copper urns.
Place a clay pot upside down in your garden to attract frogs or use a
planter as a decorative piece in your garden. The possibilities are
endless.

8. Torches – strategically place garden torches around the garden to
create an amorous atmosphere for those long summer nights.

9. Art – this can range from topiaries to iron structures to plant stakes.
Using art in your garden design can truly set your garden apart and make
it one of a kind.

10. Outdoor Furniture – comfortable, relaxing outdoor furniture will make
your garden the place to be.

About the Author
Emma Spivey writes for solar water fountains, her personal hobby blog focuses on tips to
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First, you need to know whether you want a fitted kitchen or a pick-and-choose. Most people go for the former (also known as the built-in kitchen) as it maximises the available space you have, even weird or difficult corners by turning them into storage areas.

Don’t be fooled into trying to get the most minimalist kitchen because every practical household will end up having loads more items to store. The kitchens you see at showhouses don’t exactly exist — perfect for photos, never ideal for real living. A pick-and-choose, or freestanding, kitchen has a unique look and feel from each individual piece that makes up the area. When not done well, it ends up looking more of a mess than an appealing assortment of items sitting in harmony.

That’s why I’d recommend the fitted kitchen even though it would cost more than the pick-and-choose.
Furnishing options There are many options for kitchen cabinets and doors. Yet laminate is still popular today, simply because of the cost and myriad choices of texture and colour.

Acrylic is becoming more popular because they provide a contemporary look and feel. The bold can go for a bright Chili Red acrylic finish while the less adventurous can opt for Burgundy.

The evergreen finish is wood, which is still my choice of finish. My kitchen doors are all made from solid wood. Selecting the right colour is tricky, and here’s a tip for those who just can’t decide from a one-by-one-inch colour sample: I made my contractor paint my shortlisted colours on separate one-by-one-inch wood squares so I could visualise the finished product better.

Choosing the right counter-top is important because this is where food is prepared and hygiene is priority. I’d recommend a solid surface because it is durable, non-porous and flexible to fit any design. Many kitchens today use solid surfaces, but concrete counter-tops are fast catching on. Made from a mixture of water, cement, sand, stone and some pigment, a concrete surface is sealed to prevent water damage and stains. No longer just used for floors, a concrete counter-top creates a rugged ambience. Many people like the way a concrete top ages, like a well-used butcher’s block. While functionally and aesthetically ideal, these two options aren’t cheap. For those on a budget, go for formica or tiles. I prefer tiles for durability.

In fact, while I have a solid surface for my dry kitchen, tiles line my semi-outdoor wet kitchen. What’s important is to ensure that your contractor does a good job of filling the gaps between the tiles to prevent bacteria growth.

For kitchen backsplashes, tempered glass is the popular option today. If you’re using a glass backsplash, choose a solid background colour for the glass backing to contrast with your counter-top to add vibrancy to your kitchen. Glass mosaics are popular, too, as they provide a blend of colours into the fold. For my home, I used Spanish ceramic tiles with a glazed finish that has varied shades of orange. It has a similar effect to glass mosaic tiles, but at a third of the cost.

For tiling options, I’d recommend Apex tiles in Jalan Ipoh due to their stock variety and competitive prices.
Here are some simple tips to help you plan your kitchen better:

- First, decide where your sink and kitchen hob will go. The rule of thumb is to have them close to each other for convenience. And don’t do any re-plumbing unless necessary.

- Always think about ventilation points, especially if you’re into Asian cooking. Look for a powerful hood — select an Asian brand over designer European ones as the former is designed for Asian-style cooking and features higher suction power. Never block out windows with cabinets — ventilation trumps the need for storage any time.

- Don’t choose a side-by-side door refrigerator because it’s cool. Think about the type of cooking you’ll be doing, the number of people in your household and the amount of electricity you’ll be consuming.

- Store heavy items in the cabinets under the counter-top, not on hanging or elevated cabinets. Items rarely used should go to the highest shelves. Use a drawer organiser for your cutlery.

- If you have cabinets over your counter-top, think about installing lights under the cabinet to shine onto the counter-top.

- For flooring, select tiles that are durable and easy to clean. Laminated flooring is not advisable for wet kitchens, but is fine for dry kitchens.

- Decorate the walls with art, a clock or some photographs. You want your kitchen to look lived-in. I got creative and turned some coasters with modern-art bull motifs into wall art for my wet kitchen.

- Make sure you plan for enough electrical sockets.

- As with any unconventional idea you might have picked up visually from somewhere, remember to take a picture or screenshot and show it to your contractor. Words can be easily misinterpreted, but images should get your contractor on the same page.

originally written for the News Straits Times, 6 Mar 2010 edition

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It’s a novel and very clever idea that would make you constantly want to check the time just to look at its pretty design

via coroflot.com

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***

Me: Tell us about the origins of Siller Stairs/Treppen

Benjamin: The company was founded in 1958 and by a traditional carpenter. Mr. Siller Senior only manufactured custom made staircases primarily using wood during the winter time. In 1990, Christian Siller (Junior) decided it was time to expand the business and concentrate on professional stairs. His aim was to create light and floating stairs to be viewed as accompaniments to living spaces, just like any other furniture. Today, the main materials used are wood, stainless steel and glass. Since 2000,  Siller Stairs has gone international and the are now sold in Germany, Austria, Spain, UK, USA and Canada.

Me: In your opinion, what differentiates Siller from its competitors? and how does Siller plan to continue to maintain the edge in an ever competitive industry?

Benjamin: Christian Siller has always been able to create new and trend setting designs. Usually we start selling a particular product 1 to 2 years before other competitors see the trend. With a very slim company structure we are able to move quick and adjust to new trends in the market. Even more, we are always trying to suggest unique designs to the customers to give them the possibility have the only stairs of its kind. Using noble materials and exclusive designs give us the possibility to concentrate on the high end market segment, where we do see a huge demand in future. Service, punctuality and high quality products are what we have and always will deliver and this sets us apart from our competitors

Me: You operate in several regions around the world. do you have any plans for expanding into asia?

Benjamin: Yes, we are indeed planning to expand to Asia. Currently we do already have 3 distributors in India which will start this year. Also we do have companies interested in our products in Singapore and we are just about to start a cooperation with a large group of companies in the middle east. Definitely we are also looking for business partners in Malaysia where we do see a huge demand in futuristic designs

Me: Which is your most popular product and what do you think are its strengths?

Benjamin: Currently the most popular product for the international market is the Mistral Glass Stair Design. There are not a lot of companies worldwide capable of producing this design. The strength of the product is to use the glass as a supporting structure (means you need do not require a supporting wall, as with many other designs) and with this we can achieve the look of a very light and floating staircase. In general we are trying to achieve to become the leader of glass stair products worldwide. Please find attached additional pictures of glass stairs. There will be more cutting edge designs to come as we are currently in the midst of building several new prototypes.

Me: What are your predictions for this industry in the next 5 years and where do you see Siller then?

Benjamin: We see demand an increasing demand in this sector as there are more and more people who are affluent and have unique tastes for custom and designer stairs. Siller Stairs is aiming to serve this market. Currently are working on a licence system with the aim to make it possible for retailers worldwide to sell our products for reasonable prices in the domestic market.Similar Posts:

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I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Benjamin Friedl of Siller stairs and he has graciously decided to share samples of his works here on How’sHouse. Enjoy (next up: an interview with Benjamin himself – stay tuned for that)

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Simply brilliant. This really has the potential to end up being a classic. As a standalone object, I’m not sure many people will ever guess its true functionality but I’m certain that when do find out, they would be mightily impressed.

imagesource: stilsucht

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Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, has recently just submitted plans to the city council for a carbon-free eco home within his estate. The entire house lives up to its carbon-free tag by being powered and sustained on a wind turbine. The plans for this home is said to be so advanced that the authorities might just use it as a blueprint for future carbon-free homes.

Despite now being well known for his lack of respect for scousers and the blue side of Manchester (specifically Carlos Tevez), the little United stalwart obviously has tremendous respect for mother earth and is doing his part to minimize his carbon footprint. It would be strange to call him a role model (no parent would teach their kids to gesture like Mr Neville… read about that here) but from a Green/Eco perspective, I think a lot of people could really look up to him and what he’s trying to do.

Of course, having deep pockets really eases the cause. Then again, we don’t see all the celebs and footballers digging in to buy electric cars or building eco homes. Commendable, Mr Neville.

Fun fact: The Neville brothers dad’s name is Neville Neville.

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Here’s what some imagination, perspex and some clips can do

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