Retail giant B and Q have reported a sales drop of 4.4% in recent weeks on a like for like basis.  They have kept sales up very well during the recession but it seems like even they are now feeling the pinch.  It doesn’t bode well for other retailers if [...]

A laundry basket helps to keep the room tidy. Towels and clothes can be dropped into it the moment they are discarded. Some laundry bins are lined with a fabric bag which can be detached, allowing the laundry to be carried straight to the washing machine. ln most bathrooms, furnishings [...]

Families are never static, and in a househeld with young children the bathroom should be flexible enough to adapt as they grow. Get the basics right by prcviding efficient heating, waterproof surfaces and rebust fittings that will stand up to the heavy wear they will inevitably receive, and respond to [...]

A mixture of pale colours, clear glass and reflective surfaces can create an illusion of space in a small bathroom. Moreover, improved plumbing and specially designed fixtures mean there is no reason why compactness should preclude efficiencyand elegance. The en suite bathroom in a good hotel demonstrates how successful a [...]

An efficient workspace for food preparation needs careful planning. Think about its location in relation to other activity areas, the type of food you prepare, the amount of people you cook for on a daily basis, and whether you need extra preparation areas for others to share the work. How [...]

The number of people you cater for, how many meals you cook at home, the type of foods you use, how you shop, and who needs access to storage, determine the type and amount of storage space you need in your kitchen. Do you cook with a mixture of fresh, [...]

Ceramic tiles have long been recognized as one of the most practical surfaces for a bathroom, particularly in areas likely to come into contact with water. For practical reasons, it’s a sound proposition to half- or fully-tile a bath- room wall as well as tiling the casing and surrounds of [...]

Extremes of temperature, steam and moisture all take their toll on a bathroom surprisingly quickly. Surfaces need to be tough, waterproof and easy to maintain if they are to survive bathroom conditions and look good. The most common materials are paint, wallpaper, tiles, or a combination. The colder, harder and [...]

The personality of a room is determined by the individual elements. In kitchens, these elements also have to be functional because they are used more intensively than other household furniture, and come into daily contact with heat, steam, and water. Stainless steel fridges and worktops, for example, contribute an air [...]

Start by deciding what you will be doing and how much time you want to spend in your new kitchen. Do you want to use it just for cooking the occasional meal, for professional cooking, or would you like it to be the main family room in the house? I’ve [...]