The Indian Rosewood is an elegant and handsome tree. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it is of equal value and significance as a living specimen as it is a resource. It grows incredibly quickly for a tree that is also considered a hardwood and is surprisingly easy to work with as a […]
The wood from a mango tree is known for its beauty. Ask anyone who is familiar with it as a material and it will no doubt be among the first things mentioned, along with its sustainability, versatility and durability. All wood is a precious resource and should be more than just a one-off expenditure, it […]
Responsible consumerism is a process of refinement. It is about finding ways to do things more efficiently, minimising the damaging impact of our industries and reducing their waste. All industrial processes create by-products; the current push to find usable materials that would otherwise go to landfill makes just as much sense for the profitability of […]
Although wooden furniture is pretty much continuously popular, the current mindset of ethical and sustainable use of materials has resulted in increasing numbers of people moving away from synthetics and once again embracing the many benefits of using timber. When trees are grown sustainably and the timber is treated properly, wooden products will last a […]
In most contexts, when we talk about something being modern, we are saying that it is up-to-date, and representative of the present as opposed to the past. In art and literature and interior design, however, the word modern is actually used as a label for a specific period of creative expression which – loosely speaking […]
Making your space just right – the art of interior design Some of the words used to describe the principles of interior design – rhythm, harmony and repetition, for example – are ones more commonly associated with another mode of expressive creativity: music. This is no mistake. A succession of connected stimuli designed to […]
Humans have been making things out of wood for a long time. In fact, we have been using it since before we evolved into Homo sapiens – a 2001 report published in the Journal of Human Evolution puts the date of the earliest evidence for woodworking at an astonishing 1.5 million years ago, which predates […]
When we don’t own the spaces we live in, the tendency is to think that there’s no point in spending time and money on making them feel like home. This can be particularly true when you’re on a short-term lease or have plans to relocate in the near future. Regardless of how long we […]
There are not many style concepts out there simultaneously so easy to identify and so difficult to pin down as Shabby Chic. With inspiration ranging from the ornate exuberance of the 18th century French Rococo movement to the worn, lived-in utility of grand country houses of Britain of the early 1900s, its genetics are complex […]
As with many design trends, the modern country concept is one of contrasts: old and new; rustic and industrial; neutral and vibrant. One thing is consistent though: a celebration of, rather than a distancing from, the natural world. History has a way of going in cycles. This is as visible in the industries governed […]