Discount of the week from Thomas Sanderson
I love the summertime. Alfresco feasts, warmer temperatures and, best of all, the glorious sunshine. And, if you haven't already, it's time to turn your attention to making the most of it. So if your conservatory or orangery windows aren't doing your home justice, stay cool as you bask on lazy summer days with the Pinoleum range of Conservatory Blinds from Thomas Sanderson.
Filtering the sun's glare into a soft, textured light, the Pinoleum Conservatory Blinds use remote control technology to take unsightly rods out of the equation for a sleek and fully automated solution. Available in a wide choice of weaves and styles, the Pinoleum Conservatory range will be showcased as part of the Thomas Sanderson collection on view at Stand PW/5 at this year's Chelsea Flower Show.
Your Turn to Recommend 23 May
Here are just some of the tradespeople you have recommended this week:
• Kitchen Clinic, the design, supply and installation of high quality kitchens and fittings plus bespoke furniture solutions for all living spaces, covering all London and Home counties, call 020 7924 7877 or visit Kitchenclinic.com.
• NJP Interiors, specialists in complete first class refurbishments for offices and residential properties, including a 24Hr building maintenance and repair service, covering all London, call 0800 389 3590, 07815 107 143 or visit NJPinteriors.com.
• Murray Castle Carpets & Flooring, professional company which offers a full planning, supply and fitting service for a wide range of flooring solutions, covering all London and Middlesex, call 07970 026 989.
• Coupdeville, highly skilled architecture company providing quality design solutions for refurbishments, new builds, apartment blocks and commercial spaces, covering all UK, call 0208 995 8061 or visit Coupdeville.net.
Bargain of the week from Kitchens123.co.uk
Always on the hunt for bargain kitchens, I came across Kitchens123.co.uk around this time last year – and it’s still a bit of a favourite.
It sells all manner of quality kitchens: solid wood fascias, factory painted kitchens in any colour, modern vinyl & high gloss finishes or models such as this stylish Cherry shaker; but the best news is that the average kitchen costs around just £3,500 (including vat but excluding appliances). Kitchens are individually designed free of charge, and Cloisters also has a range of bespoke & hand made furniture, with bespoke 500 mm base unit cabinets starting at just £75. So far so good - but it’s Cloister’s Spring promotion that has really got me excited.
The idea here is that the more you spend, the more you save, with orders over £1,500 receiving a free Frankie Sink and Tap (worth £189.00.) and orders over £3,500 receiving a free oven, hob and extractor (worth £499.00). Call 01442 231 466 or log onto Kitchens123.co.uk to find more deals.
Cot to trot
When my kids were babies, ‘travel’ cots were still incredibly heavy , meaning extra baggage charges, and the inevitable frayed tempers when going on holiday. It’s about time then that someone lightened the load, and Cosatto has done just that. Its new travel cot is priced at £69.99 but more than makes up the cost with its variety of handy features: a bassinette feature for tiny babies, a removable mattress (easy to clean!), a cot top changing feature, lockable wheels; and, as if that wasn’t enough, the cot folds up easily to fit compactly into a hand carry bag. Call 0870 050 5900 Cosatto.com
Chateau chic
I’ve just discovered a fantastic furniture shop. Tucked away in Richmond, New Chateau supplies a striking array of Louis-style French furniture. The majority of stock is much cheaper than your average central London antique shop/boutique with tables from £295, ornate mirrors from £65, sconces from £50, or oil on canvas paintings from £190; but, if you do feel extravagant, this hand marquetry ‘bombe’ commode (£2,495) is worth every penny. And there’s currently a massive 50 per cent discount across the range of crystal as well as gold and silver plated chandeliers (priced from £125). Visit the store at 337 Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen, SW14, 020 8878 6850. Newchateau.co.uk
On the surface
There are only three days remaining at Surface Tiles' Spring sale, and it's well worth popping down to check out the deals. New ranges such as this Globe tile (normally £68.09, now £47.66 per square metre) at special introductory prices, and reductions of up to 30 per cent for tiles and mosaics. And, if you order more than £500 worth of tiles, we'll work out how much grout you'll need and give it to you for free. Just visit 60 Queenstown Road, Battersea, SW8 3RY (020 7819 2300) or 3 Central Avenue, West Molesey KT8 2QZ (020 8481 9588). Sale ends 26 May 2007. Surfacetiles.com
Ealing good
If you’re looking for a new sofa, The Sofa Workshop has a great selection to choose from – all beautifully displayed on its website, Sofaworkshop.com. But, before you get seduced by the full price models on display, it’s well worth a trip to The Sofa Workshop’s National Clearance Centre in Ealing. There are over 100 models on display here, ready for collection or immediate delivery; and priced down by up to 70 per cent. This Miss Clementine three-seater is currently on display and is reduced from £2,229 to just £668 (while stocks last). Just go to 8 High Street, Ealing Broadway Centre, London, W5 5DB (call 020 8579 0693). To find out more, visit Sofaworkshop.com
Grand ideas
For centuries great historic houses have used trompe d’oeil to add decorative splendour to interiors. Continuing this tradition but with a modern twist, Illusions of Grandeur cleverly combines the mural designs of older houses with the state-of-the-art technology of today. Enormous detail goes into each design, with reproductions completed on latex-based paper, silk, linen or acetate using fine art printing techniques. The results are quite spectacular. But this won’t set you back a fortune, with prices from £159 per metre (inc. vat). And there’s a 15 per cent discount for Really Useful readers. Just call 01483 205 007 mentioning this offer before 23 June 2007. Illusionsofgrandeur.co.uk
Spring clearing
Luxurious linen blankets and throws are great for windy days on the beach or long al fresco dinners, and LUMA has a truly top class collection – all naturally dyed and ethically produced. And, in order to make way for its Summer collection, LUMA is running a clearance on its Spring collection offering reductions of up to 40 per cent. The new Spring sale section launches on LUMA’s website today and it is offering Really useful readers an extra 10 per cent off across it’s entire range. Handwoven silk and linen throws are reduced from £125 to £75, hand woven merino blanket down from £125 to £95, and more. Your chance to get the cream of the crop at the possible best price. Just enter H&P when ordering at Lumadirect.com before May 30. And to find out more, call 0845 094 2598.
Spray for good weather
I often find that people are so busy doing up their interiors that they completely forget about their exterior – and cracked or faded masonry is not a good look. This Bank Holiday though might be the perfect excuse to get stuck into a paint job. But, if the thought of a paint pot and brush effort seems daunting, Dulux has the perfect alternative in the form of its new Weathershield Easysprayer (£25.99), and its specially developed Easyspray masonry paint (£25.99/ five litres). Easy to assemble and apply, the paint takes just two hours to dry but offers protection for up to 15 years. Available from Homebase, B&Q and other leading DIY retailers. Call 0870 444 1111 or visit Dulux.co.uk
Product of the week from JML Direct
An attractive and unusual way to combat allergens and odours in the home, the Fresh Air Globe (£39.99) from JML extracts smells and pollutants from the air and pumps them into a vent, cleansing them and creating purer, cleaner air. Sounds great. But its benefits don’t end there, as the Globe is also a mood light, and a great night light for kids suffering from hayfever. It also has the benefit of being energy efficient – using only 10 watts of electricity. A star buy for the summer. JMLdirect.com
Grass chance
If you grass looks less than inviting following winter’s worst, it’s worth knowing that Homebase can now deliver turf direct to your home. The first national retailer to carry out this service, customers can order in store or over the phone. Turf is delivered every Friday and is available all year round in half pallet (40 rolls; 40 square metres) and full pallet (80 rolls; 80 square metres) options, with prices starting from £118.99. A satisfying project for Bank Holiday weekend. Call 0845 077 8888 for your nearest stockist. Homebase.co.uk
Hard as nails
Cracked planter? Broken fence? Or is the bracket loose on your hanging basket? Before you get in a sweat with a hammer and nails, try this No More Nails Ultra Exterior from UniBond. Bringing all the speed and simplicity of the strongest instant-stick adhesive outdoors, this will hold together almost anything, including ceramic, wood, metal, brick, wood and glass – and eliminate the need for nails. Not only is it weather proof, but also temperature resistant, and usable on damp as well as dry surfaces. It’s also a great way to secure your garden ornaments against theft. Available in cartridge format, it is stocked by most DIY retailers at just £7.99. Makingdiyeasier.co.uk
Champion boxer
Whilst your student digs may be a thing of the past, small bedrooms sadly aren’t. But, if you’re pushed for space or lack storage, The Boxer Bed Company (boxerbed.co.uk) can help. The highly practical Boxer Bed is both comfortable and aesthetic, but multiplies its value with masses of storage space. Various pull-out drawers plus two pull-out side tables mean no bulky wardrobes or chest of drawers – and masses of extra space. The bed (from £895 for a single) is supplied exclusively to John Lewis or online from Johnlewis.com
Tile style
What with MySpace and Facebook and blogging, websites are becoming more and more interactive. But it’s not all about angry monologues and wannabe rock stars. The newly launched Tile Click website marks the start of a new feature, called the ‘Virtual Tiler’. The first online retailer to have a direct link to the manufacturer’s software, this enables customers to design their own tile patterns from the comfort of their own home. Combine this with Tile Clicks diverse, quality and excellent value tiles (see pictured Elgin tile; from £1.38 per tile), and it’s little wonder that Tile Click scooped the Tile Assocation’s ‘Best Website’ award at this year’s ceremony. Call 0870 851 9144 or visit Tileclick.co.uk
