Concierge.bigcartel - of Animal Rubber Bands, Bookends, Rabbit Bag, Gum Hook and Tube Doorstops

Pardon the loooong title but this website carries a lot of interesting home living ideas. Although the stuffs they carry is a bit on the pricey end...the website is definately worth a second look. :)

Concierge.sg

Plant Stands

Plant stands can be used to organise your balcony and they are excellent space management tools. I took the liberty to look around some nice looking plant stands in Singapore and ended up with the following:

Astoria Floral Design and Landscape

Wronght Iron Plant Stands and Holders >> They provide customisation of plant stands too!

Ban Nee Chen Pte Ltd

Kelcosupply (scroll to the page below to view the types of plant stands available!)

Wall Decals

Found another wall decal online shop by chance...check out their $10 promotion! :)

They carry lovely colorful wall decals however I am not too sure of their quality. Will be ordering and trying out some before doing a review.

Portable Dryer

Ever thought that the Conventional Dryer is way too expensive, takes up too much space, consume a lot of electricity and lastly, makes your clothes crumbles so badly that you have to iron them?

I was given this daunting task to search for a good cheap, portable and energy saving dryer. After much reviews and research, I managed to find one!

Introducing Kawaki, made in Singapore 100% portable and cheap indoor laundry dryer. After using it for 3 months, I found that the following claims are true:

Cost Saving:
Saves up to 35% energy; I checked the electricity bill, no significent difference (usage rate: 2-3 hr weekly). A lot less ironing since the clothes are dryed on hangers.

Multi-purpose:
We have tried drying clothes, bedsheets and thick towels. So far so good...will try pillows,comforters, soft toys, shoes and bags.

Cheap and Portable: Its less then S$200 and saves space! It is very light and can easily be lifted up with only one hand..

Lastly, its great for delicate fabric like silk.

However the following could be improved.

Capacity: I doubt it can dry up to 50 pieces of items in one go...I have tried 20 items (dresses, pants, tops, towels) and finds it very compact. maybe the rest of 30 pieces goes to panties, socks?

Quality: The dryer seems too light and maybe a little bit flimsy? However, others pointed out that that is why its so light and portable.

Tips: After spinning dry your clothes, leave them overnight before using the Portable Dryer to save more electricity.

Enviro http://blog.fashionfanatics.com.sg/?tag=beauty-and-health offers very similar functions too.

Types of Sofa

Taken from http://www.homeinstitute.com

" There are several different ways to categorize sofas. One way is by the style. Here are some of the most frequently found styles of sofa:

• Chaise Lounge—a sofa that has a backrest at one end and no arms (also a reclining chair).
• Chesterfield—a sofa with padded arms and a back that are the same height and which curve outwards at the top.
• Chippendale—the style of sofa designed by Thomas Chippendale, an eighteenth century English furniture maker.

  

• Davenport—a large upholstered sofa.
• Divan—a long, low sofa with no back or arms, often set against a wall with a backing of pillows.
• Love Seat—a short sofa for only two people; it can also describe a sofa shaped like an S, so that two people sitting on it can face each other.
• Sectional Sofa—a set of sections of sofa that can be configured as the homeowner desires, most typically in an "L" shape.
• Sofa Bed—a multifunction sofa that folds out into a sleeping platform with a built-in mattress.

Another way to group sofas is by the number of people they are meant to seat.

• One person—chaise lounge, divan
• Two people—loveseat
• Three people—(usually) chesterfield, chippendale, davenport, sofa bed
• Many people—sectional sofa

Upholstery

Sofas can be upholstered in a wide variety of materials:

• Plant Fibers—cotton (including denim) and linen
• Animal Fibers—silk and wool
• Animal Hide—leather
• Synthetic Fiber—including acetates, acrylics, nylon, polyester, polypropylene (Olefin), and vinyl (Naugahyde).

Construction

A sofa is comprised of four basic parts: the frame (which gives it form and is often made of hardwood); the springs (which supply support); the padding, which creates a zone between the springs and the upholstery material; and the upholstery itself. A fifth element, cushions, may or may not be part of a couch, and is created from fill covered with upholstery. "

7 Leather Sofa Care Tips

1. Avoid direct sunlight! Leather sofa will dry out and crack if they are exposed to long duration of direct sunlight and heat.

2. Avoid spillage (especially coffee/tea) as genuine leather can absorb some liquid and be stained.

3. Aviod dust and dirt to keep the leather's luster and sheen.

4. Avoid strong detergent as they can ruin your sofa.

5. Use Petroleum jelly to moisturize leather. Dab a small amount and wipe the leather surface with dry cloth.

6. Use leather creams to remove stains and improve the leather's durability.

7. Take extra care when using the leather sofa's reclining mechanism, to avoid giving your leather abrasion scars.

Guide to buying a sofa

6 factors to consider before you buy a sofa!

1 Heavy Frame
A well-built sofa should be heavy as a good frame uses both hardwood for strength; softwood for flexibility.

2 How well is the sofa being sprung?
Cheap sofas are usually web-sprung with synthetic strips. Mid-range sofas are cross-sprung (usually more comfortable than web-sprung); The most expensive yet comfortable sofa is traditionally coil-sprung.

3 How firm do you want the sofa?
Foam-filled cushions are more supportive and lasting as they tend to keep their shape. Foam and fibre cushions are softer. Feather-filled cushions are the softest, but need regular plumping as they went of shape easily. Note that foam and feather is a better mix for sofa to be more lasting.

4 Loose or fitted covers?
If you have children or pets, loose covers are the safer option as you can take them off and have them washed or dry cleaned. Fitted covers aren't so easy to clean, but can be protected with a treatment such as Scotchguard.

5 What is your design theme?
A zen theme calls for a earth toned fabric/wood sofa and a victorian upholstered sofa will only suit a classically designed home. You should go furniture hunting first to see which sofa you like before informing your interior designer to settle for the theme. This is because its easier to change the theme than to go around hunting for a piece of furniture to suite the design.

6 What is the measurements?
Make sure you bring a measuring tape and your floor plan along. Also, do measure your doors and hallway. If access is a problem, you should pick a model that can be dismantled easily.

Leather vs Fabric Sofa

If you are deliberating between a leather and the fabric sofa; here are some factors that you should consider before making your decision. :)

1. Lifestyle
Do you have a hectic lifestyle to upkeep that leaves you little time to care for your furniture? Unlike fabric sofa, you have to maintain your leather sofa well in order to keep its nature sheen and luster. Application of quality leather conditioning cream is a must. Here are some tips for cleaning your leather sofa.

In addition, do you intend to keep pets at home? Hairy companions like dogs and cats are usually left to roam about in the house. As they do shed their fur at certain season of the year, leather sofa would be a better choice as pet furs are easily stuck in the fabric sofa and hard to remove even with help of lint rollers. Leather sofa is also more stain resistance then fabric sofa.

2. Design
Leather brings an elegant touch to any design and because of the luxury feeling it give to a room, furniture made out of leather are becoming popular nowadays. Note that leather sofa do not go well with design theme such as resort, zen and they are more suitable for modern, classic and contemporary interior design themes. In addition, leather sofa are usually more limited in color and design.

Fabric sofa by contrast is available in all hues, colors and prints. They are more versatile with a huge range of designs to choose from.

3. Budget
Budget plays a great part of the decision making process. Authentic leather furniture are usually 2 to 3 times more expensive compared to fabric sofa. If budget is a constrain, you can consider a half leather compared to a full leather sofa.

4. Durability
Genuine leather is very durable, will last a lifetime and cost far more than Synthetic leather. Genuine leather have deep grooves (like your fingerprints) and will have a distinct scent even when dyed. Genuine leather isn't very pliable and can withstand constant torture and punishment.

Synthetic ( aka PU; Poly) is far less durable and cheaper. Synthetic leather is extremely pliable and will stretch kind of like a spandex material. It has a more shiny appearance and generally far less thick than real leather. Grooves are mechanically pressed into the material in order to pass it off as real leather. These grooves are far less defined. Photos of genuine vs synthetic leather.

Fabric sofa is not as lasting as it is prone to stains, spills and tears (especially if you have pets who like to craw their way around a lot).

Food for thought...

I noticed that most home owners were too carried away by their renovation and furnishing needs that they forgot the most fundamental and important thing..

Its pricelss when you furnish your home with lotsa of love and smiles. So do compromise with your loved ones (especially if any elderly are going to live with you) and let them know they you do care for their needs. :)

Hammer Zone

If you are a DIY lover like me...you should check out this site: hammerzone.com. it contains a lot of useful articles. Note that is from a foreign country so some articles may not apply to us. Happy reading! ;)