Archive for January, 2011

Habitat has cooked up the perfect fitted kitchen range for 2011.

The household specialist Habitat now offers a fantastic range of contemporary and stylish fitted kitchens in five of its stores across the country.

Designed to suit all styles and tastes and at amazing prices these fitted kitchens are specially made to be practical and beautiful.

Kitchens come with top brand appliances, modern storage solutions and a huge choice of worktop finishes and colours.

To help you to create your ideal kitchen Habitat has over 100 door designs to choose from, 16 carcass colours and an array of complementary worktops. Surfaces include laminate, granite, corian or stone. Plus, staff at Habitat can be on hand from conception to completion, thanks to their bespoke design service.

For peace of mind, all kitchens come with a five year installation guarantee and a lifetime guarantee for every kitchen carcass. To complete the package, Habitat also offers integrated appliances from quality brands such as AEG, Baumatic, CDA and Neff.

The fitted kitchen range by Habitat is currently available at its stores in Cambridge, Oxford, Lakeside Thurrock, London Kings Road and London Tottenham Court Road.

Kitchens start from about £5,000.

Further department stores by the brand will be opening throughout 2011.

The Spring- Summer 2011 Collection by Habitat takes its inspiration from the heat of the Meditteranean, fun at the seaside and lazy days in country gardens.

It’s enough to make you long for the spring and summer months. But while homeowners continue to shiver their way through the winter, atleast there’s the latest collection by Habitat to give us something to get excited about.

Tapas in the Med

Bring into your home the intoxicating warmth and vibrant colours of the Mediterranean. This is a trend that brings to mind quayside tables, flickering candles, good food, and the best of friends. A great way to brighten up fitted kitchens and upholstery.

Research carried out by Halifax claims that around three in 10 people will embark on a DIY home improvement project this month.

The lure to go DIY is being put down to costs, with many people looking to save money and use the work as a distraction.

Halifax revealed that 28 per cent of people will undertake a project in January in order to keep themselves occupied as financial pressures means more of us are spending increased time in the home.

Painting rooms has been rated as the most common project, with 64 per cent of individuals opting for a new or fresh colour scheme. The number of people using their time to bleed radiators and build flat pack furniture equalled at 32 per cent and a further 37 per cent will be looking to fix items such as broken fittings.

Honeysuckle pink

It may not sound or look like the most obvious colour of choice for 2011 but honeysuckle pink has been tipped as a strong favourite this year.

Experts at Pantone Colour Institute believe that homeowners are looking for something to brighten their day – and uplifting honeysuckle hues are the solution.

High street stores are already stocking a range of homeware collections in this colour. Many of which will be available from February.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, explained: “In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues.”

Eiseman continued: “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this colour, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”

Honeysuckle is an upbeat and dynamic colour which can be used on large areas like the entry area of a house or an apartment. It is recommended by Pantone as the perfect conversation stimulant when applied to the dining room walls. In the kitchen too, it can be used to add a fun touch on the table in placemats, linen, colored glassware, candles and small appliances.