On the other hand, curtains fall down on their versatility and it can be difficult to match the same set of curtains to new wall paper and furnishings, for example, should you decide to change the décor of the room in the future. Replacing curtains can be expensive, especially if you have a large window space. However, if you instead opt for a blind these tend to be more versatile and generally don’t need to be replaced each time you decide to remodel your room – potentially saving you a great deal of money and hassle in the long-run.Meanwhile, this same idea applies if you are planning on selling your home, where blinds are often a better choice as they are likely to go with the décor of the new tenants more easily.

Blinds give you the chance to combine contemporary design and practicality, and can be found in a range of styles and sizes from specialist online retailers such as Direct Blinds – suppliers of a fantastic range of red roller blinds. They span a variety of designs including fabric and roller blinds to horizontal and vertical blinds, and can offer a splash of colour to fit with current interior design trends. An added benefit is that blinds are convenient to use and easy to keep clean. Some simple, cheap-and-cheerful soap and water is all that is needed to clean most blinds, which is a far cry from the dry-cleaning bills associated with curtains. Meanwhile, blinds now come in a motorised variety and the cordless type is great for children’s bedrooms.

Look out for blinds with specific state-of-the-art features, such as blackout, moisture-resistant, solar-control, energy-saving and flame-retardant blinds. Moisture-resistant blinds, for example, are great for kitchens and bathrooms; while blackout blinds efficiently block light out of a room, meaning you can snooze peacefully at any time of day.

If you simply cannot decide between curtains or blinds, why not opt for both as this can sometimes be an ideal solution for window coverings. Try combining curtain tracks with earth woody blinds to give your room character.

Deadgood’s principals Dan Ziglam and Elliot Brook announce themselves in a genial, if confident, manner: “Hello,” says their website’s homepage, “We are deadgood and everything we do is deadgood.”

That assertion may remain to be seen, but if their recent Capsule Collection is any indication, there’s a high probability of excellent product herein. Ziglam and Brook founded the company in 2004 after finishing studies at the UK’s Northumbria University. Their stated aim is to “offer an excellence in design and an uncompromising commitment to quality… exploring and experimenting with new materials and manufacturing processes whilst simultaneously expressing our distinct personalities.” The Capsule pieces give the truth to this objective. With enthusiastic approbation from none other than The Sunday Times (“as much fun as chewing a flying saucer while bouncing on a space hopper”), these furnishings announce themselves to the globosphere with a fortuitous synthesis of daring, whimsy, and retro panache.

The central metaphor of the collection is that of the capsule—that pervasive icon of 50s and 60s kitschy paranoia. But beyond providing a fun and engaging cultural point of reference, the capsule shape makes for an ergonomic and comfortable profile. All the better to decorate the landscape of this sofa, chair, and kick stool with an assortment of differently-sized, -shaped, and -colored buttons.

One such permutation is their Plastic Fantastic—a line of indoor/outdoor pieces covered in a soft, flexible, “thick layer of rubber!” The concoction of JSPR’s founder Jasper van Grootel, Plastic Fantastic is the company’s best-known collection. Obviously durable, the material is surprisingly comfortable—due to the secret JSPR technology, which I like to imagine is invented in clandestine laboratories by men in white coats and ascots. Plastic Fantastic has birthed a wide-ranging line of furniture, from Dining Chairs to Club Chairs, Salon Tables to Grand Dressoirs.

It is the juxtaposition of the substance and the style that defines Plastic Fantastic. Curved legs, lavish ornamentation, tufted fabrics all become ironic statements when produced in plastic—lovely commentary on the history of furnishings and domesticity in general. Color too transforms staid silhouettes: choose any hue, though the standard options are many—from neutrals like camel, sand, and chocolate; to brights like sky blue, ochre, and lime; from classic black, white, and anthracite; to feminine soft pink, magenta, and aubergine. Any color of the rainbow and everything in between can be had in Plastic Fantastic. JSPR’s furniture collection becomes a real beauty in its signature coating of pliable, yielding, responsive rubber.

Beautifully designed by Patricia Urquiola, these elegant outdoor furnishings are made of natural fibers, as well as colored polyethylene. The delicate flowery patterns add to the exquisite look you haven’t seen in any other outdoor range. The asymmetry of the flower patterns contrasts gently with the symmetry between the top and bottom of the chairs, creating a very harmonious overall appearance. For added comfort, throw a poncho over a backrest or place some pillows, and enjoy your outdoor living in style. With the newest Crinoline collection from B&B Italia, opt for the exquisite looks when decorating your outdoor space.

This wonderful range brings the comfort of indoors to the outdoors with round and rectangular poufs, crate beds and soft loungers. With names like Play, Ease, and Float it’s clear that the Aqua Collection has your comfort first on its list of priorities. Suddenly, you can find a cosy, welcoming place to relax anywhere in your garden or on your patio.

Ultimate comfort can be achieved on any type of ground with Paola Lenti’s aesthetically pleasing and highly practical soft furnishings in an array of funky colors. They are made of high-tech yarns known as Rope and Aquatech which are resistant to UV rays, salt and chlorine. The innovative use of yarns (that the company itself develops), along with straightforward, contemporary style is the key to the philosophy of Paola Lenti.

Given all this—along with the augmenting sense that skating as counter-culture is no more—it was refreshing to encounter the collection of recycled skateboard furniture by Skate Study House. As many other people who watched their  younger brothers or friends splinter, fracture, and use up deck upon laminate deck, I can say with authority that this collection is the best use for the detritus of the sport (be said detritus corporeal or metaphoric) I’ve yet seen. Based on a “passion for mid-century design, skateboard culture, and California lifestyle”—and inspired by John Entenza’s seminal Case Study House architectural program—Skate Study House re-fashions discarded skateboards into stylish contemporary furnishings reminiscent of the golden age of bentwood.

This collection gleams with golden hues, shines with the ebon of upholstered vinyl black as pitch. While the signature piece is the Eames-inspired God Father Lounge Chair, I prefer the one they call Jet Set. Consisting of eight neoprene-wrapped skateboard decks (appropriately, the neoprene is recycled from surfers’ wet suits) atop a curved metal frame—the frame very like a wave or a half-pipe—the Jet Set is an apropo icon for the decline (or, more kindly, evolution) of youth—so be it, but at least we can assert that with maturity comes good taste.