Bar stools appeared out of the necessity and no one can establish exactly who invented them or how this all started. It is known that the ancestor of today’s barstool is the three-legged wooden chair, which was the most used seating model at that time.

While the “ancestor” bar stools were simple, necessary furniture pieces, nobody expected them to take off to such a popularity. It all started in the 50s and 60s when you could find these tall chairs in almost every bar and restaurant. That’s the period when the materials, sizes, colors and styles started to mix up giving people more and more options from which to choose when purchasing a bar stool.

Nowadays bar stools are an important piece of furniture, used in both residential and commercial environment.

Before choosing a set of bar stools or even only a few pieces you should do a detailed research taking into account all the other pieces of furniture which they’ll have to be in harmony with.

• Metal or Wood?

Choosing the material these bar stools are made of is a really important matter which is not easy to decide due to many factors. First of all before choosing the material they are made of you should take into consideration all the important aspects such as : strength, durability, size, style, budget and the overall décor of the space.

Wooden bar stools have been around since the “creation of the world” and it is said that the wood bar furniture gives the place a warm, traditional look. Nowadays these bar stools come in a variety of colors, heights and upholstery options.

Metal bar stools have a more modern design and they appeared due to the necessity of a more sturdy and strong piece of furniture. Metal bar stools are more appealing to commercial use and also to outdoor use where the wood ones would not be able to last.

When choosing between metal or wood you have to consider features such as swivel or stationary, colors and heights but also not forgetting about the budget. It has to be mentioned the fact that the wooden bar stools are cheaper but also the metal ones are an investment worth making.

• Backless bar stools or not?

Backless bar stools have a few advantages which consist in the following :

- they use up less space

- a bit cheaper – due to the fact that they use less material

- the weakest part of a typical chair is the spindles that for them back of the chair and by eliminating that you get a stronger chair – it is said

- due to the back lack these chair are a bit lighter and thus easier to move around

Bar stools that have a back have also the following points in their favor:

- when talking about comfort I can say from my own point of view that bar stools with a back are my favorites. Back support can never be over rated due to the fact that it adds a great touch of comfort to the chair, so great it’s the touch that the backless ones are extremely uncomfortable.

- stools with a back tend to give people a more pleasant, stable and secure sitting experience – especially if we talk about people with mobility issues

- be careful when choosing a backless model because the seating size can be very small, try it out in your space before purchase

All in all when choosing the perfect bar stools be it for your home or for commercial use you have to take into account all of the above and also do not forget that they have to be in harmony with the rest of the décor. Good luck in choosing the perfect bar stool chair which lasts long and satisfies all your requirements.

Since cuckoo clocks are delicate in nature, you should only consider purchasing a cuckoo clock if you have the space to hang a clock securely from your wall. Since the chains and weights generally hang beneath the clock, you should ensure your prospective wall has enough room for the weights to swing freely. Cuckoo clocks are not mantle clocks and should only be hung from a wall, so if you do not have the proper space, you may need to reconsider your purchase.

Many travelers choose to purchase cuckoo clocks as a souvenir of their European adventure. Since cuckoo clocks were traditionally made in the famous Black Forest of Germany, and are continued to be produced using the traditional methods, a cuckoo clock is the perfect souvenir for travelers who want something unique and customary to mark their visit to Germany. However, before your purchase, ensure you will actually use your cuckoo clock once you return to your home. A cuckoo clock in a store full of cuckoos may seem appealing at the time, but you may find differently once you return home. These great clocks are perfect for the right owner, who will cherish and appreciate the unique creation.
The best thing about the cuckoo clock is the bird itself. The cuckoo, a small grey bird native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, is replicated in carved wood and placed in the bellows of the cuckoo clock. Once the clock’s hand designates the hour, the bird pops out from his home and sounds the hour. Instead of more traditional clocks that chime the hour, such as mantle clocks equipped with Westminster Chimes, this tiny bird chirps out the hour and is a favorite with both the young and the young at heart. In addition to not being as loud as chimes, the cuckoo clock does not sound for the length of time of a traditional chime clock, so the disturbance is at a minimum.

This unusual burned furniture idea comes form Kaspar Hamache, a young designer from Belgium. The project is called ‘Ausgebrannt’, which in German means “burned out”.

Made out of tree trunks, these small, but functional stools and tables were intentionally burned in order to create an uncommon aesthetic effect. Why use paint and dedicate half a day to making a chair look good, when you can burn things instead? We don’t know about you guys, but we happen to find the outcome interesting and think this type of furniture set would go nicely in a small garden or even in some public spaces. This is also the type of “do-it-yourself” design, so if you like the photos below, need a few extra seating items and have some wood in your back yard, feel free to experiment!

If you love wood floors but want to steer clear of typical hardwood, this new decorative wooden carpet from Boewer is something to see.

These contemporary carpets feature the natural look of wood, presented in an unconventional, unexpected way. Designed by Elisa Strozyk, these wood carpets are available in four different wood varieties – wentwood, mortimer, sherwood, ashdown. The wood panels are cut into various shaped and arranged in patterns, resulting in a three-dimensional design that offers a totally different flooring option. These modern wood carpets will make a great addition to your living room, den, bedroom or home library. The sophisticated yet home-style aesthetic makes these carpets usable, yet beautiful.

Golly pods are unique crafted planters that are made either of wood or ceramic. They are designed by Tend in collabration with Jason Lane of Bells & Whistles.

The planters are still in concept but looks like they will be ready to mass production very soon. They look like some futuristic alien-like space stations and truly could be come a great decoration for your home. The pods feature mostly succulent plants so they won’t need a lot of maintenance. If you enjoy succulent floral arraignments and like unusual futuristic design then you should check Tend’s blog constantly in order not to miss the release date.

First, think of Southwestern style as a decor that brings natural materials inside. These natural materials are typical of the Southwestern United States: clay and wood. It’s how these materials combine that makes the four different categories of Southwestern decor.

Homeowners who love a rustic type of decor – or little cowboys and cowgirls – will appreciate Western style design. While it may sound stereotypical and kitschy, Western style is an authentic decor that emerged from the lifestyle of ranchers in the old west. This style makes generous use of rough-hewn, pegged and mortised furniture in wood, upholstered in leather. Cowhide accents in lampshades or pillows are common, while hardwood or ceramic tile floors are warmed by fringed cotton rugs or braided area rugs. The Western style commemorates the ranch lifestyle with motifs of horses and cowboys, boots and saddles and barbed wire, branding irons and wagon wheels. It’s historic and iconic, and for some people it’s the ideal Southwestern expression.

Southwestern rustic can take another form through that of Mexican imports. Before national borders were so strictly enforced, Mexicans roamed far and wide over the American Southwestern, bringing with them the bright, vivid decorations and crafts of their native land. Hand-carved furniture, hand-painted pottery and sinks, ceramic tile and natural-fiber area rugs are typical of this decor. A Southwestern decorating scheme based on Mexican imports creates a cheery home decor based on this vibrant culture.

The Native American version of southwestern decor has gained great popularity over the last 60 years. As more and more people traded their ideas of Native Americans from Hollywood versions to the genuine tribal cultures, decorators discovered the severe, stunning beauty of this decor. The clown-like dolls known as kachinas, the silhouette of the flute player Kokopelli, and the varied designs of pottery, hand-woven area rugs, wall hangings, sculpture and contemporary art all testify to the creative power of Southwestern tribal peoples.

When outfitting a home in Native American style, it’s crucial to be sure that the design elements are authentically made by Native American artisans, or manufactured under special grant from a tribal nation. U.S. federal law carries heavy fines for vendors who falsely market “Native American” products that weren’t created by a tribal member, in a pueblo or on a reservation. Genuine tribal products will be proudly labeled or presented as authentic, and a conscientious decorator will honor the handiwork of the artists who created them. In other words, a beautiful area rug in a geometric black, white and red pattern isn’t a “Navajo rug” unless made by a real Navajo!

Finally, Modern Southwestern is the style that most people associate with Southwestern decor. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is a major center of this style, but variations also have risen up in Phoenix, Arizona, and other parts of these two states. In addition to architectural elements such as adobe walls, ceramic floor tiles and exposed wood beams, Modern Southwestern takes its color palette from the desert, with shades of turquoise, pink, purple, tan, coral, brown and blue. In fact, the town of Sedona, Arizona, so fervently adheres to Southwestern style in all its building codes that the local McDonald’s Restaurant was required to change its famous golden arches to turquoise blue!

So whether its boots and saddles, hand-painted sinks for the bathroom or braided rugs patterned with red-hot chile peppers, Southwestern-style decor is bound to warm up anyone’s home.

In the 18^th century, the rocking chair was the vogue. It was made out of wood and a lot more comfortable than the wrought iron furniture of the day.

The porch swing was also in the spotlight back then. Considering that there were no air conditioners back in 1800’s, the porch swing was the perfect relaxing piece of outdoor furniture on a hot summer evening.

Along with the Victorian era, the wicker outdoor furniture came into vogue. It was more appealing due to being more sophisticated and having more furniture pieces. To the old porch, plant stands and many different types of tables were added. Also the Victorian style was based on the idea “the more, the better”, due to this most of the porches were full of outdoor furniture in that period.

Over time, the outdoor furniture switched from large, over sized furniture such as wicker to cotton upholstered, from iron made furniture to wood and cushion for more comfort.

Around the 1930’s, casual outdoor furniture began to appear. Years later, handcrafted wrought iron cast and tubular aluminum became popular. However, costumers were focusing more on comfortable outdoor furniture. Lawn chairs, along with straight back chairs became the rage.

As time passes, more high-tech materials are developed for the construction of outdoor patio furniture, as people are more picky and want both durability and comfort. There is also the trend of extending the home through the concept of outdoor kitchens and rooms. As the people emphasize more and more on outdoor patio furniture, this industry will continue to evolve into stylish pieces.

There are several factors that must be considered when deciding on outdoor patio furniture. The first three things you must consider are:

• the material the home was built with,
• the colors used,
• the furniture itself.

Building material and color

Different types of building material can be used, including brick, wood, steel and also other kind of stone. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a building structure comprised of wood would likewise have wood based patio furniture. In certain situations color may be used as a substitute for building materials. The main idea when choosing colors is that the furniture should blend nicely in the homes décor, be it with matching colors or styles.

Indoor and outdoor styles

There might be home owners wishing to match their interior furniture with the exterior one. In some cases the patio is technically in the home enclosed with a roof on a balcony. These settings make it easier to decorate in order to match sofas, recliners and desk located indoors. For enclosed patios, wallpaper and/or tile colors can be the basis for the color scheme of your patio furniture just as the actual colors of your home can be applied for outdoor patios. Also, the patio furniture could be chosen to match the environment.

Simply by mixing and matching colors and materials any home can be brought to life with patio furniture.

In the past centuries, cabinets were never part of the kitchen construction, they used to be freestanding structures such as racks, that could be moved easily from place to place.

During the 20^th century, the introduction of small kitchen appliances made kitchen cabinets a necessity, and these became an integral part of the kitchen, no longer being considered a secondary need.

Cabinets were most often handmade from solid wood, they had fine details indicating precisely where a set of cabinetry came from. Each region, where the cabinets where made, had it’s own style and decorative elements. Cabinets managed to be a main feature of the contemporary home.

As time went by, handmade cabinets started to be less, as companies began mass producing cabinetry with cheaper materials and cheaper labor. This is where a division between types of cabinets appeared, a division between quality-made cabinetry and lower grade products.

Lower quality cabinetry might seem like a better deal, as many of these cabinets seem durable and solid. The two forces that ruin poorly made cabinetry are general use and the environment. Humidity, temperature changes and too much weight bends or bows the cabinetry over time. Wood cabinets are lasting and durable against these threats. As wood ages, many types of solid wood cabinets will slightly change over time.

Cherry cabinets will subtly darken over time. Maple cabinets are known for the beautiful and unique grains. Oak is a sturdy wood that has pronounced grains, and oak cabinets may even contain what is called a “pin knot.” Birch has been labeled a “contemporary” wood and accepts paints and stains well. Alderwood is like cherry when stained. This is a medium hardwood that has a close grain. Rubberwood is also known as Plantation Hardwood. The grain is straight, but this type of wood is also known to have unusual markings that create visual interest.

The known disadvantages of solid wood cabinetry have been targeted for years. Many makers of solid wood kitchen cabinets have produced designs that are virtually impervious. The engineering of wood kitchen cabinets today goes through a variety of processes.

Just a few of the common treatments include ultra-violet inhibitors to protect against sun damage, heat catalyzed finishes, hand-painted and rubbed stains. The thick sealants and finishes used today are far more durable and lasting than those in the past.

You are certain of installing a lasting and elegant feature when you choose solid wood cabinetry. Your kitchen cabinets will retain their beauty through the years. Solid wood cabinets are an investment that will provide you with valuable returns as long as you own your home.

The current design scene is represented by products that are repetitive, chasing after one another, and all very much alike. The themes they deal with are too often similar, research and innovation are frequently neglected. Hence the intuition of Ak47: to develop designs that shun the obvious, venturing into questions that are still unexplored. The aim is to qualify simple objects; to enhance them and characterise them with the quest for a particular process, the innovative use of materials, the care for details. This is the only way to escape the bonds of fleeting fashion and achieve lasting elegance. The choice of firewood holders, the first theme in the project, was not made at random. We wished to extend our range as much as possible, offering an infinite series of possibilities. Our proposals aim to amaze with unexpected details, almost hidden at first glance.

About Hannah…

Though a city girl by birth, Hannah found great inspiration in the countryside when she studied ‘Crafts’ at Carmarthen college in West Wales. There she stayed for many years, raising her two small children, sketching and drawing in the fields and woodland and gathering her ideas.

When her children became of school age she moved back up North settling in Hebden Bridge, a buzzing creative town, between Manchester and her hometown of Leeds. The perfect mix! Close to the city but with an abundance of nature, moments from the front door!

She joined Northlight Studio, then situated at the top of an old textile mill with wide views across the valley. There she found the support and inspiration to introduce her work to the wider world. She made a range of paper cut greetings cards which made it to Libertys, Harrods, Paperchase  and many beautiful craft galleries across the country.

How she found inspiration…

Whilst holding her paper cuts up to the light to enjoy the silhouettes they created, the idea of making lamps and lampshades seemed the next exciting step.

The Arts Council supported the idea with a Research and Development grant and months were spent cutting, sticking, thinking and sketching until the first Hannah Nunn lamp was born!

Six years later Hannah’s lamps can be found in around seventy lovely shops and galleries up and down the UK. She continues to make new designs, constantly inspired by the natural world, refining her hand cutting technique and employing fantastic laser cutting technology for exquisite delicacy (and to ease her cutting arm!). She enjoys keeping an artists blog about her work, inspiration and development.

She now works from her studio at her dazzling studio/shop Radiance in Hebden Bridge. Enthralled and inspired by the work of other makers working with light, she thought it would make a beautiful glowing space if she brought them all together so in 2005 she opened Radiance and did just that! Here you can see Hannahs whole collection on display as well as lighting by around twenty other designers and makers.