It has been announced this week that furniture store Habitat may be put up for sale. The company’s chief executive Mark Saunders admitted that the retailer has begun a review which may lead to the sale of the company. Habitat has 38 stores across the UK and makes no secret of their intention to pursue opening more in the coming months. The company has quietly established their presence in mainland Europe with 24 Habitat store operating in France with more scattered across Germany and Spain. The company’s accounts have shown that Habitat has made significant losses in the UK and advisors Lazard & Co have been drafted in to assess whether the time has come for the owners to sell Habitat.
Founded in the 1960’s, Habitat has been renowned for introducing high fashion to the high street. The epitome of up-market yet accessible home furniture and home accessories, Habitat has become another victim of the recession. Habitat has suffered because householders have flocked to cheaper stores such as Ikea in an attempt to escape the financial squeeze. Ironically, both Ikea and Habitat are owned by the family of the billionaire founder of the Ikea chain.
Where Ikea has succeeded in difficult economic times, Habitat has floundered, appearing indulgent and unnecessary in an age that is starting to value thrift and austerity. Although no decisions have yet been made about details regarding the potential sale of Habitat, the company have pledged to persevere in a tough economic market for the time being at least.
I read this delightful article over at www.sfgate.com and thought I'd
share it with you all. It's a very interesting and heartwarming piece
which many people will agree with and many won't.
"Whenever I walk into my living room, it's apparent to me that furniture must have been invented for animals. I imagine that, long ago, those first proto-dogs
who entered our caves to suck the marrow from bones they helped us
bring from forest to fire pit, once sated, climbed onto the boulders we
arranged for seating, looked down, and then howled in complaint. I'm
quite sure they gently removed those furry loincloths from sleeping
cave-people and set them in piles in the coziest cave corners.
Thus, I imagine, it was a wolf-dog's need for comfort combined with an early hominid's opposable thumbs that gave rise, eventually, to the invention of the couch.
Give a dog a couch, an overstuffed recliner, a bed, even a padded footstool and you will see a body and furniture locked in an embrace so natural, so symbiotically sensual, that you'll feel obligated to ask permission before ever again putting your own butt to upholstery. Dogs do not simply sit on a chair; rather, they wrap themselves into it, jowled jaw becoming one with the overstuffed arm, chintz pillows rearranged to happily ensconce the canine frame. A dog in a lounge chair is as naturally supported as a newborn baby in the arms of a doting mother, exhausted but happily asleep with her prize warm and safe in her arms.
Back to my living room, for the moment. As a dog reclines blissfully on the folded-up fold-out, his legs dangling somehow both awkward and graceful, his snoring, eventually, disturbs the two cats nesting in the armchair across the room. They wake, stretch, and dig their needle claws into the arms. Slowly, one undulates her body, then faster and faster, finally delivering a bile-wrapped hairball onto the seat. Feeling a bit lighter, the two cats burst from the chair and pounce like wild beasts from table to shelf to chair again, finally landing on the back of the sofa that cradles said sleeping dog.
Tigers now, they stalk down this upholstered jungle tree to attack the massive brute. He awakens, chases. But to no avail. His size and strength are no match for their cunning, and they have retreated to safety: one to a bookcase, hiding in the space made available when the collected works of Mark Twain were knocked to the ground; the other (fatter, slower, but still able to hide) to the cave under the coffee table. A simple beast, this dog, he returns to the couch. Surely this scene will be played out again and again before the day is over.
My living room, it seems, is not my own. It is their habitat. The dogs' for rest, the cats' for play (and for tormenting the dogs, among their favorite games). It is, after all, their home, too, and in this home, it is furniture's true purpose and destiny to provide solace and entertainment for dogs and cats.
So, human, do not complain if your ottoman smells like your companion animal; rather, rejoice that in this otherwise cold and lonely world, they have found each other."
Article by Ken White
Source: www.sfgate.com - read the original article here.
For many pet owners this probably rings true but on the other side of the coin letting our pet, or any animal, get that cosy on our nice new furniture is just something we can't bear. What kind of person are you?
Vacuum packed mattresses are something that almost all mattress manufacturers are beginning to stock and produce, assuming they haven’t fully embraced it yet, which many have. So what is so new and unique about them and what makes them so different?
Well what’s so new and unique about vacuum packed mattresses? Well if the name doesn’t give it away then let’s clarify; it is simply a memory foam mattress that is rolled up and then vacuum sealed to make it much smaller and easier to transport (most will fit into the back of a small car though larger widths such as king sizes may have some issues). It can also make moving it up stairs easier before it is used. In a nutshell that’s it.
So what makes them different? Well to be honest nothing!
A vacuum packed mattress is pretty much the same as any other memory foam mattress; they are just as comfortable, great quality and provide a great night’s sleep. The only difference is how they arrive, however once you remove them from the packaging it takes a few minutes to reach about 95% of its full shape and then after a few more hours it fills it shape completely and voila! One quality comfortable mattress
So if you fancy giving a vacuum packed mattress a try, then why not try one of our great range here at Furniture Store 247?
A few weeks ago we introduced the Reflections range of mirrored bedroom furniture and it has gone down amazingly with our customers.
When you introduce something so radical and different you have to be a little apprehensive but our faith in how much people would love this radical bedroom furniture range with its designer styling and unique looks has paid off.
The Reflections range was a complete bedroom furniture collection with wardrobes, drawer chests, bedside cabinets, dressing tables and more all available to buy at our online store. However we have to admit that we were disappointed we couldn’t offer our customers a matching bed for this collection.
Usually when a bedroom collection doesn’t offer a matching bed as part of it, it is because many other bed types will compliment it just as well. For example many wooden furniture collections have metal or chrome handles thus chrome or metal bed frames fit in nicely, and darker wood finishes on furniture tend to compliment leather beds very nicely.
However we are very happy to announce that that has been remedied and we now have began to stock beds as part of the Reflections bedroom furniture range. At the moment we only have double beds and king size beds
as part of this great range, but we hope than in the future we will be
able to supply our customers with other bed sizes as well, though we
cannot promise anything at this time.
So you can now furnish you bedroom with a complete set of Reflections mirrored bedroom furniture, bed and all, courtesy of Furniture Store 247.
Getting
a great night’s sleep comes down to what you are sleeping on, and to be
fair a new bedstead is only half the battle, the other half is what mattress to choose.
Now plenty of beds get a mattress bundle with it these days, but unless you are paying a premium it’s probably going to be a very standard sprung mattress. Why? Well simply because it is the cheapest type available and if you feel you are getting a mattress and a bed for a cheap price, you feel you are getting a bargain. The problem is a good bedstead with a poor mattress isn’t bargain at all; it’s just a recipe for sleepless nights and back ache.
The typical cheap sprung mattress (or open sprung mattress) is easy to spot. It looks cheap, feels very light and feels hollow and you can feel and hear the springs creaking as you lay on it, not to the extent the springs are sticking into you (though some really cheap mattresses may fall into this category), but it just feels uncomfortable. Many describe them as feeling unstable and like being on a rocking boat; you never seem to settle in the centre and it feels like its constantly trying to push you to an over the edges.
So what are the alternatives? Well there are many different types of mattresses available on the market today so let’s point out a few.
Pocket Sprung Mattresses
Often considered the industry standard these days, pocket sprung mattresses
feel quite firm compared to other mattress types and this is because
they provide excellent support and stability, this doesn’t make them
any less comfortable, but if you are looking for something cosier you
may need to look into other mattress types.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory Foam Mattresses
are made to alter to the shape and contour of your boy as you sleep,
making them one of the most comfortable mattress types available. The
comfort that a memory foam mattress can provide is almost second to
none, though some people find them a little strange to get used to as
you feel like you are sinking into them, and this can lead to you
feeling a bit warmer in hot weather. These are definitely one of the
top end mattress types
Combination Memory Foam Mattresses
Also known as Pillow Top Mattresses
the mattresses comprise of a pocket springs with layers of memory foam
incorporated together into one mattress. It gives a degree of both
mattresses benefits with the spring unit allowing air to circulate
through the mattress and the memory foam contouring to the shape of
your body and typically combination mattresses tend to be a little
cooler than ones made of pure memory foam. These are often considered
the pinnacle of mattress comfort and the prices reflect this.
Orthopaedic Mattresses
To
b fair the term Orthopaedic can be applied to any mattress type, the
only real difference is that those designated as orthopaedic are always
designed to be firmer than a standard mattress of the same type and
provide more support for those with back problems or other joint
problems; they are also often taller to make getting up out of bed
easier, and are commonly bundled with divan style beds as again these
are taller in nature to make getting in and out of bed easier.
So there’s a quick summary of some of the best types of mattress for a good night’s sleep, and if you are planning on getting a quality bed, surely you want to ensure the mattress is going to be good to you as well?
For a great range of mattresses and beds, from singles to super king size, including our range of revolutionary vacuum packed mattresses, visit www.furniturestore247.co.uk
Furniture Store 247 have been enjoying success with the Gleneagle bedroom furniture ranges for a while now, with positive feedback from customers regarding the style, value and quality of the Gleneagle furniture ranges they have purchased from us. It’s something we are proud of and so whenever there is a new collection from Gleneagle we get quite excited about it like to make sure our customers know what to expect from the latest offerings.
So what are the latest offerings from Gleneagle? Well the answer is the Corrib range.
The Corrib bedroom furniture collection is available in two different finishes; light oak and beech. Both offer the same styling and design but as always Gleneagle like to give you choice so if you want a lighter wood, go for the light oak, and if you want darker, go for beech. The styling of the Corrib range is simple yet effective; with simple lines accented with an embossed pattern design on the fascia of the bedroom furniture items that comprise this collection. This is accented by metal handles with matching wooden inserts to add a finishing touch.
The Corrib
ranges cover all you would need in a bedroom furniture set; dressing
tables in varying sizes, matching stools, mirrors, wardrobes in double,
large double, drawer and mirrored styling and several drawer chests and
bedside cabinets to suit your needs. The Corrib beech range
also has the benefit of matching headboards (perfect for a divan) which
comes in various sizes; unfortunately we do not stock these for the Corrib light oak range at the moment.
Best of all Furniture Store 247 offer free delivery on the Corrib bedroom furniture ranges through the UK and Ireland, now that’s a bargain!
Furniture Store 247 is particularly proud to launch our new designer furniture range – the Reflections mirrored bedroom furniture range!
Now before you say “well if seen mirrored furniture before” we aren’t talking about a wardrobe with a mirrored front here, when we say mirrored we mean mirrored, and this bedroom furniture range has a complete mirrored finish, front, sides, drawers and legs... the works!
Built to the highest standard and finished in polished glass, these bedroom furniture items look stylish, retro and very impressive, the really have to be seen to be believed!
The glass panelling has bevelled edged so there won’t be any danger of sharp corners and all the drawers have metal runners to provide a smooth open and close motion.
At the moment we have only a small selection of bedroom furniture in our mirrored styling, but it covers all you could need in a bedroom furniture suite barring a bed.
The Reflections range includes:
Mirrored Double Wardrobe
Mirrored Dressing Table
Mirrored Bedside Table
Mirrored Tallboy 6 Drawer Chest
Mirrored 2 over 3 Drawer Chest
Mirrored Wall Mirror (Yes that is a bit of a mouthful)
If you want something stylish, designer and truly different then maybe the reflections range is for you? It certainly is proving very popular as our orders have shown and demand is very high, so why not give it a try and if the Reflections range mirrors your tastes.
Check out our blog at Livejournal for more on Furniture Store 247.
Leather furniture is popular for a reason, well many reasons actually. It is hard wearing, compared to fabric furniture, it is easier to clean and maintain, it’s comfortable and let’s face it leather looks great (well not always but as a rule of thumb it does, there are some truly gaudy leather furniture items out there, but each to their own).
So with so many bonuses what are the down sides? Well it can be comfortable, but it can be very cold when first sat on and in hot weather unpleasant (this depends on the leather normally). It can be noisy and creaky if it is tighter pulled and stitched leather (more common in older more traditional sofas and chairs). It is generally very expensive and there is always the fact it simply is ‘leather’ and we all know what leather is made from, so there is the ethical issue as well.
So what to do, well we aren’t going to judge someone for buy leather or not, that is a personal choice and nothing to do with us, we are just pointing out a there are alternatives. We sell leather furniture, and we sell fake leather furniture, we believe in offering choice.
Fake leather, imitation leather, or as it is most commonly know today ‘faux leather’ (mainly as it sounds less tacky) is very popular and unless you are something of an expert it is often difficult to tell the difference. This can of course depend on the quality of faux leather used in the piece of home furniture in question, but good quality material is very comparable to the real deal – hardwearing, easy to clean and comfortable. Sure it will normally fall short of high quality leather in its aspects, but not too far behind, and this is not a given (cheap leather may even be surpassed!)
So what can we offer those looking for a choice, well lets see!
For the lounge we have a selection of living room furniture but we will just show and alternative for each case.
For the leather side there is the Seattle collection which features a stylish leather tub chair, leather tub sofa and matching ‘Kube’ which is a leather faced cube shape perfect as a stool or a footstool and matches the Bonanza Leather design of the chair and sofa.
For the faux leather side once again there is the Seattle tub chair, which is in a brown traditional leather effect design, but otherwise emulates the real leather chair in shape and size. If you are after a chair with matching sofa, there is the London collection which comprises of a classic designed tub style sofa and matching tub chair in a brown faux leather finish, it is very impressive to say the least.
Moving over to the dining furniture area we have our two best sellers on each side of the line the Cornell leather dining chair range and the Guinness faux leather dining chair range. Both of these are identical in design; both are classic rollback dining chairs with comfortable padded backs and sprung seats, each is built on a solid wood frame. The differences are that the Cornell dining chairs are finished in quality leather and the Guinness dining chairs in impressive faux leather. To the Average Joe they are going to appear the same, but a closer look and you can tell, just, that they are different, but either is a fine addition to a dining room.
So there you go, with just a brief look at our ranges we found some good cases for leather furniture and for faux leather furniture, at the en of the day its down to you, but we just wanted you to know that there is always a choice, and that is what matters the most.
Summer is still here; well kind of! The unpredictable rain seems to be putting a literal damper on that. But now and then we still get the odd day we can fire up the barbecue and get friends round in the garden for some drinks and food. But with the year past the half way mark (seems to have flown by) and with that the colder weather and darker nights just a month or so away it will soon be time to put away the garden furniture and think about taking any get-togethers indoors.
So we thought it might be time to look at what Furniture Store 247 can offer those looking for a new dining set, or some dining furniture, for the more festive season, or party season, on its way and the parties, meals and family gatherings that are fairly inevitable.
Now people will think, “Hang on its nearly 5 months until Christmas” but a few things to remember; those months will fly past, you don’t want to be buying new furniture as your buying gifts and presents, the festive season tends to begin its run in October with many people having Halloween parties, then bonfire night, then Christmas and new year, and it’s always better to plan ahead. Now sure not all of those may be a sit down meal, but many people prefer a nice dinner over a full blown party (and it saves on damage from drunken guests dancing!).
So if you really want to have some new furniture in time for Christmas and New Year, if nothing else (and those with American heritage might want a thanksgiving dinner party), then really you need to think about it now.
So what options does Furniture Store 247 have to offer you? Well we can break it down into dining sets, dining tables, dining chairs and dining furniture such as sideboards.
Now most people will be looking for a complete dining set (table and chairs), and we have a few quality choices in this respect. Depending on your styling we have minimal, modern and traditional.
Minimal – Both the Denver oak dining set, and the Oakleigh dining set both fill this criteria nicely, with the Oakleigh set adding a traditional touch and the Denver set a more modern feel. Both come with matching dining chairs with comfy padded seats, though the Denver is only available with 6 chairs with a standard table, whereas the Oakleigh set has 2 differing sizes of extendable tables with 6 or 8 dining chairs dependant on the table chose.
Modern – Well the Denver covers the modern bracket as well, but along with this there is the Ella glass dining set with 6 matching chairs, and the Bella beech and silver dining set this time with 4 chairs that match the design. However we also have many sets that feature the Guinness faux leather dining chair range or the Cornell leather dining chair range. These almost identical ranges (except for the material obviously) bring a very stylish, sleek and modern look to any dining table and that why we have a big range of tables to go with them, extendable and standard.
Traditional – The Trafalgar rustic oak dining set is the way to go here. Made from the finest oak, with a medium size twin leaf extending table and complete with 6 solid oak ladder-back dining chairs this epitomises style and quality with a traditional almost country living look.
Now there are more choices but these are full sets as opposed to buying them individually, but an example of one of our best selling traditional collections would be the Irish Coast range, made from reclaimed Baltic Pine with a choice of 2 types of matching chairs this is a stunning traditional styled range.
Then of course there are extras such as sideboards, not essential, but they can add a perfect touch to a dining room, and can be invaluable for storing extras for you dinner party, from bottles of wine, to serving trays or platters that you don’t want to clutter the table with.
Now I could go on and on, but it’s best you just have a look for yourself, just follow the link to our dining furniture section at our website and your bound to find something you like.
