Articles on Your Home and Garden

Archive for the ‘Furniture’ Category

Why not try and look beyond Europe to the United States for a whole new vision? Charles and Ray Eames are iconic twentieth century furniture designers, not known for soft furnishings like designer rugs or sofa throws, but instead famed for their stylized office furniture pieces, as well as influencing film and graphic design and architecture that surrounds us today with their simplicity and elegant style.

Charles Ormond Eames was born in Missouri in 1907 and worked at the Laclede Steel Company where he picked up basic design skills as a labourer at which point he decided that design was his true calling and went on to study architecture at Washington University. However, after two years of study, and in 1930 he set up his own architectural practice; He divorced in 1941 and he married his colleague Ray Kaiser and thy moved to California where they lived and worked for the rest of their lives. In California they designed and went on to built the world famous Eames House, which overlooks the Pacific ocean, and is a steel structure with sliding walls and windows. Designed for cheap, speedy construction, it took five men 16 hours to raise the steel shell and one man three days to build the roof deck. Its was overall spacious, light and versatile, the vividly coloured Eames House was described by the design historian Pat Kirkham as looking like “a Mondrian-style composition in a Los Angeles meadow”.

So why were their ideas so unusual? The Eames were daring pioneers of technologies with furniture and material design, making use of new mediums like plywood and fibre glass, plastic resins and wire mesh to come up with revolutionary modern and unseen designs for Herman Miller.

Their office was situated at 901 Washington Boulevard in Venice, California and this location contained some of the world best designers, and the staff included the likes of Harry Bertoia, and Gregory Ain.

Many classic Eames furniture pieces originated from this work space, like the moulded plywood DCW Dining Chair Wood and DCM Dining Chair Metal both with the plywood seat (1945), the Eames Lounge Chair (1956), the Aluminum Group furniture office chairs in 1958 and as well as the Eames Chaise lounge in 1968. The Eames’ furniture, especially elegant office chairs such as the Lounge and Aluminium Series, now seem synonymous with our views of mid-20th century Corporate America. Today a classic Eames chair is as popular an addition to a room as it was all those years ago, and as Charles Eames famously said ‘Eventually, everything connects’.

Beverley Hills Home supplies luxury home accessories like Hurricane lamps, sculptures, wine coolers and bowls, designer rugs, plus unusual items to give your home that finishing touch.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6967242

Olympic cyclists and gold medal hopes Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton are backing the promotion of safe cycling campaign throughout London running the through The Times.

The campaign was backed by David Cameron told Parliament that cyclists risked their lives whenever they rode in Britain’s biggest cities as the Government came under intense pressure to improve cycle safety. MPs are expected to call for urgent measures to protect cyclists and encourage a greater uptake of cycling.

Whilst this is a positive step towards the safety of cycling and the promotion of the health and financial benefits through cycling it does come with its own problems.

With such heavy campaigning and backing from the Government there is bound to be a massive immediate uptake on people cycling to work rather than using their cars or public transport. This puts pressure on businesses having to provide adequate cycle parking solutions. Sheffield cycle stands offer the versatility whilst not taking up too much valuable space, but are open to the elements. Arc cycle shelters are an option that gives a glazed shelter over 5 cycle stands taking 10 bikes.

The problem escalates when you think of the amount of cycle stands required in areas of public space within towns and cities. Where is the space required for such demand, the main areas of employment in the capital are already to capacity with the ground space available.

The campaign is vital to sustainability and the future health of the nation, a campaign long overdue, however there has to be thought given to the feasibility and practical requirements of cycle parking provisions.

The Government is promoting the personal health benefits of cycling, also the benefit to the environment with the reduction of car number, reduced congestion and a better quality of air.

Cycling to work helps you stay fit and healthy, burns a lot of calories and reduces your carbon foot print too. The average user burns around 8400 calories per month by cycling to work, equivalent to 20 hours in the gym. Not only are there health benefits, the average user saves over £600 in fuel and running costs of a vehicle, whilst avoiding traffic congestion.

Within the Government’s Green Transport Plan there is a tax emption which allows employers to provide cycles and safety equipment to employees as a tax free benefit. The employer buys the bikes and accessories at full retail price, reclaiming the VAT in the normal manner. The balance is recovered from the employee’s gross salary, giving the employer savings on National Insurance contributions.

Cycle stands are now an essential part of schools, universities, town centres, business parks and other public space. Bike storage is now a prerequisite in planning applications for business parks. With many styles available the most popular model is the Sheffield cycle stand, which offers versatility in being a stand-alone external cycle stand or an integral part of a secure cycle shelter.

By installing cycle parking you are encouraging people to get outdoors and make use of public spaces, where they can make use of cost effective local transportation.