There is a new mood permeating the world of interiors, a yearning for humble, natural materials,  a shift away from years of attention seeking bling and glossy lacquer.  With that comes a strong desire for longevity. Consumers are making well considered choices by investing in eco conscious, good design, rather than throwaway fads. This new simplicity is not tight or frugal and far from boring. The use of natural, humble materials is favoured by designers trained in British art colleges in recent years. Big wood grain, pale wood,  paper  and stone are among the key materials. These materials are worked with the same high standard of...

Good looks, high performance and energy efficiency all sound like qualities you might look for in a new car but they should be on everyone’s wish list when buying new kitchen appliances. Whether you’re remodelling your entire kitchen or merely making a few easy updates, it’s the design details that will really help to give your space the edge. Gone are the days of heavy and bland looking extractor hoods. The Bubble polycarbonate cooker hood by Stefano Giovannoni for Elica at DR Cookerhoods looks more like a funky speaker than a device to suck heat and odours from your hob. The ‘lampshade’ stainless steel island cooker hood by...