As children we can still remember sitting uncomfortably in the main living room in the house, overshadowed by the large cumbersome pieces of square wood in the corner of the room, the place where you were told to stay away from, as it contained all the family china and crystal. These display cabinets were often ‘dumped’ in the corner of a room, looking miserable and collecting dust. Thankfully, the 3 stand alone units with their bland design and the pull down drinks cabinet have all been ditched, burnt on bonfires or were used to build Floppy the Bunny Rabbit’s new outdoor hutch.

Nowadays, much has changed, designers have noticed that these pieces of furniture have as much right to fit into your living space as your sofa, dining chairs or your expensive lighting display. They no longer have to follow a rule of having 3 units
standing side by side. Using a combination of wood, steel, glass and modern lighting techniques today’s display cabinets command a respectable place in any room of your house.

The shelves should be open and light, designers have managed this by the clever use of glass or coloured plastics, so no matter what you place in them, whether it be model cars, crystal golf balls or family china
you can be assured it will be displayed magnificently.

Work related stress is not just confined to the CEO, the Board of Directors, or any Financial Whizz Kid, it can affect anyone of us for a number of reasons. Stress can also lead to other conditions such as depression, anger or the ability to think out even the easiest of problems.

Imagine coming home and relaxing into your own massage chair, made to the highest of specifications these are much more than a chair, these are our very own personal stress busting centres. How many of us work every hour under-the-sun, then there’s the house to get in order, shopping, cooking, cleaning, kids and perhaps you have a family pet of the hairy kind that needs walked twice a day … when have you got time to relax and have that little piece of ‘me time’?

Investing in a massage chair will not only help you relax but these personal pieces of heaven can also help with …

1. Increase circulation, with multiple air bags on the arm and leg, these chairs actually increase your blood flow so increasing the amount of blood reaching your fingers and toes.

2. Releives back pain, these chairs actually measure your spine and massage accordingly helping you to fight off the days aches and pains without heading for the medicine cabinet (if like me, that’s where that nice emergency bottle of Merlot is kept ).

3. Makes you Sleep, stress has a funny way of keeping you up all night, natures little joke, however, after a massage on one of these chairs you will enjoy a great night sleep, improve your overall happiness and wellbeing.

We are all put under some stress in our workplace, people cope with it differntly and I handle mine by sitting on my massage chair and relaxing the demons away.

Sanctuary Massage Chair

Tranquility Massage Chair

Ultimate Bliss Massage Chair

Pure Peace Massage Chair

For many people their TV is one of the most important features in their room, they are becoming larger, lighter and a lot thinner, no more that bulky box in the corner of the room that could be closed in a cupboard when it was not being watched. Now we have large space age looking screens that shout out, ‘look at me’.

When you purchase your TV, you might then wonder where to place it? Hang it like a picture placed against the wall or standing in the corner? If you would prefer it hanging like a picture then there are several points to remember like what height do you want it at? Where are you going to be watching it from, for example sitting or lying down and as many people now have a multi channel TV box and a gaming console these have to be accommodated so there might be several cables running down your wall, which will be distracting to your overall viewing - unless you buy wireless then this is not a problem - if not then you can always hide cables by channeling into the wall.

Traditional TV stands have evolved in the last few years they are sleek, functional and very fashionable, they are constructed of modern materials and use a balance of chrome steel and plastic. Designers of modern TV stands understand the space available to them, a good TV stand will always upgrade the look and feel of your room.

In recent years the sofa bed has come in for much criticism, they were cumbersome and had a spring action that, to be honest would take your arm off if it caught you. If you were to buy a sofa bed it was due to the fact you needed one - it was not as a fashion statement - as they were not the most exciting pieces of furniture in the world.

A lot has changed in the last few years many modern sofa beds now have a interior sprung mattresses, and have an easy pull down action so there’s little or no chance of losing a limb. These pieces of furniture are so well made that its not until you are tired and extend the mattress that you discover its true talents.

Designers have, over the years, made sofa beds far more welcoming purchases and with there use of colour and materials they will brighten up any space. Sofa beds are ideal where space is of a premium and for when guests turn up unannounced, simply pull down and you have a ready sleeping area, when not in use the sofa is ideal for the kids to sit on while playing their favourite video games or watching TV.

A Selection of Modern Sofa Beds Available at UK Contemporary Furniture

Caver Sofa Bed (Microfibre)

Etesian Sofabed (Cream)

Maria Sofabed

Bali Microfibre Sofabed - Grey

Matanuska Corner Sofabed

When seated we all like to feel comfortable, it relaxes us and also takes the weight off our legs and in many cases it helps our backs. When it comes to the design of chairs we automatically think of 4 legs, a seat and a back, basically dining chairs, however, contemporary seating comes in many shapes and sizes, and some don’t even have legs.

Pod chairs were made famous back in the 60s and 70s when it was a must have item for all the student halls, nowadays there is much more to the pod chair. They can be bought to brighten up any dull area or your room they are very comfortable and they give you that little space to call your own.

Made mainly from fibreglass its body is approximately 100cm in diameter, they can be self standing, hung from your ceiling or swing from their own frame. The inside of the chair can be covered with materials such as leather and silk.

Whatever pod chair you decide to buy you can relax knowing that you have bought a little space you can call your own.

Here’s a small collection of Pod Chairs available to buy from UK Contemporary Furniture …

Baccello Chair

Bolla Hanging Pod Chair

Bolla Standing Pod Chair

Alien Egg Pod Chair

We’ve all heard the rumour of how expensive home furnishing’s can turn out to be (there is a tad bit of truth in this but to be honest it is all down to personal taste, and if your taste includes adding a few zeros to a products price then it most definitely rings true), so what happens at the end of a hard day at the office or factory, when all you want to do is put your feet up and relax with your favourite drink, only to be told by your other half to get your feet of the furniture - heaven forbid if you rest your tired, swollen feet on the dining chairs - your just asking for trouble.

This can be very frustrating, designers have realised this and brought out a range of exotic Pouffes. These can be used as a foot rest, an extra chair or just a nice looking addition to brightening up an empty space in the corner of your room. Here are some examples for you to choose from…

1. This Barcelona Ottoman Pouffe would look great in any room, having a dinner party and short of seating no problem - upholstered in full grain Italian leather and finished with a chrome stainless steel frame.

2. The Cubetto Leather Cube Pouffe is an ideal foot rest which can fit into any interior and be used for whatever you please, absolutely stunning.

3. My favourite, the Contenere Storage Cube, does exactly what it says on the tin. Functional and aesthetically pleasing.

There are many different types of Pouffes on the market, these are just a few examples, these accessories are practical, useful and don’t cost the earth even to those with more lavish tastes.

Dining in is the new going out. The UK has picked up this new trend at a feverish pace, we all want to throw our own dinner party, invite friends and family along and show off our culinary expertise without a fruit bowl full of car keys insight. Channel 4’s show ‘Come Dine With Me’ is testament to a nation of frustrated and wabbabee Chef’s we are all turning into. But, what price would you put on fine dining? £100, £200, £300? Whatever the price, if the seating is wrong or uncomfortable then you better pray that your food is really good to stop your guests sniping behind your back about your lack of dining chair taste at the table.

Seating is a very important factor at any dinner party, no matter if its in a restaurant or in your own home. Selecting a trendy or contemporary dining chairs has the ability to change the look and feel of your dining room. When deciding what dining chairs to accompany your table there are several factors that must be considered :

* How big is your table?
* What material is your table constructed of?
* How many seats do you want round it (remember it will be uncomfortable for your guests if they are too crowded, or too low).

Then there is the material your chairs are constructed of, do you want wood, metal, plastic whatever you choose, you want your guests to feel as if they are floating on a cloud. Today’s modern dining chair is ergonomically designed to provide support to your spine and lower back, the use of modern and old materials ensures that seating is now casual, simple and very comfortable.

A few selective dining chairs that we feel adds to any dinner party and fit for even the most gracious of derrieres…

Zeta Bar Stool and Dining Chair All-In-One

Sinuoso Dining Chair

Bezier Chair With Window

Detenuto Chair (Set of 4)

Tessuto Red Seat & Metal Legs

For anyone that has decorated recently you will know that, although you can decorate your house relatively easy, you will always run into a challenge when it comes to your kids bedroom. If you pick the furniture they will think your choices are either “Old fashioned” or “not my style”. Remember if your house is filled with nice products try and extend that into their bedrooms, one way is to compromise - let them choose the paint or if you feel a bit more adventurous the furniture (however, the latter comes with a health warning, as to what furniture they might choose).

There are some great pieces of modern furniture made especially for kids bedrooms, we took a look and found some great purchases to spend your money on decorating your kids bedroom.

1. Stop your kids minds wondering, teach them how to spell with this ‘scrabble furniture’.

2. The computer desks, these will look great in any room in the house, with adjustable chairs you might find the kids sleeping when they are supposed to be working.

3. The fish tank, every kids room should have one of these complete ‘eco-systems’ relaxing and fascinating just what your kids need after a busy day studying at school or college.

4. The bookcase, with all the school books lying around the room wouldn’t it be nice just to have somewhere to stack them?

5. Hamburger bed, with the majority of kids living on fast food (sad fact, I know) they will never go to bed hungry again.

Whether it be in the garden, home or office we all need somewhere to relax, modern chairs have the ability to look great, stylish as well as being comfortable. They come in many designs from the ergonomic recliners that massage your back and play music as you relax after that busy day at the office, to simply brilliant inviting bar stools with bright coloured fabric that just shout sit on me.

Choosing your seating is not a task to be taken likely, for example if its for your office you would want it to be a fully supportive ergonomic design as you will be in it most of the day, for the garden, you want to use materials that are weather resistant with bright vibrant colours so they cheer you up on the coldest of days.