It’s been talked about before, nothing can set the mood and add impact to your interior like good lighting. Whether you’re looking to create a moody atmosphere or add adequate task lighting in the kitchen, choosing the right lighting fixtures is key.

It’s important to figure out what type of lighting you need in a room and go from there. It’s kind of like dressing for the cold weather, it’s better to do it in layers instead of an all-in-one solution. With all the different lighting fixtures, lamps, dimmers, light modifiers and so on available, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t experiment with your light setup!

A good rule of thumb for non invasive light in the living area is to opt for a few lamps and have your main lights on a dimmer so you can control their intensity… the dimmer is also useful in the bedroom and bathroom (assuming you have more than just a single light source)… experiment, you’ll be glad you did.

Now that summer is coming to an end (and for some it’s already long gone I’m sure) I’m sure that many of us are looking to take advantage of the last few days of nice weather that we might have left… or look for activities that can be enjoyed even in less than perfect weather.

With that in mind, how many of you are out in the yard (or balcony for us apartment dwellers) firing up the barbeque grills? If you’re not, you might want to consider it… there’s no such thing as a “bad time” to BBQ… and it doesn’t matter what season it is, seriously.

The best part is that today we’ve got so much choice and selection that there’s no reason not to get out and fire up the grill. You can even find good indoor electric grills (but there’s something about being outside that makes it more fun!) that won’t look out of place in your kitchen.

What do you think? How many of you enjoy a good barbeque?

The other day I was looking to take out an insurance policy for my laptop and photo equipment when traveling and got to thinking about insurance in general. While most people I know (myself included) aren’t too thrilled with the idea of having to pay insurance premiums, there are actually situations when it’s well worth it.

By far the biggest hassle is getting a good quote, on the bright side, the Internet is making it easier. Over the weekend a friend pointed out a website to me that let’s you fill out a questionnaire for the type of insurance you’re looking for and you can get insurance quotes in almost no time… the website is Insurancespecialists.com and it’s definitely worth a look if you’re shopping around for a better insurance quote.

The website is not an actual insurance company website so there’s no sales pitch feel to it which is nice, it’s just a website that has news, articles and a quote request system. Take a look and see if you can save some cash over your existing policies (or even get a cheap policy if you currently don’t have one)… after all, it’s a lot easier to protect the stuff you already have then to start from scratch in case something unexpected happens.

The Fortuny lamp is a true classic, and one of the most old school and authentic modernist lamps you can find! It’s the perfect way to light up your (large) space.

It goes way back to 1907, before mid-century modern, before Eames, Nelson and even the Bauhaus… it’s an oldie but a goody for sure. This is more than a lamp, it’s a work of art, more than capable enough to be viewed as a sculpture… yet powerful enough (about 500W) to do the job it was built for.

It doesn’t come cheap though (too bad) but on the bright side, it can be a good DIY project (think photographic equipment).

Today I came across this dining table…

It’s called the Maru dining table (by greentea design) and it’s made of solid 3″ thick reclaimed wood planks, over a 100 years old. I don’t know whether to classify it as old or new… I’m leaning towards new and modern because these pieces definitely show a sleek modern line and their Asian inspiration. They look great!

Another benefit is the fact that they are made from reclaimed wood so there are no additional trees being cut down for their production, so on top of being unique and beautiful, these tables are very green… and while they’re not the cheapest tables on the market, they’re not expensive either (especially considering how massive and sturdy they look) so maybe we’ll even see a few pop up in the design magazines. (just remember you saw them here first)!

So you’ve got all the modern furniture you need at the moment, what next?

Well, have you put any though into creating that special ambiance you’ve always wanted? You should!

You’d be surprised at how easily you can do it… and how the little things make a huge difference. A perfect example of this is someone who trades in their classic CRT television for a LCD or PLASMA set… nice. But then that same person doesn’t put any thought into mounting it or wiring it up properly and leaves their TV (and cables) on the floor or on the OLD outdated media stand…

It’s the details that make your interior space refined and add to the overall style and create a ‘look’. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Clearly AV (fantastic AV site) and see how many of these accessories YOU use for your modern entertainment system.

Do you fall into the group that just set it and forget it, or maybe the ones that take the care to make sure everything is as it should be? It’s something to consider, start small and work towards achieving the style you’re after.

When you hear the words “lounge chair” what comes to mind? Perhaps the Barcelona? Maybe the classic Eames?

Well, for most people it’s probably the iconic LC4 Chaise Lounge by LeCorbusier… and probably the black leather version. Yes, it’s a beauty.

I’ve decided to write about the Chaise Lounge today because… I finally broke down and bought one!

Like most people (I’m assuming here) I’ve been drooling over several classic pieces and admiring them via my computer monitor and various online retailers (DWR, Steelform) but yesterday I walked into a local furniture store and there it was, a perfect reproduction for about the same price as the online stores. In the end I went for the pony hide as I find it considerably more comfortable (yes, I was surprised about that) and it looks much better in real life than in pictures.

It should arrive in a couple of days since I didn’t feel like picking it up myself and to my surprise, my wife showed no signs of being upset about the purchase!

EDIT: Picture below:

There’s a chair in there somewhere!