Wood: beech, oak, walnut and ash, veneer and MDF
The hardness and colour of beech, oak, walnut and ash, the difference between solid wood, veneer and MDF, why wood swells and shrinks, and how to care for it.
NOAH Journal
A letter once a month. Rooms, materials, and the occasional release.
Marble on tables: natural or engineered?
The difference between natural marble, engineered quartz and cultured marble, why lemon leaves a mark, what sealer does, travertine, Calacatta and Nero Marquina, and how to clean it.
A comfortable sofa: seat depth, seat height and foam
Seat height, seat depth and back height in numbers, the right size for your height, the difference between foam density and firmness, and how to test a sofa in the showroom.
Bed sizes, bed height and nightstands
Mattress sizes in centimetres, the space to leave around the bed, its height and the nightstand. And a tool that draws your bedroom to scale.
L- and U-shaped sofa sizes, and will it get through the door?
L- and U-shape and chaise sizes, the room each needs, and a tool that tells you whether it will get through the door before you order.
Cleaning your sofa by fabric, and lifetime maintenance
The W, S and X cleaning codes, what to do with each stain, care for bouclé, velvet, linen and leather, and when steam is and isn’t safe.
Dining table size: for four, six or eight
Dining table size by the number of seats, the space it needs around it, its height and the rug beneath it. And a tool that works it out for your room and draws it from above to scale.
TV distance and height: where the screen should go
How far to sit, how high to hang it and how wide the unit should be. Numbers from the viewing standards, and a tool that works them out for your screen and draws them to scale.
Arranging a long reception room: two zones or three?
A long reception room is divided, not lined along its walls. Two numbers tell you whether it takes sitting and dining, or a salon too, and a planner draws your room to scale.
An L-shape, or a sofa and armchairs?
The question almost every living room asks. The answer sits in the room itself: how many free walls, where the doors are, and how many of you sit together. Five quick questions give you the fit.
Before you choose a sofa, measure the room
How long is the wall your sofa will stand against? Four numbers to get the size right the first time, and a calculator to try them on your room.