Wax, like oil, can change the colour of the wood it is applied to, and so it is a good idea to apply any wax you are considering using to a small area that is normally out of view as a test before applying it to an entire piece.

Wax should be applied to wood that is free from any previously applied wax or finish; sand the piece with a fine grit paper until the wood is smooth, clean, and completely free of scratches.  If there are any imperfections such as scratches in the wood, the wax will highlight them.  After sanding, the wood should be wiped down with denatured alcohol or acetone to get rid of any dirt.

The wax should be applied using a lint-free cloth.  Start out applying the wax in a circular pattern, and then wipe along the grain to make sure the wax is uniformly applied.  You do not have to apply a lot of wax for the first coat – simply concentrate on making certain it is evenly applied.  It takes ten to fifteen minutes for the wax to soak into the wood, after which it is time to apply a second coat in the same way as the first coat was applied.  After the second coat of wax has been absorbed into the wood you can buff up a shine with a clean, lint-free cloth.  Stop buffing when wax stops rubbing off onto the cloth. 

Wood pieces only look their best when they are maintained regularly, and the process of applying wax must be repeated when you notice wood looking dry and beginning to lose its sheen.  Applying wax at regularly scheduled intervals will help prevent the drying process from starting.

Wood that is in areas where there is a lot of moisture should have oil applied to it at regular intervals rather than wax.

If the wood is unpainted it still needs to be oxidised to make it look old before staining. This can be achieved by leaving iron to rust in vinegar for a few days and then painting the wood with the solution. Brushing on tea and spraying diluted sodium hydroxide are also useful tricks.

To age or ‘distress’ painted wood, use an undercoat of matt emulsion as this type of paint has a dull finish. Choose the duller tones of a colour as well. Give the wood a coat of beeswax to help bring out the grain and leave it to dry overnight. Apply a top coat and then with fine sandpaper gently remove it in some areas to bring out the dull undercoat. This is most effective when you sand parts that would naturally be worn. The edges can be gently knocked so that they lose the sharpness of new furniture. A final touch is to varnish the wood and then dry it quickly with a hair dryer. This will produce the cracked surface so often found on antiques.

Pieces such as beds, chairs, sofas and tables, as well as an extensive line of accessories, are created from a large range of materials including polypropylene and leather.  Bonaldo’s designs are made especially for the contemporary home.

Bonaldo designer furniture is fashioned in a range of lines and shapes, making the pieces suitable for any existing home décor.  The company makes every effort to ensure their pieces convey elegance and creativity.

With more than 60 years of experience behind them, Bonaldo has experimented with almost every material imaginable from tubular metal applications to using alloys, pressure cast aluminium, plastics, propylene and flexible, cold-pressed polyurethane.  Bonaldo continues to keep its focus on technology and innovation, as its creative design team seeks to push the limits of contemporary designer furniture.

The result is a reflection of the Italian lifestyle and taste that is truly unique to Italy and simply cannot be reproduced or copied anywhere else in the world.

Bonaldo contemporary designer furniture can be purchased for almost any room in the home.  They offer an extensive line of beds, including sofa beds and bed chairs, tables, sofas and an array of both dining and everyday chairs.  Bonaldo designer furniture will bring a high visual impact to any room.

Early designers such as Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl brought an artistic eye to natural materials native to Scandinavia.  Using pale honey-coloured woods ash, beech, pine and teak, these designers brought grace and lightness to an adaptable and versatile collection of furniture.

Danish designer furniture is staging a comeback under a new name but traditional principles. Now classified as “Scandinavian Modern,” designers still rely on the timeless, clean lines, simple patterns and quality fabrics that defined the contemporary designer furniture in its early stages.

The design aesthetic of designer Danish Modern furniture is a rugged reliability in neutral but solid colours; the pale woods of Scandinavia are artistically sanded and finished with a high gloss wax.  The new designer lines are beginning to incorporate darker coloured woods due to consumer demands but the classic lines, curved angles, invisible joints and screws and a lack of embellishment are still important qualities that current designers maintain.

The world of Danish Modern produced iconic architectural wonders such as the Charles Eames chair, the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chair, the George Nelson Marshmallow Sofa and the Charles Le Corbusier line of designer sofas.  All of these designs are studied and admired by today’s innovative designers of the Danish Modern School.

With lighting alone, emotions can be generated and produced.  Varying degrees of illumination can create anxiety (the bright light of interrogation), romance (the dim flicker of a candle) or warmth (the reading lamp next to an overstuffed chair).   Light is often considered either “soft” or “hard”.  Diffused lighting minimises shadows and helps you to relax.  Directed, or “hard” lighting, is used as stimulation for mental alertness and a higher degree of activity.

Using illumination to create architectural mood lighting utilises structure and design to change the shape and degree of ambient light.  A stunning example of this is the Penta pendant lamp designed by Coscadesign for Foscarini, an Italian manufacturer.  With the fifteen sides of the pendant open, a rotary motion is suggested when the light strikes the petals of the pendant.  A chiaroscuro light texture is created when the light is on and the illumination is stunning in its complexity.

However, the true brilliance of the design may be in its simplicity.  When closed, the fixture becomes the source of a single light.  The design is such that the petal lies in layers and the light may be folded flat.   Lastly, it has a minimal environmental impact because it is made entirely out of recycled materials.

It may be tempting to splash out a few quid on something cheap and functional, but any dwelling that aspires to be a home, radiating style and freshness and harmony, can benefit considerably from a few well-chosen pieces of designer furniture.  It will last longer, for a start, and there is so much to choose from that you are certain to find something to form a nucleus for your living space that can be built up as you peruse the extensive catalogues of Dan-Form, Effezeta, Bontempi, Calligaris and a host of other manufacturers and designers.

The northern part of Italy is the home of some of the finest designer furniture companies now operating, and Italian furniture in general is renowned for its use of fine materials, innovation and attractiveness.

Rigorous design processes result in the highest quality of designer furniture, and designer furniture uses a range of different materials to achieve its effect.  From wood and leather to metal and plastic, top designers use anything and everything to create their products and make them different and superior to others on the market.

High quality designer furniture has a long life and will see you through years of changing styles.

You can change the furniture in your home to experience that renewed energy and cheerfulness that comes with making a change of some sort in your life, and changing to designer furniture takes such a change one step further.  Contemporary furniture comes in a vast range of materials and vibrant, fresh colours, and these add a strong element of vibrancy to the home, altering the whole dynamic of its decor and furnishings, and the effect can be astounding.

Companies such as Magis, Calligaris, Bontempi and Effezeta in Italy, and Dan Form in Denmark, are amongst the foremost designers of contemporary furniture in the world, and their designer furniture products come in a great range of shapes and forms.  The ideas generated by their design teams are variations on the principles of fluidity and clean-lined simplicity that have characterised contemporary furniture since the movement began in the early 20th century.

There is no better way to give your home a makeover than to install some fresh contemporary furniture.

Designer furniture is characterised by its innovatory use of materials, with interchangeable parts in many cases widening the choice so that home owners can take the best of what is on offer in a range of models and combine them into a tailored choice.  The finest materials are typically used in fresh new ways to satisfy a wide range of personal tastes and fit in with existing decor, which is typically minimalist.

The roots of this new approach to furniture can be found over a hundred years ago in the new artistic movements that were sweeping Europe, such as Bauhaus.  Young new designers sought to sweep away the old, rigid preoccupations with heaviness and florid decoration.  What they were looking for were clean lines, lightness and stripped functionality, and many of the designer furniture creations produced at the time continue to inspire modern contemporary furniture designers.  Their timeless appeal is a testament to the fact that great design transcends passing fashion.  With good pieces of designer furniture in your home you need never worry about it becoming outdated.

Companies such as Danform in Denmark and Bontempi, Calligaris, Effezeta and Magis in Italy have comprehensive catalogues in which you are sure to find inspiration for transforming your home.

But it is not only wood that the top designers use when coming up with their creations, and it is northern Italy rather than the cold northern climes that produce the bulk of contemporary furniture these days.

Metal and plastic are almost as common as wood as constituents of designer furniture, and the designers use these materials to create much more innovatory and modern articles than tend to be found in the usual outlets, of a type that will blend in with any living space.

Over recent years, there has been a resurgence of the fresh spirit of the 60s that craved brightness, colour and new designs over the staid old norms, and it is the use of new and bright colours, fresh angles and a generally new approach to furniture design that has seen an explosion in designer furniture recently.

Bontempi and Calligaris are just two of the Italian producers at the forefront of contemporary furniture design and production, but Dan-Form from Denmark and many others are now competing successfully in this competitive and exciting market.

Designer furniture allows you to express your own individuality through the furnishings in your home, and the materials used ensure that the products are long-lasting as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Cattelan’s line of Italian designed office desks provide quality craftsmanship, mounted on sturdy stainless steel bases, with clear, frosted or coloured glass top, complete with swivelling drawers.  Cattelan’s Managerial Desk is curved slightly inwards, to make working easy and comfortable.

The second essential furniture piece is the comfortable and eye-catching sleek design of the office chair.  Sleek, comfortable and modern, Cattelan’s sturdily designed chairs make sitting here during endless working hours both comfortable and rewarding.

Dan-Form’s Retro office chair is manufactured with mixed, wood, metal and leather and combines the best materials for a classic and futuristic chair that is fully adjustable, comfortable, sturdy and practical.

No sleek and stylish office space would of course be complete without essential office accessories such as matching sturdy cabinets, and complementary accessories.  Magis’ versatile Memo Board, Desk Tidy and Document Holder look great on any desktop or wall and can be easily matched to any existing decor.