Barbecues and barbecues accessories

It is known that we Brits are big fans of barbecues, whether we do it in the backyard or in a special design area for such an activity. A traditional barbecue doesn’t consist only in meat; a good barbecue also requires accessories.  Here are some tips of what you need at a barbecue.

It isn’t unusual to get invited at a barbecue, especially throughout the summer time. Its popularity is explained through its social role, being a very useful method of human interaction, and most of all everyone appreciates the taste of meat or vegetables cooked on charcoal (or on a gas/electric barbecue) in the great outdoors.

Types of barbecues and how to choose the right one!

There are many types to choose from, and the prices of course vary according to the model. When you chose a barbecue you have to keep in mind 2 aspects:

• If you want a portable barbecue that you can use in different places or you want a masonry barbecue, built from bricks.
• What kind of fuel it will use – charcoal, that gives the food a natural taste, or a gas/electrical one that has the advantage of fire intensity adjustment.

You have the Wagon Barbecues that have a work surface beside the grill where one can prepare the food and also the Kettle Barbecue helps meat get better cooked.

Once you have it, where do you put it?

Before you decide where to put a barbecue in your garden you have to consider many factors:

• First it has to be somewhere close to the kitchen
• Then you have to think of the neighbours - will they get upset by the smoke and the smell?
• Place it away from the trees, because on one hand there is a risk at the tree may set alight and on the other hand, you may get leaves, branches, bird’s feathers and other objects falling on your cooking
• Not too close to inflammable materials
• Don’t move it once you put it to work

What accessories you need and how much you will spend

You might be thinking ‘why do I need another fork when I already have an entire set in the bottom drawer of my kitchen?'  What you need to understand is that the main purpose of barbecue accessories is to keep you safe from burning yourself, which is why they have a long handle.

Stainless Steel Barbecue 3 Piece Tool Set - £19.55
Wide Barbecue Spatula with Bottle Opener - £19.50
Ultimate Luma Barbecue Tongs with LED Grab Light - £19.99
Telescopic Barbecue Stainless Steel Fork - £22.99
Lifestyle 18-Piece Barbecue Toolkit - £24.99

For lighting a barbecue there are Barbecue Briquettes (approx. £24 for 7 Kg), Charcoal Lumpwood (approx. £17 for 12kg), 11kg Propane Gas Refill (approx. £28).
To maintain a barbecue one can buy barbecue covers in different shapes, with prices starting from £7. Then there are special cleaning solutions and cleaning brushes.

How much thought have you put into your house lighting?

Natural light can satisfy the functional and aesthetic needs of a home during the day. That is why natural lighting is completed by artificial light, which not only defines the space, but actually emphasises or hides volume and produces expected effects if used properly.

Every room has a specific function and requires a particular lighting system. In every  situation artificial lighting has a purpose whether that be to highlight the furniture,   making a certain interior design object the focus of a room, or just has a practical role; helping at reading and cooking.

The living room represents the business card of any family. The lighting here is a very important aspect, helping in many activities, but also giving the room a relaxing and welcoming feel. One can use recessed lighting or chandeliers to highlight certain areas. For general lighting a flush mount light is the most adequate - avoid big pendants in flats!

As a general rule, in the bedroom strong light doesn’t fit. Here the atmosphere must be smooth and intimate, although for the ladies’ makeup table well lit mirror is a must. For those night readers a lamp on the bedroom nightstand can come in handy. For the general room lighting one can use wall lights in dark corners of the room.

The kitchen is a light-loving space, where light is need it in every corner, although some need it more then others, like the kitchen counter or the interior of the wall cabinets. To achieve this effect you can place spot lights over the cabinet doors or some neon tubes over the working space. You can use spotlight fittings to illuminate the entire room.

I haven’t forgotten about the bathroom, for some, the most important room in the house.  It has some areas where directional lighting has to be used, like the mirror area (spot lights or flush fittings), but also some zones where uniform lighting distribution, of sufficient intensity, is needed.

The access hallway is probably the most used area of the home and requires a bright light, that you can get using flush lighting with one or more light bulbs.

To create a special vibe in the entire house or some specific areas you can use decorative lighting sources – lighting globes with pieces of glass, lava lamps, floor lamps, fireplaces, etc. Nevertheless candles give a special touch to a room. Their importance shouldn’t be overlooked when trying to obtain a romantic and attractive setting.

What has to be remembered is that artificial lighting has to chosen depending on the destination of the room, the activities that are going to be done there and the number of people accessing it. A correct choice contributes to obtaining the atmosphere and comfort desired.

Designing children’s room

“Dear Friends,
I woke up in an excellent mood this morning. I looked around and I thought to myself: 'my dream has become reality! I have a perfect room, where I can play, study..and it is in my favorite colour!' ”

Why couldn’t this be a letter written by your child?!

Children start developing a strong personality earlier in life than they did in the past; from a small age they have favorite colours, toys, clothes and many more preferences. So childrens rooms have to be special rooms within the household. Decorating it can be a fun activity for both children and parents. 

Before work is started, some thought has to be put into the job at hand, it must create a warm and enjoyable atmosphere, adequate for the harmonious growing up of children.

Many children have their own rooms from birth, but start putting their own unique stamp on it as young as 3 years old. The doll house can transform into a real room, full of colour and personality. One can use a Pink Junior Bed or a Kids Midsleeper Side Hanger with Three Pockets in Pink, all to create the fairy tale atmosphere.

The room can be accessorised with a Dollhouse Bookcase, Children's Nightstands, Children's Dressers and other decorative items, to design a practical room and at the same time specially created for your child.

The variety of childrens bedroom products available to purchase online make this task really easy once you make up your mind and know exactly what you want. The hard part is making that decision when you have such a large number of colour combination, designs and materials!

Tips when decorating your childs' bedroom:

• consult with the children on the colour, as it is their room and they must love it
• make it practical, with bookcases for all the books they will read, dressers and spaces to store toys
• chose a combination of colours that create a warm and happy room; warm colours are based on yellows, oranges, browns, yellowish greens, orangey-reds, and the like.
• be creative – you can bring fairy tales into reality, as this is the age to believe in it
• don’t be afraid to try combinations of styles and colours, as the result can be surprisingly beautiful.

Don’t make this decision in a hurry, you can make the designing stage a game and quality time with your children. But on the other hand don’t take too much time or your children might have changed their minds about the final decisions!

Trend alert: Colorful furniture and accessories

Colors that should always be a presence in your home, especially this time of year, to bring brightness and happiness are yellow, orange, red, purple, magenta and green. If you go for a chair, table or any kind of decorative pieces in these colors, the room will get a summer fresh and dynamic feel to it.
Here you have some beautiful pieces from Modern Store:

Gold Fire One Light Table Lamp - Available in several color shade, Chrome plated finish, Metal structure

Irony 65 cm Barstool - Frame construction:  Metal, Frame finish: Chromed,Seat construction: Polycarbon

Ice 82 cm x 49.5 cm Chair - Frame available in Glossy White Lacquered, Chromed and Satin Finished Steel finishes, Frame construction: Metal, Seat available in several finishes

Candy Storage Ottoman - Frame available in Milky White, Orange, Red and Light Green finishes and Helsinki Orange, Helsinki Red, Helsinki Fuchsia and Helsinki Green; Frame construction: Polyethylene; Seat available in Helsinki Yellow, Helsinki Orange, Helsinki Red, Helsinki Fuchsia and Helsinki Green fabrics

Ice 82.5 cm x 48 cm Chair - Frame available in Chromed or Satin Finished Steel finishes; Frame construction: Metal; Round tube frame; Seat available in several finishes

Lighting magic

In my today’s web travel I saw something that must be shared. Is amazing how a person can modify glass to  create such beautiful things….

Just heat...and more heat!

I don't know how others deal with heat, but for me is a nightmare. From the air conditioning at work I have the worst cold ever and from the heat I have trouble sleeping and functioning at my best.

If I venture outside I’m in a permanent search for shade and less heat, so sometimes I start to wonder what is the secret of those in love with summer?!

To speak the truth I’m not a very big fan of winter either, but then at least I have the solution of warm clothes…but in the summer heat I don’t have the option of skin removal…or do I? It has to be a secret somewhere?!

Until I uncover it I will continue to recharge my batteries in the evenings in my garden, in a hammock or some comfortable seats with friends and some cool drinks. This is the only solution I've come up with so far….any more ideas?

Table Football

As the Fifa World Cup has finished for another four years the fans appetite for football has just been whet and they are now searching for alternative ways to satisfy this growing need for sports! Table football is a viable option, being a sport that can be played indoor and outdoor.



Table football, also known as foosball and many other names has been around for many years. Although patents for similar games may exist from as far back as the 1890s, the game of Table Football as we know it today was first invented by Harold Searles Thornton in 1922 and patented in 1923.

Although it's like movie or sitcom cliché, a football table (or any kind of sport table; pool, snooker or air hockey), in a mans house is always a nice touch. It helps in creating a manly atmosphere, but without overdoing it. It can be the attraction point in ones home for friends and family and as the starting point of any gathering.

They used to be used mainly in pubs, but in recent times they've gained popularity in homes. The main disadvantage of such an accessory is the space need to accommodate it, if you go for a non-folding table. However, you can now find tables which fold as well as being able to choose from a variety of colors, materials, and designs, depending on the room it has to be fitted in.

The space you have available dictates the type of table you search for. The non-folding tables can be an option if you have enough space in your living room, have a games/entertainment room or part of your garden is covered and paved.

Folding tables can be a perfect gift for every sports fan, because they can be adapted to most houses and also avoid the life partner’s objections and complaints! This way you can indulge in your whims and keep the Missus happy!