Published: 05:49 EDT, 27 May 2022 | Updated: 05:54 EDT, 27 May 2022
With visiting family, school holidays and leisurely days off, your digs are sure to get a lot more use over the coming months. From bunny beanbags to lawn illumination, get the most from your living space with Checklist's guide to perfecting your home and garden.
The longest journey starts with a single step, and the same can be said when redesigning your favourite spaces. Those first-choice pieces truly set the tone for a room.
If you're looking for reliable style and craftmanship that will set you on the right path, you have to go Italian. Alf Italia's pieces are all made and designed in Italy, designed to achieve a timeless finish and look. Their finely crafted cabinets are ones you won't want to part with anytime soon.
Founded in Treviso, Italy over 70 years ago, Alf Italia are market leaders in cabinet design and manufacturing. Although they work to a quality level that's been decades in the making, they're always evolving to accommodate the needs of a modern household.
A great example is the Alf Italia Versilia TV Unit is available in an eye-catching and luxurious Koto high gloss which is sure to compliment even the most high-tech television set up. Its amble storage and three doors are perfect for storing consoles and soundbars. The chrome accents then give the cabinet that distinctly Italian feeling.
This month, contemporary Italian furniture retailors Abitare are giving away a luxury Rabbit Bean Bag to one lucky winner. To be in with your chance of winning, visit the link below.
The info: Click here to enter the competition,* and here to shop online or by visiting them in store at their Wigan location. Good luck!
* Terms and conditions can be found here .
Find the right furniture fit
SLF24 manufacture upholstered furniture in their own European factory, as well as offering an extensive range of rugs and occasional furniture pieces. As you're purchasing directly from them, you cut out the middleman and therefore receive fantastic value for money.
Their focus is on making exclusive designs available to everyone, delivering comfort and craftsmanship to their customers at affordable prices. You're free to choose from over 30,000 configurations so finding exactly what you want is easy. By selecting your favourite models in one of 230 fabrics and a number of wood options, you can create something that feels unique to you.
Each piece is made to order, and the extensive range has everything from sofas to armchairs, beds to footstools, and even armchairs. Once you've found what you're looking for, you can expect your order to arrive in an impressive two to three weeks after purchase.
So, whether you’re going for a contemporary look with modern, scandi influences or something a little more traditional or retro, you're sure to find it with SLF24. And if your garden gets jealous of your lovely new interiors, they've just launched Breeze, a new range of upholstered outdoor furniture, so you can bring great design to the great outdoors.
The info : Click here to browse their extensive range of indoor and outdoor furniture.
Turn your home into an art gallery
We're inspired by the things that surround us, so why are so many of us reluctant to push the envelope when it comes to home furnishings? Why go boring when you can go bold?
Noho Home is a new kid on the block, invigorating the homeware sector with an ethos of fashion for the home. The brand was founded by fashion director Harry Charles and property designer and developer Shuan Maroof, who believe that art is the soul’s voice. Inspired by the stylish enclave of The Noho District in Lower Manhattan, the Noho home range represents a historic period of New York City.
The sleek Amaranta Table is a solid, walnut wooden piece with a bold carbon steel base that has a beautifully symmetrical placement. This versatile table would accompany any interior style, due to its simplistic, yet modern features.
The Wabi coffee table is a spectacular focal point, coming in a gorgeous off white with cylindrical bases full of character. You will love the simplicity of this piece and its ability to bring a room together.
The intersecting oak and rattan Cabaletta Coffee Table comes in two subtle colours of wood and provides a truly unique element in any space. This artistic piece will be the statement of your interior living area, bringing a vintage inspiration to the heart of your home.
The brand's fervid and quirky roots, along with its catalogue of unique and modern furniture pieces have garnered the attention of a wealth of interior designers and celebrity clients alike.
If you're eager to inject more fashion into your furniture, you won't go wrong with Noho.
The info : Click here to get 10% off your order with code ‘NOHO10’, in addition to their up to 30% off spring sale.
What would summer be without the great British barbecue? Can you imagine a sunny Sunday afternoon without a few sausages sizzling on an open flame? But like the proverb suggests, playing with fire comes with some risks – but not so much with the LotusGrill®.
The LotusGrill® is a unique, ingenious BBQ which heats up in minutes, giving you that authentic charcoal-cooked flavour in a fraction of the usual time. Small and convenient to transport, the grill weighs just 4kg and is available in a range of colours.
Undoubtedly the most amazing feature of this particular grill is its ability to cook food fast. The charcoal in the grill becomes ‘cookable’ embers in just three to four minutes from lighting, thanks to the patented ‘bellows’ system; the safest and fastest of its kind.
The LotusGrill® has amassed a number of awards and as with all brilliant inventions it’s the simplicity of the idea which makes it so superb. An air-cooled, double outer wall and top rail, means the grill never gets hot, making it portable even whilst in use. Supplied with its own carry-bag, you can literally take it anywhere.
The metal plate ensures excess fat and oil, produced while cooking, drips into the removable catching tray. Additionally, with just three key components clean-up is easy, the stainless-steel grill and bowl can go straight into the dishwasher!
This is one grill that will give you that authentic BBQ taste in minutes! Anywhere, anytime, without the hassle.
The info : Click here to shop and receive a free LotusGrill® recipe booklet with your order.
Most of us flirt with the idea of an extension from time to time, but often the prospect of complicated construction proves to be too much. If turning your backyard into a building site isn't on the cards, why not explore an alternative that will bring many of the same benefits?
A glass veranda can offer a host of unique and valuable benefits to your home, from an al fresco dining set up to providing a dry, outdoor hangout area. With Crocodile Glass Verandas, you can be sure that the investment will be one you'll value for years to come.
Every solid, open-structured veranda is fitted with a glass roof, constructed using powder-coated aluminium and is completely maintenance free. It's the perfect place to celebrate the outdoors and appreciate the hours you've spent gardening, allowing you to enjoy your handy work all year round.
Whether you're ready to start building or just curious of what it could add to your home, Crocodile's free expert advice is available when you need it. With every veranda being made to measure with a 10-year guarantee and expert free installation, improving your home and garden has never been easier.
The info : Click here to find out more about adding a unique extension to your home and book your free survey.
Keeping your home secure should always be a consideration, no matter how safe your neighbourhood. As you head out for the day, it's important to feel like you'll be kept up to date should something happen at your home.
Toucan believes that home security should be easy, affordable and of a high quality. That’s why all items in their Toucan Smart Home range are simple to install, packed full of high spec features and compatible with the free Toucan Smart Home app. Oh, and no paid for subscription package required, so you won't get lumped with monthly fees.
If you’re looking for an outdoor camera or video doorbell, Toucan Smart Home has you covered, with advanced features at affordable price points. The all-new Security Light Camera can complete your security set-up and even doubles as ambient lighting - ready for those summer barbeques.
Through the app, you can control and access wide angle, 1080p full HD video, 24/7, live on demand. You can also review a 24-hour event history and download video footage should you need to keep it for any reason.
With features including two-way audio, night vision, pre-recorded messages to obscure your voice, inbuilt siren alarms and an option to call emergency services at the press of a button if required, you can relax safe in the knowledge you’ll always be alerted should you need to check anything out.
Ahead of the sunny season, they're giving out their new Toucan Security Light Camera to one lucky winner. If you want that to be you, simply enter the competition below.
The info: Click here to enter the competition and here to find out more about Toucan products.* Good luck!
* Terms and conditions can be found here .
Keep your lawn in line
Nature is all about being in constant change. It's why many of us love to garden. The constant shift throughout the season is a beautiful thing to behold but a hard thing to tame. Ensuring your grounds stay looking neat and groomed can take up a lot of your time.
Over the last 25 years, EverEdge have been helping green-thumbed people all over Britain keep their lawns looking neat and tidy. EverEdge is manufactured entirely in the UK as manufacturing here is considered to be among the best in the world.
Their most popular products, the EverEdge Classic range of steel edging, have been integral to the maintenance of many a flowerbed. Designed to be versatile, durable and simple to install, the Classic range is flexible enough to be formed to any shape you desire. Suitable for most garden layouts, you can truly get creative should you wish to.
If you're more interested in growing something you can have for dinner, they also offer a range of steel raised vegetable beds. Whether it's carrots, green beans or tomatoes, a raised bed makes for a delicious harvest.
Their steel planters are also primed to support the growth of your favourite plants and can be bought off the shelf or can be designed to your specifications in a range of sizes, shapes and colours should you need something more specific.
The info : Click here to learn more about EverEdge and their range of lawn edging.
Turn your midnight garden into a wonderland
The key to achieving fantastic ambience is getting your lighting just right. Having total control over the brightness and glow of your home and garden means mastering the mood you're creating, whether that's for an intimate dinner party or a late-night bash.
At Astra Lumos, they know a thing or two about lighting. Their tailor-made lighting designs give you the power to control your system with ease, even from your phone.
As we've been spending more time at home, getting lighting systems that complement your lifestyle has never been more important. We've all come to appreciate the impact that good garden lighting can have, and this will only become more evident as evenings get warmer.
Efficient and inviting lighting can create an additional space outside where your guests can sit back and enjoy each other's company. From task lighting and spotlights on your prized pond to bringing warmth and cosiness to outdoor seating areas, the possibilities are truly endless.
Through their customer-focused services, you can map out exactly what it is you'd like to achieve through lighting. If you're looking to light up the garden path at night, they'll be happy to make that happen for you. Have something a little more ambitious in mind? Sit down for a consultation and discover exactly what's possible with a unique lighting system form Astra Lumos.
The info : Click here to explore bespoke interior and garden lighting design.
Say farewell to mower petrol fumes
If you're lucky enough to have a garden in which a push mower just won't cut it, you'll be more than familiar with the faff of running and maintaining your typical ride-on mower. Between the fumes and the complicated mechanics, you can be left wondering if it's all even worth it.
Don't let your lawn grow wild just yet as Swift by STIGA is the first battery garden rider that shares its batteries with a whole range of 48V garden tools. Engineered for complex gardens, the 72cm cutting width and tight turning circle allows the rider to be driven through narrow spaces and maneuver around trees, flower beds and obstacles with ease.
The rider is powered by four removable STIGA ePower batteries, that enable it to work longer and live longer. These batteries have been tested beyond industry standards, so you can be sure of the highest quality in terms of performance, reliability and long-lasting battery health.
Swift’s cutting deck has been designed in terms of geometry and materials to improve cutting and reduce noise output. The twin-blades are smaller and shorter to improve energy efficiency and cutting performance for perfect results with every mow.
The STIGA One Pedal drive technology makes driving Swift very easy, just one pedal to manage the acceleration and deceleration smoothly and effortlessly and just take your foot off the pedal and it will stop.
Being battery powered has a host of benefits, from saying goodbye to smelly fumes and the hassle of petrol to keeping your neighbours happy with a quieter machine.
The info : Click here to shop and claim free delivery or find your local STIGA dealer to see the range for yourself.
Have your right bulb moment
No matter how contrary Mary may be, there's no secret to how her garden grows. Ensuring your beds are bursting with flowers means investing in the right bulbs to begin with. Even the least experienced gardener knows that high-quality bulbs make for stunning blooms.
Peter Nyssen is an award-winning flower bulb specialist dating back to 1958. They're a small and energetic family business hailing from a long line flower bulb and perennial plant workers originating in the Dutch flower bulb area centred on the iconic Keukenhof.
They supply very large range of high-quality flower bulbs for prices lower than you might expect, carrying many varieties of spring bulb, particularly of tulips. Their wonderful team of true gardening enthusiasts are eager to help with any purchase or to give advice. They even have an impressive customer service rating of 4.8/5 on Feefo.
As the first bulb company to switch to compostable packaging, they've estimated that they've saved around 6.5 tonnes of plastic so far. They were the first company to do so, and it proved to be such a good idea that their competitors soon followed suit.
In the spirit of the Chelsea flower show, Peter Nyssen are offering our readers 20% off their Chelsea-inspired selection of naturalising bulbs that will not only help you achieve a wild looking garden, but will benefit the wildlife. You can also purchase with confidence courtesy of a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee or your money back.
The info : Click here to get 20% off Chelsea Inspired spring flower bulbs with offer code 'CHELM22'.*
*Offer valid from May 27 to midnight on June 4.
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