Green Belt... Where is it now?

I was reading about countryside getaways in the London commuter 'home county' of Hertfordshire, which started me on another path... with all the additional new housing estates spreading from villages that had charm and character, are these properties safe from development? The article includes Grade I and II listed buildings, which should have some degree of protection; one property is surrounded by 17 acres of landscaped garden and is adjacent to a small wood with public footpaths.

If you are lucky enough to have sufficient funds and the appropriate lifestyle, a private apartment in a beautiful setting could be the perfect solution.

However, people who chose a rural village life may not be so happy with changes that have been forced upon them. Here are few examples in North Herts: 

• 900 new homes, separated from Graveley by one field
• proposal for 759 new homes, including 598 on three new large sites to the west and east of Knebworth village.
  
• 150 new homes proposed for this Woolmer Green site.
• proposal for Codicote  developments (pdf) - two developments are under way and there is a third proposed housing site.
• Just 52 new homes proposed for St Ippolytes, although this may be increased to 84.

So is there still a 'green belt' around London and, if so, where is it? It's still where it always was but maybe not quite so green since governments have tweaked the rules to allow significantly more developments.

Apparently, the Mayor of London is keen to build around a million new homes, the majority of which need to be in London's green belt. 

Onwards and upwards, as the saying goes!

Living the dream... 

city living

Sofas, Updated.

If you're looking for a fully functional sofa, take a look at the TechSofa range, series 1 to series 7 - prices start from £1695 for the two seater but can be considerably more for more seats. This review is for the series 6 sofa.

Functionality: you could be forgiven for thinking that you are piloting a luxury aircraft. The plush feel of pseudo-suede or the pseudo-leather options are practical for spilled drinks, for example if you're in the reclining position and mis-judge the distance or trajectory between the chilled cup-holder and your mouth. In additional to the smooth electric reclining controls, there is a seat-warmer. Warm seat, chilled drink. Wow.

Inside the centre storage console there are 2x 13Amp sockets. You also have 4x USB chargers plus a wireless charging pad. And the sound from the Bluetooth speakers is incredible - the best we've heard in a sofa! You can finally have a seat at home that is as good as your car seat - it's been a long time coming.

We chose a 'small' (it's not small) corner unit. It's perfect for two people to share a cinema or gaming experience plus there's enough room to invite a couple of friends in to watch a televised game of football. Also, it accommodates people who may be considered of the wide / heavy persuasion and the frame is guaranteed for ten years.

Customer Service & Delivery: purchasing went smoothly, delivery was on time and the guys were efficient and friendly. The gave a run-through of the features and answered all our questions.

Expensive? Let's say "not cheap" but...
Value for money? Yes.

Links:    2 seater    4 seater corner    

Sofas and Chairs

If you're looking for something a little bit different yet stylish and very practical, have you seen the fabulous Fama furniture collection from Julia Jones? 

Innovative designs in a range of colours, the quality of the Fama furniture is good and this retailer, a family-run small business, has an excellent customer service ethic. 

Choose from lounging chairs and sofas, sofa-beds from 4ft width to 6ft widths, modular furniture - with a choice of fabrics and leather finishes. Recliner options are manual, battery and electric. 

We purchased a sofa-bed and swivel-recliner chairs a few months ago. Unfortuately, the delivery company damaged one of the chairs but Julia Jones ensured that this was replaced, as soon as possible, without fuss. We have been happily using the furniture all day, every day. With so many seating options, it's impossible not to be comfortable! 

And, just to be clear, this review was not requested nor have we received any financial incentive.

 

Quick DIY Guide to Recovering Your Chairs

If your dining chairs need a makeover, why not do it yourself? In addition to a chair and your chosen fabric, you will need some decent scissors and a staple gun. 

Before you begin:

• If you are going to rub down wooden chairs for light waxing, woodstain or painting, perhaps spray-paint cane or metal chairs - do that first.
• Choose a strong fabric as it shouldn't crease too much from 'bums on seats'. Maybe you have some left-over curtain material or, if buying some fabric, think about getting a little extra to use as matching or contrasting cushion covers. If using patterned fabrics, make sure you consider this before you start cutting.

Instructions:
1. If you are covering the chair back (see top image):

• First, the back of the chair back: cut a rectangular shape about 3" / 7cm larger than the area to be covered.
• Pull the fabric straight and tight at the sides and top to create a smooth appearance and staple along the edges to hold the fabric in place, folding neatly at the corners. Trim and fold any excess material as you work, to keep it neat. 
• Gently pull the bottom of the fabric down tightly and tuck under the back of the chair. Staple it underneath the seat. For a neat finish, fold the raw edge of the surplus under itself and staple again.
• Next, matching any patterns, cut another piece of fabric for the front of the chair back, again with an additional 3" / 7cm to spare at the the edges. Push the edges of the fabric into the part where the chair back and seat meet.
• Again, keeping the fabric tight and starting at the top of the chair back, fold the edge of the fabric under itself at the back edge, then staple close to the fold. Leave a gap at the edges while you fold and staple the sides of the chair back, keeping the fabric straight and  at all times.
• Pull and tuck the bottom edge behind the seat, securing it tightly by stapling at the edges.
• Envelope-fold and staple the top corners. Stand back and admire!

2. To cover the chair seat:

• Matching up the pattern with the front of the chair back, cut an oversized square, large enough to cover the seat and its side edges, plus a little extra for folding under. 
• Taking care with pattern matching, the fabric at the rear of the seat should be tucked in where it meets the chair back, folding the raw edges under at each side of the seat and stapled in place.
• Pull the front tight and staple underneath the front of the seat, folding and trimming for neat corners.
• Turn the chair upside down to finish off by folding the raw edges of the fabric and stapling.

3. Other notes:

• If the fabric is liable to stains, consider treating it with a protective spray. 
• If the staples are too obvious (e.g. on a plain fabric) you can fix a braid over them or use decorative tack nail studs. These are now available in a fantastic range of colours, not just brass.

This is a guide only! Please practice before you tackle your best dining chairs.

Instructions relate to the style of chair in the top image. Please adjust the instructions for chairs of a different style, such as shown in the image below (in this case, it would be best to remove the chair back before covering).