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Legal fire safety requirements for contract furniture can be confusing because it's covered by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) and not the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations (FFFSR) which covers domestic use. Here is an important summary for commercial designers.

Tube frames have been gaining in popularity in the past few years and are now becoming more elaborate. Here we look at sled bases with a cross component, where balance and stability combine with ornamentation to create an integral feature of the design. Sled bases also have these benefits...

In this edition of Furniture Highlights we showcase our new finds from IMM Cologne including some intricate table bases with mixed materials and new lightweight table tops with the option for wireless charging.

Our sales and account managers pick their favourite product of the year, from new chairs & new table top materials to timeless designs, because classics never die. We also make a few predictions for hospitality furniture trends in 2019 & look back at how accurate our predictions were for this year.

Calacatta, Arabescato and Carrara Marble are geologically all the same. Further, they all come from the same region and as a result can look very similar. Selecting the right marble can often be confusing use our guide to decide which white marble table top you're looking for.

We undertook an experiment to test whether a waxed or lacquered finish provides the best metal table top protection. We took two brass table tops & placed different foods on them, then waited overnight to see which stains were most noticeable. We also performed a scratch test. Here are the results.

Geometric fabric adds visual intrigue with minimal application. We look at our favourite new geometric fabrics. Fabrics include the Soraya Collection from Romo, Shapes by Panaz, Geometrics by Kirkby Design & Warwick fabrics as well as some of our showroom samples to illustrate working examples.

Cage frames are a variation of the trend in thin legs as a feature, primarily in metal but also now occurring in wood. Cage frames here are more like ornamental birdcages used to decoratively impress as well as being sturdy structures.

Metal frames are nothing new, they're popular in the contract market because they have certain benefits, but now manufacturers are taking these benefits and making a design feature, providing function and desirability in one. Chairs featured include Gaia, Line, Mullit, Macka, Moon, Graph & more!

Last year we saw a resurgence of chairs woven from natural materials including cane, rattan & bamboo. This year the classic cane chair continues to be reworked in innovative ways. We explore why cane is great for contract furniture.

The fashion for industrial design is now being phased out in favour of a more comfortable style of furniture. Part of this transition is seeing metal frames with rough and ready finishes transform into a more elegant and even decadent style. We look at Clerkenwell Grind & Omar's Place as examples.

The best new additions to our website in the past month featuring a treasure trove of products launched at IMM Cologne. Think velvet upholstery, metal legs and marble. Highlights include:Pavilion, Lato Norm & Loafer, which are made to Scandi perfection and outdoor beauties: Lagarto, Olivo & Rimini.

Creating sustainable furniture depends on legislation, type of materials used, logistics & waste & some of the designs are prettier than others! Green chairs usually include a headline product, which may be recycled or a waste product. Discover the Alhambra Eco Side Chair & the Zartan Raw Chair.

It's that time of year again, where we look to Cologne for interior design inspiration. Here's a light taster of some of the delights on show this year including the Light of the Abyss installation by Emu, the Structures exhibition by Kvadrat, Fl@t chair by Tonon, & Lucie K's Chips chair for Ton.

A handy guide to furniture styles by era with pictorial examples, synonyms and definitions. Discover the difference between Traditional Furniture & Early 20th Century Furniture, see examples of popular Mid-Century style chairs & differentiate between Timeless and Contemporary terms.

Chrome is a resilient coating, typically electroplated to mild steel to protect it from rust & improve its look. However, chrome scratches easily. Don't use abrasive cleaners & don't use chrome furniture outdoors if it's not specified for outdoor use; chrome surfaces are susceptible to rust if wet.

Stone is durable, but also porous. The more porous it is, the more likely it is to stain. Here are our guidelines for stone, concrete & marble furniture care. Learn about acid etching which is hard to prevent, though applying sealants regularly will delay the formation of a patina.

Wooden furniture care and maintenance is generally similar across different types of wood, but different finishes do need different approaches. Almost all contract furniture made of wood has either a lacquer or a seal applied to it knowing which is extremely important before you begin cleaning.

Here are the benefits and drawbacks of the most common types of dining chair materials used in hospitality settings. Which will suit your needs best? Metal, wood, plastic and upholstered chairs all have different pros and cons when used in hospitality spaces find out more.

Caring for and correctly maintaining your furniture could and should add years to its life. Looking after furniture also requires a positive approach; problems should be addressed immediately and furniture should be kept clean – a regular wipe tends to be better than an occasional scrub.