FAQ
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Do you have any suggestions for stylish alarm clocks? I'm currently using my old mobile phone.
Livingetc's design guru Mark Garside answers the decorating question: 'If you have an iPhone, then Luckybits sells a clever little bird box that you slot the phone into and, with its BirdBox app, you wake up to the sight and sound of nesting birds - far more pleasant than the heart-attack-inducing bells of other alarm clocks. Or Habitat sells a chamring bird alarm clock called Okko, £25.
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We want to protect the windows of our converted warehouse from getting broken, however we think mesh panels look ugly. Are there any alternatives?
Livingetc's design guru Mark Garside answers the decorating question: 'It's quite costly, but one option is to replace the glass with laminated or toughened glazing. Another, more immediate solution is to use a specialist safety window film, such as Solar Control, which you apply to the inside face of the glass. It won't stop it smashing, but the glass won't splinter everywhere. You can then replace it with laminated/toughened glass if and when you get a breakage.'
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Can you help me find a sideboard that is made up of all different drawers, a bit like Boca Do Lobo's Soho sideboard?
Livingetc's design guru Mark Garside answers the decorating question: 'Boco Do Lobo's sideboard is very high-end at £13,950, but the idea itself is really simple. So my answer is buy a range of old drawers (cheap chests of drawers at auction rooms and second-hand shops), then have a carpenter build a carcase for them. It'll cost far less than any designer piece and will be unique.'
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I want to recover the seat panels on my Sixties chairs but the fabric is glued to the base. Should I try and remove it or just cover over the top? And any ideas for retro-style fabric?
Livingetc's design guru Mark Garside answers the decorating question: 'If the foam base is disintegrating, you'll have to replace it, but if it's in good condition, it could be worth trying to clean the existing fabric and leave it all in place, particularly if the foam has been formed, because it'll be more work to find and fit new pieces. For material, check out IKEA's fabric department, where vivid shapes, motifs and retro styles abound, such as Inger, £3.99 per m.'
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Can you tell me where to find an old railway luggage rack as I'd love to fit one in my hallway?
Livingetc's design guru Mark Garside answers the decorating question: 'It was actually a limited collection from old British Rail carriages that Trainspotters had and it sold out pretty quickly. But the company also does a reproduction version that's 1.2m long for around £420. If you're looking for something shorter, see Graham & Green's 83cm long Huckleberry Finn, £99.'
