The Intrepid Designer

WALL ROUGE - Cosmetics for your wall

Introducing Wallrouge...

Try a fresh and innovative approach to decorating your space. No paints, no stencils, no nails or hammers. Now you simply choose your design, position it on your surface as you like, peel the back and stick. Quick, Easy and Gorgeous! 

WALL ROUGE STICKERS ARE :

REMOVABLE: If you ever decide that you are no longer interested in the original design you chose and you want a brand new look for your room, you don't have to worry at all.  Wall Rouge Stickers are totally removable.  You can easily remove them from your walls for a fresh new canvas without having to repaint or retouch your walls.
 
STUNNING: Our Wall Rouge Stickers look so fabulous that you won't want to spend tons of money on paints or stencils or wall frames.  There are so many options to choose from so you can't go wrong.  And they allow you to create a gorgeous room for a fraction of the price

AFFORDABLE:  Customize your walls for as little as R100.  Compared to other wall applications and wall finishing alternatives this is the most cost effective way to redecorate your space.

CLEAN and EASY :  Compared to other wall finishing options like paint, murals, stenciling or stamping, WALL ROUGE products are simple to apply without any mess and anyone can install and remove them.  They don't require any special skills and are a great do it yourself project.

QUICK: You can transform any space in just minutes with WALL ROUGE STICKERS.  Most of the stickers are applied in 3 easy steps.  Postion on Wall, Peel the backing, and Stick to your surface.   It's as simple as that

Source:  Wallrouge

CHOOSING OFFICE FURNITURE

From a small, home-based start-up to a huge multi-national corporation, the same rules still apply when it comes to modern office furniture: is it comfortable, secure and solid, and will it help keep your office organised?

Comfort, comfort, comfort
They say the success of a shop is based on three things: location, location and location. Office furniture is a similar deal. Most staff sit at their desks for the majority of the day, often under great pressure and stress. The last thing you need is the added worry of not being comfortable because your company wanted for save a thousand rand by buying a cheapo chair! Consider how much you pay Joe in Accounts over the course of the year? If you spend R3000 extra on a good chair, consider the increase in productivity, not to mention the reduction in sick leave due to back pain and other health problems that stem from staff being uncomfortable at work. A chair should be sturdy (especially at the base), able to withstand sudden movements as well as adjustable to accommodate employees of different sizes (for the day when Joe decides to go!).

Find a good office desk
This is where the work happens, so the space needs to be just right. Does it provide sufficient space to spread out and store all the paraphernalia needed for each specific staff member? Does it look professional and appropriate for your company and your industry? For the top brass you can invest further by buying a quality wooden desk (think cherry, walnut, mahogany or oak) with drawers that run on steel ball-bearing slides. Such a desk will last a lifetime and will have a far higher resale value than run-of-the-mill desks.

Space and style
You set down long-term business plans for income and expenditure… so why have you always bought your furniture on a whim based on the latest styles? Trends and fashions change, so be careful about investing in über-fashionable equipment and furniture that will be out of date before the end of the fiscal year. If your business relies on being cutting edge, however, you might need to bite the bullet and keep upgrading with each new season, in which case you’ll probably also look towards hi-tech modern designs rather than traditional woods. Most important is that staff have enough space to do their work, are not crowded on top of each other, and that an open plan office should be split up into areas where people are able to chatter at their desks if their work makes it possible, while staff with phones slapped to their ear all day need their own space (not to mention a hands-free headset!). The look of office furniture can affect the staff mood and morale, so why not splash out on one or two colourful designer chairs for the meeting room or for visitors to sit in.

The price of success
Check your budget carefully – if your creative accountant can swing the figures to allot enough money to new office equipment then don’t think about it, just order it. The best you can afford. It WILL pay for itself 10 times over in terms of productivity. No budget? Feeling the credit crunch? Sadly, hundreds of businesses have gone under in recent times… although that opens up opportunities for you to pick up pre-owned furniture at a snip of the original price.

Source: SA Decor and Design

"Newsworthy" Wallpaper

A beautifuly tactile wallpaper by designer Lori Weitzner, aptly named “Newsworthy“ wall-covering is made entirely from recycled newspapers. The production method is similar to how we usually see reeds and dried grass woven into window or wall-coverings, and the result is intricate, one of oa kind, and eye-catching (in some cases, you can even make out words from the newspaper!). The newspaper strands are woven with a nylon thread and finished with a water-based topcoat in order to protect Newsworthy from the elements, aging, and stains. Newsworthy comes by the yard in a 47" wide segment, available to the trade for $125 per yard. Check out Lori Weitzner's line here.

Source: Interior Design.net

Two new wind projects on the cards for Eastern Cape

Independent power producer (IPP) Rainmaker Energy plans to add 610 MW of wind-generated electricity to South Africa’s power grid through the development of two new projects in the Eastern Cape.

The company was working on developing a 550-MW wind farm, called the Dorper project, near Molteno, and another 60-MW wind farm, called the AB’s project, near Indwe.

Technical services director Doug Jenman told Engineering News Online that the company expected to reach commercial close for the projects before the end of this year, and that it was targeting the middle of next year for the start of construction.

Environmental-impact assessments for both projects would likely be completed by the end of August, while a record of decision on the projects could potentially be issued by November.

The start of construction would, however, be dependent on the signing of offtake agreements, or power purchase agreements, said Jenman.

He noted that the intention was sell the electricity produced to the proposed new Independent Systems Operator (ISO), but added that its was also looking at potentially selling the power in the local area, as limited power was expected to constrain the economic growth in the province.

The introduction of an ISO, which would see the country move away from having State-owned power utility Eskom as the single buyer of electricity, was expected to level the playing field for IPPs.

“Wind projects such as these, with strong energy yields, will provide much-needed power to the Eastern Cape when power is needed, during the day in winter, and matching the energy profile. These projects will also provide a longer-term pricing stability to the electricity price,” Jenman said.

The construction of the AB’s project would take less than 12 months, while the construction of the Dorper project could take between 18 months and 36 months, depending on the requirements set out in the offtake agreements.

Jenman noted that it would cost about R25-million for each installed MW to develop the projects, with funding to be obtained through a combination of debt and equity from South African and international sources.

“We are running a competitive process and this has shown that there is more than sufficient appetite for these particular projects, provided there are bankable offtake agreements,” he commented.

Rainmaker Energy was planning to source the turbines for the projects from an overseas supplier, but would procure as many services, such as civils and electrical work, as possible, from South Africa and in the Eastern Cape.

The IPP had also created a skills transfer and development programme for the operation and maintenance of the wind farms.

This would boost job creation and skills development in the province, while ensuring the reliable operation of the equipment while local skills were being developed.

Edited by: Mariaan Webb


Source: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/two-new-wind-projects-on-t...

The Fringe Arts «

The Spier Contemporary 2010 is now open, and for the first time, this art biennale is taking place in the Cape Town City Hall, which is looking so spiffy these days!

via skinnylaminx.com

B&B Italia’s Crinoline Collection: Outdoor ecstasy

Designed elegantly and exquisitely by Patricia Urquiola, the new range of outdoor furniture by B&B Italia is something that your lawn and patio would drool over in joy.

B&B Italia’s Crinoline Collection: Outdoor ecstasy.

Hand-Decorated Lampshades

Bored? Here’s a quick and easy project you can do while sitting in your cubicle, like artist Angela Duncan.

Hand-Decorated Lampshades.

The Conmoto Gate and Turn Fireplaces

I love sitting next to a fireplace. If you are looking for something spectacular, check out the modern fireplace and stove from Conmoto, a German fireplace maker. Their fireplaces often look like piece of furniture.

The Conmoto Gate and Turn Fireplaces.

The Conmoto Gate and Turn Fireplaces

Studio Ziben

Would you like to see some furniture from Berlin today?

Studio Ziben.

Studio Ziben

eDecor - My lounge made me fat: can colour change your life?

Sick of feeling the urge to pick at food? Good intentions always flying out of the window? We have good news. It may not be your fault – the root of the problem may lie at the colour you've painted your living room walls, not a lack of will power....

eDecor - My lounge made me fat: can colour change your life?.