Homes
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Maximising the outdoors
While the rest of Europe is gearing up for the winter months, Malta in October is still basking in sunshine and enjoying the outdoors. Now, you can make the most of your outdoor space by ensuring year-round use with the aptly named Four Seasons...
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Construct Furniture takes on foreign market
Construct furniture, which has been providing the Maltese market with custom-made furniture for over 30 years, has now established itself as a hub for exports to North Africa, the Middle East and across Europe. The company started out as a small...
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Living space
Architect Ivan Cachia tells Ramona Depares how he combined form, function and style by creating interactive components in this luxury apartment. His job was essentially to set the backdrop for changing moods. When architect Ivan Cachia was...
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Marrying old & new
Interior architect Mark Pace has embarked on the conversion of a 200-year-old townhouse into a comfortable living space, with the required modern touches. He tells Fiona Galea Debono how he plans to undertake the delicate operation and bring out the...
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Fifty shades of historic
The term ‘house of character’ is so ugly. Apart from its harsh phonetics, it’s also incorrect because all houses, from the earliest dwelling to the latest swanky pad, have character. Of course, every house has a different character. A modern...
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All the homes are a stage
With the increasing popularity of home makeover shows, home styling has become a hugely fashionable concept in interiors. Home styling or staging is when you give your home a facelift without major renovations or building work. It’s particularly...
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Francis Sultana exhibits new furniture collection
London-based interior decorator and designer Francis Sultana will be launching his latest work, The Yana Collection, at the Brioni show-room on Bruton Street, London, on October 8 . Sultana will transform the Brioni store, a Georgian townhouse in...
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Company in bid to boost solar energy
Owners of large areas of landmay invest in PV systems to farm energy and sell it back to thegovernment. In this regard, Alberta is considering partnerships with owners whose land is available for a solar system but who do not have enough cash to...
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Italian lessons
Moving to the Italian countryside for la bella vita, as portrayed by myriad best-selling books and Hollywood movies, inspires many. Yet, Deana Luchia points out, the reality can be far from idyllic. I moved to an old farmhouse in Italy in 2002.
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Damp and mould problems
Since we have just experienced the longest, coldest and wettest winter for decades, many householders are facing unprecedented evidence of damp and mould inside their homes. There are various reasons for this and certain preventative measures which...
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Planning your garden
My gardens have been a miscellaneous medley: a pocket handkerchief terrace here in Malta, which I try to brighten with bougainvillaea and jasmine, a delightful ‘Cornish’ country garden filled with hydrangeas, rose beds and in spring, a glory of...
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Shopping for PV panels
With an increasing awareness for going green, photovoltaic panels are the trend. Government grants and feed-in-tariff schemes support investment in such systems. However, amid this enthusiasm, people might not have the right knowledge when opting...
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Is compulsive hoarding an isolated disorder?
If we look at any home, it is usually a reflection of those living in it. When students move into student accommodation, at the start of a term (not always relevant in Malta), they have to learn to live in a confined space, clean up, cook and do all...
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Grow your own
In this sea of depression and despondency, there is one area of growth at the moment and that is, well, growth. Growing your own has not been so popular since our grannies dug up their lawns during the second World War to plant potatoes and...
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Safe as houses
Over one million children are injured in their homes every year in the UK alone, most of them in preventable incidents. Jo Caruana takes a look at the steps you can take to childproof your home. Burns. Cuts. Falls. Knocks. These are just some of the...
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What do land surveyors do?
W hat do land surveyors do other than stand behind a tripod and wave their arms at people we cannot see, or walk around with a flashy aluminium pole in hand? Unfortunately, most people think a land surveyor is either a skilled draughtsman with...
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Designing spaces with new seamless surfaces
New applications, designs and patterns of seamless solid surfaces have been introduced by Samsung Staron. Seamless surfaces can be used for both residential and commercial purposes. Staron can be used in the kitchen for chunky countertops, big...
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New, expressive glass for kitchens
Veneta Cucine has recently developed Ri-Flex, which makes use of glass as an expressive form of aesthetic and functional quality. In its quest to innovate the way people use their kitchens, the Italian manufacturer makes use of another innovation...
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Kitchen blues
For French painter Raoul Dufy, who was once called the “granddaddy of modern chic” by Time magazine, blue is a special colour. “Blue is the only colour,” he observed, “which maintains its own character in all its tones. Take blue in all its nuances,...
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New Frank Salt Spinola branch
The Frank Salt Real Estate Group has opened its 13th office, offering residential sales and letting services. The new office is located at 88, Ġorġ Borg Olivier Street, St Julian’s. The branch will be managed by company director Douglas Salt, who...
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