You’ve just purchased some classy leather dining chairs for your restaurant or pub. They give the place a sophisticated feel which is also continental. All your patrons have commented on how comfortable they are and how nice they look. They were a good investment, and they can stay that way with a little care.

In leather manufacture, oil and fat is introduced into the hide and usually stays there, keeping it soft and shiny. However, water moisture does evaporate out of leather after a while and this is where cracks might occur. Other leather products are finished with a thin plastic top coat which keeps moisture in, but if your chairs weren’t, there’s no need to worry.

Some experts believe that the best way to prevent this is to use simple and cheap baby wipes to clean the leather and replenish moisture, others recommend balms and protection creams that need administering every few months.

Dry leather not only cracks but it is much more absorbent, and sucks up moisture and oils from the bodies of those sitting on chairs, stools or sofas. These fatty oils soak into the leather and can produce dark areas, eventually destroying the leather’s finish. The most obvious places are head rests, arm ends and the edge of the seat cushion.

Dry leather also readily soaks up spills and scribbles: red wine, coffee, cola, tomato sauce which will leave nasty stains and cannot always be fixed. Leather shampoos and cleaners are available, but read the fine print and instructions carefully, as some – especially those that contain wax or silicone – can actually do more damage to the leather.

A tip on a leather care forum is to wrap a bar of moisturising soap in a flannel and buff away. This should get into the leather’s pores to clean out deeper grime and dirt, plus it may remove any odours.

What’s certain is that treating leather seats is essential for their longevity.

As the sun begins to shine, more and more people will roll out their charcoal barbecues. However it can be tricky to know what to serve at a barbecue, particularly if you’ve got a diverse guest list coming. As such, here are some handy ideas for what to serve at your summery bash.

Starters
Why not offer up some light, perhaps even raw starters in order to ease your guests’ stomachs into the main course? You could offer up asparagus wrapped up in parma ham, or scallops served up with pea puree. Other great ideas include chips and dip – such as salsa or guacamole – or even gazpacho, a delicious soup that is served cold. If you’d rather go for something a bit more robust, try making mini pots of cheesy pasta or serving up mini pork ribs.

Mains
For starters, you’ll need to serve up the basic favourites – hot dogs, burgers, sausages, lamb and pork chops, and grilled fish. But why not think about mixing it up a bit as well? Try marinading some chicken wings and thighs in a honey and ginger sauce, before grilling them till they’re melting off the bone. Or buy a whole rainbow trout, and stuff it with thyme and lemon butter – before serving up whole so people can pick the bits they want. This goes down a treat, and is a great way to get your guests talking. You could also consider offering up some veggie burgers and stuffed peppers with couscous for your veggie guests.

Sides
Try thinking outside of the box for these; for example, if you take a whole baguette, and use a syringe to inject garlic butter periodically down it, you’ll have a delicious treat before you know it. Once grilled and served up, guests can tear off chunks to reveal the silky butter inside – who couldn’t love that? Other ideas included chargrilled corn on the cob, refreshing watermelon salad with pomegranates, spicy Cajun wedges and barbecue beans.

Deserts
Grilled fruits are your best bet here. Although many of your guests may not have tried this, if you put a plate in front of them with some sticky, grilled peaches and hot fudge sauce, they’ll be your best friends for life. Alternatively, why not try wrapping some bananas in tin-foil, grilling them for ten minutes and then serving them up with some fresh honey – this is a real crowd-pleaser and a great way to end a satisfying barbecue.

Now that the weather is warming up, what better way to spend the day than having afternoon tea, with some friends? Here’s how to create the perfect tea party.

Firstly, if your guests are going to be sitting outside, then give your garden furniture a good scrub. The elements can play havoc with outdoor dining sets if they haven’t been properly stored and if a decent clean doesn’t remove wintry moss and dirt, then perhaps it’s time to invest in something a little better? Of course, cushions and a table cloth will hide most evils!

Ensure your guests won’t be blinded or burned by the sun’s rays by protecting them with a parasol. Garden parasols are particularly pretty and can make even the cheapest dining set appear more luxurious. Keep some sun block handy or insist that everyone has to wear a fancy hat.

Proper afternoon tea consists of exactly that, tea. If you were to go to The Ritz, you would be served an array of sandwiches; the obligatory cucumber, crusts removed, plus salmon, ham, cheese and chicken. There would be scones, pastries and chocolate cake.

While opinion is divided over how to construct the perfect cucumber sandwich, the rule generally is to use slightly stale bread, i.e. not floppy, and salt the thinly sliced cucumber to remove moisture. Pat the salt away with kitchen roll and add to the buttered bread. Cut off the crusts and cut into finger slices.

Scones should be accompanied with cream and jam, though the order in which you layer them – Devon or Cornwall – is entirely up to you.

Cake plates and appropriate crockery turn the event from lunch into afternoon tea but don’t need to cost a fortune. Scour charity shops for mismatched cups and saucers, which are en vogue at the moment. If you’re lucky, you may stumble across some cake stands, which makes the whole affair seem that much more decadent somehow.

Don’t despair about the lack of alcohol, even The Ritz serve a champagne afternoon tea and Pimm’s is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

Enjoy!

Not lack anything for Christmas, but there are those who have not yet begun to decorate your home for so magma date or there are also those who do not end never to do so because they always walk finding news and innovations.
Our search nor ends because despite the few remaining days for this celebration, we bringing ideas and this time with regard to the lighting of the affairs of your house.
Although already have a time in effect, these applications of lights are really utilitarian in the decoration of the external environment of house, there are a variety of designs and models, and all give an image brilliant and a very good first impression.
The columns of your house may also have a Christmas decoration; put details such as garlands in green and lights around.
Many have pots as those of the image; we can use them as part of the decoration, them lights around. It is advisable to use a single color of lighting, but also can make changes. Read the rest of this entry »

Each season we see new proposals to allow us to choose between a wide range of possibilities when it comes to decorate our spaces at home, and one of the most attentions is the wall.
To be an area of great size and that covers a large percentage in each of the rooms, is logical to think that its decor is going to be entirely relevant within the general decoration.
Some are more elegant and valued than others, but some are simply sensational if we are to have something of first as a coating of our walls, and that is the nacre.
Also called madreperla, the nacre is regarded as a stone of semiprecious type, with what we can have an idea of the quality of material that can provide to our surfaces and make highlight the decorations other homes.
Thanks to this material, the linings of nacre on the walls we offer an effect iridescent that gives you an image of special attention to be appreciated by all. Read the rest of this entry »