All guides
20 guides
Plants & Balcony
Explainer Will a gust tip your balcony planter? Add the wind and see Why do balcony planters topple on a breezy day, long before a storm? A planter is a small seesaw: the wind pushes on the leaves high up… 5 min Textiles
Explainer Why does velvet change colour? Brush the pile and see Why does a velvet sofa look deep green by the window and pale sage across the room? The cloth hasn't changed: its short pile of tiny fibres… 4 min Bedroom
Explainer Why does the bedroom feel stuffy by morning? Open the window and see Bedrooms fill with the air we breathe out. This interactive models one night: set your room size, how many people sleep there, and whether… 5 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer Why do balcony pots dry out so fast? Turn up the sun and wind and see Your balcony pots dry out faster than the same plant on an indoor shelf, and it is not your watering. Sun and wind pull water out of the… 5 min Colour & Walls
Explainer Which wall should be the accent wall? Walk in and see An accent wall only works if it is the wall you actually look at. Pick the empty one and the colour becomes a bold patch you pass by… 4 min Textiles
Explainer Do thermal curtains really keep a room warmer? Close them and see A closed curtain can slow the heat escaping through a cold window, but the word thermal on the label matters less than you might think. How… 5 min 3 picks Plants & Balcony
Tool How tall should a balcony privacy screen be? Drag it and see Whether a neighbour can see you on the balcony comes down to one straight line from their eyes to yours. Wherever that line crosses the… 5 min Textiles
Explainer Do sheer curtains give privacy? Switch day and night and see A sheer curtain feels private in the afternoon and see-through once the lamps go on. The fabric hasn't changed: what matters is which side… 4 min Bedroom
Explainer How tall should a headboard be? Set your mattress and see The number on a headboard's product page is measured from the floor, but what you see and lean on is the part above the mattress. Many… 4 min Small Spaces
Explainer Does a mirror make a small room bigger? Move it and see A mirror will not give you an extra square metre, but it can give a small room a second view. The glass shows a copy of the room, and your… 4 min Colour & Walls
Tool How much paint does a room need? Size it up and see How much paint does a room really take? Put in your room's length, width and ceiling height, add the doors and windows, and see the painted… 5 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer How far from the window can a plant sit? Slide it and see A plant on a sunny sill and the same plant three steps back live in two different climates. Light drops quickly away from the glass, and… 5 min
Explainer Will a gust tip your balcony planter? Add the wind and see Why do balcony planters topple on a breezy day, long before a storm? A planter is a small seesaw: the wind pushes on the leaves high up… 5 min Textiles
Explainer Why does velvet change colour? Brush the pile and see Why does a velvet sofa look deep green by the window and pale sage across the room? The cloth hasn't changed: its short pile of tiny fibres… 4 min Bedroom
Explainer Why does the bedroom feel stuffy by morning? Open the window and see Bedrooms fill with the air we breathe out. This interactive models one night: set your room size, how many people sleep there, and whether… 5 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer Why do balcony pots dry out so fast? Turn up the sun and wind and see Your balcony pots dry out faster than the same plant on an indoor shelf, and it is not your watering. Sun and wind pull water out of the… 5 min Colour & Walls
Explainer Which wall should be the accent wall? Walk in and see An accent wall only works if it is the wall you actually look at. Pick the empty one and the colour becomes a bold patch you pass by… 4 min Textiles
Explainer Do thermal curtains really keep a room warmer? Close them and see A closed curtain can slow the heat escaping through a cold window, but the word thermal on the label matters less than you might think. How… 5 min 3 picks Plants & Balcony
Tool How tall should a balcony privacy screen be? Drag it and see Whether a neighbour can see you on the balcony comes down to one straight line from their eyes to yours. Wherever that line crosses the… 5 min Textiles
Explainer Do sheer curtains give privacy? Switch day and night and see A sheer curtain feels private in the afternoon and see-through once the lamps go on. The fabric hasn't changed: what matters is which side… 4 min Bedroom
Explainer How tall should a headboard be? Set your mattress and see The number on a headboard's product page is measured from the floor, but what you see and lean on is the part above the mattress. Many… 4 min Small Spaces
Explainer Does a mirror make a small room bigger? Move it and see A mirror will not give you an extra square metre, but it can give a small room a second view. The glass shows a copy of the room, and your… 4 min Colour & Walls
Tool How much paint does a room need? Size it up and see How much paint does a room really take? Put in your room's length, width and ceiling height, add the doors and windows, and see the painted… 5 min Plants & Balcony
Explainer How far from the window can a plant sit? Slide it and see A plant on a sunny sill and the same plant three steps back live in two different climates. Light drops quickly away from the glass, and… 5 min