Habitat for sale?

It has been announced this week that furniture store Habitat may be put up for sale. The company’s chief executive Mark Saunders admitted that the retailer has begun a review which may lead to the sale of the company. Habitat has 38 stores across the UK and makes no secret of their intention to pursue opening more in the coming months. The company has quietly established their presence in mainland Europe with 24 Habitat store operating in France with more scattered across Germany and Spain. The company’s accounts have shown that Habitat has made significant losses in the UK and advisors Lazard & Co have been drafted in to assess whether the time has come for the owners to sell Habitat.

Founded in the 1960’s, Habitat has been renowned for introducing high fashion to the high street. The epitome of up-market yet accessible home furniture and home accessories, Habitat has become another victim of the recession. Habitat has suffered because householders have flocked to cheaper stores such as Ikea in an attempt to escape the financial squeeze. Ironically, both Ikea and Habitat are owned by the family of the billionaire founder of the Ikea chain.

Where Ikea has succeeded in difficult economic times, Habitat has floundered, appearing indulgent and unnecessary in an age that is starting to value thrift and austerity. Although no decisions have yet been made about details regarding the potential sale of Habitat, the company have pledged to persevere in a tough economic market for the time being at least.

Great News for UK & Ireland Customers!

We’ve been having a great year so far, especially with our Gleneagle Furniture ranges and so we thought we’d pass some of that fortune onto our customers in the UK and Ireland and offer free delivery on all Gleneagle furniture products. This covers the complete Gleneagle Furniturerange we offer such as our great collections of Gleneagle bedroom furniture such as our Snowdon range and our amazing Hi Gloss Furniture ranges and to make things more enticing we have a new Gleneagle furniture range coming soon "Montrose", so keep an eye out for that!

And don’t forget if you are in the mainland UK we deliver all of our furniture items for free, that includes Gleneagle, Trafalgar Rustic Oak, Limelight Beds or any of our top quality home furniture items. All of our deliveries are accompanied by a 2 man team to ensure heavy lifting isn’t an issue you have to worry about.

Furniture Store 247 - doing our best to make your life easier.

Furniture Store 247 - Now on Skype!

Great news for our customers at Furniture Store 247; we are now available to contact on Skype!

What is Skype? It is an internet voice calling service that uses your PC and broadband connection to make free video and voice calls to other Skype users. You can also use it to call normal landlines or mobiles and people can call you from a landline as well. Millions of people utilise Skype especially for its free Skype to Skype calls.

Now what’s the benefit of Furniture Store 247 using Skype? Well it means you can contact one of our sales team without it costing a penny if you use Skype as well. We can also support you with live chat for enquiries or information about products that we stock.

Want to know a bit more about a particular bedroom furniture set? What upcoming ranges we are planning on stocking from manufacturers such as Gleneagle Furniture or Limelight Beds? Have a trade enquiry? Well try us on Skype and we will try our best to help.

Our Skype ID is -

furniturestore247

So give our Skype hotline a try and let us see if we can help you.

More Hi-Gloss Bedroom Furniture? Sure Thing!

You may remember our article on the hi-gloss range of bedroom furniture from Gleneagle. It talked about the Carlton and Clarion bedroom ranges. Both of these were similar designed sets yet had a differing hi-gloss finish (white and black respectively) but had the same walnut wood finish otherwise. Well since then these have become huge sellers for us at Furniture Store 247, and along with a high demand for these, customers have asked if we plan on adding more variations of the hi-gloss style.

Our response was “of course we are!” and we have.

Our first hi-gloss range we are going to mention is the Shelbourne range. This gorgeous hi-gloss bedroom furniture collection keeps the same styling as the Clarion and Carlton ranges, meaning it keeps the same stylish retro look but take a different slant on it. The different slant in question here is the fact the hi-gloss is in a gentle cream colour and the wood finish is lighter as this time it is in oak. This means it provides a more spacious an lighter look to your bedroom compared to the darker walnut used in the Carlton and Clarion ranges and means it blends in as opposed to stands out.

Then we have the Savoy range, as before it keeps the same design as all of the other hi-gloss bedroom furniture ranges from Gleneagle, but it goes for a clean, crisp minimalist style. In a pure white hi-gloss finish, there are not wood effects this time round; the entire piece of furniture is in a hi-gloss white, with the only accent being the chrome finish handles. There is little about the Savoy range that says subtle, but then again this hi-gloss retro style isn’t about subtle it’s about being seen and looking cool and judging by our sales, you agree wholeheartedly.

Both the Savoy and Shelbourne ranges offer a complete bedroom solution with drawer chests, wardrobes, dressing table sand more available from both ranges. You can see Furniture Store 247’s full range of Gleneagle bedroom furniture along with the hi-gloss ranges by clicking here.

Furniture Store on Channel 4 - The Home Show

Just a quick reminder to all our customers that the furniture supplied by us here at Furniture Store 247 to Channel 4 for The Home Show will be featured on tonight’s (Thursday 4th June) episode based at Biggin Hill.

We are pretty excited to see how things will turn out, especially as this show has been a huge success and the projects we’ve seen so far on previous episodes have been amazing.

As big fans Furniture Store 247 we happy to donate some of our furniture to the show, and delighted they chose to use our York occasional chair in their design plans. It may seem like a small thing, only one piece of living room furniture, and sure we’d have loved them to use some of our stylish bedroom furniture or dining furniture, but we aren’t the designers, they are. We’re just stoked they used us and hope it shows to the public how good our furniture is.

The Home Show can be seen on Channel 4 at 8pm on Thursdays – don’t miss it!

What Makes a Bed Comfy?

When you think about it we spend more time in bed than almost any other single place. Most of us aim for 6-8 hours of sleep a night and we want that to be as restful and comfortable as possible, but this isn’t always the case and many of us will fall short of our required sleep quota either by not sleeping for as long as we need, or having our rest broken up by intermittent waking moments.

So what to do about this? Well restless sleep comes from several factors such as stress, illness, medical conditions and simply being uncomfortable. This is where the right sleeping conditions can come in to play, which means making yourself as comfy as possible at night.

Now the right bed, or pillows, duvets or mattress wont cure you of an illness, solve medical conditions (with maybe some exceptions which I’ll explain later) or alleviate you of stress, but it can help. If you fall into the “uncomfortable” category then getting these things right can make all the difference.

Now before I carry on with what kinds of things make a bed more comfortable, let me just go back to my paragraph above. The right bed or mattress won’t solve a medical condition – of course it won’t – but it can help. How? Well it depends on the condition.

Orthopaedic mattresses can make a big difference in people who suffer with back pains or other joint ailments.

Divan beds are much better for people who have trouble getting in and out of bed due to the height of a divan, especially with a wider support mattress on top.

Adjustable beds can be made to contour to your body and help you sit up in bed as well.

Hypoallergenic mattresses as well as natural latex mattresses can alleviate allergy problems.

As for illness or stress, well a really comfy bed or mattress can make the difference between a restless night and a much more bearable night.

Now getting back on track, what makes a bed more comfy, and what gives that perfect nights sleep? Well first let’s look at what gives a poor nights sleep as a rule.

A poor mattress

An old or cheap mattress can lead to a very poor nights sleep. Mattresses do not last forever, that is a fact, though newer mattresses with higher quality will tend to have a much longer lease on life.

Many people forget to turn their mattress when needed (many new mattresses do not need turning, though it will always inform you if it does and how often) which leads to them wearing unevenly and this in turn can lead to the mattress sagging, or springs breaking or pushing through.

Cheaper mattresses will tend to feel just that – cheap. This means they will feel flimsy, you will notice bumps and springs more, and the materials will be less than desirable.

Finding the right mattress mean knowing what is right for you, but the choices out there are pretty varied meaning there will normally be one kind for you. The most popular kinds of mattress are normally;

Memory foam mattresses that adjust to your body shape when you sleep but return to normal when you leave the bed.

Pocket sprung mattresses which are the most commonly found mattresses and are great for supporting the spine. They can feel a little hard to some people, though this is the point.

Orthopaedic Mattresses are normally deeper than standard mattresses and designed to go on higher framed beds such as divans, this means when a person had to get in and out of bed, they can use a heightened seated position making standing much simpler.

Pillow top mattresses are the top end of the mattress spectrum comprising of a soft pillow like layer on top and then the mattress itself underneath. The top layer is normally soft foam with the bottom being made up of varying layers of foam in differing firmness for comfort.

There are many other kinds such as coil spring mattresses, organic and natural latex mattresses and you can even get vacuum packed mattresses but these are the most common and popular kinds and each can give a differing feel to your bed.

The right bed

Your bed (bedstead or bed frame) can be equally as important as any mattress. The most important thing is do not let appearance be your only reasoning for purchasing a bed. Sure it may look great, but it’s how it feels that is important.

Divans beds are the best choice for people with conditions such as arthritis or any ailments that make getting up and sitting down difficult. As they are naturally taller than a normal bedstead and usually will come with a support mattress or orthopaedic mattress this makes life so much easier from a mobility perspective.

Sprung slatted bases are the best way to go if you are choosing any other kind of bed frame, be it a metal bedstead, wooden or even a leather bed. The benefits are that the spring and resistance provide more comfort.

Some beds provide just solid slats which screw into the bed frame, or solid metal slats or framework for the mattress to lie on. Though theses are fine they can often feel stiff and over time can feel quite hard and have little give in them.

Adjustable beds can be the ultimate in comfort, but are also great for people who have trouble getting in or out of bed, or sitting up in bed. Of course electric adjustable beds aren’t cheap, but for the amount of time you spend in your bed, it is worth the price.

Bedding for comfort

Pillows are one of the main problems when it comes to bedding. People often use pillows that are either too fluffy and strain the neck, or pillows which have gone flat and provide no real support. Replacing them once or twice a year is beneficial to make sure they don’t lose any support, and consider trying different types of pillow from support pillows, to firm, soft and medium resistances and find what feels natural to your.

Duvets should be what makes you feel warm and secure. Changing your duvet in summer or winter for a differing tog size should help a lot as well.

At the end of the day it comes down to what you feel most comfortable in, but a good bed with good support along with a mattress suited to your needs and some cosy bedding will make all the difference.

For a great range of quality beds, bed frames and divans for top brands such as limelight beds or vogue beds as well as a huge range of mattresses, check out Furniture Store 247, one of the leading providers of bedroom furniture.

Furniture Packs and Buy to Let Furniture

With the credit crunch affecting the economy worldwide it’s hard to think that people are still buying houses. Sure the prices are low, but it seems such a crazy time to be doing it unless you have the funds to buy home outright, or secure the expensive mortgages available. However it is exactly that point that has made buying to let such a lucrative prospect at the moment.

How? Well as people cannot afford to buy, then the only option is to rent – thus those who can buy can pick up a bargain and make a tidy sum letting homes. The thing is to not out-price yourself and make sure you can attract tenants and keep them happy; after all an empty house no one will rent from you is just a bottomless money pit.

So how do you achieve this?

Well first impressions count and thus make sure the place looks good, that means good décor and in a good condition. But more importantly take into account that the credit crunch is in effect. What does this mean? It means people are looking to save money where they can, and that means not having to furnish a house they are renting. The piece of mind knowing that you can just move in and the rest is pretty much done is a big comforting factor to many people.

Of course furnishing a house is quite a daunting thought, especially when you know it’s not you that will be living there, but you can take comfort in the fact that most people will be willing to pay more for a house they can simple move into with all the work done. It also means when old tenants leave and new ones arrive it is a much less drawn out scenario with no beds, sofas and other large items of furniture to be remove (this also saves on accidental damage during a removal).

The good thing is that buy to let is such a big business these days that there are many places that specialise in buy to let furniture, or furniture packs.


The premise of furniture packs (or furniture packages as they are often known) it to provide a complete solution to a room in a home, or to provide the basics for a few rooms (these are often known as starter packs.

A few examples could be a full bedroom furniture set comprising of bed, wardrobe, bedside tables and a chest of drawers, or something along the lines of just a few bedroom furniture pieces, allowing the bed to be provided by the tenant.

Dining furniture would normally include a table and chair set, though some also have sideboards.

Starter packs are normally a more budget version of room specific sets (such as dining furniture or bedroom furniture) or a combination such as a dining table and chairs, a bed and maybe a sofa.

Most furniture packs come in a variety of styles and materials to help you make your home more appealing to prospective tenants. The cost is normally a considerable saving than buying the items separately, and of course they are all delivered at the same time, and from the same place, making life easier if you have any problems or need replacement or extra items.

So furniture packs can be a great money saver and money maker in for those looking for a buy to let investment.

Oakleigh Furniture Vs Trafalgar Rustic Oak Furniture

Furniture Store 247 has a couple of good recommendations if you are looking for some traditional styled furniture for your home.

First up we have the new best selling rustic oak furniture range by Trafalgar Furniture. I’ve talked about this before but I’m going to mention what the positives and negatives of this range over our other best selling traditional furniture range from Oakleigh Furniture.

Well both of these sets have a full range of occasional furniture. What’s occasional furniture? Occasional furniture is these pieces of furniture that can really go anywhere such as end tables, or lamp tables, display cabinets and bookcases, console tables and sideboards. Any of these will add a classic touch to a living room, hallway, bedroom or dining room.

Other occasional furniture in both the Oakleigh range and the Trafalgar rustic oak range includes coffee tables, TV units and cabinets and hi-fi units, but these are more aimed at just the living room or lounge (though they can accent a bedroom furniture set very nicely).

Both of these quality furniture ranges have dining tables, extendable dining tables and matching dining chairs. Both also have a variety of sideboards in large and small sizes, but the Trafalgar rustic oak range has a little more versatility in its range of console tables (one of which even integrates a wine rack).

When it comes to the bedroom, both Oakleigh and Trafalgar furniture have most of the bases covered but shine in areas where the other lacks to a degree. Both sets have beds that match, but where Trafalgar only has a double bed and a king size bed, Oakleigh have s single bed too. Both have various wardrobes, tall boys and drawer chests, Trafalgar provide 2 differing types of dressing tables/desks with a matching stool, which Oakleigh does not.

So both these furniture ranges offer traditional styling that can be used throughout the home; Oakleigh being finished in solid ash, whereas Trafalgar have the rustic oak finish. Both offer a few minor extra pieces of furniture to the other as mentioned above, though nothing really deal-breaking. Finally the Oakleigh range is perhaps a little less expensive than the rustic Oak range from Trafalgar.

However in summary the positives and negatives are so minimal, you can be sure either of these ranges will provide you with quality furniture that can benefit your home. So at the end of the day it’s just comes down to personal tastes, inevitably the choice is yours.

The Limelight Bed Range - Sleep in Luxury & Style

Limelight is one of the top bed manufacturers in the UK, and hardly surprising with the number of years they have had doing this. Add to that they are part of the Vogue Beds group, who have 20 years of experience and you can see they definitely have a pedigree.

Limelight beds are very stylish, offering a contemporary feel in their leather beds, a more rustic feel in their wooden beds and a mixture or traditional and modern in their metal bed range; limelight also have a range of quality sofa beds too.

Many of Limelight’s beds are available in several sizes from single bed and double beds through to super king size. This is because Lime Light wants you to have choice, and there is nothing worse than seeing a bed you love, and finding you can't get it in the size you need.

so what is available from Limelight? Well here is a run down of some of the quality beds in their ranges.

• The Cordelia is a sleigh style frame with slatted base all in luxurious American Oak.

• The Dione is an elegant low foot end bed frame made from American Oak with a slatted base to give additional support.

• The Alpha bunk beds come in a honeycomb pine finish; these slatted bunk beds can be separated into 2 comfy single beds.

• The Janus is a stylish bedstead with a gently curved headboard in a natural finish made from smooth rubber wood.

• The Oberon is a metal and wood bed with a silver frame incorporating pine finish wood bars on the head and foot end; it also has a rod slatted base with central support and central legs for more stability.

• The Ion is a very stylish and modern metal bed with an awesome chrome finish and minimalist looks.

• The Charon is a classic styles metal frame bed which is available in a gloss black or gloss white finish with brass effect finials and a sprung slatted based for comfort.

• The Orbit Deluxe is a classic styled leather sleigh bed. The orbit has a real leather upholstered headboard, footboard and surround in a dark chocolate brown finish.

• The Pulsar is a more contemporary looking bed and comes in a beautiful dark brown faux leather finish

• The Mira is a modern styled bed with a sleigh headboard and storage drawers; it comes in a dark brown faux leather finish

• The Phoenix is a stylish and modern sofa that converts to a bed through a single slide mechanism. The Phoenix sofa bed has deep comfortable mattressing and easy to remove covers, which can be purchased separately in beige, black, blue and brown.

This is far from and exhaustive list of the limelight bed range, but is a taster of how many different designs are available and if you want to be sure of comfort, why not pick up a vogue mattress as well?

The entire limelight range is available at Furniture Store 247 along with many quality Vogue mattresses.

The Benefits of Using an Online Furniture Store

In recent years we have seen an increase of people using the internet to shop online. Shopping online is beneficial in many different ways. It is particularly beneficial when shopping online for home furniture.

When shopping for, say a new dining table, an online furniture store is useful because it is less stressful as you can consider your purchase over a few days rather than have to make a quick decision.

In the present financial conditions fuel costs a fortune, every shopping trip costs almost as much in fuel. If you shop at an online furniture store you can save paying the fuel yourself and get the item delivered. This is good when you are buying home furniture online because in a traditional shop you have to work out how to get your new kitchen home and delivery fees can almost double the price of it.

Online shopping can be done in the comfort of your own home so when it is cold outside you can sit next to a nice warm fire, drink your tea and peruse through online furniture stores. Shopping online is often quicker and there is usually more choice as you tend to be shopping from warehouses. Often you can shop around for the cheapest deal, by comparing prices of the same product at different online stores.

Another advantage of online shopping is the lack of sales people. If you shopped, for example, at an online furniture store you would avoid having sales people approaching you to discuss your needs.

So if you are worried about money, why not think about shopping online? It could save you a lot of time and money.