The evolution of furniture is inextricably linked with the evolution of man and it has grown in diversity just as much as people have.

 The history of furniture is a long one that has always been directly related to the evolution of mankind, its needs, desires and capabilities. Furniture has of course developed greatly through the ages as new ideas have been conceived and new techniques invented, and there have been a number of significant periods for furniture production which have led to the fantastic array that exists today.

 Furniture in the Neolithic Period

As soon as early man started to settle the need for furniture became apparent, for comfort and function. Archaeologists have uncovered numerous examples of Neolithic furniture, notably in Orkney in Scotland. A shortage of wood in the area at the time meant that a lot of furniture was crafted from stone, which was readily available and used to make everything from cupboards to dressers, beds, shelves, seats and more.

 Furniture in the Classical World

In the classical world furniture had become more sophisticated and for the wealthy it was extremely luxurious. Ancient Egyptian beds have been found from the 3^rd century BC; the earliest carpet to be found (frozen in a tomb in Siberia) has been dated to between the 3^rd and 6^th century BC, and tables and inlaid stands have been found in Turkey dating back to the 8^th century BC.

 Early Modern Europe

In the Middle Ages European furniture was heavy, solid stuff, decorated with intricate carving - oak was a popular material at the time. The renaissance of the 14^th and 15^th centuries meant a new world of design, with inspiration being taken from the Greco-Roman tradition. Aesthetic appeal was incredibly important in the furniture of early modern Europe and numerous styles that are still popular today were invented between the 14^th and 18^th centuries, such as Baroque, Palladianism, Louis Quinze and Rococo.

 Furniture in the 19^th Century

This century was one filled with revivals of furniture styles conceived in previous ages. Neoclassicism and gothic for example made a strong comeback in Victorian Britain and this in itself influenced everything from architecture to literature. Revivalism was now at the heart of furniture design as it still is today and the items on the market now owe a lot to the rich history of furniture throughout the ages.

 Legendary Furniture from Shah Furniture & Interiors

If you are on the market for fantastic furniture then look no further than Shah Furniture & Interiors. Here you will find an amazing array of timeless pieces to enhance your home. 

Fantastic Living Room Furniture

 If you are looking for superb furniture for your living room then Shah Furniture & Interiors can help. There are some brilliant items available today to meet different needs, different tastes and different budgets, such as the following:

 • Sofa – a lounge is not complete without a great sofa, which should be stylish and comfortable

• Armchair – to go with your stunning sofa you should choose a couple of awesome armchairs that are a joy to sit in

• Recliner – for a real piece of luxury you should invest in a recliner chair, so you can sit back and relax completely in your living room

• Coffee table – for resting drinks, snacks, magazines and ornaments, a quality coffee table is a real necessity

• Foot stool – a foot stool is a great final touch to your lounge furniture so you can really put your feet up.

For a fantastic living room peruse the stunning products from Shah and you could create a beautiful space in your home.

Designer Bedroom Furniture: A Good Night Brings a Good Day

A great night’s sleep is priceless; most of us don’t get it as often as we want to, and some of us don’t even remember what one feels like.  Here at Shah Furniture, we know that our designer furniture is about a lot more than aesthetics. Quality furniture can adjust our perception, our mood, our state of mind, and it can provide practical comfort too.

We know how important it is to find the most stylish, luxurious and comfortable furniture for your bedroom, so we only choose the top furniture designers. Here are some of the best bedroom furniture designers you can shop for on our website:

• Hulsta – this German brand are great believers in a peaceful slumber and they focus a lot of their designs on sleeping well. We have a wide range of Hulsta bedroom furniture and many of our customers find their sleek designs soothing for the mind.
• Tempur – sometimes , a beautiful designer bedroom just isn’t enough. If you want amazing comfort, choose a Tempur mattress.

Harrison – a cluttered room = a cluttered mind. If you want a tidy space to relax in at the end of each day, Harrison storage beds can provide you with an ergonomic solution to all of your bedroom clutter. 

There are many reasons to invest in designer furniture and well known brand names. Just like most things in life, you really do get what you pay for. Choosing solid wood over flat-pack catalogue furniture is a wise investment, giving you luxurious interiors – and for longer.

Some shoppers may think that designer names in furniture often deliver ‘style over substance’, but it’s quite the opposite. Designer furniture collections are made with the most stringent quality control, using the finest materials.

Choose a reputable name in furniture and you will have beautiful, comfortable and quality furniture that can serve you and your family for many years to come.

Top Designer Names in Furniture

Flat-pack and economy priced alternatives may seem like a money-saver at first. But quite often, they become redundant after a few short years due to breakages and general wear and tear. Not only that, but quality is truly transparent with furniture so if you want visual style and luxury, quality furniture is a much better option, with a long term gain.

Here are some of the great names in designer furniture:

• Hulsta – this German furniture designer has been around since 1940 and they have pioneered the best in furniture quality since they began decades ago. The brand has a very cosmopolitan outlook and they produce the most innovative furniture collections.
• Nolte Mobel – this specialist bedroom furniture designer is a based here in the UK. Pushing the boundaries of modern British living, the team at Nolte Mobel are creating the most slick and stylish beds and bedroom furniture for the modern home.
•  Ercol – commissioning the best design talent in Great Britain, Ercol focuses on creating unique and beautiful furniture for comfort, for function, and for beauty. This furniture manufacturer considers practicality with all collections, and this includes capacious storage for busy families, space for today’s electronics and flexibility for the changeable lifestyle.

The above are just a few of the greatest furniture designers of our time, and they will be able to give you inspiration and a wonderful starting point.  Other leading names include Pierson, Skovby, Venjakob, Gascoigne Designs, Duresta, Collins & Hayes, Steed Upholstery, Wade Upholstery and more.

Shop Online with Us Today

In this day and age of mass production, chances are that you will be struggling to stamp your own theme or look to your interior design and furniture. Visit the high street in your quest for furniture and it all looks the same. Watch television commercials and the same applies, more standard furniture that everyone has. Visit someone’s home and you can almost picture the furniture advert, the catalogue or the furniture showroom it came from.

 Furniture Individuality at a High Cost

 So how then can you find your individuality when it comes to furniture? One approach would be to find a bespoke furniture maker to beautifully hand craft furniture to your exacting requirements. Don’t have the inspiration then pick from the thousands of individuals who claim to be interior design gurus and leave it to their creativity.

 What About a Touch of Reality?

That is all somewhat ideal. We don’t all have magically replenishing bank accounts to pay for these experts so thousands of consumers are increasingly turning online to buy highly competitive furniture that sets them apart from the largely homogenised design of most homes.

 Buying Furniture Online

 So why are more and more people turning online when it comes to furniture? What can an online furniture website offer that other places can’t? The key benefit is the exclusivity. In contrast to the traditional high street furniture retailer, the online furniture retailer can work with many different designers and brands and need not be tied to exclusivity with one furniture brand over another.

 Pricing is naturally a key consideration and again online furniture stores triumph in this department. With significantly lower overheads, online furniture stores can often share their savings with their customer base.

 But what about delivery? Buy furniture from any high street furniture store or catalogue and there will be delivery charges so consumers should not be deterred by the concept of delivery. It’s not as if you can pop down to the shops and buy large furniture like a sofa, pack it into your car and drive merrily home. Furniture is perfectly married to online commerce and today’s online furniture stores have great relationships with couriers and delivery companies.

 But Furniture Online with Confidence

Buying Furniture The Easy Way

In this day and age of mass homogenisation and mass production, it is often hard to find individuality and stamp your own signature theme to the way you furnish your home.

 One option is to hire an interior designer to take your inspiration and convert it into their reality. This is not only expensive, but there is always a good chance that their interpretation of how you want your home and furniture to look, may be completely the opposite of what you envisaged.

 The next option is to drag yourself round endless furniture stores, picking and mixing different furniture items until you’ve not only run yourself ragged, but probably depleted most of your income.

 The informed option is to get online. Shopping for furniture online is getting easier by the day as furniture websites provide a huge wealth of furniture information, and the beauty of it all is that it’s all from the comfort of your home.

 Here at Shah Furniture & Interiors we work hard to make furniture shopping a pleasurable experience and as well as a showroom, we offer hugely discounted furniture online. Please call us on 01522 88 44 44 or start browsing through our furniture range.

Interior design has had a major influence in Great Britain over the years. With so many media channels feeding the nation with exciting ideas on what to do when it comes to decorating properties, the furniture industry has blossomed.

With e-commerce growing and growing every year, the accessibility of designer furniture has increased, and the most luxurious and opulent furniture collections are now tangible for anyone who has a passion for making their homes look beautiful.

Furniture Trends in Television

Not only has there been an influx of wonderful glossy publications to guide the country in its interior design ways, but there has been much television interest too. This has helped to boost the furniture market, with web retailers soaking up this opportunity.

Interior designers and property enthusiasts such as Kirstie Allsopp, Phil Spencer, George Clark, Sarah Beeny and Kevin McCloud have all made it as household names to the British public through the popularity of home renovation programmes.

Magazines and television programmes have made the world of interior design so much more important to us, and today’s trends in furniture are more apparent than ever.

The Latest Furniture Trends for the Home

There are a wide range of properties and styles in the UK, and this means that the styles in furniture stretch far and wide. Trends for 2010 / 2011 are:

• Country chic – this furniture look has been around for a while now, and its return could be permanent. The country chic look is ideal for various properties and has a wonderful feminine quality to it.
• Ultra modern – this is all about sharp lines, geometric shapes and super contemporary designs. This furniture trend is not only extremely slick and stunning, but it can often do wonders for ergonomics. The efficiently crafted furniture has a ‘no-frills’ approach and saves you floor space too.
• Dark woods – the country has gone wild for solid wooden furniture. The look, touch and ambience of solid woods is utterly timeless.

Shop Online for Beautiful Designer

What Does Your Furniture Say About You?

You’ve had your eye on our fashionably chic Alexandria Wardrobe by Frank Hudson, and you’ve fallen head over heels in love with our grand Rosjohn Woburn bookcases. But what do your furniture choices really say about you?

The furniture we choose for our homes can really define who we are.  Property interiors bring out our personalities in the best of ways, and show our guests exactly how much effort we’ve put into our houses. This is showing off, without having to utter word - a silent flying of the kite - the British way...

Here are some great themes you can choose for your home depending on your personality:

• Chic and fashionable – fashion runs through our veins and female guests will love the little touches. Chic and quirky pieces are ideal for achieving that country cottage look, and this furniture trend has recently returned.
• Elegant and feminine – elegant furniture can show our softer side, and can often look very grand yet understated at the same time.
• Young and contemporary – there’s no better way of showing that you’re a smart city slicker than choosing modern furniture and sharp lines. That ultra-modern, ergonomic look in bedroom furniture such as wardrobes or living room storage is extremely sexy and stylish.  

If you want home interiors that define you, shop online today.