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Most of us will dim the lights
for a cosy evening and lean
towards brighter lamps when
reading, but that’s about as far as
adjusting the lights dependent
on activity goes. But the right
type of light matters hugely
to both our wellbeing and
task performance. ‘Experts
advise minimising blue light
exposure closer to bedtime,’
says Dr Karen Dawe, senior
research engineer at Dyson.
‘As it suppresses melatonin, a
hormone produced by the body
to promote sleep.’ Getting older
must also be factored in. ‘As
you age, the lenses in your eyes
get more opaque, so more light
is recommended for activities
like reading,’ says Karen. The
Dyson Lightcycle (around
£449.99) ma kes it possible to
have just one light for every task- it is designed to continually
adjust its colour temperature
and brightness in relation to
daylight, and can be adjusted
t o t a ke i n you r a g e a n d a c t i v it y.
Newly enhanced easy-clean
and stain-resistant fabrics
are the secret to keeping your
upholstery in tip-top condition.
Whether you’ve got little ones
precariously balancing orange
juice on the arm of your sofa,
or you’re partial to a robust red
on movie night, the worry of
a spill on your favourite chair
c a n r u i n w h a t s h o u l d b e f u n a n d
relaxed times. The difference
between easy clean and stain
resistant? Houdini velvet
easy-clean fabrics (from £28m,
Andrew Martin) ‘are woven
with pre-treated yarns that are
impregnated with stain-proof
technolog y, so spills can be easily
wiped and scrubbed out with
mild soft detergents, ’ explains
David Harris, design director
at Andrew Martin. ‘Whereas
stain-resistant fabrics are
treated after the weaving
process with an invisible,
protective coating. This allows
for small spills to be simply
dabbed with a paper towel.’If you don’t have space for a
designated home cinema (we
don’t), get a slice of the cinematic
experience by integrating
a projector into your living
area. ‘ When setting up your
projector, try tokeep it at a
right angle to the wall to reduce
rainbow effects caused by DLP
technology, and ensure the
room is as dark as possible for
a fully immersive experience,’
says Hannah Campbell,
electronics store manager at
Amazon UK. ‘If you don’t want
the projector to dominate your
space, choose aretractable
screen – either manual or
electrical – or simply project
onto a plain white wall. If space
is rea lly tig ht, consider buy ing
an ultra-short throw projector,
which works from just 30cm
away.’ And pick a projector
with high-quality spea kers to
prevent the need for a separate
sound system. We like the BenQ
W1720 True 4K projector,
(around £1,098.99, Amazon).i
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