QI am struggling to find
ultra-slim bedside tables.
Our bedroom is badly designed, in
that our king-size bed lies between
two doors – one into the passage,
the other into an en suite. Our
bedside tables need to be less than
30cm wide. Does anyone even
make anything so narrow?
Jenty, onlineSMALLbedrooms are
increasingly common, as architects
prioritise space for living over that
for sleeping, but furniture makers
don’t seem to have caught up.
I think you have two options.
You could buy or have made a
headboard wider than the bed,
with its own storage – take a look
at Tikamoon’s Urbain in teak,
£559, which comes with adjustable
shelves. If you’re after something
more traditional, where built-in
shelves won’t work, then you need
to look at the problem another
way. Sideways, in fact. The easiest
option is to buy a narrow end table
and run it parallel to the bed. Oka’s
Gustavian table has a second shelf.
It’s as if it was made for the job.Gustavianwooden sofaside table in
silver birch, £195, OkaQRecently I had some sisal
flooring installed and there
is a significant offcut measuring
5m by 2m. I would like to have this
bound or taped around the edges
to use as a rug, but can’t find anyone
who can do this. Suggestions?
Stephen, CheshireLEFTOVERmaterials can be
a sorrow or a joy – wonderful when
you know what to do with them
but a terrible waste when they end
up forgotten in the loft. So, in a bid
to save this sisal from a fate worse
than dust, I think you should
acquire some binding tape for a
spot of DIY. Ace Carpet Edging
sells a variety by the metre
online, in cotton, linen mix and
herringbone, from £7.99m, in
many colours and patterns, all of
which are relatively easy to attach
by hand. Alternatively, if you’d
rather outsource (and I can’t say
I blame you) – in your longer letter
you say you’ll travel 200 miles for
this, implying your keenness for
help – then Castle Carpets in
Wallasey on Merseyside comes
very highly recommended.214 chair in beechwood, £632, AramQWhen I was reading your
page in the June issue, I
noticed some lovely kitchen chairs
used by the stylist for the picture
featuring the Superfront
kitchen. Do you know where I
could buy this type of chair?
Valerie, onlineI WASdrawn to those chairs,
too – their decorative, distinctive
and slightly Art Deco style added
a homely dose of contrast to the
glossy white lacquer cupboard
fronts. The chairs themselves are
by Thonet and are the sadly
discontinued No 36, originally
made in the 1900s. A quick
search online reveals that they
are sometimes available on eBay
or Pamono – try setting alerts
and crossing your fingers and I
wish you good luck. Otherwise,
alternative Thonet chairs are
still in production, such as the
beautiful 214, sold in stores such
as Aram, £632. It doesn’t have
the same artful curls, admittedly,
but it was first made in 1859
and has become a classic piece
of furniture in its own right.&PHOTOGRAPHS
(HOUSE, PREVIOUS PAGE) POLLY ELTES; (INTERIOR) PAUL MASSEY
ILLUSTR ATION
RUTH PALMER
DESIGN