The term “magis” means in Latin “for the greater glory of” and designer label Magis is all about designing products that worship every room of the house, using the latest functional and sleek storage solutions.

Since its founding in 1976 by then unknown Eugenio Perazza, Magis has embraced the creativity of an international design team that includes names such as Richard Sapper, Jasper Morrison, Stefano Giovannoni, Marc Newson, Konstantin Grcic and Achille Castiglioni.

The company elegantly combines simple design with sophisticated style, with a very heterogeneous range of products that covers every room of the house.  The company in fact promotes a return to simplicity, using modern innovative technology, taking three or four years to turn a single complex project into a deeply creative and clever technical success.

Some of Magis’ most recent works include the “Fuoritema” creations, which include new and previously untouched themes, such as products for pets.  Magis’ Me Too Collection, launched in 2004, includes children’s designer furniture, involving nine designers for more than 20 objects.

One product in this line, Chair First, a chair made by air moulding, was awarded the well deserved and prestigious Compasso d’Oro.  Other notable contributions include Stefano Giovannoni’s Bombo Stool, a huge international hit, and the Magis “Bottle” wine rack project, which won a number of design prizes.  Bottle has also been a part of many museum contemporary collections in both New York and London.

Sofa beds are extremely popular, and fit in well with modern tastes. The traditional big bed dominating the room is becoming for many people a thing of the past, associated with conventional thinking and lack of imagination. The sofa bed says something about your flexible and non-conformist outlook, your adaptability and adventurous spirit.

In the fairly recent past, sofa beds were essentially metal beds with some inept padding that would supposedly convert them into sumptuous sofas in the twinkling of an eye. In practice, they were ungainly and unwieldy mechanisms that were more likely to chop your fingers off as you attempted to fold them away or extend the frame.

Nowadays, that has all changed. Ease of use and comfort in their dual functions as beds and sofas have driven the technology, as sofa beds have seen a surge of interest from consumers.

Where once the heart would sink at the prospect of spending a sleepless night on a friend’s sofa bed, now the specially designed mattresses incorporating advanced foam technologies make for beds that are often more comfortable than their traditional counterparts.

By day, these state-of-the-art sofa beds, or bed sofas, convert into equally comfortable and stylish seating, gracing any lounge area or indeed bedroom. With a range of fabrics available, contemporary features, durability and support, sofa beds these days are a far cry from the instruments of torture we used to shiver at.

Sofa beds provide comfort round the clock, and can transform a small bedroom into a spacious, multi-functional area.

There are three basic types of bathroom furniture and the first thing to do when choosing what you need is to decide which of the types you prefer, modular, stand alone, or built in units.

Stand alone bathroom furniture does not have to be fixed in place and you can move it where and when you like. Vanity units can often be bought as cabinets that you can just slide into place without the need for fixings.

Modular units are similar to stand alone pieces but they have smooth sides and edges so that you can fix them together without leaving a gap in between. This gives a neater finish and avoids problems with cleaning those narrow gaps between the sections.

Built-in furniture is carefully designed to fit a particular space and is fixed to the wall so that it does not move. The lines are smoother and the whole thing is easier to maintain because there are no gaps. This is the most practical solution to fitting bathroom furniture but it will make a small bathroom feel even smaller.

Wooden bathroom furniture should be treated so that it is water resistant, and if the fittings are made of chipboard or MDF they must be properly sealed, including along the edges because once this type of board gets damp it will disintegrate and there is no way to reverse this.  It is not generally recommended to fit MDF or chipboard units into a bathroom if the edges need to be cut because no matter how well you seal the raw edges, the steam will eventually penetrate if you do not maintain the finish regularly.

There are several methods you can employ to improve your household furniture, both indoor and outdoor. To clean patio furniture, all you need is a plastic scrubber or steel wool and simple household detergent. Simply wash the items using a gentle scrubbing motion and remember to dry off the furniture when you’ve finished. To clean white plastic tables and chairs, use warm water and detergent as well as a sponge with a slightly abrasive scrubber on the back.

If you want to improve the look of your indoor wooden furniture, you can use a simple whitewashing technique, which brightens the wood without masking the natural grain. Of course, whitewashing methods differ depending on the type of wood, but for pine it is eminently suitable to use a water-based stain that dries quickly without producing too many fumes.

Regarding furniture restoration, there are some simple methods that will allow you to brighten the look of your furniture, removing water stains, cat-scratch marks, and knocks. To improve water marks and scratches, you can wipe on mayonnaise. The oil will help lift the stain and restore its former look. Lemon oil is equally as good, but if neither helps, you can refinish the wood if possible. Wooden furniture that has been nicked and knocked may require you to cut a piece of veneer and attach it, using quality wood glue.

Finally, if you decide to rejuvenate your furniture through simply painting it, make sure to clean and prime the surface properly first. A fresh coat of paint will allow any furniture, no matter how old, to be restored to its former glory.