It doesn’t take an awful lot of effort to choose a new vase or a couple of scatter cushions, does it? You just head to your favourite home interiors store or jump onto the internet and look for something that you like within your price range.
Accessories don’t usually cost an awful lot of money and we tend not to keep them for years and years, so the commitment (and therefore risk) is minimal. But when it comes to buying bigger, more expensive pieces that need to last, it’s a different story. With these you want to get it right. That’s why we’ve put together this buying guide for three of the most important purchases that you’re likely to make for your home.
The sofa
The first question to ask yourself when buying a sofa is, who will be using it? Functionality has to come before style. If you have a big shaggy dog or young kids, for example, it simply isn’t practical to get a sofa upholstered in expensive cream silk fabric. It will be ruined before you’ve had a chance to enjoy it for more than a week.
If your sofa is likely to get a lot of heavy use, you need to be thinking dark textured fabrics, perhaps with a pattern that will hide dirt and wear. Leather is actually a great choice with kids because it's wipe- clean, especially antiqued leather, which actually looks better with wear. But if you've got boisterous pets then steer clear as their claws will scratch the surface. Size is another big factor, if you'll excuse the pun. There's nothing worse than a sofa that is too large for the room – it makes everything feel cramped and crowded, which is not what you want in a space that should be welcoming and relaxing. Make sure to measure your room accurately before shopping, and buy accordingly.
It might be tempting to avoid the hassle of going out to the shops and buy your sofa online instead, but nothing beats actually testing a sofa out properly. Sit on it, lie on it, lounge on it, test out all the different ways you might use it and see how it feels. Is it deep enough to curl up in? Hard enough to support your back? Unless all of these practicalities work, it just doesn’t matter how good the piece looks.
The dining table
Many of the questions you'll be asking yourself about a sofa will be the same for a dining table. So, first, who is going to be using it? If you have a large family and need the table to act as place to eat, play boardgames, do homework and so on, you'll need something very different than someone who lives by themselves and tends to eat out with their friends.
If you need a large dining table, but don’t have the space, go for an extendable model or one with leaves that fold down. Also consider this option if you know you’re planning on moving to a bigger place in the future or starting a family. Remember, this isn’t a temporary purchase, it is one that will hopefully last you for many years.
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Read more:
Jysk now in Dubai: 10 pieces of furniture you will find at the 'Danish Ikea'
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Home decor: a look at the key design trends making their way in 2018
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The material that your dining table is made from will be a big consideration, too. Wood is popular and wears well. Softer woods can get knocked and scratched, so if your dining table will see a lot of action then go for a harder wood such as mahogany, walnut or oak instead.
Glass looks great and is ideal in a small or dark room because it lets light move around and so won’t “fill” the room in the same way as a solid material. But be warned, glass tables need more cleaning, so if you have sticky-fingered toddlers around it’s not a good option.
The bed
This is a vital purchase to get right, and not just because of expense. We spend almost a third of every day asleep, and slumber supports everything from our physical to mental health. But there are so many types of beds available that it can be very hard to choose. Divan and bedsteads are the most common, but there are also futons and sofa beds, bunk beds and oversized beds.
In terms of sleep quality, the most important part of your bed is the mattress. You probably already know whether your back prefers a hard or a soft mattress, but there are other factors to consider. Mattresses can be made of lots of things, such as foam or springs, with lots of variations of each. Don’t be afraid to ask the sales staff in the showroom about the options on offer, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Whatever you think sounds best, you’ll definitely need to try it out before you buy. You might feel silly, but lie in the position you would do at night rather than just on your back, and spend as long as you need to be certain you will be comfortable for seven to eight hours at a time.
When it comes to the size of your bed, the most important thing is that you fit comfortably in it. You don’t want to be waking up your spouse every time you roll over, or finding your feet sticking out the bottom. Make sure the length is at least six inches longer than your height. If you’re really pushed for space at home then a futon or sofa bed is ideal, as you’ll free up more room during the day when the bed is folded away.
There are a few extras that are worth thinking about, too. If storage is an issue in your home then a bed with drawers underneath will provide some vital extra space. If you like to sit up reading at night then you’ll need a comfy headboard. And a small but super-useful extra is mattress handles, which will help you when you turn the mattress, something you should be doing every three months or so.
By investing time and effort in making good choices about major purchases early on, you will ensure that you can enjoy them for years to come.
Fighter profiles
Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)
Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.
Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)
Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.
Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)
Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.
Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)
One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.
Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)
Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.
Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)
Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.
Naga
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
Indika
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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