Getting to your key fabric and selecting other fabrics to go along with your key fabric is an easy process. How about for my first supportive fabric (we will discuss supportive fabrics in a moment), do I prefer a solid or a pattern? Once you have selected a key fabric (main fabric) for the major upholstered piece in the room, continue on to select supporting fabrics that match your main fabric swatch. Finally, select accent fabrics for smaller soft home fashions such as additional throw pillows, table runners, and sofa or chair throws. Then choose supportive fabrics for chairs, ottomans, large European shams, and accent fabrics for smaller pillows and a bed throw. read more

THE  spectacular exploits of Qatarâs top rally driver Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah as well as that of Qatar Endurance Racing International Junior Team riders on the world stage, was the main highlight of 2008. Al-Attiyah completed a unique hat-trick of FIA Championship triumphs in a single calendar year with victories in the FIA Cup for Cross Country Bajas, FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies as well as the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. After his triumph in the FIA Cup for Cross Country Bajas, the 38-year-old al-Attiyah along with Swedish co-driver Tina Thorner clinched one of the most convincing victories in the history of cross-country rallying, winning the UAE Desert Challenge to seal the FIA World Cup title for their BMW X-Raid team in October. The Qatar Endurance Racing riders, Mishal al-Naimi, Rashid al-Mannai and Frenchman Anthony Delhalle also brought cheer for Qatar claiming the FIM Superstock World Cup in the six-round Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship. THE spectacular exploits of Qatarâs top rally driver Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah as well as that of Qatar Endurance Racing International Junior Team riders on the world stage, was the main highlight of 2008. read more

Househunters looking to secure a family home in rural Lincolnshire are being advised to visit the Yeomans Meadow development in Navenby as Persimmon Homes East Midlands has reported that there are just a handful of homes remaining. Among the remaining housetypes, Persimmon is offering one three bedroom design, two four bedroom properties and three five bedroom homes, with prices starting from £174,995 or with the company’s 85 per cent shared equity scheme, purchasers could pay as little as £148,746 for the three bedroom style. Yeomans Meadow is constructed around a series of cul de sacs making it an attractive and tranquil place to call home. Residents can be safe in the knowledge that there won’t be any noisy or dangerous through traffic to worry about, as Persimmon has created a strong sense of community and a safe environment for purchasers to live. Navenby is a beautiful village location and has a variety of local shops, pubs and restaurants to choose from, while the neighbouring city Lincoln is just eight miles away. For further information on the range of homes available at Yeoman’s Meadow, log on to Persimmonhomes. read more

I wanted to design an eclectic space that combined White House treasures with modernist Brno flat chairs designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1930, with off-the-shelf, clean-lined, chocolate-velvet Lombard sofas from Crate and Barrel. The current Lincoln Bedroom hides its most famous feature - the bed - behind layers of fussy fabric, busy prints and stodgy colour. Since the East Room can serve many functions - including, even, a past roller-skating space for Amy Carter - it has to be imbued with that sense of optimism while keeping a hold on heritage. I see the Obamas as a very American, nonformal-style family, happy to walk around their new home and welcoming people to walk there with them, somewhat mitigating the current formal nature of the Rose Garden. It would be an unforgettable experience to walk into this room that glowed with soft colours, provided an eclectic combination of classical architectural elements with some museum-quality pieces of art (and) accessories. read more

Burr Ridge Village Center has 17 units remaining and available for immediate move-in in its Luxury Condominium series. The development offers 194 condos in a town-center setting that includes more than 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Plans range from 1,491 to 4,033 square feet and include two to four bedrooms, two to 3 1/2 baths and a den (per plan). Select plans offer media rooms, guest suites with private baths and large terraces in addition to a private balcony with every residence. The secluded 11-acre site adjoins the western border of the Indian Woods Forest Preserve at the edge of the Edgebrook and Forest Glen neighborhoods. A 3,635-square-foot Arbor II design with four bedrooms, 31/2 baths and an attached two-car garage is priced at $600,000, reduced from $780,000. read more

Reflecting the preference of many modern families for openness and family spaces, the Stringer home easily flows from one space to the next and includes a spacious walk-out basement perfect for parties and children with energy to spare. A recent shuffle in the first-floor family room moved the TV to Ben and Kristi’s room, which has become more of the family space now, she says. Ben and Kristi’s room next to the kitchen includes a porch that is Ben’s favorite summertime spot. Also downstairs are Kristi’s office — she freelances — and a workout room that the couple intends to finish with rubber mats and mirrors on one side to monitor proper form. read more