There’s someone in our office who has a bit of a ‘problem’ with books. They’re stacked three deep on the shelves, apparently. A mixture of old, treasured novels; thumbed and worn ones, will-read-later tomes and weighty reference books.
A life without clutter
Modern Meals on Wheels: recipe boxes in London
Long gone are the days where the TV dinner was the alternative to the home-cooked evening meal and - can we just say - thank heavens for that.
If we’ve switched to subscriptions, why do we still have so much stuff?
We’re in the midst of a sharing economy frenzy. From Air BNB to ZipCar to Boris Bikes Satander Cycles to BorrowMyDoggy, we seem very keen to use everyone else’s stuff, or at least cut down on the amount we actually own.
Packing for your holiday: space-saving travel innovations
It’s not unusual to want to take all our home comforts when we go away, whether that’s a holiday abroad, a festival or a business trip. And it’s pretty normal to find that a lot of these things end up being impractical to take or inconvenient to carry around. Luckily, in the travel world, necessity really does breed invention and there are some truly brilliant innovations out there. We’ve found some of the best space-saving travel gadgets – many of which hail from the UK – so you can take those unnecessary yet somehow indispensable items with you without pause for concern.
On your bike: the best of London cycling
So apparently there’s a formula for how many bicycles you need in your life. According to those wise folks over at velominati.com, the golden ratio is N + 1, where N equals the number of bikes you already own or, “S - 1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from you partner.”
On the record: vinyl storage for all collections
What is it about vinyl? It’s a curious thing when you think about it: the cassette and minidisc are all but defunct, CDs seem that way headed, but vinyl… vinyl appears to be the form that technology just can’t improve upon.
Making the most of a tiny, shared kitchen
We might all dream of having a huge family-sized kitchen with an island in the middle and enough space to host a really fantastic dinner party, but most of us living in London have to make do with something much smaller, and have to do so while sharing. As sharers ourselves, here are a few tips to really make the most of a tiny, shared kitchen.
Box it up! 20 subscription boxes to brighten your days
At Boxman we like to think that the best things come in boxes delivered to your door. Fast fading are the days of sending and receiving letters, so for many of us getting something through the letter box, other than something really dull like a bill or an insurance reminder, is a real treat. Enter the subscription box. They’re nothing new, of course (who remembers those book and CD subscriptions of the ’90s?) but just recently we’ve noticed such a phenomenal assortment of interesting and unique offerings, that we felt compelled to share them with you all.
How NOT to do Father’s Day: an alternative gift guide
It’s Father’s Day on June 19 and if this is proving particularly tricky this year, or if the father in question is particularly well stocked in socks, whisky or the Beatles back catalogue, your friendly team at Boxman have some good, not-actual present ideas for you.
In defence of stuff: family heirlooms and hand me downs
The recent fervour for the zero-waste lifestyle is infectious. There’s something rather liberating about doing away with stuff and, in cleansing our homes of extraneous possessions, perhaps clearing our souls of emotional baggage as well. While we’re very much in favour of a good spring clean and a tidy up, we’re also of the opinion that keeping things you love is a worthy aspiration as well. Sometimes it’s all about incorporating family hand-me-downs into the mix.
Make Do and Mend: making longevity fashionable again
In the past twelve months, I’ve gone through the knees of three pairs of jeans. I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away, so I stored them in what should probably now be referred to as ‘Denim Silo One’. One afternoon, feeling particularly miserly and not relishing the prospect of shopping for yet another pair, I broke out the needle and thread and mended them. Several months later, they’re still entirely serviceable and, dare I say it, even a little bit awesome.
Toy Storage! 8 ways to tidy it all away
Here’s a fun fact for you. In 2014 the toy industry in the UK was valued at three billion pounds. Yes, three billion. This might seem an enormous figure, but if you’ve ever stood staring vacantly at the contents of your child’s toy boxes trickling across the floor and down the stairwell, it might seem slightly easier to fathom. Where do they all come from? Eager to proffer some suggestions about how to deal with an ever-expanding toy cupboard, your friendly writers here at The Box Room have a few toy storage ideas for you.