Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Customer Benefits : March 2012
Magazine discounts from iSubscribe
Receive 8% off already reduced prices on subscriptions from iSubscribe. Choose from over 2,300 magazines and newspapers including Better Homes & Gardens, Men’s Health, National Geographic and Marie Claire. Read more
Save on package hotel deals
Best Western is currently offering great deals for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 night stays^ at selected hotels across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Homeloans customers also enjoy a standard 10% discount on all Best Western accommodation. Read more
$2,856 saved per new car purchase
Member Advantage helped members save on average $2,856 on new car purchases using the Private Fleet car buying service in February 2012. Save up to 20% on your next purchase, available for most makes and models. Request a quote
Receive 8% off already reduced prices on subscriptions from iSubscribe. Choose from over 2,300 magazines and newspapers including Better Homes & Gardens, Men’s Health, National Geographic and Marie Claire. Read more
Save on package hotel deals
Best Western is currently offering great deals for 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 night stays^ at selected hotels across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Homeloans customers also enjoy a standard 10% discount on all Best Western accommodation. Read more
$2,856 saved per new car purchase
Member Advantage helped members save on average $2,856 on new car purchases using the Private Fleet car buying service in February 2012. Save up to 20% on your next purchase, available for most makes and models. Request a quote
Lounging Around
By Belinda Hill
What are the hottest and most trendy hues and styles in lounges and sofas today? We give you some tips to help make your most lived in room a lounge-around sanctuary.
The lounge room – also known as the living room or drawing room – is where you entertain guests and relax at the end of a tiring day. So when decorating a lounge room, it’s important to keep in mind that it should be inviting, comfortable and welcoming all at the same time, thus creating a lasting impression in the minds of all who lounge there. Enter the humble (well not so humble these days) sofa.
Gone
are the lumpy sofas of yesteryear and seat cushions which looked great
but went flat when you sat on them, and in their place are versatile,
vibrant and super comfortable sofas and lounges in all shapes and sizes.
And luckily in 2012, decorating with personality, originality, natural
tones and longevity is a trend we can all enjoy.
Andrew Moricz, Head of Furniture - Freedom says: “It might be cold outside, but the new winter 2012 collection of lounges and sofas is set to warm up your home. This winter our sofas are all about classic modernism punctuated with statement pieces. Beautiful lines, enduring comfort and outstanding value.”
And in Andrew’s words, the new range of sofas “dial up classic Danish design in buttery leather and rich fabrics to offer the best seat in the house.”
“Put your feet up in style, from home-starter studio-sized sofas through to sprawling family modulars,” he says.
Buying a new lounge can be quite daunting, especially since there are so many options available to choose from. Some trends and styles to consider:
Earthy neutral territory
This style never goes out of fashion and is always evolving. Natural fabrics, especially in linen lounges and armchairs, the ubiquitous striped sofa or ottoman and the white and beige palette are always in the picture. Lounges are large - almost oversized - and deeply comfortable, as well as often being feather-filled and covered in cushions in many shades of white.
Feast of Euro chic elegance
Sectional, or modular, sofas may have been originally invented for apartment living since they can be taken apart and reassembled very easily, but the models on display in today's designer showrooms have taken the idea to a new level. Packaged in ultra-cool styles that reflect a European sensibility, these are sofas of distinction, which will accommodate a family or group and therefore suit living spaces that give plenty of room to showcase their features.
Colour up in bright and bold
Brightly coloured lounges are big news this year, but while the hues are strong, they are not pure – think burnt orange as opposed to a tangy citrus. Choose a sofa or armchair covered in these smouldering shades to get the look. This fashion-forward palette combines mustards, teal blues, khaki limes and dusty crimsons.
The chaise attachment for the L-shaped sofa is still popular, but there's also a move to buy less conventional additions to the lounge room in the shape of large ottomans, low-slung pouffes and beanbag-type seating inspired by 1970s designs. New stain-resistant fabrics are making their way into living rooms, too, making it easier for families to justify a big spend on a designer sofa when there are young children to consider.
La vie en rose
Romance in home decor needn't be saved for the bedroom. A living room that includes French-inspired furniture, rich textures, antique heirlooms and glamorous accessories will add a playful sophistication to the most popular room in the house. Wing chairs are right on trend in this style of decor and although they may look quite formal, they are actually very comfortable.
Urban Mix
Leather lounges are all the go in this decor style, especially well-worn vintage ones, or at least those that replicate an aged patina. Combine dark and moody colours with something bright and glimmering, such as a spotlight, or splash a graphic mural across a feature wall to add depth and drama.
Mid-century modern
Lounges and armchairs are a key feature of this style, upholstered in bright block colours of coral, lime, mustard and plum, as well as graphic floral prints. The prevalence of rosewood and teak in a living room complements the sunny-coloured upholstery of seating.
Read more!
What are the hottest and most trendy hues and styles in lounges and sofas today? We give you some tips to help make your most lived in room a lounge-around sanctuary.
The lounge room – also known as the living room or drawing room – is where you entertain guests and relax at the end of a tiring day. So when decorating a lounge room, it’s important to keep in mind that it should be inviting, comfortable and welcoming all at the same time, thus creating a lasting impression in the minds of all who lounge there. Enter the humble (well not so humble these days) sofa.
Gone
are the lumpy sofas of yesteryear and seat cushions which looked great
but went flat when you sat on them, and in their place are versatile,
vibrant and super comfortable sofas and lounges in all shapes and sizes.
And luckily in 2012, decorating with personality, originality, natural
tones and longevity is a trend we can all enjoy.Andrew Moricz, Head of Furniture - Freedom says: “It might be cold outside, but the new winter 2012 collection of lounges and sofas is set to warm up your home. This winter our sofas are all about classic modernism punctuated with statement pieces. Beautiful lines, enduring comfort and outstanding value.”
And in Andrew’s words, the new range of sofas “dial up classic Danish design in buttery leather and rich fabrics to offer the best seat in the house.”
“Put your feet up in style, from home-starter studio-sized sofas through to sprawling family modulars,” he says.
Buying a new lounge can be quite daunting, especially since there are so many options available to choose from. Some trends and styles to consider:
Earthy neutral territory
This style never goes out of fashion and is always evolving. Natural fabrics, especially in linen lounges and armchairs, the ubiquitous striped sofa or ottoman and the white and beige palette are always in the picture. Lounges are large - almost oversized - and deeply comfortable, as well as often being feather-filled and covered in cushions in many shades of white.
Feast of Euro chic elegance
Sectional, or modular, sofas may have been originally invented for apartment living since they can be taken apart and reassembled very easily, but the models on display in today's designer showrooms have taken the idea to a new level. Packaged in ultra-cool styles that reflect a European sensibility, these are sofas of distinction, which will accommodate a family or group and therefore suit living spaces that give plenty of room to showcase their features.
Colour up in bright and bold
Brightly coloured lounges are big news this year, but while the hues are strong, they are not pure – think burnt orange as opposed to a tangy citrus. Choose a sofa or armchair covered in these smouldering shades to get the look. This fashion-forward palette combines mustards, teal blues, khaki limes and dusty crimsons.
The chaise attachment for the L-shaped sofa is still popular, but there's also a move to buy less conventional additions to the lounge room in the shape of large ottomans, low-slung pouffes and beanbag-type seating inspired by 1970s designs. New stain-resistant fabrics are making their way into living rooms, too, making it easier for families to justify a big spend on a designer sofa when there are young children to consider.
La vie en rose
Romance in home decor needn't be saved for the bedroom. A living room that includes French-inspired furniture, rich textures, antique heirlooms and glamorous accessories will add a playful sophistication to the most popular room in the house. Wing chairs are right on trend in this style of decor and although they may look quite formal, they are actually very comfortable.
Urban MixLeather lounges are all the go in this decor style, especially well-worn vintage ones, or at least those that replicate an aged patina. Combine dark and moody colours with something bright and glimmering, such as a spotlight, or splash a graphic mural across a feature wall to add depth and drama.
Mid-century modern
Lounges and armchairs are a key feature of this style, upholstered in bright block colours of coral, lime, mustard and plum, as well as graphic floral prints. The prevalence of rosewood and teak in a living room complements the sunny-coloured upholstery of seating.
Read more!
Has the RBA lost its power?
By Will Keall & Lisa Llewellyn
Last month was both frustrating and confusing for many Australian
homeowners. One week the media were all but promising a rate cut; the
next we had lenders increasing the interest rates on home loans. The
question that many are asking is: why does the Reserve Bank of Australia
(RBA) make monthly decisions on ‘interest rates’ if lenders just do
their own thing anyway?
We spoke to Homeloans general manager of funding and investments, Scott McWilliam, on the topic of the correlation (or lack thereof) between the RBA target cash rate and the rate the home loan borrower pays. In our discussions with Scott, we went back to the basics, as it is important to explain some of the fundamentals behind lenders’ cost of funds.
“Australian lenders have reasonably diverse funding bases, but the two major contributors are deposits and debt raised in domestic and foreign capital markets,” Scott explains.
“This debt that the financial institutions raise is at a cost that is influenced by a number of factors, one of which is, indirectly, the cash rate that is set by the RBA.
“Put simply, the cost of this debt is determined by a base rate plus a margin which generally reflects the perceived level of risk to an investor. The most commonly used base rate is the bank bill swap rate which is influenced by the cash rate, although not exclusively.”
Since the financial crisis of 2008/09, the rate to the borrower had mainly moved in line with the RBA-defined cash rate, but it seems that this trend is changing. So what is driving this change? read more...
Last month was both frustrating and confusing for many Australian
homeowners. One week the media were all but promising a rate cut; the
next we had lenders increasing the interest rates on home loans. The
question that many are asking is: why does the Reserve Bank of Australia
(RBA) make monthly decisions on ‘interest rates’ if lenders just do
their own thing anyway?We spoke to Homeloans general manager of funding and investments, Scott McWilliam, on the topic of the correlation (or lack thereof) between the RBA target cash rate and the rate the home loan borrower pays. In our discussions with Scott, we went back to the basics, as it is important to explain some of the fundamentals behind lenders’ cost of funds.
“Australian lenders have reasonably diverse funding bases, but the two major contributors are deposits and debt raised in domestic and foreign capital markets,” Scott explains.
“This debt that the financial institutions raise is at a cost that is influenced by a number of factors, one of which is, indirectly, the cash rate that is set by the RBA.
“Put simply, the cost of this debt is determined by a base rate plus a margin which generally reflects the perceived level of risk to an investor. The most commonly used base rate is the bank bill swap rate which is influenced by the cash rate, although not exclusively.”
Since the financial crisis of 2008/09, the rate to the borrower had mainly moved in line with the RBA-defined cash rate, but it seems that this trend is changing. So what is driving this change? read more...
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