katie.lacy@letsgetcoffee.co.uk, Author at Modish Living

How to style and organise your home office

Oldman White Industrial Reclaimed Wood Desk styled with flowers and a wall clock

With recently being ‘Organise Your Home Office Day’, it seems the right time to remind all the thousands of home workers that their office space is important. And yet, so few of us make the effort to create a space that is stylish, functional and welcoming. Styling your office doesn’t mean throwing practicalities out the window. You can have the home office you want, in the style that works for you and within budget.

The Desk

You need the right work platform that fits your space and offers you the space you need to work. To illustrate this, we’re launching a range of beautiful yet practical desks, which you can customise to perfectly fit your space. You’ll be able to choose from a range of sizes, and a range of coloured legs, bringing a stunning yet functional piece to style your office around.

Shop Stanford Industrial Reclaimed Wooden Desk

Office Furniture

No office can function without office furniture that offers the right amount of storage. When you store things, from papers to books, the items need to be accessible.

However, finding office furniture that compliments your home office design can be tough and that’s why your office space can look and feel mismatched.

We have solutions, from bookcases made from reclaimed wood to industrial furniture and bookcases in a style to match your desk.

Add Finishing Touches with a Dash of Detail

Detailing is important in any space. Accessories add warmth, depth and texture to a room, and your home office should be treated no differently.

The Power of Green

Plants and flowers in any space but especially your home office are the perfect additions that not only look great, they add colour and scent too. But, there is also research to suggest that a plant in the office creates the right environment for more productivity.

Shop Office Storage

Keep an Eye on the Time

You know what they say: too much work is never a good thing. Make time to play by keeping an eye on the time with a stylish wall clock.

Dress the Walls

Art inspires us and when you work long hours at a desk, it can be helpful to have another point of focus in the room, other than your computer screen. Wall art is a great way of adding detail to your room, providing inspiration without distracting you.

Dress the Floor

A rug adds texture, as well as warmth beneath your feet. Choose a colour and style of rug that matches your décor or use it to add a streak of colour and detail into the space.

At Modish Living, we love to make even the most functional home office design beautiful – so why not try a new look in yours?

5 Tips to choose the best lamp for your bedroom

A table lamp on your bedside table is a fantastic way to brighten up any bedroom and complement the style and decor. Keep these tips in mind to find the perfect bedside table lamp for your room.

First of all, make sure to pick a lamp which suits your bedroom style.

Industrial style lamps are great for making a statement in any contemporary bedroom, and also look wonderful if you want to inject colour elsewhere. Their strong style makes it easy to create contrast and drama in your room for a sleek, stylish finish. The Kingsport Table Lamp offers a unique twist on the classic desk lamp. What is particularly special about this lamp is the vintage-inspired round lamp head which is set off perfectly by the gun metal black appearance.

A classically styled table lamp is a great way of adding subtle, sophisticated style to any interior scheme. The Mollo Table Lamp is a great option if you are looking for a compromise between rustic and ultra contemporary style. The neutral shade makes it easy to tie into any colour scheme and the painted wood stone base creates a unique, natural look.

Think about what you are going to use your lamp for.

A bedside table lamp is always the perfect reading companion so you don’t have to hop out of bed to switch off your main bedroom light. But it also may just be for decoration. If you find a light for reading, a lamp where you can angle the direction of the light or one with a light or neutral coloured shade to maximise the light levels is a good idea. Alternatively, if you are looking purely for style, play around with colour, style and size.

For a playful twist on the classic table lamp, our Wire Weave Fairy Lights are perfect. The luxurious, decorative lantern shades have been created using elegant fairy lights woven together for a gorgeous, ethereal look which would create a cosy feel to any bedroom.

Remember to achieve balance in your bedroom.

If you have a small bedroom, make sure you achieve balance by choosing a small table lamp. Something with a statement base or shade may look out of place or overwhelm your room.

In a large room, look for statement styles that will really stand out. The Luxe Tear Drop Table Lamp would look stunning in a large space with its elegant curved bright nickel finished base and the oversized black shade. Perfect for injecting glamour into any room.

Think about the height of your table lamp.

As well as creating balance with the size of your room, you also need to think about the furniture immediately surrounding your bedside lamp. Most importantly, think about the height of your bedside table. If you have a small bedside table, try and compensate with the height of your lamp. However, make sure not to go too far and choose a style which looks too large for your table. If you are unsure, try and ensure that there is at least 20cm between the top of your mattress and the bottom of your lampshade.

Pair up.

If you have a double bed, make sure you create a balanced look with one table lamp on each side of the bed. For a sophisticated, stylish finish, go for coordinating table lamps. However, you could also deliberately mismatch for a striking and unique look which creates a more homely feel.

To shop the selection of table lamps available at Modish Living, take a look at our website.

How to choose the perfect garden furniture set

Small Round Table and 2 Chairs Bistro Set in Clay

The garden is an important space so it’s essential to search for garden furniture sets that will blend in as part of your home. As soon as the finer weather arrives, you want to be out enjoying the sun and fresh air in style and comfort.

It is far more pleasant when you have the right garden furniture set. Take a look at this right-point guide to choose the best garden furniture.

Plan It!

Just as you would make a considered purchase when it comes to furnishings for the interior of your home, it should be no different when it comes to the garden.

How do you want your outdoor ‘room’ to look? How many rattan garden chairs will you need to make the space welcoming and comfortable? Do you have a style or a theme you would like to emulate?

Seating

Once you have calculated the space and the requirements, you now need to look at seating. There is a range of seating options in various materials.

If you plan on moving seating around, you will want a lighter weight material such as rattan garden furniture. Wooden or metal furniture can work just as well, and can be fixed into position too.

Easy Care Materials

You want to spend the summer enjoying your garden, not repairing things, cleaning furniture, or spending hours keeping something looking good. Our garden furniture sets come with easy-care fabrics suitable for outdoor use which is worth the investment several times over.

Don’t forget storage

Those large L-shaped outdoor sofas look great but how will you protect it over the winter? To extend the life of garden furniture, when not in use, it should be stored away in a place that is not overly damp.

Be Bold

Garden furniture doesn’t have to be ‘all the same’. Just like your home, the way you use your garden could be very different to how your neighbours or friends do. And that’s why being bold and personal in your purchases really work, like this stunning industrial style dining table.

Quality

If you do nothing else from this list, do this one: choose quality items that are well-designed and built to last. Choose materials that require little, if any, maintenance. Hardwoods are better at withstanding weather and although they are more expensive, they are well worth the investment when considering a garden furniture set.

By looking after your garden furniture, storing it away in winter and keeping it clean, you will get years of use from it.

Don’t Forget the Details

Accessories are just as important in the garden as in your home. Why have fantastic furniture but nowhere for your guests to put their drinks? As well as a garden coffee table, consider adding outdoor rugs to brighten up the patio, throws for when the evening turns cooler and pleasant lighting to set the ambience.

Consider Dual Purpose Items

Storage in the garden can be useful over the summer months. Throwing outdoor cushions, throws and rugs into a storage bench is ideal for when there is the occasional summer downpour.

Also, don’t forget to add a welly storage close to your garden to keep all your boots dry and clean.

Once you have the right garden furniture, you will enjoy summer days and nights in the garden. Enjoy!

Why We Love Urban Modern Interior Design

Louis De Poortere Fading World Rug - Mango Brown in living room

Have you noticed how much urban modern interior design is used in commercial settings, such as restaurant, cafes and similar?

It is an impressive style and one that you may want to emulate. But what are the basics of the urban modern design? And how can you convincingly replicate this style in your home?

What Defines Urban Modern Interior Design?

This style, as you would expect, stems from modern, designer lofts found in major cities. These large buildings were once the hub of industrial activity, but were left baron after business moved elsewhere.

Vast, cavernous spaces, once home to large, noisy machines are now living spaces. Loft living is a style and the urban modern interior design styles is a fusion of the commercial past of a building with modern living.

It is minimalistic and modern, chic with edgy experimental designs, all of which collide and meld together to make a fantastic living space. Not just the style of the young or the ‘up and coming’, it is style that suits families too because of its simplicity, its warmth and its adaptability.

How to Get the Urban Modern Style in Your Home

Think exposed brick walls meeting stainless steel beams. Think industrial meets a modern style. The rough and the smooth. The urban modern style works anywhere, not just loft living or city apartments. It can suit your home and here’s how to get it;

One-of-a-Kind Artworks

Original artwork, hung centre stage, instantly adds a cosmopolitan vibe. But, before you think ‘too expensive’ there are other means of getting your hands on original artwork. Art students create amazing pieces and appreciate the exposure. Or, you could create some of your work on canvas or even take a look at some original artwork stocked by independent retailers.

Urban, Not Industrial

There is a difference. Urban style has a softer, warmer edge to it then the harsh functionality of an industrial interior design.

Original and exposed brick walls meeting with the warmth of hardwood floors welcome us home at the end of the day. Modern rugs act as layers of texture to a room, as well as helping to pull together an open plan living that otherwise would feel too vast.

Choose home accessories that are deep in colour, bringing in warmth to a space: think oranges, reds, browns, any colour that you react to as being warm and cosy.

Creating a Homely Feel

Every aspect of your home should embrace urban modern interior design. Distressed wood is a must and that is why adding key pieces such as a modern console table are fantastic additions.

Imagine if those pieces could speak. The dents in the floor, the distressed look of the wood, the stainless frame that have stood the test of time for so long, imagine the stories they could tell.

With key pieces such as modern dining table sets, the practicalities are obvious. But, should you wish to change the appeal and style of your home in the future, these pieces will fit right in with a range of additional interior design styles.

There are, of course, many different reasons to love urban modern interior design, and these are just ours – Why not let us know what YOU love best about this style, and how you’ve embraced it in your home?

Kitchen Decor Ideas For Spring

Stanford Cross Leg Reclaimed Wood Extendable Dining Table with Bar Stools

With spring on the doorstep, the promise of warmth after winter and longer daylight hours are the signs we need to throw open the windows and blow the cobwebs of winter away.

The kitchen is the place the family gather, especially over the winter months where food and warmth are the basis of comfort, so having the right kitchen decor is more important than you probably think. Is it time to make a few changes?

Here’s some of our top kitchen decor ideas for Spring (and summer!) to get you started;

Farmhouse Sink

One way to add a practical element to your spring kitchen it to opt for the staple ingredient of every country farmhouse kitchen: the big, deep, ceramic sink, perfect for washing all sizes of pots and pans. Beautifully robust and chunky, it has an aesthetic appeal all its own.

Freestanding Not Fitted

Rather than opting for everything fitted in the kitchen, freestanding furniture is a great way of adding detail. Freestanding kitchen furniture suits almost any style, from the industrial to the farmhouse, country kitchen look.

Choose the style and material of a freestanding piece, like a reclaimed wood dresser to compliment your style.

Panelled Wall

Cheap and easy to fit, panelling one wall with tongue and groove panels is a quick decorative tip for transforming your kitchen into a country house styled room. Paint either a matte white or opt for a pastel or soft colour. Grey works well, as does a very light, pastel shade of pink.

Family Appeal

A kitchen, so they say, is the heart of the home and as such, you want to encourage and welcome family, as well as guests and visitors to feel comfortable – and stay a while.

And that’s why you need to invest in two staples of the farmhouse, country style look:

A large farmhouse table, simple and yet superbly stylish is the key feature. Used as both a dining platform and a worktop, the kitchen table is the central point of the kitchen.
Farmhouse chair complete the look. But if your budget is creaking at the thought of both table and chairs, updating the chairs on their own can be enough to complete the transformation of your spring kitchen.

Not Too Smooth…

And finally, we assume that the best materials are the ones that are smooth and finished, engineered to be striking and stylish. But, the stories that weathered wood can tell are amazing in any space but certainly the kitchen.

When choosing items for your kitchen, leave the modern, cut-and-dried style behind. Choose furniture and accessories that complement the space, but are not necessarily too neat. Weathered or distressed wood is a great addition, but so are scales, for example, that have been well used, or jugs for flowers that have a slightly faded pattern or the odd chip on the rim.

Your kitchen must be both practical and clean, but you also want it to be light and airy, with more than a dash of style.

And why not? Welcome spring into your kitchen with a contemporary farmhouse style.

Check our inspiration page regularly for more home and kitchen decor ideas!

Industrial Style Kitchen Island Ideas

How to add an island to your kitchen - Modish Living

Islands look fantastic in any kitchen. Not only will they make your kitchen a more sociable space, perfect for entertaining, they will add extra storage and workspace for the family chef. There are plenty of kitchen island ideas out there, but it’s imperative to remember the importance of positioning of your kitchen island.

First of all, think about the measurements of your space. Make sure that there is enough clearance space around the entire island to ensure free and safe movement around your kitchen. Also make sure there is enough space to fully open doors, drawers, ovens and dishwashers safely.

Then think about the size of your kitchen island. Size is likely to depend on how you want to use your island, for example you may need a bigger space to house an oven than a sink. Alternatively, you may wish to simply use your kitchen island as a space for entertaining guests with a couple of stools placed around, or as a breakfast bar.

When drawing up kitchen island ideas you could also consider the option of a kitchen peninsula (meaning ‘almost an island’) rather than a full island. Peninsulas are a practical option for small kitchen spaces because they take up much less kitchen floor space by being fixed to a wall.

Alternatively, for a more creative take on a kitchen island, a sideboard works wonders. They are also a great option if you have a smaller space and you are worried about an integral island looking too big for your space. You could even push one end of your sideboard against the wall to create a unique peninsula that adds far more character than an extension of your kitchen worktops.

In a reclaimed wood kitchen, the Beam Small Reclaimed Wood Sideboard would look stunning. Handmade with two central solid wooden doors and handcrafted drawers, this sideboard cabinet is exceptionally produced. Custom made with solid reclaimed wood, the chunky legs complement the overall construction of the lovingly crafted piece of furniture.

The Eastwood Medium Rustic Oak Sideboard would make a stunning centrepiece in a contemporary kitchen design. The sideboard is a perfect blend of rustic and contemporary style with a combination of rustic oak, contemporary shape and sleek metal finishes.

In a rustic kitchen, an injection of white with your sideboard is fantastic. The Medium Dorset Reclaimed Wood Sideboard is the perfect sideboard for any space. The simple design and distressed base is finished with antique brass handles for a shabby chic look with plenty of character. Pair with other reclaimed pieces for a modern take on rustic style.

To find the perfect sideboard for your kitchen or gather other kitchen island ideas, take a look at the selection available at Modish Living, or get in touch with one of our team members for any enquiries.

What do Mothers want for Mother’s Day?

Bramble Flower Caddy Dip Sauce for Dining Table on Mothers Day

Celebrating the #BeBoldForChange this International Women’s Day, we turn our thoughts to the one day dedicated to the women in our lives that matter most. Mothering Sunday, this year celebrated on 26^th March, is the time to thank those special women in your life with a beautiful gift. But finding the right gift, balancing practicality and function with style and excitement can be tough.

There is a solution – choosing pieces that are designed and created by British designers, such as Garth Williams.

Let There be Light

These Nickel Pod Candle Holders are stylish, perfect for the modern, contemporary home or fit well within a traditional setting too.

Perfect for gracing a dining table or mantelpiece, these holders designed by Garth Williams are created by skilled artisans in India, selected by the designer himself.

The tall, slim, understated elegance of these three pieces clustered together will delight the special lady in your life. Designed and made with love, they show you have carefully selected a gift they will love too.

Subtle and Stylish

The gifts we give our mums, grandmothers, aunts and other special women in our lives should reflect them and their personality. And that’s why these Wire Weave Fairy Light lanterns make the ideal gift for someone who is effortlessly stylish, borne out of subtlety. These lanterns are available in three sizes thus making them the ideal solution for clustering together on tables or on a hearth.

The fairy lighting is delightfully subtle, adding just enough detail to enhance their overall appeal.

The Beauty of Curves

Beautiful things are enhanced when they invite to be touched. And when it comes to this elegant Encore Stainless Steel Basket Bowl, the smooth curves demand to caressed. It has a taller but equally as curvaceous counterpart too.

Never again will baskets or bowls of fruit have to be boring receptacles.

Art Deco Loveliness

There are some styles that can be described as nothing else but simply iconic. Art Deco, also known as ‘style moderne’ was a decorative arts and architecture movement that sprang to life in the 1920s. By the 1930s, it was a major style choice across the United States and Europe.

It is a firm favourite of many people today. It offers an uncluttered style, without being too minimal or lacking warmth. The detailing is exquisite, the lines clean and the overall look so very pleasing on the eye. Adding to an Art Deco interior design scheme is not hard when you come across quality pieces such as these Art Deco styled mirrors. Beautifully crisp in their appearance, these mirrors will look attractive in any setting.

And Finally…

For someone who loves to entertain, these triple or double dip Bramble Flower Bowls are the ideal gift. They make a perfect centrepiece to the dining table. Adding just enough detail, they are perfect for all kinds of dips and nibbles.

This year, make Mothering Sunday extra special with a well-chosen gift from Modish Living.

5 creative ways to use a sideboard in your home

Hudson Living Chilson Oak Sideboard for Living Room or Dining Room

Wooden sideboards are a wonderful addition to almost any room in your home. Traditionally, sideboards are seen in dining rooms but there are so many different ways you can use a sideboard in your home decor.

What are sideboards used for?

In the Kitchen: kitchen sideboard decor

A reclaimed wood sideboard offers understated and classic style at its best. Perfect for almost any interior scheme, a reclaimed wood sideboard will provide a practical storage solution and give a charming finish to any room with the natural markings and unique character. If you are looking for something a little more creative, a white reclaimed wood sideboard such as our Large Dorset Reclaimed Wood Sideboard could be used as a kitchen island to bring the rustic vibe with a contemporary twist this spring. For more kitchen sideboard ideas read pro interior stylist, Kate Hill’s sideboard ideas.

Sideboard decor in the Home Office

A sideboard with drawers can be very practical in the office area, as it can help declutter your working space. This creates a better space to think and motivates productivity. An industrial style sideboard with dark grey metal handles and frames is fantastic for office space for creating a stylish, streamlined finish. The addition of three double drawers is fantastic for providing plenty of extra storage for stationary, folders and filing away paperwork.

In the Dining Room

If you are looking to use your sideboard in a dining room, we suggest choosing a style with room for a wine rack which can store your favourite drinks close to the dining table. This also cuts out storage space needed for wine bottles in your kitchen and creates a cleaner finish. An oak sideboard also fits well into a dining room decor as its paler finish blends seamlessly with other dining room furniture and colour schemes. The Rocco Industrial Rustic Oak Sideboard is a nod to modern Scandi or Nordic styles and provides the perfect stage to display your paired-back accessories.

Living room sideboard decor

In your living room, a sideboard is a great place for proudly displaying your collections or trinkets. But they can also provide storage space for family games, films, or even special glassware you don’t want to keep in your kitchen cupboards. When it comes to a sideboard for living room ideas, the modern shape and eye-catching brass inlays of the Farnham Sustainable Mango Wood Sideboard will add an instant a touch of glamour to any room and will be adored for its stylish, contemporary look.

Sideboard in bedroom

Finally, a sideboard can even be a fantastic addition in the bedroom, especially as kids’ bedroom storage. They are often a more compact solution than a chest of drawers and provide space for storing toys, books and games. The Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood Small Sideboard is a wonderful option with its mixture of cupboard and drawer storage and smaller size, perfect for your little one’s bedroom.

To find the perfect one for your home, take a look at our collection of sideboards, or get in touch with one of our team members.

Hallway decor ideas: how to brighten up your hallway

The hallway is often the last place to be decorated and yet, it is the space through which we all pass several times a day. It needs to be both practical and functional, which can result in many of us feeling that the hallway lacks style. But not with these great hallway decor ideas! Whatever the season, give your hallway decor a facelift and turn it into a stylish space that works for your home and your family…

White painted walls

Hallways tend to be on the smaller side and often with little natural light. Whilst dark walls go well with rustic furniture and can add colour, depth and drama to the space, it can also make a hallway look smaller and narrower. If you shy away from white thinking it will be too stark and impractical, take another look. Use good quality, washable paint from a reputable manufacturer and paint walls, ceiling and woodwork in a subtle off-white or chalky white to add a warm brightness to your hallway decor.

Creat an art gallery

Just because a hallway needs to be practical doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish. Hallways are usually gifted with large expanses of walls and this is perfect for creating your very own art gallery. As well as family photos, there is a growing range of affordable and chic contemporary art that can transform your hallway from ordinary to extraordinary.

Related: Practical and stylish hallway storage solutions

Stylish hallway storage ideas

By its very definition, the hallway is the space where coats are kept, muddy boots are flung and where the dog paraphernalia lives. For a welcoming hallway, you want it to be tidy, but with all this stuff at hand for when you’re rushing out of the door. The right hallway storage furniture is the answer here. A hallway storage bench with wicker baskets for dog leads and gloves, as well as space to store school bags, shoes and more, is a worthwhile investment that fits well with any decorating scheme.

Try colour block walls

We’ve already discussed how colour can be difficult to add in a hallway, but that doesn’t have to mean it’s out of the question. Colour block walls help to create a colour statement and are a fantastic solution. Pops of colour bring life and personality to a space – choose light vibrant shades of green and blue or a fresh yellow. Instead of looking at your hallway just from the front door, think about how many other views of it you have. For example, sitting in the lounge, in your kitchen/diner or from the top of the stairs looking down. Work out what sections of walls you see and use this to determine your colour block walls.

Hallway decor practical additions

Of course, there needs to be a range of practical additions to your newly decorated hallway, such as….

Umbrella pots are great for stashing brollies and perfectly placed for grabbing hold of one on your way out of the door.
A wooden bench is perfect for sitting to pull off or pull on boots and shoes, as well as an ad hoc storage area for bags and scarves in baskets under the seat.

• Add carefully chosen hallway furniture, such as a rustic console table with a wall mirror above to bounce light around the space and a contemporary rug to add a dash of colour.

With all these great hallway decor ideas, you’re sure to be able to create a welcoming and stylish entrance to your home.