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

Let the Valentine’s Day countdown begin!

Contemporary modern art grey hare canvas painting

Sick of looking at all of the cheap plastic trinkets that are meant to show you care about your partner just one day a year? Or the expense of a piece of jewellery you’re not too sure of just to make sure you get them something? Bored of the traditional chocolate and flowers? If so, then why not consider something more longstanding to reflect both the commitment to your relationship (and therefore your home) and opt for a statement piece of furniture or special accessory instead? Every time your spouse or partner admires it, they’ll be reminded of your good taste and generosity – better yet, it will no doubt become a unique talking point for guests.

Show the love with contemporary art

There can’t be a more thoughtful gesture than selecting contemporary art as a generous Valentine’s Day gift. Many couples enjoy art galleries and exhibitions together. Why not have some of this atmosphere at home to complete your room? Animals and wildlife have always been a traditional subject for art, so our Giclée canvas animal prints could be the perfect gift to hang in the dining room while you enjoy your Valentine’s Day meal, or perhaps behind the couch while you snuggle up and enjoy a romantic movie. The signed work of Brighton artist Ant Fox is stunning and a treat for anybody to own. Art is a personal decision, yet with a little consideration it will be enjoyed for years to come and echo the furniture and design of your living room as well as showing your other half just how much you know their taste.

Give the gift of time with contemporary clocks

Any home needs a good quality contemporary clock; not just for good time keeping but also for visual effect, and to complete the overall look of the room. It can sometimes be difficult to find the right size of clock for your taste, but these days you can find some really striking clocks that offer are a fusion of traditional Roman Numerals, together with a contemporary finish and metals. These contemporary clocks are made in 10 colours or finishes, which means you will be spoilt for choice. There will no doubt be one to suit your dining room or kitchen, especially if you have gone for an industrial or rustic look. Choose from chic industrial styles with contrasting numerals next to the frame, or a more understated black open design, to suit yours and your partners’ tastes.

Contemporary Sheepskin Rugs

Sheepskin rugs are very much sought after these days, thanks to the various colours available and the romantic overtones they portray. There are various light or dark shades and different sizes to suit your tastes and budgets and best of all – much like your relationship, each one is unique. Why not embrace this option as a lasting addition to the lounge? They really are reworked classics to add a feel of luxury to your home. This gift really will become a talking point next time you have guests and best of all, you won’t just be buying a token gift that will be put in a drawer and forgotten about. Instead, you’ll have a beautiful gift that adds both style and substance to your living area and reflects the home you’re building together.

And finally…..

Valentine’s Day gifts don’t have to involve chocolates or flowers. With consideration and generosity, something for the home can reflect your good taste as a couple and your way of life. Either contemporary art, a contemporary clock or a contemporary sheepskin rug will become a much-loved addition to transform the home. And the good part is that all of these can be delivered to you right in time for Valentine’s Day.

Keep the romance alive for longer with a more long-lasting statement-piece as your gift this Valentine’s Day and give a romantic cosy feel well beyond February 14^th.

How would a rustic wardrobe fit in your bedroom?

Winchester Dark Rustic Sleigh Wooden Bed

When looking to update your bedroom furniture, it’s not always possible to replace everything at once, and sometimes not everything needs replacing. Considering some rustic bedroom furniture, in particular, a rustic-wardrobe is a great idea as it not only looks great but also acts as an investment piece. There is no need to purchase wardrobes, chests of drawers and bedside cabinets all to match to achieve the rustic feel. Unique reclaimed handmade furniture gives you the freedom to fit your rustic-wardrobe alongside other different types of furniture to create a bedroom that’s entirely unique.

Contemporary Light Furniture works well with most other bedroom fittings

Many people prefer contemporary light coloured furniture in the bedroom. When considering rustic-bedroom-furniture, as mentioned before, you do not have to have every piece of furniture to match the rustic style, however. This is especially the case if you already have some bedroom furniture, or perhaps you have something in mind that you’ve seen. The objective is to create a unique personalised twist on the modern style. Here the focus would be on the rustic-wardrobe.

For example, our Winchester Rustic Wooden wardrobe is made from reclaimed wood yet has a modern curved front design and contemporary-light colour. The character of the reclaimed wood naturally includes various colours. Depending on your available space, there are two available sizes.

Making a contrast

However, one singular dark glamorous version of the Winchester Rustic Wooden Wardrobe can be very striking and can also be used with lighter furniture to provide a real focal point for the room – other than the bed of course. Alternatively, it may inspire you to pick out a darker colour of wood for your other furniture. If you prefer the idea of a contrast, you don’t have to stop at one rustic wardrobe. You could choose one lighter and one darker rustic-wardrobe or pair two dark rustic-wardrobes as a glamorous focal point, and then contrast it with contemporary-light furniture as drawers and bedside cabinets.

For a slightly more traditional rustic look, our Bremnes Luxury Reclaimed Wooden Wardrobe with a mirror may be ideal. This Farmhouse design sits well with pine furniture with round wooden handles, or industrial furniture and industrial lighting to bring out the metal hinges. This design is another contemporary twist on a traditional concept. The option of clear wax finishes may also give you plenty of options to match other furniture items, especially if you like the variations in the shades of wood and want a lighter finish.

A rustic chair – the perfect complement

Of course, after adding a little flair with the wardrobe, you may be drawn to a rustic-chair to add even more of a rustic feel to the room. An industrial vintage café chair is a cost-effective statement, especially in a bold colour, or a colour to match the soft furnishings. You could pair this with either a retro or a contemporary design of fabric, for the chair pad and curtains. A farmhouse style kitchen chair could act as an ideal rustic-chair, or, of course, you could stick with the theme of a reclaimed wood chair to match your gorgeous new rustic wardrobe.

Contemporary Style Reworked

The rustic style with reclaimed wood has become a contemporary concept in itself. Depending on the design, reclaimed wood can look stylish next to contemporary-light furniture. A contemporary design of rustic bedroom furniture made from reclaimed wood is an ideal twist on a traditional design. Key pieces of rustic furniture, together with new lighting and soft furnishings easily show off your unique personality and rustic style. – showing only too well that you do not have to change all of your furniture to achieve the rustic feel.

Contemporary and Rustic Style: What are the Differences

Rustic reclaimed wood furniture for dining room

Contemporary vs rustic, or in other words, clean and streamlined vs organic and rugged. The two prominent styles of today’s home interior design couldn’t be any more different, but they can actually work pretty well together in any style home, if you know how. Let’s take a deeper look at rustic style interior design and contemporary styling – which one will you prefer?

Contemporary Style

Contemporary design celebrates all that is streamlined, sleek and geometric. It aims to support modern living. Our increasingly stressful and busy work lives mean coming home to a modern space has a therapeutic effect -move over complicated and intricate detail and say hello to calming simplicity.

When it comes to contemporary vs modern the differences are subtle. Living space in a contemporary style home tends towards a minimalist layout – less is more in terms of furniture and decorative objects, whereas modern still takes a fresh, on-trend approach, but may mix it with different interior schemes for some added character. With either style, kitchens and bathrooms are formed with clean lines, essential modern appliances and neutral shades. To bring the space to life, you may want to mix it up and throw some contemporary rustic into the mix with a statement colour or texture to give your space strikingly modern individuality.

Contemporary furniture focuses on streamlined design, sleek textures and complementary hues. Often, simple geometric form takes shape in contemporary design and decorative objects and art work. But it’s not all about right angles; adding circular, cylinder and orb shapes to your space adds another subtle layer of contemporary chic.

Contemporary design is at the forefront of new modern material mixes. You won’t see a lot reclaimed exposed wood or upcycled, vintage pieces; contemporary means new and innovative, so think metal, glass and modern plastics.

Rustic Style

If you Google rustic style meaning, you will see definitions such as natural, rugged and organic. Rustic style interior design takes its influence from nature. Observe what you see in nature and introduce it into your home and you will find the true rustic style. Although usually busy with array of organic elements, contemporary rustic decor is casual and easy going; having a calming, welcoming effect on the home. Rustic style can be modern farmhouse, contemporary rustic, country vintage and shabby chic, or industrial vintage, but the main principles are the same.

Rustic living spaces tend to boost a lot of reclaimed wood, earthy colours and textures. Living room furniture tends to include large, comfortable sofas, distressed coffee tables and side tables, to create a warm, welcoming room. Flooring and surfaces are usually made from reclaimed wood, left exposed or painted in off white or earthy shades.

Kitchens celebrate vintage style well with country cottage themes or rustic handmade kitchens made from reclaimed wood; and the room is usually completed with a rustic sideboard and rustic dining table. Modern appliances can be influenced by organic rustic style by choosing to have them in earthy shades, like grey-green or cream. The main aspects of modern rustic interior design usually come from an organic source, wood, natural stone and natural fabric, creating a distressed, well-loved style.

What do you prefer?

Contemporary style and rustic styles are very much the opposite ends of the spectrum within the interior design industry. However both have one thing in common, they show an element of forward thinking, so why not combine them and bring in a contemporary rustic vibe to your home. Whether you are passionate about contemporary style and the exciting, innovative materials emerging, or you prefer to breathe new life into rustic furniture or upcycle rustic pieces, both are a style that can live very well in the here and now.

How would you describe rustic furniture?

Doset Reclaimed Wood dining table with wooden dining bench white

Whether you enjoy cosy nights in by the fire or hosting dinner parties with delicious food, rustic furniture can complement a lot of lifestyles. Rustic interior design is all about personality, giving your home that unique feel and character. Filling your home with rustic charm, whether that’s dark rustic furniture or a more lighter variety, can create a warm, welcoming space that you can’t wait to get back to after a long day.

What is rustic furniture?

At the heart of shabby chic or vintage style, is rustic furniture. The interior design industry is abundant with reclaimed wood, handmade furniture, upcycled, recycled furnishings and distressed décor. This can sometimes mean dark rustic furniture made with reclaimed wood giving an air of old age, mystery and character.

But handmade and hand finished rustic furniture doesn’t have to be dark and enigmatic to ooze character and charm. Some of the most stylish pieces and most rustic interior design trends can be finished in lighter shades of wood, paint and varnish.

Whether you opt for light or dark rustic furniture depends on your taste. Light and dark furniture both work well no matter the style of your home. Edging towards lighter shades of reclaimed wood furniture such as those in our Worcester Reclaimed Wood collection will make furnishing the rest of the room a lot easier as you can mix and match fabric and finishes more easily and create a more peaceful, tranquil feel.

Rustic Colours

Light rustic furniture finished in subtle whitewash finish, pewter and grey-green gives your space a sense of clean and fresh living, while retaining the rustic eccentricity we love so much. Country cottage style homes really thrive when filled with charming pieces of rustic furniture to create casual, relaxed beauty. The best way to fully appreciate light wood and neutral colours is to paint your space as a blank canvas; off white walls ensure that light rustic reclaimed wood and all those textures really stand out.

Combining whites and slightly darker earthy shades to complement each other really brings a sense of character and individuality to a space, and gives your home that rustic shabby chic vibe. Blending white or neutral shades with exposed reclaimed wood means you get the best of both worlds – clean and calm, yet rustic and warm.

Picking the Right Furniture for your Space

A reclaimed wood sideboard finished in off white with exposed wood tops is the perfect addition to your country kitchen. It not only provides functional storage space, but it can be home to all your favourite knick-knacks, much loved family photos, along with a great place to display special souvenirs picked up while on holiday in far-flung places – or even the local seaside town!

Choosing the right furniture for your space is very important, but it’s not the only element that gives you a home that rustic chic appearance. Complement your rustic furniture with soft textures and textiles, such as rugs and cushions, and other tactile touches. Playing around with harmonious shades and colours will not deter from the rustic charm of reclaimed wood furniture, but balance the space and enthuse your home with a sumptuous, cosy mood.

What Makes the Contemporary Furniture Style a Great Design

What Makes The Contemporary Style So Great - Modish Living

Contemporary style is more than just design; it’s a way of living. We have seen a rise in the use of contemporary interior design combining both form and function as we as a society lead busier and more stressful lives. Contemporary furniture design does away with over complicated and over the top style by stripping back on non-essentials and embracing smart technology.

Contemporary interior design combines architecture, décor and best furniture designs to make one seamless style, which at first glance is almost too cool for most households, or in a lot of cases too daunting to embark upon. However, contemporary style doesn’t have to be out of reach in any home. Here, we explain the main elements of contemporary style and reveal how to create your ultra modern living space without adding any extra stress to your busy life!

Clean Lines

The kitchen and bathroom in a contemporary home scream clean lines and sleek finishes. These are usually finished all in one or two colours, with a statement piece here and there to avoid feeling clinical. There are no unnecessary knick-knacks or junk – this only complicates your space and contradicts what contemporary style encompasses.

Bold Colours

Contemporary spaces mean you can be brave with your colour choices – think black and lime green, white and pink, even on black or dark blue wall with contrasting gold or copper light fixtures. This can help you create a statement and warmth in your home without having to deal with overcomplicated, cluttered spaces. Block colours and bold patterns as opposed to intricate, busy designs, promote a calmer, clearer environment – somewhere you’d like to be after a busy day.

Contemporary Art

Every home needs art and contemporary clutter-free spaces are no different. Think statement art on the walls or modern picture rails. Choosing the right kind of art for your taste and your home can be tricky – remember to keep things simple with bold modern pieces. If your space is neutral then don’t be afraid to explore and experiment with colourful modern pieces as long as they don’t overcomplicate the room.

Scale & Proportion

Contemporary style works best when you pick the right accessories to complement your minimalist space. The most effective way to create interest without clutter is to play about with scale and proportion of objects. Over-sized light shades on pendants, over-sized lamps on side tables and large pieces of artwork can all make a big impact. But it isn’t just large pieces that transform a room – smaller details also add variety and interest. Small lighting fixtures like single bulbs work well in contrast with a high ceiling; and low coffee tables make an interesting distinction between pieces of furniture in your living room.

Latest Materials/Materials Mix

Contemporary design also means using new materials – usually cutting edge, eco-friendly or recycled. Yes, contemporary style is all about being modern, but it is also about reinventing something and making it works for our modern lives.

Reworked Classical Furniture

Reinventing old classic furniture could mean giving your much loved armchair a complete revamp, but remember to stay clear of rustic or shabby chic, and keep things simple with neat, seamless spray paint and new, modern upholstery. Or if DIY isn’t your thing, you can add contemporary remakes of classical furniture.

If you’re looking to bring contemporary furniture style to your space, it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Simply take not of the tips above, and start with one room at a time, decluttering as you go to create a home that is completely at one with your contemporary life.

How to Brighten Up Your Living Room with a Pink Sofa

For some time now, we’ve been encouraged to decorate with neutrals, embrace earth shades and go gaga for grey. The contemporary living room is all about minimalism, Scandi and Hygge – soft, inoffensive and enveloping. That’s all well and good – and there’s no denying that done well, any of those styles look magnificent in any home. But what happens when you feel the need for a little bit of colour again? When you yearn for warm, bright and welcoming?

Therein lies the beauty of those soft dove greys and creamy beige neutrals. When you decide that all your room needs is a pop of colour – those go-with-anything schemes can take it. Any colour, light or dark, soft and chalky or bright and in your face accents are what it’s all about. An accent colour can add that splash, or pop with a feature wall or a few simple accessories. Add a few bold, red or terracotta cushions, a matching throw and candle jars to a grey room and you’ve a whole new look. Or try aqua with beiges and creams. Again, you wouldn’t know it was the same room.

Pinks for every style

For more impact and a slightly more permanent accent without redecorating, one fabulous, statement piece of furniture will do it. Take, for example, pink. Now, pink is a colour that many will shy away from in all but a little Princess bedroom – but that’s really missing a trick. Pink has warmth and softness without the harshness of reds and purples. Pink says soft and welcoming, not just candy floss and dolls. Pink is love and romance, spring blossom, comfort, gentleness. Pink implies health – ‘you’re in the pink’. The hotter shades – magenta, cerise and fuchsia – are vibrant and energetic and can add opulence, while the salmons and corals are sophisticated and elegant enough to grace any dining room.

Don’t go all out – accents are perfect

Pink is versatile, but will always show itself, so don’t overdo it. Choose a gorgeous piece of contemporary lounge furniture – a stunning pink sofa, perhaps. A pink sofa will reinforce the vibrant colours of any room and add a welcome pop to the more neutral space. Immediately, your room has a centerpiece, a focal point and everything else is just background. Your living room will have a real style and class, as well as feeling instantly updated.

Know your space

A baby pink sofa, although pretty and refreshing may lack practicality in the family home – but in the professional’s loft would look effortlessly cool and stylish. Magenta would immediately add impact and bright candy pink could add a retro, kitsch vibe. Soft crushed strawberry pink falls somewhere in the middle – it has a satisfying depth and practicality but is still undeniably pink.

Whatever your preferred shade, add some pink to your home today and feel the happiness and contentment that this adaptable colour can bring.

Grey furniture for your home

In recent years, grey has become the neutral colour of choice with homes all over the world picking this cooler hue to decorate their interiors. And, its popularity is far from limited to just our walls – grey furniture is now very much of the moment fitting perfectly into all types of interior schemes, including Scandi and Nordic style interiors that many of us have adopted here in the UK. From grey living room furniture to bedroom furniture, we look at why it is a great choice and how to style it in your home.

There are more than 50 shades of grey

Grey is so much more than just a mix of black and white. From the palest dove grey to a deep and dramatic dark stormy grey, there are many shades and tones to choose from. A grey can be cool and fresh, soft and relaxing, warm and enveloping. Better still, grey will go with anything. Add a vibrant pop of colour to grey living room furniture for a complete change of mood, or accessorise grey furniture with dusty pink or pastels for a softer more feminine style in the bedroom.

It’s versatile

Grey colour for furniture is also incredibly versatile. Think heritage, chalky shades in a cosy, country cottage or conjure up the greys of a contemporary industrial interior. Two schemes that could not be more different and yet grey furniture would work equally well for both.

With all the same varieties and vagaries of shade, mood and depth you can add whatever style you like to your room. Grey living room furniture can be calm and collected or softly relaxing, whilst grey bedroom furniture can add warmth and energy to an otherwise cold north-facing bedroom or bring a cooling breeze to a hot south-facing space. It brings hints of blue, pink, purple, even brown and yellow – think of the sky just before it snows, heavy with yellow tones, or the almost purple hints of the sky about to burst with thunder and lightning.

It doesn’t date your décor

Due to its neutral nature, Scandi furniture will never date and so you can update your décor and make it on-trend without replacing every item of furniture. It lends itself to any colour scheme you choose for your walls and accessories – right now, grey furniture would stand nicely next to a living room wall painted in a muted natural plaster, such as Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster, as well as a dark anthracite grey or even sunshine yellow.

How to do it right

Try pairing grey living room furniture with a warm, squashy brown leather sofa, adding a contemporary rug, throw or cushions for a pop of colour. In a period property experiment with chalk paint on grey bedroom furniture to add some personality to the piece and the room. In the more industrial or minimalist-style room, a sleek grey dining table and wooden dining chairs will keep the mood modern, whilst if you covet a Scandi or Nordic interior, grey colour for your furniture will seamlessly blend in with this style of décor.

Grey doesn’t have to mean dull. Why not make timeless furniture on top of your home wish list?