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

How to make an industrial bedroom feminine

Industrial metal bed frame with industrial wooden bedside tables with pink and green covers and curtains

If you are thinking of updating your bedroom and would love to go with an industrial-inspired theme then you may feel that the overall look might end up being a little cold or even masculine. However, an industrial bedroom can be warm, cosy and feminine. Here’s how to get the perfect balance…

Let a reclaimed wood bed be the feature

There’s no denying natural wood instantly adds warmth and character to a bedroom and a reclaimed wood bed brings history and individuality with it too. This is the perfect way to soften and contrast the straight strong lines of an industrial foundation. A king size wooden bed frame made from reclaimed wood will definitely become the shining star in your bedroom!

Dress the bed with feminine colours

Get your bed looking super feminine, cosy, warm and inviting by using pastels. Apart from the obvious pinks and lilacs, you can choose from other great bedroom colours like soft mint, sky blue or lemon. Add some floral print scatter cushions or bed throws for a touch of patterning. You can also mix in some tactile textures to add interest choose from faux fur throws, velvet, chunky knits and silk cushions. This will add real femininity and softness to the room.

Add industrial accents

If you want to add a little hint of industrial to your bedroom then you should consider just accessorising in industrial style. Go for industrial bedside lamps, changing door and drawer handles to black ones or swapping some furniture pieces, like a small bedroom table, for items with steel legs or frames.

Embrace contrasts

Experiment and mix old and new, light and dark. Don’t be afraid to combine modern furniture with older or retro styles. By doing this you are giving the bedroom a warm and inviting feel as well as adding interest. Pair a wooden dressing table with an industrial style chair or hang a mirror with a black metal frame over a large chest of drawers, you can soften this by adding a houseplant on the surface of the drawers.

Add some nature

Nothing brings a serene and calm mood into a bedroom more than nature. Hanging indoor greenery be it real or faux will add instant softness to your room, we love this industrial shelving, absolutely perfect for displaying your houseplants. Fresh cut flowers are also an option – if you don’t want to run the expense of flowers from the florist every week or so then you can go for meadow flowers, dried or faux flowers. They look pretty as a picture anywhere in the room, from on a painted chest of drawers to a wooden blanket box at the bottom of the bed.

How to introduce industrial style to traditional homes

Velvet corner sofa with industrial coffee table

If you live in a more traditional or classic style home you may be thinking that incorporating industrial style is a straight no, no for you, but it can be done and can look stunning! Here are some ways you can inject some industrial style…

Pick a piece of industrial furniture for high footfall areas

In the hallway for example a slim console table with black industrial metal legs will always give a stylish welcome for visitors. Dress the top with a table lamp, some fresh cut flowers, a houseplant or some scented candles for a warm and homely feel when you walk in. In the kitchen, you can add a touch of industrial by choosing metal bar stools, opt for real or faux leather seats to further reinforce the look. And in the living room, just an industrial coffee table will instantly bring in an industrial theme.

Choose a neutral colour scheme

Let the black metal and wood of your industrial furniture be the feature. A neutral colour scheme is always a great base colour to style industrial features with, the black metal will stand out making each carefully chosen piece really catch the eye. Use a lighter colour in a dark room or opt for an atmospheric deeper grey if your room has plenty of light flooding in.

Photo featuring: Picasso Industrial Oak Dining Table

Change the flooring in a room

If your traditional house doesn’t already have a wood floor then look at reclaimed wood flooring to add character, salvaged oak planks are great for this. A concrete floor or a good quality laminate floor will add an instant industrial look in a large kitchen diner space. You can choose an industrial dining table that is finished with a slight hint of grey to the wood… this fits just right with dark industrial legs, hang a pendant light over the table and you have the perfect centrepiece in your dining space.

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Look for reclaimed wood furniture

Reclaimed wood and metal is a key driver to the industrial style. The rustic look of the wood and the strong metal structure of the industrial furniture are perfect together…. the reclaimed wood adds warmth, history and individuality. With the natural undulations and markings found in reclaimed wood furniture, you will have an eye-catching contrast to cold dark metal. Upcycling is also a great way to give old, tired-looking furniture pieces a new lease of life. You can look for old preloved items of furniture in second-hand shops – re-varnish them, paint them in black or dark grey or just tidy items up and change the handles to black metal.

5 Ways to get the industrial look for less

Loft apartment with industrial dining table and large metal paned windows

In this week’s blogs, we will be looking at the ever-popular industrial home interior style. We’re starting off today with some quick and easy tips to get the industrial look into your home for less!

1. Feature walls

Of course, not all of us have a loft-style property with existing exposed brick walls or a property that would allow you to expose a beautiful old red brick wall. But there are some excellent products on the market to help you achieve this. You can try brick effect cladding panels or if you are feeling artistic you can paint a wall in brick effect – there are also some great wallpapers that you can use. For a darker or smaller room, or if the brickwork is not quite good enough to be on full show, you can whitewash a brick wall. A grey mottled effect also works well on plastered walls giving your room an instant industrial look.

2. Introduce industrial dining room furniture

Adding industrial furniture to a room will upgrade the look and add instant loft appeal. In the dining room for instance you can introduce an industrial dining table. The Lansdowne table is perfect for this. To reinforce the industrial style opt for a mix of faux leather industrial chairs and of course a rustic wooden bench is a must-have. Opt for grey table linens and cushions to accentuate the lean towards a beautifully coordinated industrial space.

Photo featuring: Lansdowne Industrial Dining Table and Lansdowne Industrial Dining Bench

3. Add some black

Black is your industrial best friend and a must-have in an industrial themed room – is there something you can paint black in your home? A radiator, some picture or mirror frames, the floor? You can also introduce black elements like plant pots, black display pieces, cushions, sofa throws, wall art and light fittings.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Console Table

4. Add an industrial pendant light

A ceiling pendant light is another key piece in the industrial interior. A pendant light is most commonly seen in the kitchen over a breakfast bar or in the dining room hanging over the table – but you can add pendant lights over sofa side tables and bedside tables, it’s also a great way to free up some surface space. You don’t even need to spend a lot of money on a fancy designer lampshade – in industrial style, less is more – just a simple single bulb pendant will bring a whole load of style in!

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Bench

5. Add reclaimed wood furniture

The industrial interior is all about no-fuss and frills so reclaimed wood furniture is a perfect partner. The natural wood grain on show next to functional black metal is an industrial match made in heaven, softening the metal and adding some textural contrast. The Standford range is proving to be as popular as ever for the industrial scheme. For coordinating dining room storage you can choose from the medium or large wooden sideboard or a glass display cabinet to show off your best bits.

Ways to give your workspace a creative edge

Home office desk with two wooden stools and gallery of prints on the wall

Does your home office space need a bit of a revamp? If it’s zapping your creative energy you need to make a few changes….and you don’t need to go all out and replace all your home office furniture there are plenty of things you can do on a smaller scale. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired.

1. Clear the clutter

Your home office space has most likely been used way more than normal of late, so have a good sort out. Invest in some new and practical storage or just a desk with drawers to keep your desktop clear. For larger office storage solutions you can opt for some new office cabinets or consider an industrial sideboard if you want to get a piece of furniture that you can use elsewhere in your home if and when you switch back to the communal office space.

2. Create an imageboard

Stick inspirational images, quotes or anything you like, on the wall above your home office desk or in another place in your workspace where you will regularly catch a glimpse of it. Remember to update it regularly with things you see that motivate and inspire you.

3. Give it a colour scheme you enjoy

Think about what colours make you happy, energised and creative. Add these colours into your home office using ornaments, accessories, furniture or rugs. You can be brave and go all out and redecorate the walls and replace the flooring.

Photo featuring: Standford Reclaimed Wood Office Desk, Standford Grey Faux Leather Office Chair

4. Bring in plants

Plants are known to benefit your wellbeing as well as looking stylish. If you’re not very good with indoor plants, even a small pot plant or cactus on your desk will make a difference. There are also some very impressive looking fake plants on the market now. If you need to save space on your desk put plants on shelving, an industrial side table or hang a trailing plant from the ceiling.

5. Make space

Both literally and in your head. Many of us have been using the spare bedroom as an office, why not think about removing the bed? If you tend to only have occasional guests then consider replacing the bed with a sofa bed. A wooden double bed takes up much more room than a sofa bed, you can get a sofa bed with storage to keep the bedding handy, it’s also a great place to sit and think and let the creative juices flow. A sofa bed is also a great place for the kids to come and sit when they get home from school rather than ruffling up the bed all the time.

6. Add energising/creative scents

Use scent to inspire you in your home office space, consider scented candles, a diffuser or an essential oil diffuser. For relaxation, you can go for Lavender, Chamomile, Sandalwood or Almond. For boosting productivity choose from Lemon, Peppermint, Jasmine or Rosemary. There is also the option to have a go at creating your own unique blends.

Home heroes – the benefits of furniture with drawers

Rustic reclaimed wood drawer with ornate black metal handle

We all want an organised, clean, clear and clutter-free home, and of course, the key to achieving this is clever storage that is also easily accessible. So, here we will be looking at rustic furniture that is not only beautiful to look at, but also features handy drawers. Furniture with drawers is a must-have in our books – an unsung hero giving you a place to store and hide items you don’t want on show.

A sideboard with drawers

This is a great place to start – we all know the sideboard with just cupboards, it can be put in the kitchen, dining room or living room. But add some drawers to a large sideboard and you have much more versatile storage opportunities. Drawers are pretty much a must-have on a kitchen sideboard – essential for keeping napkins, serving cutlery and other smaller dining essentials in order.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

A coffee table with drawers

A coffee table is a living room essential but add one with drawers and you have an excellent place for all sorts accessories, such as TV remotes. A coffee table is often a focal point in the room with the sofa and armchairs set around it. It’s a feature your guests will definitely see when they pop round for a morning coffee or evening drinks so make sure it is not cluttered with too many books, coasters and TV remotes. All you need on top of it is an eye-catching centrepiece and the rest can be neatly tucked away in the drawers.

Photo featuring: Farringdon Reclaimed Wood TV Stand

A TV cabinet with drawers

A TV unit is probably the second most important piece of reclaimed wood furniture you will have in your living room. Open shelves are great for consoles and Sky boxes but the TV cabinet holds so much more and you can hide all these bits and bobs away in a drawer. With drawers, you have plenty of hidden storage for all the unsightly media paraphernalia like spare batteries, remote controls/x-box controllers, instruction manuals, books and DVD’s etc. it will keep your rustic TV cabinet looking sleek and stylish rather than cluttered.

Photo featuring: Beam Reclaimed Wood Bedside Table with 2 Drawers

A bedside table with drawers

Essential for a calming bedroom, a bedside unit is the unsung bedroom hero. And if you are looking to replace your unit then please do consider a wooden bedside table with drawers. A place to keep reading glasses, a coaster for your glass of water, your current reading material and so many other things that tend to clutter up bedroom surfaces.

4 Items of furniture you didn’t know your home needed

Bright living room with grey l-shaped sofa and round dining room table

Many of us have at least one piece of furniture that we treasure – a sideboard that was bought as an investment piece or a wardrobe that’s been handed down the family. Then there are the standard pieces in pretty much every home like the sofa, dining table, bed and chests of drawers. But now I would like to bring your attention to reclaimed wood furniture you may not even know your home desperately needs…. and once you have these top picks of ours you will wonder how you ever lived without them!

1 – A wood bookcase

Of course, lots of homes have bookcases in the study or in a children’s bedroom but they are also great for storage and display in the living room. An open bookcase is a great place to display your favourite stylish accessories, houseplants and of course books! A bonus is that you get lots of shelving without taking up too much floor space. Another great way to make use of a bookcase is to position it so it creates zoned areas in an open plan living space.

2 – A rustic coffee table with storage

Most of us do have a coffee table of some sort in our living rooms, but it is generally just a low table. We think a coffee table that doubles up as a place to store items is essential in the living room. Some drawers or a chest to stash away all those little things that you like to have nearby when you are sat down relaxing on the sofa is very handy and can give a whole load of extra storage space. A sturdy coffee table is also great simply to put your feet up on – The Standford industrial coffee table is an ideal choice, a way to bring a modern industrial element into your room as well as two drawers for storage and a handy shelf below.

Pink fabric bench with umbrella and bright pink cushion

3 – A bench

A dining table with a wooden bench is now a common sight in all the interior magazines. But a bench should not be restricted only to the dining room. A plush upholstered bench is great in the living room for when you have guests over and need extra seating, a bench can also be used as a coffee table – just get a decorative tray to pop drinks on it. In the entrance hall, a wooden bench is great so you have somewhere to sit when taking your shoes on and off, why not get one with a top that opens to offer hallway storage? And of course, you can always bring one up to the dining table when you have extra dinner guests and need to squeeze up.

Photo featuring: Knightsbridge Reclaimed Oak Console Table

4 – A hall console table

This gives a great first impression to welcome visitors as they come into your home A narrow console table just inside the hallway gives this normally slightly neglected space a focal point. Stand something decorative on the top, such as fresh cut flowers, a house plant or some family photos. A wall mirror is an ideal thing to hang over it. Perfect for a last once over before you leave the house

How to transform your home into a holiday destination

Meet the makers: Good&Mojo Lighting

‘Buy light, give light’ is the slogan for Good&Mojo, the makers behind our gorgeous sustainable lighting collections, and never has a motto been so close to the truth. The company is known for its smart contemporary designs, but also for its dedication to giving back and helping the planet. We spoke with Britt Templeman of Good&Mojo to find out more about this inspirational company and the good causes it supports…

Sum up Good&Mojo in five words?

Sustainable, fair, unique, nature and Mojo!

Tell our readers a bit more about Good&Mojo?

Good&Mojo was founded in 2016 by our mother company It’sAboutRoMi, a lighting company from Amsterdam dedicated to creating simple, yet strong lighting designs in pure materials.

After the success of our first sustainable lamp, we thought, “why not create a completely sustainable collection with a good cause?” so we did and the Good&Mojo brand was born!

We launched our first sustainable collection in 2016 in association with the WakaWaka Foundation. The organisation provides WakaWaka solar products to families in humanitarian aid situations and improves access to safe and sustainable solar in rural communities. We donate part of the sale of our lights to the foundation to buy and distribute WakaWaka solar lamps, giving access to education, communication and income-generating opportunities.

What does sustainability mean to the company?

It’s everything. Sustainability means helping people and the planet. We believe it’s never too late to make a change and do some good.

Since 2019, we started supporting another good cause; The Eden Reforestation Projects. One tree is planted for every lamp or hanging pendant lights we sell – so far we have planted 75,000 trees!

What sustainable materials do you use to make your lights?

Mostly bamboo, but also cork, recycled paper pulp, woodchip and eco-linen.

How would you describe the Good&Mojo style?

Natural, exotic, bohemian and different.

Where do your designers get their inspiration from?

From nature and travelling. We work with factories in small villages in countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines and are inspired by the natural materials these countries have to offer. Then together with those factories, we design the most beautiful lamps and modern pendant lighting.

Much like reclaimed wood furniture, we’re also inspired by reusing products. For example, we have a lamp made out of woodchips leftover from wood processing. We even have a lamp made out of car tires!

Photo featuring: Darcy Double Pendant Light

How long does it make to make a light?

It depends on the model, but as all our lamps are handmade it can take time. Some lamps can take weeks to produce. On our tube channel, we have all our production videos, so you can see the work that goes into each lamp.

You have named your products after rivers, forests, mountains and regions around the world. Where in the world would you like to visit most?

Probably Bhutan! Bhutan is the only carbon-negative country in the world where political decisions are based on Gross National Happiness.

Photo featuring from left to right: Wicker Dawn Pendant Light and Bamboo Orbital Pendant Light

What’s the key to getting the lighting right in the home?

Have a range of different lights for various parts of the home. Every room has a different purpose and will need its own type of light. A mix of glass table lamps will help set the mood and dimmers are also a great way of being able to adjust your lighting. Many of our lamps have filament LED, which gives a really warm and welcoming light.

Photo featuring: Rattan Gaze Pendant Light

See our collection of Good&Mojo lighting here. Don’t forget, for every table lamp or pendant light sold a donation is made to the WakaWaka Foundation and the Eden Reforestation Projects plant a tree!

How our lovely customers styled our dining tables

Industrial dining table with matching wooden bench

It’s no secret, but we love reclaimed wood furniture! Not just the fact that it is environmentally friendly but also the look, feel and uniqueness of it. Our customers love it too – we can see this in the gorgeous images that are often sent to us or posted on social of the furniture they have bought – beautifully styled and looking straight out of a home interior magazine.

The Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood is proving to be as popular as ever – this image was posted on Instagram by the lovely @bricksandshutters_at_number1 showing just how wonderful the Standford industrial table looks with a mix of wooden dining chairs and the coordinating Standford Industrial Reclaimed wood dining bench. An industrial sideboard completes the dining room furniture by providing stylish storage for serving dishes, table mats and other dining room essentials.

@bricksandshutters_at_number1

@lifeatnumber70 opted for the Kensington Luxe – this stunning table is crafted from salvaged railway sleepers and features shiny silver legs for an elegant industrial look. The clear dining chairs work beautifully here as they allow the feature legs and rustic table top to be seen in all their glory. A centrepiece on a reclaimed wood dining table always looks great like the garland of flowers and leaves used here – you can choose a simple vase with fresh seasonal flowers, twigs or a candlestick. We love how the sun fills this beautiful dining space and can imagine what a wonderful place this is for family and friends to gather.

@lifeatnumber70

@ourhawthorndenhome is demonstrating how great the Hoxton Rustic Oak Trestle Dining Table looks when paired with the sophisticated Florence Cream Fabric Dining Chairs. We love the detail of these upholstered dining chairs – let’s face it when the table is not in use you only see the back of a dining chair – the Florence chairs have this covered with decorative antique brass studwork and practical brass chair-back handles. We love that they so versatile and look just as great in a relaxed farmhouse kitchen as they do in a sophisticated dining room.

@ourhawthorndenhome

The Kensington industrial dining table was a great choice for @inside_no_1_ The tabletop is the same as the Kensington Luxe, crafted from salvaged railway sleepers, but the solid feature legs are in matt black industrial metal. This table has been paired with soft grey faux leather dining chairs. To achieve the industrial style you should match natural materials such as reclaimed wood with functional metal and leather or other natural materials, faux leather chairs are a great alternative if you prefer not to go with a real leather chair.

@inside_no_1_