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

5 Ways to Increase your Home Office Productivity

The home office has the potential to see you at your most productive. Achieving more in less time is something we all try to do, but rarely manage. There are distractions to contend with and our own motivation can sometimes be lacking – especially when those houseplants on top of the industrial furniture really need watering, wouldn’t you say? Your environment may also detract from your productivity. So why not take a seat in one of your leather office chairs, settle in and read these top tips to help increase your home office productivity – it will be a healthy distraction if nothing else!

1 Find peace and quiet

The first thing you need to do when creating the perfect productive home office environment is to find the space that accords you peace, quiet and, if it works for you, solitude.

To get something done, you sometimes just need to ‘get your head down’. You have to blank out the rest of the world, switch your phone off, minimise the email tab, sit down on that white desk chair and keep the ‘noise’ of home life at bay. Heading into an office space within your home full of reclaimed wood furniture can help you do just that.

2 De-clutter your desk (and the rest of your workspace)

When we are ‘busy’, things get piled on our industrial desk. From books we consulted months ago to printouts of spreadsheets that are long obsolete, it is amazing what accumulates.

All that clutter reduces your workspace. If you can’t see the beautiful grain of your reclaimed wood desk, you certainly won’t be able to put your hands on the items you need, which will frustrate you…

Set aside a day – you’ll need a whole day – and de-clutter.

Top tip – if the rest of your home is cluttered with storage systems no longer working, you may also find that this clouds your mind and will be pulling down your productivity. Maybe the time has come to reorganise the whole house, starting with the storage cabinets and working up to the rest of your home office furniture…?

3 Calm the senses

With a quiet space in terms of noise and distraction, you have the beginnings of a calm environment in which to work. But your senses may still be on edge. You need to calm your mind.

With no clutter jarring your vision or noise ringing in your ears, add a calming scent to the room. Don’t choose heady scents that suddenly attack the nose. It needs to be barely there. Scented diffusers work a treat especially with a light floral scent that wafts gently about the room.

4 Set work times

With a long day stretching ahead of you, the sense of urgency can disappear. Setting pre-determined work slots can help. You have two hours, for example, to get the bulk of the report written. And when you do take a break from your reclaimed wood table, make it matter.

Walk the dog or even go for a run around the park, for example. Spend time outside, listen to the afternoon play on the radio… choose what works for you to rebalance and re-energise the mind.

5 Get dressed

We all have different routines, different likes and dislikes but there is evidence to show that getting up, showering and dressing, just as you would if you were going into the office, helps productivity levels remain high.

The armed forces have long used the discipline of ‘getting up and making the bed’ a part of training because it is known to work as a means of setting up the rest of the day. Straighten those sheets and ditch the PJs!

Why an Industrial Home Office Never Goes Out Of Style

Wooden desk with cup of black copy and notebook

The home office should be a comfortable, productive place to work. Style is, therefore, important. There are many schemes you can choose for your home office furniture, but the industrial style never loses its cool. Functional, practical and hardworking, it is a timeless choice that will last for years to come. Here’s how to give your home office an industrial-chic vibe.

Start with a neutral colour palette

The industrial style has a wonderful neutral backdrop to not detract from the typical industrial features that set this style apart from others. If you don’t have brick or steel work to leave exposed, opt for warmer but barely-there shades of very light cream or off-white. You could also stick with crisp white as this also helps the light in the room.

Choose reclaimed wood furniture

The industrial style is a sublime combination of reclaimed wood with cool steel and exposed brick. And so opting for reclaimed wood home office furniture, such as a reclaimed wood desk is a must. However, this doesn’t always mean a rustic or unrefined finish. It means opting for furniture styled to give it the ‘industrial’ edge that you are looking for. For a beautiful reclaimed wood table to leather office chairs, to storage solutions and display units, there are many options.

Get heavy with the metal

Metal is an important element in any scheme but whilst we are used to it being shiny and reflective, in true industrial furniture style you want matt or black metalwork. From the steel legs for a reclaimed wood industrial desk to an all-metal office table or storage item, the use of metal is a must.

Choose office storage that works for you

It is easy to be lulled into thinking that the storage solutions seen in the glossy pages of magazines and websites will be perfect for your home industrial office. Think through what storage solutions will work for you and then set about finding what suits your working needs best. From wooden storage cabinets to open shelving with baskets and wooden boxes, there are many solutions. But they only work if they work for you.

Play with materials

Brick is the obvious choice for channelling an industrial feel, but if you don’t have a red brick wall to expose, you can opt to showcase other industrial materials. Concrete is not just for car parks. And it doesn’t have to be grey and unfinished. Concrete, providing it is the right mix, can be buffed and smoothed to give it an industrial edge. Or why not cheat with concrete effect wallpaper? Add some wood touches and elegant lighting to warm the space.

Opt for pendant lighting

Lighting is key in any space but has extra importance in your working environment. That doesn’t mean you have to opt for harsh lighting or modern fittings. Choose a minimal pendant light fitting – the large metal bowl shade is ideal – and have them clustered or hanging individually in key areas of your home office, such as over your white desk chair or storage cabinets.

Stylish and functional, you won’t regret choosing the industrial style for your home office.

5 Ways to Create an Office Space in your Living Room

White desk with laptop and flowers in glass jar

Working from home is something more of us are doing, which benefits our work-life balance and wellbeing, not to mention the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But finding space to work is difficult, especially when you want somewhere with minimal distractions. The kitchen table is an obvious place, but with a bit of clever manoeuvring, you can de-camp to the comfort of the living room and create a productive working space with reclaimed wood furniture that fits the room whether you’re working or resting.

1 Desk next to the sofa

The sofa offers a number of opportunities to carve a stylish work zone. If space is limited, layering your furniture could be the answer. Add a narrow or console desk behind the sofa to create a work space and pop a rug under the desk to subtly separate it from the rest of the room. Additionally, instead of a side table next to your sofa, place a reclaimed wood desk at the end. To help the desk blend in, add a stylish table lamp that fits with the rest of the room.

2 Choose a desk that complements the style of the room

The temptation of working in the living room is that we flop onto the sofa with our laptop balancing on our knee. Whilst this is OK every now and then, for a work session where you need to get through plenty of work, a desk is a must. In the living room, you want a desk that fits with your style, such as an industrial desk for the industrial styled living room. The same is true for all the other office furniture you need including chair and storage cabinets.

3 Make the most of a nook & integrate the desk

An alcove or space next to the fireplace can make an ideal snug mini office. Consider a floating shelf for a desk that can convert into a display shelf at the weekends or pair a desk with a chair for an arrangement that will blend with the living room. Another trick is to style the area with art or framed photos on the wall above the desk – this not only makes it a delightful place to work, but will make a lovely addition to the living room.

4 Use accessories to change the tone of the desk

When you work, you want an office table that offers you plenty of space. But when you are not working, you want your desk to look like a piece of living room furniture. You don’t want your work area to be constantly reminding you of just how much you have to do when you are enjoying down time. As well as opting for a style of desk that fits with your interior scheme, using trinkets and other accessories can also make a huge difference. Simply clear them away when you are working, but return them to the desktop when you’ve finished for the day. As you use the room in the evening or any other non-working time, you won’t be ‘looking at your work desk’.

5 The office chair is important too

The other issue you’ll battle with when your desk is in the living room is the desk chair. Don’t forsake your comfort for a tiny chair so that you don’t have an eye-sore of a modern desk chair in the living room! The good news is that there are alternative to these dark plastic looking chairs. For example, if you have a modern style, opting for a white office chair is ideal and a handy extra seat when you have company. For the industrial look or for a contemporary feel, leather office chairs are a great choice.

Take Another Look at the Industrial Dining Table

Industrial dining table with matching wooden bench

The industrial style is a décor scheme that shows no sign of falling out of favour any time soon. But for many people, the belief that the industrial style is only about exposed brickwork and dark metal, which is not always true. When it comes to the industrial dining table, for example, they assume that there is a choice of one style and one only. But take another look as you’ll see that there are many choices to inspire the industrial dining room.

The classic industrial

Firstly, topping the list of our best-selling industrial dining tables is the classic industrial look.

This is the look that many people associate with the style – that is, the classic black steel leg frame with rustic reclaimed wood furniture top. It is a classic combination and one that epitomises the industrial style which is why the marriage of reclaimed wood and steel is still favoured by interior designers and style hunters looking for the archetypal industrial dining table.

Maintain simplicity around it too, so that the underlying principles of this style can shine. Opt for leather upholstered dining chairs, another classic staple that sits easily alongside all manner of industrial furniture. Choose chairs that have a classic simplicity about them to produce the streamlined clean look associated with this style.

The glamorous industrial look

The original industrial look was born from loft living in old, industrial buildings that have a long heritage in the industrial world. And so it’s no surprise that the raw materials left behind from this bygone time were – and still are – embraced.

That doesn’t mean that the industrial look, and industrial furniture itself, can’t enjoy an injection of glamour every now and then.

The glammed up industrial look has become popular in recent seasons with homeowners looking to add their own spin on this beautiful style. And so switching up the metal finish from black steel to polished chrome or gold-coloured metal is the perfect solution.

The combination of high shine metal finishes with a rustic reclaimed wood tabletop is sublime and gives a more polished and grown-up spin to the industrial look.

Match upholstered dining chairs with the same high shine finish as its industrial dining table counterpart or fabric chairs with studded detailing for a glam-rock vibe and you have a dining table and chairs combination good enough for the dance floor.

Industrial spider leg detailing

And finally, another notable change that is popular with our customers is extra detailing in the shape of spider leg industrial dining tables.

Sometimes it is the updating of the smallest of details that has the biggest impact. When you want something different but don’t want to leave the principles of the design scheme behind, then the spider leg table will be top of the list.

It is super practical too – you have more leg space beneath the small dining table, for example, as well as it adding extra notes of interest without cluttering the space or the eyeline.

Take a fresh look at industrial dining tables to relish the choice

From a round dining table to an imposing industrial dining table that commands attention, the choice of this style of table is much bigger than you may think. Time to take a fresh look, perhaps…?

Spring Clean Your Hallway in 6 easy steps

You may still need a warm outer layer in spring but the heavy boots and winter coats can be safely stored away now that the first shoots of the season are visible. For the hallway, this is a welcome update and a chance to give it a fresh new look. The first impressions in the hallway do matter, so here’s how to spring clean your hallway…

STEP 1 – Thin out coats, bags, hats, shoes and boots

The hallway bench and other shoe storage ideas have seen you through the winter but now is the time to minimise all the winter clutter so that the brightness of spring can filter into your home. Wash and thoroughly dry coats, hats and scarves or have them dry-cleaned and then pack away in the spare bedroom wardrobe or blanket chest until they are needed again.

STEP 2 – Declutter the hidden stuff too!

The storage bench seat has offered immeasurable storage solutions over the winter months but there will be stuff gathered in the bottom of the hallway storage bench that really don’t need to be there.

Odd gloves, hats and dried pieces of mud from boots make their way into the corners, so give it a good clear to make room for spring and summer atire. The same can be said for the console table drawer or the sideboard cupboard that has offered so much. Recycle or repurpose items that you will no longer use rather than throwing them away.

STEP 3 – The hallway lighting

Dust and grime gather in the most awkward of places and although it may be a place through which people pass and not loiter, you’ll be amazed at just how dirty some hallway accoutrements become. The hallway pendant light, for example, should be taken down and washed, if possible, or carefully cleaned until sparkling again.

STEP 4 – Clean the hallway mirrors

A hallway mirror is somewhat essential. In a smaller space, it allows for light to be reflected, giving the hallway a larger, more spacious appeal to it. The layer of dust that has accumulated on its surface will not have been noticed in the gloom of winter but with the arrival of spring, the sunshine has a habit of naming and shaming the errors of our housekeeping… with cloth in hand and a quality streak-free cleaning solution, clean the round wall mirror and any other reflective surfaces you have in the hallway.

STEP 5 – Deep clean the floor and staircase

The one aspect of the hallway that takes a real battering over winter is the floor. You’ll have vacuumed and mopped several times over the winter months but again, spring sunshine has a habit of showing us the layers of dust that we haven’t seen. Start by vacuuming behind hallway furniture, as well as the staircase and other areas in the hallway. Go chemical free and use a homemade cleaning solution – bicarbonate of soda in warm water with a generous splash of lemon juice for scent – mop the floor, wipe down skirting boards, surfaces and door handles so that every part of the hallway is sparkling clean.

STEP 6 – Switching up the accessories

During winter, a scented candle in a storm jar in the hallway was perfect for giving it a welcoming and pleasant scent but you can switch up the scent by adding fresh, blooming flowers to the narrow console table from springtime onwards. Just as you do this, swap your accessories too, to give you something new to look on your reclaimed wood table at as you leave and enter your home.

The Beauty of the Small Dining Table

Small dark wooden table with linen cushions

If you dream of a large welcoming dining room complete with a substantial reclaimed wood dining table taking centre stage against other pieces of reclaimed wood furniture, you are not alone. It’s a fantasy many of us harbour, but the reality is often a lot different. And this means that when it comes to choosing a dining table for a small space, we have to make sure we make a clever choice. That said, the range of options when it comes to small dining tables is not limited. Just how do you make the most of your dining space with the beauty of a small dining table?

1 Opt for a foldaway or extendable table

If you use the dining table occasionally, a foldaway table gives the best of both worlds – you have a dining table when you need it but plenty of floor space when you don’t. A round extending table could offer the same benefit in that you have a smaller table for most days, but more dining space when you need it.

2 Go bright

The temptation to maximise the feeling of space is to go with white walls and reflective surfaces but, some designers are of the opinion that if the space is small, you should embrace it. Bright colours with a hint of pastel shades are right on trend at the moment. As well as pastel shades for the wall, opt for jewelled coloured upholstered dining chairs for your small round dining table or add coloured table covers to brighten up and make a feature of your reclaimed wood dining table.

3 Opt for a bar table

For homes where space in the kitchen really is very limited, opting for a dining table, especially if it’s just for the two of you, could swallow up space you can ill-afford to lose. There is another option and it comes in the shape of a bar table.

There are many stylish bar tables and so you are sure to find something that fits with your style whether that is the industrial style or the farmhouse look. Add some comfy bar stools and you will be happy to while away an evening supper, linger over a long lunch or catch-up with friends over a quick morning coffee.

4 Opt for streamlined dining benches

You don’t just have to think about the dining table but the chairs too. When you have little space to play with, no matter how small or bijou your chosen industrial dining table or round dining table is, with dining chairs added it can all feel too much and too cluttered.

Stools can make for a handy seating solution at a dining table when space is limited. That said, they aren’t suitable for everybody, but as an occasional seating solution, they are perfect.

The solution may lie in a streamline dining bench. No clutter and no fuss, when not in use, simply pop under the table or push up against the wall.

5 Think outside the box

If you have plentiful space in the hallway or corridor, for example, but limited space in the corner of your kitchen diner, who says that you can’t think outside the box and utilise this space as your dining space?

With the right accessories and choice of dining table, it may be more comfortable all round to move the table into an area where there is more space for the table and for diners. Maybe not the bedroom (or bathroom!), but a living room, walkway or long hallway could be ideal. Give it try!

The Lazy Guide to Spring Cleaning Your Home

Whole lemons and halved lemons on white surface

Cleaning may be therapeutic to some but for others, keeping on top of the dust, dirt and grime in the home is a chore. And with a change of season on the doorstep, the dreaded spring clean is once again upon us. However, you can give your home a new lease of life without hours of scrubbing and cleaning. Here’s the lazy guide to spring cleaning your hoe. We won’t tell if you don’t…..

Embrace symmetry

The thing with winter is that we tend to ‘huddle’ in our homes, cowering from the winter chill under many layers. And that means the symmetry or balance in a room can be knocked off-kilter as furniture is moved so that we bunch together for warmth. Simply moving your reclaimed wood furniture so that the room is symmetrical once again really works in giving your home the lift it needs in spring.

What does this mean? Balance your modern sofa with a side table at either end and a reclaimed wood coffee table placed front and centre, for example, or cluster things in threes on the rustic shelves or wood bookcase in the living room.

Clear surfaces

This goes for all rooms but in the kitchen, the bathroom and areas like the slimline console table in the hallway, as items tend to gather on tops of furniture. Whittle down these items so that you can see ‘space’ on work and tabletops.

Streamline the coat rack in the hall…

… and store away heavier winter boots and shoes. It’s amazing the difference it makes to the appearance of your home when you streamline items. Bulkier coats should be washed or dry cleaned and then safely stored away until the chill of autumn winds arrive.

Nourish the leather sofa

The sofa is the place where the family will pile onto at the end of the day and has probably had its fair share of spills and stains over the winter period. Look after your prized brown leather sofa by giving some love in the shape of cleaning it with nourishing leather wipes or cleaner. It’ll carry on giving you years of service if you do so.

Switch up the scent in a room

Scented candles are perfect for winter, especially those with spicy or musky scents. With the arrival of spring, lightening up the scent in your home by introducing floral notes. Stick with lighter perfumes for your large candles as the times isn’t right for anything too heady or perfumed just yet.

Get to grips with storage

The beauty of reclaimed wood furniture is that it is designed and made into ‘new’ pieces of furniture with the modern home in mind – and that means clever storage solutions. And so with spring knocking at the door, get organised with your home storage so that it is always tidy and aesthetically pleasing. A storage chest acting as a coffee table in the living room is a perfect example or a wooden blanket box in the bedroom hides a multitude of messy sins.

Give the hallway some stylistic attention

And finally, first impressions count, so we head back to the hallway. Giving your hallway a bit of style is a great way of making it look like you have spent hours cleaning and ordering your home to give it the warm and welcoming vibe you want it to exude. Add pretty table lamps and update the central light with a pendant light or new shade for a fresh new look this spring.

7 ways to prepare your living room for spring

At last, the gloom and chill of winter are finally giving way to spring. As the soil warms, spring bulbs blossom with the trees and shrubs awakening from their winter hiatus with delicate new buds. The birds serenade us with their morning chorus and all seems right in the world now that the sun is shining once again.

For the interior of our homes, that means clearing away winter bits and bobs so that spring can flood in. Here are seven ways to let spring bounce into your home.

1. Bring out the vases

Adding fresh flowers to your home will always change the scent and appearance of a room and so with spring on the doorstep and warm sunshine pouring through the window, add colour and gentle scent with bunches of fresh flowers, placing them on your oak side table and rustic TV stand. Choose spring-like flowers such as freesias, as well as generous bunches of roses in pretty pastel shades.

2. Get rid of winter clutter

The way we live in our homes changes with the seasons. We spend winter cocooned in the warm embrace of the living room but now is the time to cast off some of these layers, so spend time decluttering the living room. A coffee table with storage is perfect for storing away the thick wood blankets, whilst keeping them close by for cooler evenings, this is spring after all.

3. Spruce up the display unit and bookcases

Again, this is about creating an aesthetic appeal that sits with the warmer months of spring and summer. Switching up ideas will always give a room new life so that the living room has a chance to ‘breathe’ again. It could be something as simple as arranging books on the reclaimed wood shelves in pockets of colour, putting away accessories and replacing with different ones for the coming months. Replace those rich and warming candles that kept you cosy all winter and replace them with lighter and brighter scents.

4. Create new displays

They say a change is as good as a rest, and so with the change of seasons why not give your home a new look simply by having a change around. You may still light a fire of an evening but you may no longer need the sofa and armchairs placed so close to the fire so why not move your reclaimed wood furniture around so that you have a fresh new layout to the room?

5. Tone down the fireplace

Staying with the area around the fire, because we use it daily during winter, the area becomes cluttered with essential items from firewood, coal buckets and utensils for keeping the fire burning in the grate. In spring and summer, confine these to a cupboard or storage area where they can be hidden away and streamline and de-clutter the fire and mantelpiece. It will always be a feature of the living room but in spring it doesn’t have to be the main or only feature.

6. Clean the windows and freshen up the drapes

Again, heavy bundles of curtains at the windows over winter give your living room a warm and cosy feel and helps keep out the cold. But in spring, it can feel like overload. Maximise the first few rays of spring sunshine by cleaning the windows and washing or dry cleaning the curtains. And clean any mirrors in the living room too to bounce that spring light around the room.

7. Change over the cushions and rugs too

As well as freshening up all the linen in the living room, you may also want to consider changing the cushions covers and even the living room rugs for ones that are lighter in both colour and pattern. Replacing cushion covers are a great way to update a living room or old sofa. Spring tends to be the season of pastel colours, so why embrace this new lightness into your home?

Are you ready to embrace spring? We know we are!

Why a farmhouse style kitchen never dates

The kitchen is where all the action of a busy family home happens. Labelled as the heart of the home, creating a stylish space is a must. If there is one style that spells out comfort and homeliness in the kitchen, it is the farmhouse style.

Whether you live in a remote spot in the country or have city traffic hurtling passed your front door, the farmhouse kitchen style can fit in both rural and urban homes. It can be both cosy and lived-in, grand and luxurious. Here’s how to create the farmhouse style in the kitchen that never dates…

Mix with the warm and cool

The farmhouse style is synonymous with warm tones, especially as rustic, reclaimed wood furniture features strongly. For a modern twist, mix warm with cool tones. You can do this with crisp white-painted furniture and pretty tableware.

Get the flooring right

Of all the components of a kitchen, the one that you won’t change frequently is the floor. Making the right choice is important and when it comes to kitchen flooring for the farmhouse style, opting for natural stone or synthetic material that emulates it is key to success. Clearly, hard flooring in the kitchen is the more practical choice but if you feel you want an extra layer of warmth, both physically underfoot and visually too, a neutral coloured rug under the dining table is ideal.

Add a statement piece of furniture

The farmhouse kitchen style is understated and yet, there is something about it that makes it stand out from all other styles. The grandiose of a kitchen dresser, for example, is a brilliant statement piece. But it’s not just about looks. This piece of furniture is enormously practical too, with storage space for all your kitchen equipment, including cutlery, plates and more.

Add neutral colours (but with a twist)

There is nothing in the rule book that says the traditional farmhouse style cannot be paired with key modern elements. Colour, for example, is an important component of any interior design style. The farmhouse style has always embraced neutral but warm colour tones from creams to pretty yellow and sage green. Adding a twist of the modern is super-easy with colour. For a neutral, but warm tone Dulux’s Tranquil Dawn is perfect against reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen, just as Pantone’s Classic Blue would bring a welcome hint of drama alongside your reclaimed wood dining table.

Embrace a solid wood oak dining table – and let it take centre stage

The dining table is more than just a platform from which to eat. All of life happens around it, from the daily grind of homework to tears and laughter.

For many people, the most attractive element of the farmhouse kitchen style is the gargantuan dining table at its heart. A solid wood oak dining table with chairs and/or a dining bench embraces people. It looks solid, comforting and familiar. It is imposing without being overly forceful. Let it take centre stage…

Add a cooking range

From the iconic shape and styling of an Aga to a modern equivalent, the cooking range is almost a given in the farmhouse kitchen. An Aga throws off a gently, delicious heat that in the depths of a dark, cold winter, is welcoming and comforting. Offset this traditional style with modern elements, such as a beautiful pendant light over the kitchen island or the dining table and you have the perfect farmhouse style kitchen, ready for modern life.