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

Luxe Up Your Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Luxe dining room with reclaimed wood dining table

Reclaimed wood furniture doesn’t have to mean to rough and ready. In fact, many pieces made from reclaimed wood are so skilfully crafted that the new lease of life the wood is given is both refined and detailed. Give your reclaimed wood furniture more than a touch of luxury with these styling ideas.

Add sparkle with mirrors

Mirrors are often seen as a necessity in a room because they reflect and play with natural light. But they are also a worthy addition in their own right, adding a hint of sparkle that we often associate with glamour.

However, adding too much sparkle can detract from the main player in the room – the reclaimed wood furniture – and so a well-chosen mirror can work wonders to throw a spotlight on a piece. Hang a mirror above your small or large sideboard, for example – leave a small gap between the base of the mirror and the wooden sideboards – but don’t go too large or the effect is lost.

This is perfect for throwing light onto the detail of the Glasgow Reclaimed Elm Cabinet, for example. And there’s no reason why you can’t add a dramatic mirror, like our Hatfield Wall Mirror, to attract attention either.

Add texture with upholstered chairs

If you’ve opted for a reclaimed wood dining table you may assume that the dining chairs will need to have the same utilitarian approach. Whilst there is certainly a place for wooden dining chairs – they are great in many stylish dining room schemes – if you want to ramp up the luxe feel of the dining room, you can’t go wrong with upholstered dining chairs.

Velvet upholstered dining chairs certainly add a whole new level of sophisticated glamour (not to mention comfort) to the Luxe Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table, especially when you opt for jewelled colours. In fact, upholstered chairs work great with any rustic dining table, including the many examples of rustic dining tables in our range.

Even neutral shades of upholstered dining chairs can bring glamour merely by offering texture. This approach works with the elegance of the Hoxton reclaimed wood refectory table, for example.

Textures

Reclaimed wood furniture comes with a unique texture all of its own, from the more raw, rustic pieces to the smoother, refined elegance of farmhouse and Scandinavian styled pieces.

Adding more texture is a sure-fire way of adding luxury and glamour. But this doesn’t always mean adding fluffy cushions or deep pile rugs.

Introducing something as simple as a linen tablecloth or napkins to the wooden dining table made from reclaimed wood is an addition that can help up the ante when it comes to luxury.

Velvet dining chairs, with their soft and tactile pile, also fit the bill as do short pile rugs beneath the feet.

Accessories

From tall, lithe vases to an abundance of lush green house plants, the range of accessories that attract attention to your reclaimed wood furniture is almost limitless.

Scented candles and diffusers add both a note of interest in the room as well as a gentle scent.

Depending on your scheme and what you want to achieve, clustering neutral coloured items on a sideboard, for example, can be impressive, as too can a single, tall, elegantly coloured piece of ceramic or glass.

So, to bring out the glamorous features of your reclaimed wood furniture and luxe-up your dining space, use texture, colour and light to bring out its inner sparkle. Stilettos and tiaras optional!

Give your home a cruelty-free makeover

The message that the environment and our planet can no longer sustain our current choices is being heard by a growing number of people. There are many drivers, one of which is opting for a vegan lifestyle. Choosing products and items for your home that are cruelty-free and made from sustainable, environmentally-friendly sources is key. But how do you know you are making cruelty-free choices for your home? Just what do you look for?

1 Opt for ‘faux’ materials rather than animal skins

Leather is a superior material, hardwearing and robust but when the source of the leather cannot be verified – and that’s quite often the case – choosing faux leather is a better option. Just as hard-wearing and robust, it is hard to tell the difference between one and the other and so faux leather dining chairs will offer the same style and finish for your dining room with no harm to animals.

2 Choose reclaimed wood furniture for your home

Choosing furniture from sustainable sources makes sense at a time when the world’s natural resources are under pressure. Reclaimed wood furniture is made from hardwoods that have served a different purpose. Using skilled craftspeople, what looks like large chunks of wood and beams can be made into beautiful, stylish pieces from bedframes to reclaimed wood dining tables.

3 Use eco-friendly paint

The technology behind paint and the dying of paint is one that has developed enormously in recent years. Traditional paints, both gloss and emulsion, however, have tended to not only swallow a lot of natural resources but also a lot of energy too. Removing chemicals from paints has, in the past, meant the quality was not what we expected – until now, that is. Eco-friendly paints are low fumes but of the high quality that we expect, the perfect partner for reclaimed wood furniture.

4 Use natural materials from sustainable sources

We mentioned cruelty-free materials, but natural materials are also an ideal option. You need to be confident that they are from sustainable sources, however, and the people who grow, farm and process them are paid a fair wage. Rattan and bamboo are two materials that tick all the boxes. Fast growing, they can be harvested quickly and once dried in the sun, become incredibly strong. Their strength is magnified when woven together. With different colour options too and plenty of choices including rattan dining chairs and bamboo pendant lights. And don’t forget to dress the table with natural fabrics too, such as beautiful linen napkins and tablecloths.

5 Choose recycled glass items

Glass is a material that can be easily recycled and so opting for recycled glass wear in your home is also a great move towards sustainability. Who knows what life this recycled glass table lamp had previously, but isn’t it wonderful to think about?

Using cruelty-free and reclaimed materials in your home doesn’t limit your choice but enhances it. How will you make a start?

Go vegan with fabulous faux leather dining chairs

Dark brown faux leather chairs around a reclaimed wooden dining table with decor

November is World Vegan Month, a chance to raise awareness about not just eating vegan but opting for a vegan lifestyle. Some people still think of veganism as being extreme but it could hold the answer to the growing environmental crisis we are all facing. Incorporating vegan or cruelty-free aspects into interior design and décor is growing at a fast pace but what does this actually mean?

Sustainable, cruelty-free furniture and products in the modern dining room (and across the home)

The dining room is a wonderful space for family and friends to gather which is why you want it to be stylish. Reclaimed wood furniture, as well as other sustainable, natural materials, are ideal for the modern dining room. And with cruelty-free also on your mind, you’ll be pleased to know that no animal (or the environment) were harmed in the styling of your dining room.

Reclaimed wood dining table

With your dining room walls daubed with your favourite shade of eco-friendly paint, you can start to dress the room with the must-have furniture and items. Start with a reclaimed wood dining table.

Made using reclaimed hardwood such as English oak beams, reclaimed wood tables come in a range of finishes and styles so no matter what final look you are opting for, there is a table that will fit with your rustic style, the industrial look as well as a contemporary finish or Scandinavian appeal.

Pair with faux leather dining chairs

Leather is a soft, supple material that is the by-product of the beef industry. Whether you are a meat-eater or not, we are all becoming more aware of how animals are treated. Unless leather is certified as cruelty-free, you are unlikely to ever really know where the leather came from.

Faux leather is the synthetic equivalent and boasts all the same properties as its natural counterpart. Faux leather dining chairs are the perfect accompaniment to a reclaimed wood dining table. With so many choices of faux leather dining chair, just how will you decide?

Fabric dining chairs can be cruelty-free too

When opting for natural materials, choose ones that are grown and farmed organically, and from a source that is both fair to workers and sustainable. Cotton can be organic and sustainable, as too can other materials, used in upholstered dining chairs. Cotton or linen fabric dining chairs are a great choice, with many being at the cutting edge of stylish, modern dining chairs.

Choose a style that embraces the sustainable, cruelty-free choices

Of course, opting for an interior design style that embraces and welcomes sustainable, cruelty-free materials and products will help in your final choices. The rustic style has long been embedded in using reclaimed and repurposed materials, as has the farmhouse style. The industrial edgy look was born from living in partly-converted buildings that embraced their industrial past. And the Scandinavian style is one passionate about the use of natural materials that bring the spirit of the natural world inside.

5 steps to hygge happiness with living room storage

Industrial style dining room with reclaimed wood coffee table and TV unit with a zig zag rug and plants

The nights are drawing in and whilst we’ll miss the glorious sunshine and warmth, there is something enticing about returning home on a winter’s evening to a snug and cosy living room. Make your living room extra cosy and appealing with these tips.

1 Keep blankets close to hand

Blankets and throws are perfect for the cosy living room for many reasons. They can add a dash of colour and texture with pattern but they are also a practical addition. Drape it over you as you snuggle down for the evening’s film or soap opera marathon to keep the chill at bay.

But there is the question of how to store them. Draped artfully over the sofa or armchairs is one option but can look messy. A reclaimed wooden blanket box is ideal. Keep your blankets in it until you need them but have a handy coffee table top for drinks and the like.

2 Add candles to your bookshelves

There is no better time to enjoy the gentle flickering candle flame than in the evening. Adding a gentle glow to the living room, candles on bookshelves add instant cosy appeal. Better still, opt for scented candles that allow a delicate fragrance to hand in the air.

3 Add diffusers for all day (and night) scent

Candles should never be left unaccompanied when lit but you’ll want a gentle fragrance to fill the room during the day. Diffusers are an ideal solution. Place these on your rustic coffee table or again, use the diffuser to adorn open shelving in the living room or on your sideboard. As you move about the room, its fragrance will be gently fanned around the space.

4 Opt for a coffee table with storage to hide the clutter

Whether it’s kids’ toys or a steadily growing pile of magazines and newspapers (or matches and other candle and fire lighting paraphernalia), hiding them from view is also a great way of creating a cosy living room landscape.

By hiding things away in a coffee table with storage, you allow your senses to alight on the important things in the room such as the feeling of warmth from the fire, the appealing gentle fragrance of scented candles and the welcoming warmth of cushions and blankets.

There are other options for hidden storage too such as footstools with storage. A leather footstool adds texture and a hint of luxury to the living room and its perfect for resting your weary feet at the end of the day. Equally as appealing and practical is a rattan footstool and can be used as a low-level side table too.

5 Keep lighting low

Layers of light work best in any room but in the living room, soft lighting adds the glow of cosiness you want and need. Switch off the main pendant light and enjoy the soft glow (choose warm white bulbs) in lamps on the rustic coffee table and side tables.

Make sure you don’t have dark corners or shady spots in the living room, however as this will detract from just how cosy the space is.

Tidy office, tidy mind – Smart ways to de-clutter your office

Laptop on top of a dark wood office desk

Some of us appear to thrive with a less-than-tidy desk. Or do we? With strong scientific evidence that a cluttered work environment stifles our focus and creativity, the time has come to try it. But that means upping your office storage solutions and making changes to your home office.

Boxes and trunks are great for quick, easy wipe-it-away decluttering

Decluttering in the home office tends to take a back seat when work is so busy and relentless all of the time. The secret to a tidy desk is to have storage solutions that are quick, easy and simple to use.

A box with a lid is perfect. But what you don’t want is a teetering column of boxes in the corner so opt for one box, two at the most and make it a monthly activity that you empty the boxes contents and recycle, shred and get rid of the contents.

Avoid the clutter of boxes in the office with hideaway storage such as a sideboard, ideal as office storage and for complementing the reclaimed wood furniture you’ve chosen for your working space.

Tidy doesn’t mean featureless

Clutter is the stuff that doesn’t need to be there or directly correlate to what you do in your home office but getting rid of everything under this definition means you’ll create a featureless, boring landscape.

This is not what a tidy desk is all about. Being surrounded by pretty things and items you like can be just as good for creativity and focus as a tidy desk.

Open shelving is perfect as office storage BUT you need to be confident that those open shelves won’t become a dumping ground for ‘stuff’.

Industrial shelving is the ideal solution. Space for important books and files but also space for accessories that give your home office character and appeal. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from choosing office storage that is pleasant to look at. For example, the industrial metal storage cabinet from the Aviator collection is surely welcome in every home office?

Create order

A tidy industrial desk is one that allows you to get on with work but for you to be able to ‘see’ clearly. So the printed document you need to consult or the tools you need to reach for all need to be within easy distance of you as you sit or stand at your desk.

Therefore, for a tidy desk, you need one that suits what you do and offers the simple office storage solutions you need.

A larger reclaimed wood desk with ample storage is fantastic, especially if you want integrated storage at your fingertips. Opt for a desk that offers you plenty of drawer and cupboard space.

Sparkling Bonfire Night storage ideas

Full of colour and excitement, bonfire night is a favourite time of year for many people. But, no matter how much you love it, hosting a party in which guests trample mud into your home from the garden or coats, scarves and hats get piled in a room is most definitely not welcome. How can you make sure your hallway is welcoming but also practical?

Bench seats

A hallway storage bench is an ideal option and not just for bonfire night but every day of the year. With clever storage solutions – simply pop shoes and boots on one shelf or box and hat, gloves and scarves in the other – this is a multifunctional piece of furniture. Acting as a stool, you have a comfy seat to sit whilst shoes and boots are pulled off.

There are different sizes of wood storage bench too. Opt for a small bench, perfect for a corner in the hallway or, if you have a longer expanse of wall opt for a longer bench that has three or four baskets for storage of winter clothing and boots.

Open storage

Some hallway benches have storage in the shape of wicker or rattan baskets. These are a great solution as they are easy to keep clean. Simply vacuum them every now and then. If they do get muddy or dirty, wipe them over with warm water and a mild detergent and leave them to air dry thoroughly.

Another solution is to opt for a storage bench seat in the hallway that has separate compartments so that every member of the family has their own ‘pigeonhole’ for storing shoes and boots. Easy to keep clean – sweep out dried mud – they are perfect at both the front and back door entrances to your home.

If you want somewhere to store wellingtons or other boots, opt for a storage bench seat that has a wider and taller slot.

Storage bench with lift up lid

Another solution for welcoming guests in the hallway but also as a piece of reclaimed wood furniture with storage is to opt for a flat-top blanket chest or trunk in the hallway.

This versatile piece of furniture can act as a blanket or linen store in the bedroom but if you feel storage is lacking in the hallway, it also makes a great seat-with-storage solution too.

It is also a great ad hoc solution for bonfire night when you know you’ll have guests and need a quick and easy solution to store hats, gloves and scarves!

Opting for a flat top hallway trunk means people can sit on it but simply lift the lid to toss their hat or gloves inside.

A simple hallway bench

As we’ve seen, sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. When it comes to creating a welcoming hallway, is there anything better than a simple hallway bench?

Whether you enjoy the contemporary style in your home, or the industrial or rustic, a simple hallway bench will slot right in. Add a cushion or two for comfort, colour and texture along with open baskets or wine boxes underneath to keep shoes, scarves, gloves and hats neat, tidy and out of the way.

Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of our latest photoshoot

A photographer taking a close up photo of our Sussex Oak Parquet Industrial Oval Dining Table

Discover how our furniture and homeware are brought to life on set of our photoshoots.

Simon, our photographer, getting the right angle of our Sussex Oak Parquet Industrial Oval Dining Table. Don’t you think the black Bamboo Orbital pendant light complements the black metal spider legs wonderfully?

It’s been a busy few months here at Modish Living HQ! As well as sourcing, selling and ensuring the delivery of our beautiful reclaimed wood furniture and sustainably sourced furniture and homeware, we embarked on a series of lifestyle photoshoots. Four shoot days, 15 different interior settings in one studio, using over 25 items of furniture… It was a lot of work, but a hell of a lot of fun! Go with us behind the scenes and discover what it takes to get the perfect shot.

The first shoot was held on a stifling hot day in July and a sense of eager anticipation was heating up in the Modish Living studio as much as the temperature outside. The styling props were being unwrapped, the furniture assembled and Macy and Dave, our resident pooches, were wagging their tails in excitement.

While good design speaks for itself, it is the interior experts who help style and shoot our collections that truly bring them to life. We teamed up with stylist, Gemma Gear, and photographer, Simon Eldon, to create the inspiring set of visuals you see on our website and social channels.

Using her brilliant eye for detail and knowledge of interior trends, Gemma had already created a multiple of mood boards with the key creative direction for each scene. With the furniture in situ, Gemma put her styling magic to work, dressing the sets with a mixture of Modish Living home accessories and other props to bring a little reality and create a genuine ‘at-home’ environment.

This helps you visualise how our collections could work in your home. We all know that no matter how lovely it is, a wooden table on its own can sometimes look a little uninspiring. Set it within a dining room with complementing upholstered dining chairs, a wooden sideboard, big mirror and modern lighting, dressed in beautiful linen table covers, stoneware and glasses and you can see the reclaimed wood dining table in its full lust-worthy glory.

Once the set is ready it’s time to get snap happy. Simon begins by taking a series of shots from various angles, each with different exposure times to get different lighting effects. It’s all very technical and as Simon waves his bright camera lights around to create different shadows and highlight particular elements in a shot, we’re thankful to have his photographic expertise.

It takes a number of attempts to get the shot we want. We look at different chair options. Should we use leather dining chairs or a wooden bench? Does a tall planter look better than a large plant? Once we’re all happy, it’s straight onto the next scene – well, maybe a brief, but absolutely essential, interlude for a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit! The furniture for the next shoot has already been assembled and whilst Gemma is busy styling the new set, the previously photographed furniture and props are dismantled and boxed safely away before the team start assembling the pieces for the next shot – as you can well imagine, it’s all go!

It’s a long day, and as we watch the sun setting behind the sea (the perks of having a studio with sea views!), we’re exhausted but thrilled with the end results.

Our Amalfi Industrial H-Bar Oak Dining Table looking ready for its close-up

Macy trying to steal the limelight from our stunningly styled Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Table

Gemma adds the finishing touches to our Large Farringdon Reclaimed Wood Trestle Table Dining Set. Did you spot our new Sintra Round Wall Mirror in the background?

Simon checking how his shot of our Dorset Reclaimed Wood Extending Table with Bamboo Darcy Double Pendant light looks on screen.

Gemma and Simon with co-founder, Hellen, bringing our Mitcham Spider Leg Industrial Dining Table to life.

From stylish dining room to a chic bedroom.

Our resident model back in the frame, showing us her best side!

Keep a lookout for all the beautiful images from our photoshoots on our website and social channels. And, don’t forget to share your favourite photo at @modishliving.

5 Ways to go eco-chic in your kitchen

Rustic living room in earthy colours with a wooden dining table

We all know that we have to play our part in slowing climate change. Take a look at your lifestyle and habits, and you’ll be amazed to discover just how wasteful and environmentally unfriendly even the most mundane of everyday tasks can be! The eco-friendly kitchen is a great way of acting on climate change but how?

1 Opt for products made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials

When plastic was invented it revolutionised our lives, so much so that today we don’t blink when we buy plastic utensils for the kitchen. Cheap and robust, they may last a lifetime, but unfortunately they take a lot of energy and natural resources to make.

If replacing items in the kitchen is on the horizon, why not look for;

Crockery made from recycled materials or made from ‘waste’ materials such as offcuts
Reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen is just as robust, strong and stylish and something ‘brand new’
Stick with sustainably sourced materials from wooden spoons to a reclaimed wood dining table
Reclaimed wood is used for all kinds of furniture including the kitchen bench, wooden dining chairs, coffee tables and more.

2 Opt for natural materials

Again, the issue many of us have is that synthetic materials tend to be not only cheaper, but more readily available. Like plastic, many synthetic materials are made using a huge amount of energy and natural resources, such as oil. You’ll also be surprised at just how many things contain plastic without realising.

Natural materials are strong, easy to look after and like reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen, are stylish too.

Why not try…?

Linen – table linens come in all shapes, sizes and colours, perfect for adding warmth and colour to your reclaimed wood dining table. White napkins, for example, instantly transform a reclaimed wood dining table into a chic vision, perfect for everyday meals and when entertaining too.
Bamboo – an underrated material until now, bamboo is made from the tall fronds of leaves from a fast-growing plant. Grown in tropical climes, bamboo is sustainable and with many manufacturers who use bamboo part of fair trade deals too, you know that your bamboo pendant light hasn’t cost the earth nor a community to make.

3 Be more aware of the products you use

We mentioned earlier about how plastic can be in things we never thought it would be. Some pan scrubbers, for example, have tiny beads of plastic within them, which when used are released into wastewater. These beads can make their way into the ocean and rivers too.

Consider swapping from your usual products to those that are certified as environmentally friendly. You might also want to consider reducing the number of chemical-based products you use too.

4 Reusable food storage

Ditch plastic film and other products for reusable and resealable food storage; a much more environmentally friendly way of storing food and cheaper for you too!

5 Compost and recycle

And finally, if you are not doing so already, compost food waste (or place it out for kerbside recycling) and make the most of the recycling facilities on offer in your area.

How to work a laid-back industrial dining style

Mitcham Oak Industrial dining table and chairs

The industrial look is as popular as ever and the fact that it can be stylised to you personally is what makes it such a great choice. We take a look at relaxing the boundaries of the style to pull together a great landscape with a relaxed industrial look.

The industrial dining room

Suiting every room in the home, the relaxed industrial style is particularly pleasing in the dining room. Easily switching between the formal and informal, there are many gems in our collections that create a beautiful dining room.

The industrial dining table – here we’ve used the Mitcham spider leg industrial dining table – is the centre of attention, helped not just by its style but by the detail of the legs. The spider leg formation makes it sturdy and balanced but also adds exquisite detailing too.

Rattan dining chairs

Reclaimed wood furniture is the mainstay of the industrial style as too, are other natural materials. Rattan is a strong material and sustainably sourced too. From a fast-growing plant on tropical climes, once dried, the long fronds can be weaved together in all kinds of patterns, perfect for creating strong, durable pieces of furniture.

That’s why the Hampstead rattan dining chairs are the perfect addition to the table. As a natural material, its shading and hue will vary from one product to another but will always be perfect. Coupled with its dark metal legs, they tastefully complement the industrial look.

If you prefer a different style, faux leather dining chairs would be just as effective and beautiful against the raw yet stylish edge of the industrial oak dining table.

The sideboard supporting player

For the dining room, there is no better piece that a sideboard. Available in a range of sizes, we opted for the large sideboard from the Mitcham collection to bring cohesion and symmetry to the setting.

Accessories

The details are important but when it comes to the industrial style, you want to add detailing without clutter. And that means well-chosen pieces and additions that stay within the broad realms of the style.

Aside from the main pieces of reclaimed wood furniture, the smaller details we used include the beautiful Gustine mirror. The modern take of the starburst round wall mirror, there is something about this mirror that oozes industrial style.

Alongside this, we’ve used a natural material in the pendant light. Bamboo is not dissimilar to rattan but is lighter as it is hollow. The bamboo pendant light works well with the rattan dining chairs but will also be ideal if you use faux leather dining chairs too.

Linen is another material that works well with the industrial style as it too is natural and sourced from sustainable suppliers and manufacturers. With a range of colours, it can be tough to choose but with the beautiful white background and forest green, we opt for grey linen tablecloth. Use as a cover when you want a formal take to the table or as a table runner for a more relaxed mood. Match it with linen napkins and you have the perfect place setting too.