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

Meet the comfiest (and stylish) sofa bed

All our new collections receive a warm welcome but we think the latest addition to our expanding range will prove to be one of our most popular products yet – say hello to the Selma fabric sofa bed.

Impromptu guests or Airbnb

Opening our homes and extending an invitation to family, friends and guests to stay is a wonderful luxury. However, with all the best intentions, this often results is the lack of extra beds. With every room full to bursting, just how do you fit in more space for people to sleep?

Foldaway beds and sofas haven’t always enjoyed a good press. Poor in style and even worse for comfort, foldaway beds don’t tick any happy boxes. The Selma fabric sofa bed will banish these preconceptions.

Contemporary style with a hint of the Scandinavian that fits right into the suave industrial style too…win!

Aside from being comfortable to sit and sleep on, we fell for the Selma fabric sofa bed because of its looks.

There is more than a hint of stylish versatility to it that means it will fit into the contemporary style with its switched squares and play on lines and angles.

But, it also hugs closely to the Scandinavian style with its clean lines and minimalist appeal, as well as its grey and cream colour options, that will sit beautifully well in the Scandi style too.

It also dovetails with the industrial style. Again, it’s the clean lines, the neutral tones and the angles make it ideal for the industrial styled home or Airbnb rental property.

How to style it

Opening up into a small double bed, this sofa bed is ideal for the unexpected guest or as an optional extra in an Airbnb property.

By day, it acts as a comfortable and spacious fabric sofa – we would say a generously sized 2 seater sofa bed – and by night, it offers a comfy space for guests to lay their heads.

In terms of the industrial style, it’s a great foil for items from the Mitcham Collection. Against the Mitcham sideboard and the matching industrial oak coffee table, the modern sofa bed looks right at home.

In a room where space is at a premium, you could also opt for a side table with storage, ideal for guests to temporarily safely store their belongings. Add understated texture with layers of throws and complementing cushions, as well as a rug or two. In a small room, large living room rugs make great options for adding both warmth visually and underfoot too.

And don’t forget the accessories. As well as dressing the space with a lush green plant, we also opted for Rock pendant lights and stylish artwork.

Resplendent in its position…

… and in the versatility that it offers you for entertaining guests. Great at home, it makes for a great addition to your Airbnb rental or rooms too.

Dress your dining table for a refined spooky party

White small pumpkin on plate with gold edge

Hosting a Halloween themed dinner party but want to ditch predictable orange pumpkins and spider webs for something a little more elegant? Take a seat on the dining bench (or one of your upholstered dining chairs maybe?) and take a look at these spooky inspired options.

White, glitter, gold

White, glitter and gold aren’t just for weddings or Christmas. They are perfect for Halloween too as this photo illustrates. Swap orange pumpkins for white pumpkins (some squashes are white, if not, just paint them with an oil-based paint) and match this with a linen tablecloth and pristine white linen napkins too. Paint three larger pumpkins white and use them as the centrepiece for your 6-seater dining table.

Add candles and polished glassware along with gold cutlery to finish this beautiful reclaimed wood dining table – one that is sure to attract the admiration of your diners.

With decorative mirrors also reflecting the light around the space, this is a real grown-up theme for an elegant and grown-up Halloween party. Don’t forget to add a few well-placed accessories to the large sideboard in your dining room to create a brilliant backdrop.

The beauty of painted pumpkins

Having said that, it’s hard to ignore orange pumpkins entirely. There is something about orange pumpkins that is truly traditional to how to celebrate Halloween in the UK. Pumpkin is an autumn vegetable and in abundant supply across supermarkets and high street grocers too. Easily grown, there are some huge pumpkins that make for fantastic decorations.

Usually, we empty the flush and carve the skin, adding a tealight candle or two to give a flickering eerie backdrop to the face carved in it. But how about ringing the changes and painting on your pumpkins.

You’ll need to use an oil-based paint that will dry on the pumpkin flesh (water-based paint simply runs off) or if that proves too expensive, use chunky felt tip or permanent marker pens. Take inspiration from other cultures who celebrate not just Halloween but similar festivals, such as brightly colours skulls of Mexico’s Festival of the Dead in late October/early November.

They make a great addition to a table! Match the colours with a neutral backdrop, however, sticking with a white linen tablecloth and napkins.

Make the food the star

When it comes to a Halloween party, you can have great fun with food. You don’t have to have the skills of Heston Blumenthal and his smoking food to make a statement. Simple tips, such as adding natural food colouring gives food a different look.

Aside from red wine, you can create red coloured fruit juices for drinks, as well as a few cocktails for getting the most from the evening. There are hundreds of recipes out there but if you can still get your hands on a watermelon, whizz this with icing sugar and a few other red coloured berries – strawberries and raspberries both have strong colours – to create a refreshing but typical blood-red Halloween drink. If you want a depth of red, add beetroot colouring powder to it. A dash of vodka wouldn’t go amiss either…

Spook-tacular Halloween hallway ideas

Halloween is a time of year that so many of us enjoy and nowadays, more and more people decorate their home and host a party to celebrate the festival. If you’re planning a party or dinner party this Halloween, why not decorate your hallway to make it look inviting and entertaining for guests? Here’s how…

Carved pumpkins are essential!

If there is one thing that signifies Halloween it is a carved pumpkin or two with a tea light flickering behind the menacing face or scene you’ve carved out from it. Position them outside the door or inside your hallway for a dash of colour. Create a display with them on the doorstep and if you are not happy about leaving burning candles unattended, there are plenty of smaller battery tea lights that do a great job.

As well as orange pumpkins, you could also make a display from the smaller squashes that are seasonable at this time of year. Cluster them in a bowl on the hallway industrial console table along with your statement large table lamps with pinecones. When Halloween has passed, peel the skin, chop the flesh and make a delicious soup.

Add detailing with candles

Candles are perfect for autumn and winter. Their gentle flickering flame adds cosy warmth to a space that won’t go amiss in the hallway this Halloween. Even better is when you use scented candles. They leave a beautiful scent hanging in the air that your guests will breathe in as they arrive for the party.

As well as scented candles, they can also add a dash of colour too. In the industrial hallway, black candles on the industrial console table wouldn’t go unnoticed, but if you want to lighten the look, there are scented white candles too.

Add a mirror (or two)

A mirror in the hallway is almost a necessity, which is one reason why we look to hang one in the space. But how about making a change and opting for a free standing mirror? Perfect for all time of year, hanging faux-spider web over the corner gives it an eerie feel for your Halloween party.

Skulls (with a difference!)

Crooked witches’ hats and wizardry are part and parcel of this festival along with skeletons, black cats and rats! Skulls have also made an appearance in modern Halloween décor recently, but why not switch this up with the Lovato cow head? This beautiful silver skull adds elegance as well as a touch of Halloween to your hallway.

Webs on the hallway chandelier

Walking through a cobweb sends shivers down most of our spines, even if you don’t mind the idea of a spider crawling on you! For this reason, they are a mainstay of Halloween decorations with faux spider webs on sale in most high street stores and online too. Draping a wispy web from the hallway chandelier creates the perfect ghostly entrance, just make sure that it isn’t directly on the bulb otherwise this could present a fire hazard – Bonfire night it is not!

With your hallway decorated and ready, don your costume and party beyond the witching hour!

Let a spider leg dining table spin its magic

Just when you think something can’t be improved on, along comes an alternative that brings even more to a piece – and that’s just how we feel about spider legs for dining tables. We’re clearly not alone with this viewpoint as this style of table has become increasingly popular, sending us all into a spin (see what we did there?!) But, how best to style this statement dining table?

Industrial chic

Reclaimed wood furniture is naturally beautiful, the result of repurposing hardwood from its original use bringing with it its story and history. But this doesn’t mean that all the wood used is rough and unrefined, far from it as can be seen in many of the oak pieces we have in our collection.

When it comes to style, you’ll be hard pushed to find one that is more practical and versatile than the industrial look. And when it comes to spider leg tables, the oak dining table from our Rocco collection rocks the industrial chic look.

Make the most of this 6 seater dining table with a mix of both faux leather dining chairs and a dining bench. And because the legs don’t get in the way, you can add two more chairs to easily make it into an 8 seater industrial dining table.

Generous proportions

Similar in its industrial style, is this beautiful 8 seater dining table with heavy set spider legs that sit perfectly within the industrial style dining room. As well as faux leather dining chairs, you could also add an extra layer of texture with one of our linen tablecloths acting as a table runner (simply fold along its long edge) along with matching linen napkins. The beautiful oak table top will enjoy the soft caress of linen, which won’t detract from the grain nor the warmth of this magnificent hardwood.

Up the detailing

There is no reason why a dining table can’t have an element of intrigue, which is possibly why the spider leg Sussex oak dining table is becoming a firm favourite. The parquet wooden top adds a welcome note of interest and one that will catch your guests’ eyes.

There is a sense of the elaborate about this table which is why velvet dining chairs make the perfect tableside companions. And with the darker coloured wood and edging, you can afford to match with a decadent coloured velvet too.

Farmhouse fanfare

It isn’t just the industrial style dining room that would welcome the spider leg dining table. The stunning white legs of this oak dining table are magnificent. Bright and fresh, it will resonate within the farmhouse style where you want the lightness of wood tone that sits well alongside white painted furniture. You could always team this with wooden dining chairs but we think it deserves a little more, which is why leather dining chairs are the order of the day.

The dining table with spider legs are popular for many reasons – you can seat people all around the edge without worrying about knees and feet kicking the table legs. But there is also something more in the unusual shape and detailing of the legs. And we all like something different.

Peep inside our customers homes!

You don’t need to convince us of the beauty of reclaimed wood furniture and other homeware we offer here at Modish Living, and when we see our customers tag us on social media with their purchases looking beautiful in their homes, we know we aren’t the only ones who are smitten. Here we take a look at some recent items snapped up by our customers and see just how wonderful they sit within their homes.

Beautifully styled kitchen/diners

The kitchen, as we know, is the heart of the home and so a beautiful reclaimed wood dining table around which family and friends can gather is an important purchase. Add to this dining benches and fabric dining chairs for extra luxury, and you can have a perfect dining space.

Effectively, this is what one customer created recently with their purchase of the Lansdowne table, a delightful example of a rustic industrial dining table if ever there was one.

@the_house_the_plummers_built has a beautifully elegant style – a true fusion between the industrial and the rustic.

The Maddox Elm industrial dining table has its roots in the industrial style – the combo of metal and reclaimed wood – but this dining table has a stand out feature in that the mirrored metallic legs of the table give it the stand out luxurious hints that so many of us hanker after.

@thetownhome has captured this essence beautifully and rather than fight against it, has embraced the sparkling surface by reflecting this with fabric dining chairs with the same legs. Continuing the theme throughout the space, this customer has created a truly luxurious feel to the space that also boasts balance and symmetry. Just look at how the pendants add cohesion along with the clever addition of two wall mirrors in the space!

As well as looking inside our customer’s homes, in recent months, we have also blogged about how our reclaimed wood furniture would make fantastic additions to Airbnb rental properties. @stonehouse_living has shown the way with this bespoke oak dining table in their beautifully styled Airbnb property. Not overly large in the space available, this 6 seater dining table will be well used by anyone staying at this delightful rental property.

Practical and stylish, the dining chairs make for great partners to this table, as well as the rest of the dining and kitchen area, fusing together effortlessly in terms of style. Of course, the more effortless the space looks, the more detail and thought has gone into the space. In this case, we particularly love the black pendant lights and how this accents the black detailing in the space, without making it overbearing.

Dining chairs delight

Occasionally we come across an item that we add to our collections knowing that its sheer elegance and simplicity will make it a must-have with our customers. We felt that way when we saw the stud detailing and handle of the Florence fabric dining chairs.

@homeatmillfield also saw the versatility of the style, colour and fabric of these chairs, using them in its beautifully styled interior. With flecks of country house style about the place, you can see how the plush upholstery of these dining chairs fits right in against the beauty of the kitchen. In our eyes, upholstered dining chairs are sublime with any interior design style.

Extend your search for the perfect dining table set

Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Set in room

Not every dining room or kitchen diner is gifted with acres of space and so eating with guests can be a tight squeeze. Not anymore, because with an extendable dining table, you can increase and decrease it as and when you need to.

Extendable dining table with versatile seating

An extendable reclaimed wood dining table is such a wise investment you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner! But you may be wondering how the seating works because, after all, when you have more guests and need more table space, you’ll need more fabric dining chairs, surely?

Thankfully, there are dining table sets that offer solutions to this conundrum.

Get the right combination

For industrial elegance and versatility, you can’t get better than a Standford industrial dining table set combined with dining chairs and a dining bench. Simple in design, the solution that dining benches offer shouldn’t be underestimated. For squeezing the kids into being the perfect perch for impromptu guests, you get the best of all worlds.

Go Scandi

The Scandinavian style is also popular and no wonder – clean lines, plenty of warm wood and other natural materials make this a comfortable and appealing look. And there is an extendable dining table set that ticks all these style boxes too.

With a beautiful light finish, this Wycombe extendable dining table comes with the ideal combination of seating for you whether that is two, four or six chairs, as well as dining benches.

Bring out the character

Reclaimed wood furniture is an absolute winner for the home. Easy to care for, robust, strong and elegant, with minor embellishments and refinements, it can take on a completely different character, depending on what you pair it with.

A large piece of reclaimed wood morphed into an industrial dining table with a sophisticated edge that makes it stand out even more, this Standford reclaimed wood dining table is available in two sizes, which is enough to make it appealing to anyone. But when you tease the darker shading and grains with leather or tan faux leather dining chairs, you have the perfect vision for the industrial dining room.

On a lighter note

If your preference is for a lighter wood but still want to bring reclaimed wood furniture into your home, an extendable rustic dining table is a perfect choice. Again, available in two lengths, this dining set also comes with a different number of dining chairs, so it really is a case of pick and mix to your heart’s content.

The thing about the dining table is that it is a piece of furniture that is essentially a workhouse. It will stand more than the test of time and will be the space around where many a family dinner will happen, where potential arguments are started and resolved, jokes are made and homework completed.

But that doesn’t mean it has to be just about the function. It can still be elegant and if you are looking for an extendable dining set that is both functional and stylish, the white painted extendable rustic dining set from the Dorset Collection ticks both boxes. Choose from two lengths and number of chairs or consider if a dining bench would be useful too.

Which of these dining room sets would suit your dining room?

Kitchen storage steals for rustic homes

Dorset Reclaimed Wood Medium Sideboard in dining room

The rustic style kitchen is a delight to behold. But as with all kitchens, you need plenty of storage options. However, choosing the right furniture solutions can be tough, from the reclaimed dining table to the choice of seating, especially if you want to stick with the context of the style you have chosen. In terms of the rustic furniture style, it is possible to borrow elements from the farmhouse kitchen style too.

Dresser or sideboard – which would you choose?

There is a range of options but when it comes to reclaimed wood furniture, there are two particular options that fit beautifully – the kitchen sideboard and the kitchen dresser.

The sideboard

Pert and delightful, the sideboard is a great option the smaller rustic kitchen. There is either the two-door cabinet to choose or for more storage versatility, opt for a combo of drawers and cupboard space.

Great for your prized dinner service safe, a sideboard can also make a great drinks cabinet in the smaller kitchen (or dining room).

The combination of white painted furniture with a bare wood top is a classic rustic furniture style and a small sideboard won’t close down the space either.

Lighten the space further with bamboo pendant lights and opt for a linen white tablecloth, all of which helps pull the modern rustic kitchen and dining area together.

More space? How about a rustic dresser?

Synonymous with the farmhouse style, the kitchen dresser will not be out of place in the modern rustic kitchen either. If you have an expanse of wall, then the versatility that the dresser can offer the rustic kitchen knows no bounds.

Reclaimed wood furniture is charming in any guise but the combination of storage solutions from a kitchen dresser is a double win. The Chelwood reclaimed wood dresser has both cabinet and cupboard space as well as an expanse of top, perfect for showcasing some of your prettier kitchen tools and accoutrements.

Again, keep the surroundings neutral but warm in shade, with white tablecloths and napkins to meld with the lightness of the dresser.

Refined rustic appeal

The rustic style is often known as having a rawness to it but it can have a refined edge too. If you feel that a white dresser will be too stark for your rustic kitchen, opting for a warm shade of cream will be the ideal solution.

There is a soft elegance to the cream shade of the Worcester large kitchen dresser, and the combination of painted wood and bare wood means it is the ideal piece for adding a range of storage solutions to the kitchen too.

For items you want on show, why not consider a cabinet with glass doors for storing your dinner service. The six small drawers are also perfect for cutlery and other smaller items. As an investment, you can’t go far wrong with a kitchen dresser.

Which would you choose – a sideboard or a kitchen dresser?

4 Industrial friendly pendant lights

Rattan Gaze Pendant Light above reclaimed dining table

It’s no wonder we love the industrial style for your dining room – minimal, yet warm, practical, yet stylish, the industrial style has something to offer every home. But when it comes to lighting the industrial reclaimed wood furniture in the room, such as the reclaimed wood dining table, just what kind of industrial pendant light will cast a fabulous glow that allows the grain to stand out?

At the heart of this utilitarian style is the marriage of natural and ‘industrial’ materials. And so exposed beams and brickwork is the order of the day. In the dining room, this means fusing reclaimed wood with the coolness of steel and other metals.

Pendant lighting is ideal in the dining room as it can cast a soft glow above the dining table, perfect for when you want to create ambience when entertaining and for when you need a practical layer of light too. But which style suits the industrial dining room?

Stick with natural materials

A chandelier would look a little out of place over your 6 seater dining table, although it is possible to add a streak of glamour to the industrial style. That said, sticking with natural materials is a great way forward. But that doesn’t mean it has to be predictable.

Volcanic rock

Yes, you read that right! Volcanic rock pendant lights make for the perfect style simply because they have a raw yet refined edge to them that fits right in with the crux of the industrial style.

Imagine the talking point of these pendant lights as your guests sit around your 8 seater dining table!

Contemporary woodchip shades

This is recycling and repurposing at its best. Wood shavings and dust are often compressed into wood pellets, making great fuel for biomass boilers and heating systems. Who knew that wood chips also make a great material for lampshades too?

The woodchip pendant light would be ideal in an industrial dining room that also has a contemporary edge to it. This pendant light is the perfect contrast for casting its illuminating glow above an oak dining table and chairs, flanked by both a sideboard and bookcase for a symmetrical finish.

Bamboo beauty

A bamboo pendant light can also look stunning in the industrial styled dining room, sitting well alongside other items of reclaimed wood furniture. Bamboo is a lightweight hollow material that is not only light to the touch but has a lightness about its style and finish too. This doesn’t mean it is lost in the room, especially when you opt for larger pendant shades or shaped ones for your bamboo light. in other words, add a touch of underestimated detail and allow your diners to discover its beauty as the evening wears on.

Rattan rhapsody

It’s easy to confuse bamboo and rattan but whereas bamboo is hollow, rattan is solid. Strong and capable of holding different shapes, the voluminous shade of a rattan pendant light above your industrial dining table could be just what is needed.

Casting a scattered glow around the room, the black rattan shade is certainly dramatic, without adding clutter to the eyeline.

Restore harmony in the bedroom with a round mirror

A mirror in the bedroom is considered a necessity. As well as checking your appearance, a bedroom mirror also helps to reflect light around the room and create an illusion of space. But where should you place the mirror? And what style works best?

Opting for a round bedroom mirror

The round wall mirror adds interest to a room with interior designers telling us that when you are opting for just the one mirror, opting for a round one is a great choice. And when it comes to size, choosing one that fits with the proportions of the room helps to accent its appeal.

When it comes to positioning the mirror, consulting with the ancient traditions of Feng Shui can help. As well as making sure that mirrors don’t face each other, you will also need to avoid a mirror above your bed and, if possible, facing your bed too. Also, try not to position it facing the door and don’t hang it on a south-facing wall. This might limit your options, you may think, but get the round wall mirror in the right place and it can make a real difference to the light in the room.

Which mirror suits your bedroom style?

Reclaimed wood furniture is the kingpin of many styles from rustic to contemporary and Scandinavian – and there is a delightful round mirror to match!

The Scandinavian furniture style is popular, especially for the bedroom. With its warm and familiar features, it makes for a calm, restful space.

There is no reason why you can’t have two mirrors in the bedroom (just make sure they’re not facing each other!) with this dressing table mirror perfect with oak bedroom furniture. The handy cutaway in its base is perfect for storing small items such as earrings and rings.

Wall mirrors are ideal, especially when fixed at a point that means you can check no hair is out of place as you leave you boudoir to face another busy day or enjoy a fun night out. And sometimes, simplicity is best, like this narrow framed large round mirror, perfect for sitting alongside the oak dressing table mirror.

If you would like a little more decoration and detail but don’t want to stray too far from the Scandinavian style, the vibe from this retro round wall mirror could be just what you are looking for. It has detail without clutter, perfect for the Scandi style.

But there’s no reason why you can’t have a hint of luxury and glamour in the Scandi inspired bedroom. Just be subtle with a hint of detail that attracts attention but doesn’t bowl the room over. This Industrial Window Mirror placed in an area where the light catches the metallic of the finish will do the trick.