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

Which is the best choice for a dining table, light or dark wood?

Beam Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table Dark

The dining table is an important purchase. As well as its dimensions, there is style to consider as well as shape. It needs to be a highly practical choice that brings functionality to your formal dining room or to your kitchen diner.

As well as these factors, do you consider the colour of the table top? Would lighter hues of oak and beech be your choice or do you prefer darker woods, such as the darker tones of a reclaimed rustic table top?

We Asked, You Answered

If you haven’t joined in one of our polls on Houzz, now is the time to do so. Simply register and then follow us (just search for Modish Living) and the next time we post a poll, you’ll be notified.

In our latest poll, we asked our followers about which colour table top did they prefer, giving four choices from our dining table range. It was a popular poll, and the light table top pipped the dark table top into second place, but only just…

The light table top

Clean, fresh and elegant, there is a modern feel to reclaimed wood furniture made from lighter coloured wood. Both the light tables used in the poll garnered equal votes and it is easy to see why.

With a light table top, the ‘industrial style meets glamour’ of the Chalfont industrial dining table is proving popular. Swapping the normally black or stainless steel metal finish for a rose gold effect, there is a lightness and elegance to this dining table that is attractive.

Pair it with light coloured dining chairs – cool leather upholstered dining chairs are the perfect addition to sit alongside this piece of industrial style furniture.

Drawing equal attention was the Rocco oak dining table. Of all the woods to be used in furniture, oak must surely be the best? Light and cool to the touch, there is a pleasing solidness to this slow-growing timber that makes it a firm favourite for a reclaimed wood dining table.

At home with any style, this oak table top sits atop black, metal spider legs, something that is as attractive as the table top itself.

Pair with equally as decadent dining chairs but again, we think the cool touch of leather dining chairs is the perfect match.

The dark table top

Moody, classic and somewhat traditional in its appeal, the dark table top is a delight in both the formal dining room setting or the kitchen/diner.

The darker dining table that came out on top was the Beam reclaimed wood dining table. The classic rectangular shaped table top with the black metal frame legs at each short end gives it a pleasant simplicity that doesn’t detract from its elegance.

We’ve used light coloured upholstered dining chairs but this dining table could sit easily alongside velvet dining chairs too.

In fact, the beauty of a dark wood table top, in our minds at least, is that you can afford to choose a stronger colour to partner it. The Blackbone dining table is a sight to behold especially with its gold coloured metal framework. A superb fusion of industrial and the glamour look, this dining table needs dining chairs that are equally as dramatic. Opt for statement velvet upholstered dining chairs in magenta, sage green or even a midnight navy.

Which of these dining tables catches your eye?

The low down on bookcases

It is a staple addition to the furniture of many a home across the country – and no wonder because the bookcase offers many solutions to storing certain items and not just books. The small bookcase or large bookcase can work in any room in the home, from the entrance hall to the landing, to the bedroom, the living room and beyond.

The traditional bookcase

Half-height or full height, there is a ‘format’ to the styling of the bookcase that many of us see as traditional.

Tall, sturdy and with detailing synonymous with the traditional style, the Chelwood bookcase embodies everything we think of as needing in a bookcase. Showcasing the beauty of reclaimed wood furniture to its full potential, if you are a lover of symmetry, then this open shelved bookcase is simply perfect. It’s closed back gives it definition, something that adds to its grandeur as a piece of must-have furniture.

Bookcase elegance in the bedroom

Storage in the bedroom has followed a certain routine for many years – the wardrobe for hanging clothes, chest of drawers for folded clothes and bedside table for the bedside lamp. Giving a streamlined finish, the ‘closed’ nature of bedroom storage is not to everyone’s taste.

Having items in display adds character and warmth to a bedroom and thus a mix of open shelving for those things you want to see and small closed cabinets for the things you don’t is the perfect combination – which you will find in the elegant industrial bookcase with doors from the Chalfont range.

Streamlined success

Sometimes, you need a bookcase that has height and width. Or, in other words, a bookcase that is big enough to support weighty tomes like ‘war and peace’ along with the statement vase you have and other accessories that give your home style.

If you want a larger bookcase without the feeling of it being larger and cumbersome, then open shelving is the solution.

With no back, the bare frame on show melds with its surroundings, whether that is the lounge, the home office or even the dining room. A slim bookcase, the wood and metal combo of the open display unit from our Colette collection is our largest and yet, it isn’t imposing.

Deceptively simple, open shelving bookcases and units are ideal for those of us who like to cluster items and enjoy being surrounded by harmonious symmetry.

Bringing its own style – the ladder bookcase

Thinking outside the box reinvigorates and when you apply this equation to the bookcase, the resulting is the stunningly stylish ladder bookcase.

It does everything the ‘traditional’ shaped bookcases does – open shelving, stores books and other items, can be a delectable piece of modern furniture – and yet its nonchalant lean gives it an air of being something different.

The Quinton ladder bookcase is a freestanding version of this design. Its lowest shelf is the widest, with the shelves above it reducing in size with each step. Slimline and stylish, this bookcase is ideal for the living room or even the hallway.

This light oak small ladder bookcase also has a nonchalant lean but without obvious support of a frame as its Quinton counterpart. It fills the gap seamlessly between its style and the appeal of any room, whether you have a modern and minimal style or err on the side of the traditional or Scandinavian.

How would you use these bookcases in your home?

How to style a farmhouse or an industrial bedroom

After a long hard day, you retreat to your bedroom, looking forward to hours of restful slumber. Creating a restful and peaceful environment in the bedchamber is essential and that means choosing a style that you like and enjoy. We take a look at two popular styles – farmhouse furniture and industrial furniture – matching their style components to the master bedroom.

The farmhouse style bedroom

The farmhouse style is not just about collecting things in this category – it is more than that. This is a style that is all about feeling and mood. Calming, soothing and relaxing, the modern farmhouse style has moved only slightly from its roots.

Originally, this look was created by using whatever materials were at hand which, in most cases, was an abundance of wood.

You can capture this essence today by using reclaimed wood furniture. It was also common for reclaimed furniture to be painted, white being the preferred choice. The Dorset reclaimed wood wardrobe is a prime example of the painted farmhouse furniture. For cohesion, choosing matching furniture such as the Dorset white bed. If you want a ‘truer’ farmhouse style, err on the rustic side such as with a heavy set reclaimed wood high-backed bed.

What to avoid with this style – avoid anything too matchy-matchy and ditch the chintz fabrics and frilly curtains, keeping that for the French country look. Keep wall colours neutral but warm – choose a pleasant yellow for cheeriness or an understated chalky green.

The industrial style bedroom

Born from loft living in buildings that were once the hub of heavy industry, the industrial style is a fusion of raw, natural materials such as exposed brickwork, wood and metal.

As with other interior styles, modern designers have given this style an extra twist here and there. The main structure of this style is simplicity – nothing too fussy or cluttered but using plenty of natural materials for warmth and depth.

It’s an ideal choice for the bedroom. You could opt for a metal bed frame but if you find this too cold and austere, don’t panic as there are plenty of rustic, reclaimed wood bed frames that will fill the void.

Again, avoid anything too refined and for authenticity, stick with medium to dark shades of wood. A fantastic bed for the industrial bedroom is the delightful Standford reclaimed wood high bed.

The dents, scuffs and marks of old on this rustic large chest of drawers would also fit perfectly within the industrial bedroom. Simple in design and minimal in detail, there is a block sturdiness to this piece that means it fits within the industrial style bedroom. Aside from its style, customers love it for the ample bedroom storage it offers too.

What to avoid with this style – anything too ‘fancy’ or detailed, such as an overly ornate wall or floor mirror, for example. Keep textures simple too, avoiding deep piles textures such as sheepskin rugs or fluffy textures. Choose a neutral but warm palette although you can take a chance with deep reds, emerald green and terracotta if you feel the need for colour.

Which of these two styles attract you?

How to style the industrial TV stand

Maddox Industrial Reclaimed Wood TV Unit

With these clever styling tips, you can welcome the TV into a room without it taking over. The ‘trick’ is to choose a beautiful industrial TV stand that the eye admires, rather than the TV that sits on it. With other items framing and supporting it, you can create a cosy hub that is perfect for TV viewing, as well as reading, lounging around…

Industrial simplicity

Sometimes, the simpler an item of furniture is, the more complex and beautiful it is – like the Luxe Kensington TV reclaimed wood TV stand, a breathtaking example of industrial style furniture if ever there was one.

Continue the use of ‘natural’ colours and materials with a brown leather sofa in a simple shape, framed with a round nest of tables in the industrial style and underpinned by a beautiful grey rug.

The cohesion between the nest of tables style and the TV brings the room together, with the other items bringing effortless symmetry.

Refined tradition

The beauty of the industrial style is its versatility and how, with small tweaks, a completely different finish can be created. If you are a lover of traditional shapes but like the modern appeal of the industrial style, then these suggestions are perfect.

Retain the air of industrial – wood meets metal – with the elm TV stand from the Maddox Collection.

As in the scene above, bring a sense of cohesion, but not matchy-matchy, with the elm coffee table from the same range.

Alongside the smoothness and warmth of both these pieces, the traditional stylish curves of a traditional styled grey Chesterfield sofa would sit a treat. Or you could opt for brown leather.

But here’s the note that brings something different to this look: finalise the scene with a reclaimed wood sideboard. Choose one that hits all the industrial style furniture notes, but has a melody of tradition about it, perfect we think, for any living room.

Glamour meets industrial

The industrial style is, by a certain breadth of tradition, when black steel meeting rustic, reclaimed wood. But the rulebook is meant to be ripped up and of late, we have seen the shimmer of gold streak through the industrial interior design style.

Gold exudes appeal, glamour and warmth, perfect in so many ways for the living room. Begin your odyssey of fusion glamour with the industrial with the beautiful gold finish TV unit from the Blackbone Collection.

The lush beauty of a velvet sofa is the perfect foil complete with angular, gold legs – just look at its beautiful clean, simple lines! Retain the air of ‘the practical’ to stop it tipping too far over into the glamour style with an understated grey traditional patterned rug, or other living room rugs the ideal partner to the Maddox reclaimed elm wood coffee table.

And so you, there can be another focal point to your living room other than the TV – why not make the TV unit a thing of beauty in its own right with reclaimed wood furniture?

4 Beautiful sideboards that fuse style and function

Like the dresser, the sideboard is a functional and practical piece of furniture for the dining room. But using it in the dining room alone understates its true potential because the sideboard is an adaptable piece ripe for any room, from the hallway to the living room and beyond.

But how do you choose industrial sideboards that is not only stylish but will give years of use?

1 Storage options

The sideboard is not-so-humble when it comes to storage options and the type of storage solutions it offers. You can opt for cupboard space only or even drawer-space only or you could opt for a mixture of drawers and cupboards.

The large sideboard from the Standford collection is a prized example of industrial furniture, the perfect fusion of metal and rustic, reclaimed wood. It offers style, a unique finish and best of all, a range of storage options from slimline drawer space to deeper, shorter drawers to cupboard space with shelving, ideal for when you have different types of things to store in it.

2 Symmetrical with a glamorous finish

In many ways, the beauty of a sideboard with the traditional mix of drawer and cupboard space is the most familiar and gives the most in terms of storage options – sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.

If you want glamour, then look no further than the Luxe Kensington Collection. It has something for everybody, from those who love reclaimed wood furniture to those who like an extra pop and zing in the style and finish.

The two cupboard with three drawer centre column is perfectly balanced and so no wonder this piece is one of our most popular industrial sideboards. It has a beauty of all of its, something we know comes from the meeting of two such very different materials.

3 Double-trouble cupboard space

The sideboard can be a significant piece of furniture in terms of its dimension but it doesn’t naturally follow that this makes it imposing.

The simplicity and straightforwardness of this reclaimed wood sideboard from the Kingsbridge collection proves the point. It has double cupboard storage space (with interior shelving) but the lack of ornamentation and the slimline handles means this piece doesn’t ‘swallow’ space.

And yet, it is one of the most functional and practical sideboards in our collection. We’ve said before and we’ll say it again – sometimes, simple is best. Why complicate matters when there really is no need?

4 Minimal façade

Minimal. Streamlined. Uber-stylish. And yet, the industrial sideboard from the Mitcham collection has a certain something.

Maybe it is the concrete case. Maybe it is the traditional industrial metal legs. Maybe it is the three oak panel doors. Maybe it is the lack of handles, the flat surface or maybe it is all the above.

A simply stylish solution to the age of problem of where to store things, from the best dinner service to the everyday things we use in the dining room, or the kitchen, or the living room.

In fact, this industrial sideboard wouldn’t look out of place in the hallway…

Choosing and styling a reclaimed wood dresser

The dresser is popular for many reasons. We well as breathing life into any room, it is a piece of furniture with ‘practicality and function’ running through its reclaimed wood grain. But how do you choose the right one? Should you opt for glass doors? How do you style it?

Glass or no glass?

When it comes to choosing your dresser, as well as making sure that its dimensions fit the room and its overall style is pleasing, you will face the conundrum of whether to opt for glass doors or not.

Glass has delightful reflective properties but if you don’t want people to see items on display, opting for one with opaque doors is clearly the answer.

But glass lightens the mood, a bit like the glass doors on the Chelwood reclaimed wood dresser. It lightens the fascia, giving it a beautiful feminine soft appeal.

Location is everything

It is one of the main considerations for any piece of reclaimed wood furniture but for something as large as a dresser, it is essential you understand where and how this beautiful piece will be used.

There is no right or wrong location but you need it in a place where it will serve a purpose as well as ‘fit’. Too small a space, and it will look shoehorned in. if it isn’t framed in a larger space, it will look like an afterthought.

The Kensal wooden glass display cabinet gives you a taste of everything and is perfect for when space may be tight. You get elegant height, along with an array of storage options from a cabinet to shelving and drawers, leaving your farmhouse kitchen table or reclaimed wood dining table decluttered.

Go for the painted look

When you think of wooden dressers and wooden shelving, you probably think of the dark wood, gargantuan pieces of furniture that was so vast it hides a small army of ‘best plates and crockery’ within its Tardis proportions.

In some ways, it is its bulk that makes the wooden dresser the must have for the rustic kitchen or the farmhouse dining room bedecked with farmhouse furniture. It acts as a small display cabinet as well as a storage unit but if you want the grandeur without the imposing nature of a large, dark piece then opt for the painted dresser.

Beautifully rustic and farmhouse all at once, there is a beauty that shines from the painted surfaces of the Savannah large reclaimed wood kitchen dresser. The Savannah Collection is one of our most popular, with this dresser having the very best of everything. Handy cutlery drawers, ample cabinet space, complete with open shelving that is simply crying out for your organising skills.

Full shelving without the clutter

The dresser is a practical piece of furniture. It is meant to be. Its pedigree lies in containing everything that a dining room or working kitchen needs.

And yet, we want to style it but without the clutter. What tips do designers give when it comes to styling open shelving?

Always be practical – group items together, such as mugs and cups, bowls etc.
Keep similar colours together
Lift the final look with greenery, whether it’s a plant or a sprig of greenery from the garden.

The piece itself gives you the symmetry you need and with empty the shelving, put things away first in the Farringdon reclaimed wood dresser that you don’t want on display and then add the items onto the shelving, in a position where you can reach it. The more you use an item, the easier it should be to get to.

Which is your perfect dresser?

Choosing the right colour for the bedroom

Thornton Reclaimed Wood Bed and Blanket Box in Room

Colour in the home is so very important. It brings style and elegance and is a personal statement. It represents how you live in your home, your likes and taste. It can open up a room just as it can ‘shut it down’. It can bring a fresh, clean feel, just as colour contributes to the warmth and ambience of a space.

In the bedroom, colour is just as important as it is in the hallway or the living room. There is psychology behind colour choice that helps us to create the backdrop that we want, creating a space that welcomes and envelopes us.

Light or dark shades – which is your preference?

In recent months, we have noted a growing trend via social media and other sites for darker hues. In some ways, this isn’t a surprise because the season of autumn and winter always bring us comforting, darker shades of colours.

Within the drama of darker shades – greens, red and blues – there is a welcome comfort, a retreat from the grey, dull and cold of winter. There is a warmth in darker shades that attract us.

We took to Houzz to ask what shades people preferred in the bedroom. There was a leaning toward lighter shades but darker hues were not far behind. In fact, it was a relatively even split between the two.

Industrial drama

Darker shades tend to be associated with the industrial style. This interior design style was borne from the age of loft living in huge city warehouses. These superb gargantuan building once housed the noise and hubbub of industry but fell silent.

With the domestication of the space into open plan loft living, designers kept this industrial edge, melding natural materials especially reclaimed wood, itself a bastion of industry from earlier centuries, alongside modern industry.

Against metal and bare brick, reclaimed wood sat within the comforting depths of darker shades. The injection of glamour into this style in recent times – the gold finish, for example, or the high polish of stainless steel– fitted beautifully with dramatic midnight navy or the theatre that is dark, earthy green.

Darker shades create a warm glow, a drama all of their own but in some spaces, they can detract and contract. Sucking light, darker colours can become oppressive but if you must have the dark shades, use sparingly and add plenty of ambient light to counterbalance it.

Farmhouse lightness

At the other end of the interior design spectrum comes the farmhouse style. Comforting and cosy, it too has elements key to making it work.

But if you think farmhouse means lace doilies and chintz curtains, think again. In the bedroom, a farmhouse reclaimed wood bed would be the centre of attention, the warmth of the wood nurtured by lighter shades on the wall.

Yellow, white, cream, beige and other pastel shades sit well with farmhouse furniture. The cream rug on the wooden floor adds warmth on both a practical level and in terms of style, with texture.

Painted furniture is not uncommon in the farmhouse style either, such as a crisp white bed balanced with bare wood bed side tables.

Light colours in the bedroom bring freshness. If you want to bring vibrancy to your walls, the Pantone colour of the year ‘Living Coral’ is perfect. With warm undertones, this colour, along with others from the lighter end of the colour spectrum, brings colour without weight but are still warm and welcoming.

Which colour scheme are you bringing to your bedroom to go with your reclaimed wood furniture?

Which beautiful bedroom addition would you choose?

Winchester Reclaimed Wood Blanket Box by Reclaimed Wood Bed

We created a Houzz poll to ask our followers about their favoured option for reclaimed furniture at the end of their bed – a stylish bench or a blanket box with hidden storage – much like a storage chest.

It was a popular question and one that generated some great ideas, from patio doors opening onto the azure Caribbean sea to favourite film stars…! And the discussion continued when it came to which item of bedroom furniture was the favoured option.

We Asked, You Answered

The majority of responses favoured the blanket box, but the end of bed bench polling only a few votes less. There were also many responses for ‘other’ too, with pollers mainly referring to the upholstered Ottoman as the favoured end-of-bed item.

Why opt for a bench?

Many bedrooms ‘miss’ a bedroom chair with many of us sitting on the bed. But did you know sitting on the edge of the mattress is no good for it? Hence, you need a bedroom chair.

As well as an upholstered bedroom chair, you could always opt for a bedroom bench at the end of the bed. It makes the perfect perch for when you need one and can also make an ideal storage ‘shelf’ too.

If you favour the industrial style or event a rustic bedroom, then a bedroom bench makes the ideal addition. Clean, slimline without compromising on style, a reclaimed wood bench at the foot of your bed is a fantastic addition to any bedroom.

Bedroom bench ideas – this heavy-set rustic bench is beautifully styled, as is this reclaimed wood rustic bench, both perfect for the bedroom.

Why opt for a blanket box?

The wooden blanket box was once a piece of furniture traditionally found in either the bedroom or the landing. It offered easy to use storage space for everything from spare towels to bedding.

For many, this extra storage space is much needed and again, the sturdiness of many wooden blanket boxes make them the perfect perch in the bedroom too.

There are a range of blanket boxes to choose, all of which are ideal for framing your bed in the rustic bedroom landscape;

If you like chunky with detail, then this rustic reclaimed wood blanket box would be the ideal choice. With metal clasps and rope handles, there is an authentic feel to this piece that is delightful.

If simplicity is key, then this wooden slim blanket box from the Beam Collection, like the rustic bench we mentioned earlier, is the perfect choice. Simple lines make for an elegant finish without losing its rustic charm.
If you are not overly worried about using it as a bench, then opting for the dark wood charm of Winchester blanket box with its curved lid adds a certain dash of style to any bedroom.

Ottoman’s are similar to wooden blanket boxes in that they offer storage as well as a seat for the bedroom. They tend to be smaller and upholstered too, something that may suit some bedrooms but not others.

Which would be your preference – the charm of a reclaimed wood bench at the foot of your bed or a beautiful reclaimed wood blanket box? Either way, either piece of reclaimed wood furniture could look beautiful in any bedroom.

Reclaimed bedsides with drawers for every budget

Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Lamp Table

Bed side tables are essential in the bedroom whether they are framing a king-sized bed or a single bed in the guest bedroom. Adding a note of detail to the bedroom landscape, getting the right style at the right price is top of everyone’s list.

Luxury doesn’t have to come with a huge price tag

Luxury can mean many different things but if luxury to you is simplicity with a lightness of style and colour, then the Savannah bedside table is spot on. Lending itself to the coastal style, there is a versatility to this piece for £149 that also sees it fit with the rustic bedroom too. With both a drawer and shelf for storage, this is a delightful piece, inoffensive and practical and at an ideal price point too.

Rustic beauty

With a drawer and shelf space, this beautifully rustic bedside table for £195 from the Dorset Collection is surely one of the must-have bedside tables for any bedroom, from the guest bedroom to the master suite. It has a charm all of its own but we love it for its versatility too. It would look out of place in the living room, would it?

Rustic meets industrial

We have long coveted every piece in the Standford Collection and no wonder. Rustic furniture effortlessly fuses with industrial charm, something that is not lost with this pretty wooden side table. At £219, the price reflects the handcrafted finish and build of this piece, making your piece unique to you. The use of reclaimed wood furniture means that you are not following the crowd, something that we know is attractive to many of our customers. Elegant and understated, like the previous examples, this bedside table is perfect for the bedroom but would also be equally at home nestled next to the living room sofa.

Cubic delight!

A cube shape is pleasingly uncomplex, drawing the eye and not jarring or jolting against its surroundings. The cube reclaimed wood bedside table attracts the eye, ideal for the rustic bedroom we think but great for the Scandinavian style too. Available in the colour finishes – natural, medium and dark – the romance of using reclaimed beams for these bedside cubes is not lost either. For £235, you can start to create your own bespoke bedside cube, specifying your perfect dimensions for this delightful must-have piece of bedroom furniture to go with your reclaimed wood bed.

The ‘crème de la crème’ of the bedside table world

Detailed. Elegant. Enticing. Just three words to describe the sheer beauty of the Barclay bedside table. Rather than 6 small drawers as the front detailing suggests, it is, in fact, one deep drawer, perfect for hiding away the small things you don’t want on show. The light metal legs stop this piece from looking too cumbersome, something that can be levelled against darker wood pieces.

Coming in at £425, this is an ‘investment’ piece and we know that this means you look for versatility. This is a bedside table that would suit the rustic bedroom, just as it would the uber-stylish living room. It would also make a beautiful addition to the hallway, with a large table lamp to highlight its features.

Which bedside table has your name on it?