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

It’s Christmas Jumper Day and we’ll celebrate it with our furry friends

Christmas jumpers are no longer just for those who love to inject a bit of cheesy Christmas spirit into Christmas day, the office Christmas party or dinner parties with friends. Now, they are also a way to raise money for charity. This year, the annual Christmas Jumper Day will take place on Friday 15th December – so why not get involved?!

What is Christmas Jumper Day?

Every December, people are encouraged to pop on a fun Christmas jumper and donating money to Save the Children to ‘make the world better with a sweater’!

The Christmas Jumper Day campaign started back in 2012 and its popularity been snowballing ever since with children and adults up and down the country getting involved.

There are no rules when it comes to the Christmas jumper, but the more Christmassy the better – brightly coloured jumpers with elves, Father Christmas, snowmen, Christmas trees or even jumpers with lights on them are all perfect!

How are we getting involved?

At Modish Living, on Friday we will have our gorgeous office dogs dressed for Christmas and will be celebrating the day in our office with our furry friends!

Oscar, one of our team’s dogs, has already been getting in the Christmas sprit wearing his santa hat!

How can you get involved?

First of all, spread the word! Christmas Jumper Day is for a great cause so as many people that can get involved the better. Why not see whether you persuade everyone in your office to put their Christmas jumpers on for the day? Perhaps your children’s school are taking part?

And why not go all out and add some Christmas decorations to the office too! It certainly doesn’t hurt to add a bit of festive spirit to your reclaimed wood desk.

Secondly, why not get your pets involved? Pets are part of the family and for most families, are probably involved in celebrating Christmas with you. If you normally buy them a Christmas gift, why not a mini Christmas jumper, reindeer antlers, or a Santa hat like Oscar?

In terms of pet-friendly Christmas decor, if your pet doesn’t want to play with all the decorations on the Christmas tree, popping a sheepskin rug underneath the tree will give them a cosy place to relax. Alternatively, you could pop it on a high back armchair (provided you’ve got enough seats for everyone else).

Less traditional ways of decor is also a great way to make it pet-friendly. A wooden ladder can almost be turned into a Christmas tree if you wrap around fairy lights, or perhaps tinsel and add a handful of sparkly baubles.

Will you be getting involved with Christmas Jumper Day this year? We’d love to see photos if you do!

Bring a touch of industrial style to your Christmas decor

There is something magical about the festive season. Maybe it’s the twinkling lights, the glitter and the sparkle that the season is known for.

For some of us, decorating our homes for Christmas is more than a bunch of baubles and a tree. We want to create a stylish haven, full of Christmas cheer and colour. But we want it to be part of the overall style and appeal of the home.

It’s a tough ask, even for the most seasoned interior designers but there are simple tips and hints for decorating your home for Christmas that is in tune with the interior design style.

Festive Decorations, Industrial Style

The industrial style is a surprising harmony between the raw materials of brick, steel and wood. It is a style that takes note of a by-gone era, embracing the industrial heritage that swept the nation all those centuries ago.

It is a style with a robust and pragmatic appeal, possibly why it is still a popular style today and one that looks set to grow in the coming year. So how do your combine festive cheer with the sharp angles and edges of this style?

Tip 1 – Geometric Shapes

It doesn’t have to be laughing Santa’s and nodding reindeers. Opt for geometric shapes, festooned with glitter and sparkle. There are plenty of options on the high street and online. Stick with one or two main colours, using a third as the occasional accent. Choose a muted but bright palette, such as the silver and ice white, using black as the accent colour.

Tip 2 – Soften with Texture

The sharp, clean lines of the industrial style are what makes it but for the festive season, you may decide to soften their impact for a while. Texture adds warmth and depth to any room, as well as taking the edge off the angles. Add large sheepskin rugs with their natural, deep pile for the perfect solution. Even better, they come in neutral colours too so no danger of adding too much colour that drowns the appeal of industrial furniture.

Tip 3 – Velvet for Luxury

Again, a great material for bringing texture to space is velvet. The industrial dining table is ideal for formal dinner parties to Christmas dinner, to Boxing Day parties but it doesn’t have to be devoid of colour. The Luxe Sasha velvet dining chairs bring glamour and sophistication to the industrial style dining room, as well as colour.

Or, if you stick with leather upholstered dining chairs, for the festive season artistically drape throws over chairs. Or add a small, colourful cushion if you feel the room needs it.

Tip 4 – Add Romance with Candles

No matter what your style, no one can deny the ambience that gently flickering candles add to a room, including the industrial style landscape of the living or dining room. These pillar candle holders have an elegance all of their own, but we think are worth their weight in gold because they add height to a dining table. Varying the heights of accessories adds interest.

As would this classic lantern, perfect for housing a candle by the door, welcoming guests to your home on a cold, winter’s evening…

How do you prefer your door handles: in brass or silver?

We asked, and you answered. Like some of our other polls on Houzz and Instagram, there was a clear winner on one, but a difference of opinion between fans on another page. It was a tricky question too, we thought – which handle finish do you prefer, the timeless elegance of brass or the chic of silver?

We gave you two amazing pieces to look at too – a display cabinet with painted frame and brass handles, and a large display unit, complete with silver handles.

Which do you think came out on top?

Silver Handles

On Instagram, the majority of people voted for silver handles, with around half of those that expressed an opinion opted for brass.

Silver effect finishes are an option that has been around for some time, with some trends demanding a matte silver finish, whilst other design trends championed the polished, sparkling silver look. Either way, it brings a dash of modern detailing to a room and the items within it.

A glass display cabinet with darker, pewter or silver-plated handles is perfect for so many interior design schemes, especially a modern-looking finish. And it is worth paying attention to these small details. They may not be immediately obvious but mis-matching handles on a display unit or wooden sideboards can stand out – for all the wrong reasons.

The Scandinavian style seamlessly blends warmth, character and natural materials. It is an understated interior design scheme and one that is becoming more popular in recent years. Brass fitting and detailing would be too heavy and cumbersome in this kind of scheme, too out of character and not in keeping with the seamless marriage between the different materials in the space.

Brass Handles

On Houzz, the must-have handle choice was, without any shadow of a doubt, brass. And it is no wonder…

The surprise accessory trend

Trends come and go but there was one that caught by surprise and that was the growing popularity of brass accessories. But in some ways, we shouldn’t have been surprised. With earthy tones and colours being the mainstay colours for the last year or so, brass was perfect against the darker shades of earth green and midnight blue. Great for the traditional appeal and interior design schemes, brass seems to have shed its ‘old-fashioned’ tag as remains the must-have finish for everything from handles to candelabra.

The farmhouse appeal

An interior design scheme growing fast in popularity is the farmhouse style. Similar in its appeal to the rustic scheme, the farmhouse look has a slightly more refined edge to its finish and this means that the detailing of brass handles – ornate or slimline – is a welcome addition to the living room or the dining room (or anywhere in the home). From the half-moon brass handles on wooden sideboards to ornate brass knobs on farmhouse furniture, there is a beauty to brass that is certainly not lost on our Instagram followers. With the farmhouse kitchen table at its heart, this is a scheme that is simple to replicate and enjoy in your home – and be warned: the smaller details give it the edge!

Whatever your choice of finish, we’re sure to have something to suit you – whether it’s brass or silver handles you prefer!

Order today to get it in time for Christmas

The build-up to Christmas has begun and if you plan on creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere with sheepskins rug this festive season, you must order this week to guarantee its arrival in time.

But why opt for sheepskin rugs? What do they bring to different rooms in the home?

Ways to Use a Sheepskin Rug

Sheepskin rugs are perfect for introducing colour and texture into a space, and work well with many interior styles but especially the clean lines of the Scandinavian style and the warmth of the rustic style. So how can you use them for maximum effect?

Added Warmth

The beauty of a white fur rug is that as a natural product, it has amazing insulation properties. Perfect for winter, they can add warmth not just for your feet on the floor but for armchairs, sofas and dining benches.

In the Bedroom

As well as using a sheepskin rug on the floor, these rugs can be used as an extra layer of welcome warmth on the bed too. When the temperature plummets and the combination of bed socks and duvet are not keeping your digits toasty warm, layer a sheepskin rug on top. This king size sheepskin rug will add not only an ideal bedroom decoration and accessory but adds unbelievable luxury too.

The Hallway

Both the rustic and Scandinavian interior design styles are about practicality and function but also about creating an impact where you need it most. In the hallway, a space often devoid of storage, a bench is a perfect addition. Soften the sharp lines and make an impact with a deep pile rug on the bench. Don’t go overboard with colour otherwise, it may look out of place. A grey sheepskin rug, for example, would add warmth without a distracting colour.

Dining Room Essential

Again, for when winter comes, and you want to add warmth both in terms of texture to space and a practical element, there is nothing better than a smooth, deep pile sheepskin rug for dining room seating. Perfect for both upholstered, leather and wooden dining chairs. In fact, in the dining room, using a rug in this way is part and parcel of the Scandinavian style.

The Office

If you spend hours at your desk, you will know the discomfort that being seating for long periods brings. Why not soften the blow with a sheepskin rug? Use a rug that is large enough to cover the whole chair as it will bring warmth to your back too.

A Reading Corner

There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book but what improves the experience is having a space that is all your own. Opt for a comfortable armchair and a small table close by for the essential coffee (or maybe a glass of wine?) and to frame the space, use a black sheepskin rug for the floor. If you want to, add an extra layer to the chair, perfect for snuggling down on a winter’s afternoon.

If you don’t order today, you won’t have this stylish rug for your home in time for Christmas…so why not browse now to order yours? View the sheepskin collection.

Celebrate Christmas Card Day by making special cards

The first commercial Christmas card appeared in 1843 and ever since, it has been common practice to send pre-printed cards to friends, family and neighbours.

For many consumers, these cards in the 21^st Century can seem wasteful and as a result, they send cards to people who live some distance away and then donate a small financial gift to a charity of their choice in lieu of cards.

This is a commendable idea, but we love the idea of handmaking special cards, a great way to show close family and friends, neighbours and colleagues, just how much you think of them. And with December 9^th being the annual Christmas Card Day, we thought the time is right to look at creating stunning hand-crafted cards.

How to Create Beautiful Handcrafted Cards

A homemade card, with all its embellishments, is so much more personal and enjoyable than an online Christmas card, don’t you think? And this is why you need these ideas…

Get Started

The best time to make handcrafted cards? On a winter’s afternoon, with the fire blazing and a hot chocolate to hand. Don’t forget a Christmas film or plug in your iPod and enjoy a sing-song as you create your masterpieces.

Sit at your reclaimed wood table, with everything to hand, from glitter pens to water-soluble glue – easily washed off fabric dining chairs with warm water and fabric conditioner – sticky stars and more.

You may not be keen on using glitter now that we know how it pollutes the oceans. But, there is a biodegradable alternative! Buy it online from specialist crafts suppliers and have an extra warm glow knowing that your sparkling cards are not damaging the environment.

Make a List

If you have a long, long list of who is to receive your handmade cards, you may need to put aside many afternoons and, so we suggest taking time to prioritise your list. Get the kids involved to make handcrafted cards for grandparents and other important people!

Have a Drying Area

There is nothing more disappointing than spending all that time create masterpieces to find that as they have dried, they have stuck together. Create a drying space for your cards, essentially when you have glued items. Why not line them up on the kitchen sideboard?

Use Photos

There is nothing more personal than including a photo as part of the overall design of the card. You can either use a photo of the recipient or use one of your family, making sure you add plenty of detail and embellishment (you can never have too much!).

With so many different ideas to try, there’s really no reason you have to go for shopping Christmas cards again!

The most popular Christmas decor ideas for 2017

With today being exactly THREE WEEKS until Christmas Day, it is the perfect time to start decorating. With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy trend report for this festive season to give you some inspiration. Whether you want to mix up your usual decorations with a few new additions, or give something completely new a try, here are the most popular Christmas trends this year.

Nostalgic Celebration

The joyful celebration trend is largely focussed on nostalgia and happy childhood memories and the things you once loved to play with. Add traditional folk art in bright colours, furry animal figures, trinkets from your Grandma’s loft – whatever makes you happy.

The style works wonderfully with handmade furniture complete with quirky features. It’s about having fun with your decor. Why not drape pine over the back of your chair and dangle cute ornaments, like the reindeer featured below. You could even add different ornaments all the way around – a snowman, a penguin Father Christmas – whatever Christmas means to you.

Traditional

If you prefer the look of comfy winged armchairs, reclaimed wood furniture and a cosy fire, almost like a wintery log cabin, perhaps a more traditional Christmas decor scheme is the way to go for you.

The traditional Christmas decor is all about using raw materials and focussing on high quality craftsmanship. Add earthy tones like brown, forest green and almond with a pop of red here and there to create that warming country Christmas you’ve been dreaming of. If you can knit, a stocking or two hung above the fireplace or perhaps even some knitted baubles on your Christmas tree would look gorgeous and are things you can pass on. Alternatively, if you can sew, how about creating a couple of embroidered cushions to pop on your armchair?!

Bring the Outside In

As for hallway decorating ideas, this trend is a great one – elegant, classic and sparkly – its a real people pleaser. This style is inspired by natural themes of water and ice and is all about creating an airy, delicate space with the use of soft linen, glass and metallics like gold.

Add pinecones and little bells to your Christmas tree to create a beautiful understated look. Make sure to add plenty of fairy lights to your Christmas tree, as well as throughout your home, create a magical display. Drape them around the dresser in your kitchen, around the handrail up the stairs, on the fireplace or around bed frames to turn your home into a modern, elegant Santa’s grotto!

Chic Geometry

Industrial decor has certainly made quite the impact on interior design in the past couple of years. Quickly becoming a firm favourite, ultra contemporary furniture with sleek lines and metal elements needs something equally as fun and contemporary to bring it to life at Christmas.

This eye-catching trend is about injecting strong colours and geometric shapes, as seen in modern art to create a powerful, modern Christmas scheme. Go for bright colours, or even a monochrome scheme to create the look adding items like terrariums, blocky wooden Christmas trees and angular tree decorations to make the most of this new Christmas decor trend. The Geometry trend is certainly one you can have some fun with!

And how about something more unique…

Pineapple Christmas trees are big news for 2017. A great way to add tropical flare to your dining table, there are so many ways you can use pineapples to decorate – and it’s a fairly inexpensive option too! You could hang baubles on the pineapple leaves, add lights or spray a trio of pineapples silver, gold and bronze for a fantastically unique display. Will you be giving this trend a go before it is relegated to a trend of Christmas past?

And what about a Christmas tree completely out of the box? A couple of years ago, when they first launched, many people were skeptical of the upside down trees, (and again last year when the world was introduced to half trees, the compact option perfect for small spaces). But they’re back again and they’re actually quite genius! A topsy-turvy tree may be the perfect option if you are looking to make a statement, or bring a modern twist to Christmas decor. And, as mentioned, if you are looking to save space to fit everyone in the living room on Christmas morning, or around the table for lunch, a smaller, half tree may be a fantastic alternative.

So what do you think? Will you be sticking to traditional Christmas decor this year or give something new a try? We’d love to know your thoughts.

Why dark chairs are the best for dining room

We often steer away from dark colours, assuming they will close down a space or be too imposing. But interior designers tell us that adding a little bit of black or another dark colour frames the room to the eye.

With this in mind, we thought we would take a look at dark coloured chairs for the dining room, not just in fabric but in wood too. But how well will this work? What needs adding to create a pleasant contrast, without losing a sense of stylish cohesion?

Introducing yesteryear

There cannot be many who would fail the remember the cross-back dining chair. Free from upholstery, it was a style that relied on the colour of the wood to bring interest to a dining table. Fantastic for a rustic or farmhouse styled traditional dining room, the Belle Noir cross back dining chair brings an elegance to any dining table.

A similar styled cross back dining chair is available in grey too, perfect for creating a more open feel to a dining room. Think café style or a bistro setting, perfect for the informal, casual kitchen or dining table.

Dark Upholstery Heaven

Dark coloured upholstery works particularly well. From a practical point of view, for a busy home with children and pets, dark fabrics are certainly brilliant for hiding a multitude of sins until you can get around to cleaning them properly after spills.

But darker coloured fabrics also bring depth and texture to a room. The black button back dining chair with exquisite studwork detailing is perfect for adding detail to the dining room, without compromising on the formal style.

For a more sumptuous appeal, take a look at these black fabric dining chairs, with same-coloured fabric buttons. The velvet soft texture just invites you to touch it and again, the studwork detailing and the ‘lion knocker’ on the back of the chair make these chairs things of beauty.

To offset the black dining chairs, usually an equally strong colour, such as ruby reds or deep purples. Consider adding colour to the floor with a sumptuous rug or for the festive season, berry red and sage green table accessories are simply perfect.

Ramp up The Style

Rose gold has been the must-have colour for the last year and we see no sign of this beautiful coloured metal disappearing anywhere soon. In fact, interior designers are predicting they will use it throughout their upcoming collections and ideas, so these black dining chairs with rose gold frames are an absolute must. The curvaceous ‘bucket’ shape is ideal for when you want to introduce modern styling into a dining room. These would make great bedroom chairs too!

But if you don’t want black, these Luxe Madison velvet dining chairs are a great solution. Why not team them with a glass top dining table- like the Luxe Kensington Reclaimed, itself a modern stylish icon of the dining room?

An Industrial Dining Room Landscape

The utilitarian appeal of the industrial style is perfect for any home, from a bachelor pad to a busy, family home and these Barton grey fabric dining chairs are no exception. The black metal legs are perfect for introducing this dining chair in the dining room with a hint of the industrial style. The simplicity of the chair, its lack of adornment, buttoning and studwork means it adds style, but without the fuss.

Which of these darker coloured dining chairs would suit your dining room?

Do you think dark wood is becoming fashionable?

Winchester Reclaimed Wood Dark Sleigh Bed

On the one hand, it can look dark and imposing but on the other, dark wood furniture can look superbly impressive. But for many years, we have tended to opt for lighter tones when it comes to furniture, from light beech to painted white items.

But is the tide turning, we asked? And once again, you gave us the answer.

We showed our Houzz and Instagram followers the Winchester dark wood bedroom, complete with resplendent sleigh wooden bed, and matching bedside table and dark wood wardrobe. We asked for your opinion: was this too dark and imposing? Or did it have the elegance and delight of yesteryear that turned the room from ordinary to extraordinary?

The majority agreed: dark wood is fashionable, and our Instagram followers weren’t so sure. Whilst many thought it is fashionable, there were many who believed that it should remained assigned to the past. We want to show people dark wood can look stunning and imposing, but for all the right reasons.

The Dining Room

A separate formal dining room may be falling out of favour, but the dining table isn’t. You want a dining table that is grand and elegant, and around which family and friends always feel welcome.

A large dark wood dining table you may think, is fit for a certain style of home. Those with a traditional style, with nods to bygone eras such as the ornate Georgian dining room but not for a modern dining space, where rambunctious children gather for snacks and homework.

For too long, we think that dark wood has been seen as too imposing, too dark and too ‘old-fashioned’. Using reclaimed wood, such as in the English Beam farmhouse style extendable dining table, you can see just how beautiful, elegant, robust and on-trend dark wood can be.

The Living Room

From coffee tables to nest of tables, there are all kinds of pieces that a living room needs to make it a stylish and functional space. Used well, this darker wood, industrial style display cabinet won’t cast a shadow in the living room.

But when we say, ‘used well’, what do we mean?

Colours

We know that darker colours absorb light which is why, in interior design, in smaller spaces, darker colours are used sparingly, if at all. And this is possibly why many people feel that using dark wood furniture is only suitable for larger rooms.

But with clever use of colour, dark wood needn’t take over. In the Winchester bedroom, the dark wood bed, wardrobe and bedside are the intended focal point of the room. The wall colour – a light, pleasant, barely-there sage green with crisp white glossed door frame – supports and balances the room. It is not closed in or dark. It is open, bright and beautiful.

The supporting colours on the bed – the taupe edged bedlinen, crisp white pillow cases and the dusky pink cushions – add further depth and tone to the space.

Texture

As well as colour, texture brings out the beautiful grain of the wood which is why the neutral tones rug and throw make such great additions. A white sheepskin rug, for example, would be perfect next to the bed.

Have we convinced you? Will you next purchase be a dark wood furniture item?

Get the glamorous look of this dining room

The warmth and glamour of this dining room shine through. But what is it that adds glamour to a room? Is it anything sparkling and shiny, or something else?

We think it is more than that. This dining room has a fantastic ambience about it. It oozes sophistication and glamour, and it does so because of the smaller details that sit within it. Not hidden, and yet not immediately obvious, it is a space that invites you in to take a closer look, to touch it, to find these hidden details.

It is the richness of these details matched with perfect harmony to the colours and warm tones used throughout. And the good news is, it is a dining room style and ambience that can be reproduced in your home. Here’s how…

The Barclay Dining Room Collection

For rich in detail reclaimed wood furniture, look no further than the Barclay Collection. The dining table comes complete with an end drawer, perfect for stowing away fine dining cutlery in between dinner parties.

Refined and smooth, there is an elegance to this table that many others are hard-pressed to emulate. Perhaps it is the delicate leg styling that makes it stand out and the detailing on the drawers?

Love the Barclay dining table? Hurry because it is only available
until the end of the year.

In the background, you can see the Barclay reclaimed wood modern sideboard, a perfect addition to any dining room but certainly, the perfect combination with the dining table. The detailing is once again, simply stunning and perfect for adding a sense of cohesion and connection between the main dining room furniture pieces.

The warm tones continue in this space with the upholstered cream dining chairs. The Luxe Daisy button back bespoke velvet dining chairs will certainly add the aplomb you are looking for. With a taller back, there is the added detail of buttons and the studwork on the edging of the chair.

Another solution would be the Luxe Macy upholstered dining chairs, again available in custom velvet. Slightly smaller in the height of the back, there is just enough detail to make these chairs perfect for using with this dining table.

Accessories, of course, add the detail to a room. Keep the tones warm and in keeping with the main wall colour and flooring. The large wall clock is simply delicious in this space because it adds a focal point that draws the eye.

Style and Colour

It is important in any room that is one main focal point, but finding this harmony on non-competing pieces can be tough. The solution is simpler than it seems: there needs to be a sense of cohesion and connection between items. You do this through similar styling – such as the Barclay dining table and sideboard – and colour too.

Everything pulls together and yet, your eye is drawn to the beautiful table, flanked by the cream dining chairs and supported by the matching sideboard. Nothing dominates, nothing competes but your eye notices the finer details.