contemporary Archives - Page 7 of 12

Are wall cabinets in the kitchen for you?

The kitchen, like other rooms in the home, has no many ‘traditional’ features that when we re-design or create our perfect kitchen space, we assume that we must follow suit.

This is the case when it comes to wall cabinets. But we wondered, are wall cupboards still as favoured as they once were? If we were given the chance to completely re-design the kitchen, would wall cupboards feature strongly in the rustic or contemporary style?

We Asked, You Answered

And so, we posed the question: are wall cabinets in the kitchen for you? Once again, our followers on Houzz and Instagram didn’t disappoint (why don’t you join in? Follow us!).

The results were clear: upper cabinets are still in the running, with only a small handful of our followers declaring that they didn’t like cupboards on walls.

With this in mind, we thought we would look at the alternatives, and what a kitchen gains from not having too many upper cabinets crowding the wall space.

What can you do with all that wall space?

For some people, not having wall cupboards crowding their eye line is welcome, especially in a smaller kitchen. But we think that every kitchen could benefit from fewer wall cabinets. Just imagine all that wall space! What would you do with it?

Mirror – we examined using mirrors in the kitchen in a previous blog post and we recently polled our followers to ask whether including a mirror in a kitchen was a good thing or not. Mirrors are perfect for any room and with frames complementing the style of kitchen furniture, you’ve got nothing to lose!
Artwork – all too often we assume that the grease and cooking smells prevent us from adding any kind of soft furnishing or artwork. However, many of us now cook in a different way – there are not many chip pans gracing stoves as there used to be decades ago! – and so, the kitchen can be a place you accessorise. As well as mirrors, why not consider adding artwork to walls, or beautiful wall sculpture to admire as you drink your morning coffee perched on a wooden stool in your rustic kitchen?

But, would storage be a problem?

Yes, we hear you and we understand why: removing wall cabinets is all well and good but instantly downsizes the space for storing kitchen essentials

We have solutions:

Storage shelves don’t have to be hidden – we love the collection of glass jars on show, the contents adding colour to a kitchen. You could wall mount these if you wanted.
Floor or free-standing display units – a display unit is similar to wall mounted shelves, and can hold everything from cooking utensils to dinnerware. There is a display unit that will suit your rustic or contemporary kitchen perfectly.
A sideboard – frankly, a sideboard in the dining room is the ideal item for storing less frequently used items, from tableware to serving dishes. They also work well in the kitchen diner. With a range of style and sizes available, from the half sideboard to taller display-unit-cum-sideboard, there is something for every budget. See our Sideboards collection here.

Have we changed your mind? Would you now consider reducing the number or eliminating wall cabinets from your kitchen?

How mirrors in a kitchen can create a fantastic look

When it comes to accessorising a room, we tend to have a fixed idea of what can and shouldn’t be included.

Mirrors are no different. We use them across the home, being an obvious choice for the hallway and a practical addition to both the bathroom and bedroom. It is a practical accessory, essential in many ways which is possibly why adding a mirror to the kitchen is not always top of the list when styling this busy room.

It makes sense to add a mirror to the kitchen. Reflecting light around the space, it can make it feel bigger. And frankly, with so many beautifully styled and framed mirrors, why wouldn’t you add one or two to the kitchen?

But do you agree?

We Asked, You Answered

And so, we took to the Instagram and Houzz polls again, gathering responses from followers and professional interior designers alike. The reaction was mixed but there was a leaning towards a mirror being perfectly acceptable and a worthwhile addition to a kitchen. But not everyone agreed.

The reaction for using mirrors in the kitchen was stronger on Houzz. For our Instagram followers, it was a definite no. So, what are the pros and cons of mirrors in the kitchen?

Steam, heat and grease

Even in a little-used kitchen, the heat, steam and grease created when cooking can be problematic for some materials. Although the mirror can be cleaned, many comments related to the frame material.

In the bathroom, also a humid, steamy space, the best materials are those impervious to moisture. If you think this heat, steam and grease will cause a problem for wood in your kitchen, opt for metal framed mirrors.

Rather than choosing a wood-framed mirror, opt for a metal frame such as this gold round mirror. Easy to keep clean, it is effortlessly stylish and a super-popular product.

Will it look right?

Basically, this comes down to style. But we also love adding notes of interest, as well as detailed surprises in the design of any room. And we think a mirror in a kitchen is a fantastic detail that more of us should be using!

The starburst frame of the celestial mirror is ideal for a contemporary kitchen. The rustic kitchen diner is also not immune to the beauty that a mirror can bring.

Don’t shy away from wood, assuming it will swell or warp in the heat of the kitchen as reclaimed hardwood is far more robust than you think. This rustic-inspired wood framed wall mirror is perfect for introducing detail without being overpowering.

Will You Add a Mirror to Your Kitchen?

It may not be something you have thought of before or you may already enjoy the benefits of a mirror in your kitchen. Why not share snaps of you kitchen mirrors with us or better still, get involved with our polls on either Houzz or Instagram? We would love to know what you think!

New emerging colour predictions of the year!

With 2018 on the doorstep, designers are turning their attention to watch what the New Year will bring in terms of fashions, trends and colours. A colour adds atmosphere to a space, giving it personality and character. So, what do all the big players predict will be big colours for the coming year?

Colour in its Boldest Form

The last few years have been fairly muted in terms of colours and shades, perhaps a reflection of the austere times we have found ourselves in. From barely-there colours to muted greys, they are being left behind with colour coming back and in its boldest form too.

We have scoured online interior design magazines and looked to leading colourists Pantone to see what colours will be making their way into our homes in 2018.

#1 Colourful

House Beautiful tell us that colour will be bold and strong, saturated and strong, a great way to describe what Pantone is calling ‘Playful’ colour schemes. Don’t think 80s neon, however, as you may have missed the word ‘strong’.

So, if 2018 is the year you opt for yellow, opt for a fun canary yellow or if you want the freshness, mellowness of green, opt for a strong, almost-lime, statement green.

Strong colours work well in all major rooms in the home, but we think the playfulness of these colour scheme would be at its glorious best in the dining room or kitchen/diner.

Don’t overload the space, however. Maintain a muted background with neutral dining furniture and wood dining table, keeping the strong colour to one wall if you are not brave enough for a canary yellow dining room. Use slightly less-strong colours – grey, blue and a toned down green – in accessories to keep an air of frivolity without turning back the clock to Day-Glo 80s neon.

#2 Black is the New Black

Black is not in the Pantone 2018 palette – but a deep, ‘sailor blue’ is and that’s good enough for us – but some of the top, online interior magazines are naming black as the new black.

And we love it! We never fell out with it, especially not in the living room. We love the dark, matter black moodiness in alcoves or on one wall, offset with copper lamp shades and fittings, as well as copper, brass or gold framed mirrors.

Offset it further with a hint of jazz such as blue armchair, and add a glimmer of understated detail with patterned rugs. Keeps the lights on low and let the candles flicker – what is there not to love about the romantic appeal of black?

We also noted that some magazines were extolling the virtue or black flooring: could matte black laminate or vinyl be the surprise interior design trend for 2018?

#3 Subtle

Canary yellow and matte black may not be your thing and so there is a third option predicted to be big this coming year: the subtle group of colours is what you would expect. Subtle, light and delightful but the surprise colour for us was pink.

Pantone called it Pink Lavender, a darkish, almost almond pink or there is Almost Mauve if you want no more than a hint of pink. Coconut Milk, Warm Sands and a dove grey Harbour Mist are also being touted by Pantone as a colour scheme, a perfect choice, we think, for the rustic bedroom. Could it be that the ‘seaside’ influence has yet to disappear?

What colour scheme will it be in your home in 2018?

How to create a welcoming entrance (even if you don’t have a hallway)

With the New Year on the doorstep, your mind will no doubt turn to what changes and improvements you will make in your home this year.

Often under-styled through no fault of its own, the entrance can be bereft of accessories and detail, probably because it is a part of the home through which we pass, rather than linger. And yet, when it comes to welcoming and impressing guests, it is often unable to make the first impression that you want it to.

And so, as the clocks chime in the coming year, why not make it your mission to create an entrance that is practical, functional but full of stylish details that create a wow factor?

Colour and Pattern

Creating a welcoming atmosphere comes down to many factors combining seamlessly together and a great place to start is by introducing colour and pattern into the hallway. We are yet to have the official Pantone colour 2018 but they have released details of some great colour schemes.

Choose strong colours and tones, such as a bright canary yellow for a sunny disposition in the hallway. For muted colours, choose tones with a maritime or coastal feel, such as sandy beige or misty grey.

As for patterned wallpaper, 2018 promises to be a great year for modern geometric prints. Or, if you want to welcome nature into your home, well-known brands are creating fabulous tree designs.

Artwork

Leaving your walls blank can sometimes make a hallway feel bland and empty but too much can clutter a space, especially a smaller hallway. Choose artwork and hang it carefully.

As well as a hallway mirror to maximise light, choose wall artwork that packs a punch. Bold artwork, especially those that encompass the beauty of nature, works well in a neutrally decorated hallway as they do with nature-inspired patterned wallpaper.

Hallway Furniture

Decluttering the hallway is a great start to creating a welcoming space but getting rid of all the furniture can lead to storage problems.

Hallway lights, such as standard lamps, are a great way of adding a soft glow to the space and work well with reclaimed wood furniture – suitably robust for such a busy space – such as slimline console tables.

A fantastic versatile addition to the hallway is a bench. Perfect for sitting to pull shoes and boots on and off, they make a great impromptu storage solution for backs and coats too. In winter, add texture and warmth by throwing a sheepskin rug on it.

Accessories

If you want a little more detailing to the hallway, then changing accessories to fit the seasons is an ideal way of creating the warm embrace that your guests have come to expect when they visit your home.

Winter hallway decorating ideas means bringing in the best that the season has to offer. Those gnarled bare branches make great ‘trees’ for hanging baubles and on, as well as draping over twinkling lights. Spray with glitter paint to add even more sparkle.

Pine cones add detail too, as well as a display of evergreen leaves, including dark green holly with its bright red berries. As spring arrives, change the nature accessories for scented spring flowers and so on.

With only a few adjustments and additions, the entrance to your home will be welcoming and sensational.

Freshen up your home this year with a burst of colour!

Louis De Poortere Fading World Rug - Beige Cream

The New Year is a time for making changes – that’s why most of us make a New Year’s resolution or two, right? If you are looking to make some changes in your home and bringing it to life in 2018, why not do it with a burst of colour?

Why colour is great

When it comes to colour in the home, most of us tend to shy away and tend to stick with those tried and tested hues that will never look outdated. But even the smallest of touches can make a huge difference to the look of your space.

Colour has a wonderful ability to bring character to your home, whether it is a new home, an old home or a rented space, allowing you to inject a bit of your personality. This makes it the perfect option for decorating kids and teens bedrooms – using white or grey as the base colour for brighter accents allows your kids to express their personality without doing permanent damage or forcing you to shell out a fortune on a style they may not love forever.

Louis de Poortere Atlantic Ocean Blue Waves Rug

A bold, bright colour is also fantastic for bringing together different design eras in an intentional clash of styles. The classic rustic dining table you’re not sure works with the industrial sideboard you fell in love with and bought on a whim – a touch of colour could be the answer!

And why not have some fun with your decor? We spend so much time at home, so make it a space which gives you the sunny energy you need to motivate you in your non-stop life.

Go bold

Don’t be afraid to pick a colour with your furniture, especially if your walls and floor are kept fairly plain. There is an argument to be made that you shouldn’t go for trends with large investment pieces like furniture, but if you love it, go for it!

Maddox Industrial Reclaimed Elm Dining Table and Chairs

Mix and match colours for an eclectic look with plenty of personality. There aren’t really any rules when it comes to decorating so have fun with it. If you are looking to bring colour to your dining room, multicoloured chairs around the table look fantastic. If you have six seats around your table, a selection of three colours will create a fun space that you’ll be proud of hosting dinner parties in. Pair with mixed metals for a glam yet interesting aesthetic.

Colourful seating options are bound to make an impact, creating a space which feels energetic and luxurious. Decorate your sofa with colourful cushions or choose a bespoke sofa to make an impact. A green sofa looks truly luxurious but is a colour which has been seen in home decor for years so is unlikely to look dated too quickly. Bring the green to life with an abundance of green scatter cushions or some indoor plants – the perfect spring addition to your room.

If you’re not sure about a sofa, a wingback armchair in a bold colour can look fantastic. Pair with a neutral sofa to add some unexpected colour or create a cosy reading nook in the corner of your living room, dining room or even kitchen.

Add colour over a large area, for example on a rug or on floor-length curtains to make the colour a prominent feature. The larger item creates a definite colour scheme in your room and will create an easy statement which requires little thought. Pepper the room with the same shade in smaller accessories to tie the scheme together.

Keep it subtle

If you’re not too sure about going for colour with your furniture, using it to accessorise is an easy way to try it out without the investment. Adding hints of colour through lighting and small accessories makes for a stylish, refined interior.

The great thing about adding subtle pops of colour is you can keep your decor seasonable without breaking the bank. For example, colour coding books will add a burst of colour to your living room or hallway that will look truly striking.

The subtle addition of colour also means you can play around with a wider selection of colours. You don’t have to stick with one colour – you could pick a colour theme. For example, go with warm, sunset shades for a comfortable, luxurious look that would work beautifully with rustic furniture styles. A mix of fuchsia, peach and cooper would look stunning against an otherwise neutral room if done well.

Backdrop

When it comes to the floors and walls, you really can do what you like. But if you are looking to create a subtle, classic vibe, a crisp white or soft grey wall with wooden floors is a great choice. Go for wooden furniture which can be accessorised with colour for a rustic, Scandi inspired look in your home.

If you can, also try and create the illusion of more space. Bright lighting and using cleverly placed large mirrors will open up your space, reflecting light around the room. But if you are looking for a more permanent option, having diagonal wooden flooring can really widen the room.

Alternatively, dark colours like navy on the walls are great to make colours pop, especially if you are going to use jewel-coloured furniture. This will create a dramatic and sophisticated effect – almost as if you’ve walked into a stylish boutique hotel.

Tips for adding colour

Try and stick to three colours, especially if you are going for three entirely different colours. The idea is to bring the room to life with clever colour accents that you won’t fall out of love with immediately, but you do run that risk if you create a rainbow of colour. Adding more than three colours also makes it tricky to pepper the colour throughout the room, creating a room which lacks coordination.

Secondly, always think about the adjoining room. Try and pick out one of the colours in your room and add a touch of that colour in the next room to create uniformity when the door is open.

What do you think? Will you be injecting a bit of colour into your home this year?

What’s your top choice for a sofa?

We asked, and you told us! When it comes to sofas, there is often a choice between a fabric upholstered one and a leather one, or its synthetic equivalent.

We wanted to know what our audience thought and, so we showed three sofas, asking you which one you thought made the perfect addition to a living room.

The choice was tough as the two contenders were:

The Napier Harris Tweed sofa is simply stunning. Beautifully soft and robust, it has a charm all of its own.
Hot on its heels is the iconic shape of the Bretby leather Chesterfield sofa, a soft grey leather sofa that has a timeless elegance all of its own.

But which did you prefer – an upholstered sofa or the leather sofa? Did the best of both worlds hold water with those who were undecided?

But then we really put the cat among the pigeons by showing you the best of both worlds: the Regal Sofa, a mix of Harris tweed and leather, complete with the elbow-patch cushions.

What You Told Us…

It was a close-run thing. Our Houzz followers were split right down the middle, with half opting for leather, the other for an upholstered sofa. Our Instagram followers, never shy in coming forward, also presented a more or less even split although it has to be said there were a few more votes for the Harris Tweed Napier upholstered, just pipping the leather Bretby sofa into second position.

A Custom Choice

We think that our leather and fabric sofa does go some way in answering the dilemma that many people have when it comes to choosing a sofa. On one hand, leather is elegant and easy to keep clean but there is something warm and appealing about fabric sofas.

This is why we offer a custom service when it comes to some of our sofas. And the Regal sofa is perfect for those who have a foot in both the leather and fabric camp. Opt for a leather ‘carcass’ to your sofa, choosing to compliment fabric for the cushions and seating – just ‘click to customise’ to see how easy it is.

Or, if you know which material works best, you can customise that too in terms of colours and for some fabrics, pattern too.

Essentially, you want the sofa to set the tone of the room. Needless to say, it should also walk hand in hand with the style of your home too. Leather and fabric work well with all styles, from the homeliness of the farmhouse style to the beautiful brashness of the industrial look.

The reason is simple: we use natural materials. Moon wool, a description of high-quality wool fabric used for interior applications such as sofas and armchairs, and leather are natural products that offer so much in the way of warmth, style and practicality.

And so, in some ways, you don’t have to choose between the two. Both fit just as well with any style, including those of us in love with the Scandinavian style of clean lines and natural materials and fabrics.

Which do you prefer, the coolness, timeless appeal of leather, or the warm embrace of an upholstered sofa?

Embrace the velvet trend in your dining room

Luxe Kensington Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and Madison Chair

Velvet… without a doubt the most sumptuous of fabrics, perfect for injecting glamour and luxurious style into any room. A velvet armchair or dining chair will take centre stage in your living room or dining room, and will wonderfully highlight the beauty of other pieces. Here are a few of our ideas of how you can embrace the velvet trend in your home (and a few of our favourite pieces from our website!).

If you are looking to add unrivalled glamour to your rustic dining table, velvet dining chairs are wonderful. These luxury dining room chairs are beautifully unique, with the tub-style seat and gorgeous quilted detailing to the back, perfect for adding a fantastic style statement around your dining room table.

Another pair of dining chairs which would look simply superb with any wood table are these gorgeous velvet dining chairs (a gorgeous new addition to our studio, if you’re interested in taking a look at it in real life). With their simple padded seat with elegant button detailing, contrasted against the sleek, metal base, these dining chairs would look stunning with any reclaimed wood or oak dining table.

For something similar, the opulent blue upholstery of these sublime velvet dining chairs would make a stunning modern addition.

And what about how to style velvet?

A vibrant coloured velvet like blue, green or pink will certainly make a statement on its own, so let it do all the talking. Tone down the rest of your decor, with neutral reclaimed or oak furniture and stick to just a few simple accessories, to ensure your decor doesn’t look too much. With more neutral colours, like grey, black or beige, you can get a little more creative. A pop of a jewel-toned colour in the pink or purple family will only add to the opulent feel of the velvet.

When it comes to accessories, a large mirror will bring light to any room, opening up the space and will allow you to play around with colour. Keep other accessories to a minimum, using glass and metallic finishes to keep the room bright. A statement glass vase on your sideboard and a serving dish, or fruit bowl on the table will add elegant style, without adding too much ‘clutter’.

Have a look at the velvet dining chairs collection available at Modish Living or customise your favourite one with your preferred colour of velvet.

Rugs in home decor: how to get the best out of one

Rugs have been a staple of interior design for centuries. They supply depth and texture to a space and add a welcome zing of colour.

But getting it right can prove tricky. Add too much colour and elements in the room jar against each other, but choose the wrong shade or hue, and the impact of the rug is lost.

If you want to add a bold-coloured rug to any room, this is the guide you need.

Start with the Rug

If you are redecorating a room, buy the coloured rug first and work the rest of the room around it. This means you will spend less time trying to make a rug work with the painted or papered walls – nigh on impossible – but it is much easier to mix paint to match a new bold green or red modern rugs.

Size IS Everything

When it comes to rugs, getting the right size means having the correct sense of dimension in a room – in other words, it means the rug looks like it belongs in the room.

A small rug can work in a space, it just depends on what you want it to do.

If you are using the rug as a central feature, it needs to make a statement. As well as bold design and colour, size plays a part too. Use it to frame furniture such as being the centrepiece between two sofas on which the coffee table sits. Or, if you are opting for a very large rug, it shouldn’t cover the whole room but leave a gap around the edge; this frames the room.

For patches of colour and interest, why not use a small rug under a side table? Small rugs also work well to bring an armchair and side table together. Again, this is because a rug frames the space.

ALWAYS measure the space so that when you order a rug, it is neither too big nor too small.

Material

There is no doubting that a rug is an investment and when you get the right investment – colour, size and material – it will last a long time.

Wool rugs are some of the most robust rugs money can buy, perfect for any busy home and ideal for the living room, hallway runners, bedrooms and more. It will take some quite serious use over many, many years before a wool rug looks jaded and tired.

For luxury and decadence, for the bedroom consider the soft pile of a sheepskin rug.

Pattern

Colour doesn’t have to be added with a plain block colour. Consider adding detail with a pattern such as this delightful striped blue rug or this vibrant, but lightly patterned red rug.

You may be wary of adding too much detail because you feel it limits your future redecoration choices but this isn’t always the case. With a clever pattern and bold colours, vintage rugs are simply stunning, and certainly versatile to work with a range of interior design styles and colours.

Be Different

Rugs are floor coverings, but they can make stunning wall effects too. Why not be different and hang a beautiful ornate rug on the wall, adding more detail and a dashing focal point to your room?

How to host a fun and warm Bonfire Night party

It’s that time of year again when we bring family and friends together to enjoy Bonfire Night. From a small firework display to sparklers, to apple bobbing and great food, there usually isn’t much of an excuse needed to get people together. And we have some great ideas for a fun and warm Bonfire Night party.

Wrap Up Warm

Hopefully, it won’t be raining on Bonfire Night but even then, it is not enough to dampen the spirits. Even though it is November and the dark evenings are with us, there is no need to stay indoors.

You may have put your garden furniture in storage but bring it out for one final airing before its winter hiatus and get the gazebo out too. Enjoying the outside is easier when you are protected from the elements but there is no need to be cold.

More and more of us are enjoying the winter garden more, wrapped in a super-warm throw. Opt for natural materials as far as your budget will allow as wool, for example, has superior thermal properties, perfect for snuggling on the garden lounger or sofa whilst you watch the flames flicker in the fire pit.

Tip Top – add plenty of solar lights to the garden to add extra visibility. Choose solar light posts for the borders as well as pretty, colourful outdoor string lights.

Come Inside

But when the chill really begins to bite, the party will need to come inside and again, your home needs to have plenty of seating options that entice people to stay just a little longer.

A real fire is perfect and if you have one, make sure the log holder is stacked to the brim so as the fire dies away, anyone can toss another log on the fire.

Get your hosting sorted too;

Warming food – the best dishes are those that are cooked beforehand and the flavours allowed to develop and meld together. From cockle-warming chilli to baked spuds dripping in butter, there are all kinds of warming dishes you can make beforehand. Place them on the farmhouse kitchen table for guests to help themselves when they want.
Create a cosy centre – the modern sofa is ideal for get-togethers in so many ways, but adding extra cushions and soft, chunky knit throws give it extra appeal.
Protect your furniture – ring marks on your prized decorative ladder are not going to go down well the next morning, so make sure you protect your furniture with plenty of well-placed coasters – and make them obvious!
Make space for coats and boots – in winter, guests will arrive with coats, brollies, wellington boots etc. and when you come in from the garden, you don’t want mud all over the house. Create a corner where coats can be hung and muddy or wet shoes stored for an hour or two. Switch the underfloor heating up high or encourage guests to bring warm slipper or change of footwear.

And finally, …

Be safe. If you are having a firework display, make sure you take all necessary precautions. And don’t forget, although candles are romantic, adding atmosphere to a room or outdoor space, they too pose a hazard so make sure they are in a lantern holder and placed on a firm surface.