dining room Archives - Page 24 of 39

Setting the dining table for Christmas entertaining

Every year, around this time of year, we see hundreds and hundreds of Christmas decorations in every shop we walk into. Whether it’s a new festive table cloth to adorn your reclaimed wood dining table, a display piece or two which would look oh-so-fabulous on that large sideboard in your kitchen diner, or a handful of gorgeous new baubles for the star of the show, the Christmas tree, it’s safe to say Brits love decorating for Christmas!

Eco-friendlymas

We’ve also noticed this year, there has been an increased focus on an eco-friendly Christmas. Like lots of areas of our lives, people are becoming more conscious of the impacts of their actions, and Christmas hasn’t gone unnoticed. Many shops are now offering decorations made out of recyclable materials and there is quite the trend online of people using or even making their own wrapping paper (an all-over stamp design can look really effective!).

If you are looking for something eco-friendly and homemade for your dinner table, these napkins are super simple. Most of us will have old clothes or blankets or bed linens lying around which we can repurpose into napkins. Simply chop your fabric into squares, sew down the edges to ensure the material doesn’t fray and roll up, securing with a piece of string embellished with a little piece of your Christmas tree. If you are using smaller items of clothing, you may need to use more than one garment. But with several different patterns around the dining table, you’ll create a cosy cottage feel which is full of personality.

Think outside the box

There is also a trend of people using non-traditional Christmas items to create their dinner table settings. After all, your entire house doesn’t need to resemble Santa’s grotto! If you are entertaining an army of friends and family (first, make sure you’ve got an extendable dining table at the ready), you may find place settings to be helpful. We love all the creative options we’ve seen on the internet this year; names written on chalk placemats in chalk or spelt out using Scrabble letter tiles and trays to name a couple. You may even find a way to put people’s names on the backs of your upholstered dining chairs (just be careful it won’t ruin the fabric!)

You can also get creative when it comes to your centrepieces. This year we’ve seen beautiful botanicals everywhere we’ve looked. To add artistic flair to your dining table, you could opt for succulents and potted plants for a fresh splash of green, even adding a terrarium for a little bit of drama. If you are missing this Christmas sparkle, you could even fill your terrarium with Christmas lights instead of a plant, or you could hang tiny baubles on a potted plant or two.

If you’ve been creative with other aspects of your Christmas dinner table, you may wish to keep it simple when it comes to each setting. We love the simplicity of this table setting with the flash of red and the little garnish on each plate taken from the garden (perfect for tying each setting into your botanical display in the centre of your table, perhaps?)

For the traditionalists

But there’s also a lot to be said for simplicity. If you are not so sure about opting for something a little out of the box or it would require you to shell out on lots of sometimes-expensive items for your dinner table (after all, that’s not in keeping with the eco-friendly trend we’ve discussed), then something traditional like this setting may be an excellent option.

We loved the fun addition of Santa’s coat looking after the cutlery for each place setting on this dining set up contrasted against the otherwise simple décor. If you fancy a little drama, you could drape sheepskin rugs over your dining bench or pop a mini Christmas tree or two at the centre of your table.

Let us know your favourite way to decorate your Christmas dining table – we’d love to see photos if you’ve already been entertaining this year fully decked out in Christmas glamour.

How to jazz up your Christmas dining table

Recently we asked our Houzz audience whether they plan to decorate their homes before 1^st December? The answer was a fairly resounding no (with 60 votes suggesting they’ll wait until December is upon us and only 9 saying they’ll decorate earlier). Whilst you may not decorate your home for Christmas just yet, it’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas – after all, Christmas is a big operation!

One of the many things to think about when preparing for Christmas Day (it’s 29 days and counting!) is setting the dinner table. Whilst it must be, above all, functional, many of us wish to add a little festive sparkle to our table setting.

The Perfect Base

Of course, the first step is ensuring you’ve got a rustic dining table which works for you and your family. If you don’t, now is a great time to make amendments! Perhaps it’s your first-year hosting family Christmas and you’re lacking in comfortable dining chairs for each of your guests? If this is the case, additional upholstered dining chairs may be the answer. Or maybe you just don’t have enough space around the table? Opting for an extendable dining table or dining table with bench combination (perfect for squeezing lots of guests, perhaps all the grandchildren, along one side of your dining table) may be just the ticket.

The Perfect Setting

We thought we’d share a few of our favourite table settings we’ve found to perhaps give you some inspiration for your Christmas dinner this year.

We love the traditional colours of this table setting. The classic gold table mat with holly themed china creates a quaint country cottage feel and the handmade merry Christmas tag with a piece of the Christmas tree adds a lovely little touch.

If you like this look, this red padded tablemat with patterned china is another alternative which may provide inspiration. The ‘believe’ tag is something you could easily recreate and is just a little different than writing your guests’ names or Merry Christmas.

For those that love classic elegance in the dining room (think velvet dining chairs in rich colours), the opulence of this gold and white scheme is great. We particularly loved the subtle nod to Christmas provided by the rustic bauble placed on the dinner setting and the fresh feel of the white roses which are scattered along the table.

If you’re looking for a simple scheme to match your reclaimed wood dining table which you’re planning to leave bare without a tablecloth to display the beauty of the wood, this understated setting is stunning. The plain white china and napkins with a touch of greenery and white candles through the centre makes for a cosy yet clean finish – perhaps for modern homes where you don’t want to compromise on heart.

The Perfect Frosting

In another blog we spoke about how you could use the upcoming Christmas Card Day on 9^th December to make special Christmas cards for family and friends which are far more personal than the shop bought kind (and may even help you to rethink whether you need to send quite so many cards). However, you could also use the day to make decorative cards to place on the dinner table.

It is a great activity to do with your children or grandchildren (or even for keeping the little ones occupied on Christmas Eve whilst you run last minute errands) and will add a really personal touch to your Christmas lunch. Write names of your guests, write each guest a special message which will make them smile or even just write Merry Christmas – the options are endless.

Let us know which of the dinner settings is your favourite. How will you decorate your dinner table this year?

Simple steps for a perfect Christmas day dinner

Beam Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and Bench

With the Big Day weeks away, many of us are turning our thoughts to planning Christmas Day dinner, a truly wonderful spectacle and fantastic family time. With a plan, you have a vision of the day in its entirety. You have everything in place beforehand with no last minute internet shopping or a dash to the shops.

1 The Christmas day menu

Top of your list should be deciding what you plan on feeding your guests at dinner, as well as various snacks throughout the day. There is also the drinks menu to consider too. Spend time being inspired by recipes, as well as considering festive feasts from other countries.

Once the menu is complete, make the shopping list and start your online shop, ordering vegetables from your local greengrocer and so on.

2 Turn your attention to the KITCHEN

This room is an important space all year round but when it comes to the festive season, it will be the place that is under pressure. It needs to be tidy with everything in its place and within easy reach. If you are bringing out the Christmas crockery from the large sideboard or the kitchen dresser, swap them with your ‘normal’ set to give you plenty of room.

3 Deep clean the DINING ROOM

Declutter the dining room, swapping one set of beautiful accessories for your festive-themed ones on your small display cabinet. Bring in the outside by using what nature gives us such as beautiful holly sprigs with red berries, pine cones and more.

4 Consider the setting

It may be part of the fun spending Christmas dinner balancing wobbling on an old chair but wouldn’t it be nice to have everyone enjoying a pleasant seat with plenty of elbow room?

If ever there was a time to invest in an 8-seater reclaimed wood dining table, it is now. If you are worried it will look too big, opt for an extendable reclaimed wood rustic dining table that will party ‘fold away’ when you don’t need the entire space.

Upholstered dining chairs add colour and texture and perfect for everyday use as well as special occasions. Finding enough comfortable seating is an annual nightmare but there is a solution – a dining bench. From plain, simple, stylish and functional benches to those with back, sides and a little more embellishments, they are an investment worth making.

5 The details

Christmas shouldn’t be about worrying that everything is perfect or running around from morning until night, but it is a busy time. The more guests you have, the busier it is.

You need to think through the smaller but still important details;

Assign tasks – from someone always making sure people have a drink, to guests’ coats being collected and retrieved to clearing the table, loading the dishwasher, there are many tasks that can be assigned to others.
Entertainment – you don’t need to book Coco the clown and even though there are gifts galore, a board game or two to keep everyone amused is an investment you can bring out year on year.

The basics – from having more than enough toilet rolls to tissues, wipes and all of those small things that make a huge difference when you don’t have them.

Finally, enjoy your festive season, no matter what you are doing or who you share it with.

Grey rugs, the perfect partner for almost any style

Grey is a fantastic colour to use and works well in every style from rustic to industrial and contemporary, just at home with an oak table with metal legs as with a reclaimed wood bed. You can just about get away with grey in the Scandinavian style too, although to stay true to its roots, keeps the addition of grey minimal. Introducing this neutral colour in the form of a grey rug also adds texture to space. Even better, a grey rug works in any room.

The dining room

A grey rug in the dining room provides a platform around which the entire room can be styled – no matter what room you are styling, always start with the rug and build around it.

What we love about grey rugs is their versatility and for the texture, they add to a room. In the dining room, you want to create a style that lends itself equally to occasional formal dinner parties as well as acting as an informal family dining room.

This patchwork patterned grey rug is a superb base, fitting well with both the formal and informal look we need.

It is a divine partner to the industrial dining table, complementing the grey dining chairs, ideal for adding cohesion. An open shelved, slim console table is the final piece that complements the industrial style dining room.

In the living room

You may want to opt for neutral colours in the living room but in a home with pets or a family home, neutral shades of beige, cream and white are simply not functional. Grey offers more leeway in terms of neutrality with the warmth of dark grey rug with a traditional pattern a sheer delight.

Add the ‘glamour look’ with the use of high shine metallic surfaces such as the Hanbury sofa, available in a two and three seater option.

Against the backdrop of cream and grey, this golden yellow velvet armchair is a sheer delight. In fact, if you are looking for a pop of colour against grey, golden or mustard yellow with deeper, earthier tones is ideal.

The golden frame of the industrial coffee table, from our new-in Blackbone Collection, makes the ideal addition too.

In the bedroom

Grey is a beautiful colour in the bedroom. We’ve opted for a blue-based grey in this lighter grey rug from the Lois de Poortere collection. Cooler and lighter in shade is a refreshing backdrop for the bedroom. Married with the warmth of a reclaimed wood bed, the appearance is not too cold or harsh.

We’ve opted from the solid wood sleigh bed from the Winchester range, a superior example of the beauty of reclaimed wood furniture. Sitting atop the grey rug, you have the perfect backdrop for moving your style in any direction – opt for warmer shades for the Scandinavian look, or pastels to bring a hint of the farmhouse, for example.

We’ve aimed this look towards the rustic adding a wooden blanket box for storage as well as this light oak small shelf ladder. Unassuming, it is an exquisite piece and one that is proving popular.

Is grey rug something you have considered? Which room do you think it works best in?

Versatile and beautiful – How to style the reclaimed rustic table

The rustic style is ever-popular and yet it is not one that is afraid to change and morph as our likes and tastes change. This means that key pieces such as the Farringdon dining table remain a popular choice for customers, whether they are creating a formal dining room or in need of a robust reclaimed wood dining table in the family kitchen/diner.

We showcase the versatility of this dining table with these three stunning reclaimed wood furniture looks.

The family kitchen/diner

A busy space that is used for everything from family meals to snacking, homework and more, you need a dining table and chair set that is robust but still styled along the rustic lines.

The larger extending table is easily a 6-seater dining table, perfect for the busy family kitchen diner and when you opt for a dining bench along one long side of the table, you have ample space for lots of your children’s friend too.

For easy to keep clean chairs, we suggest the wooden dining chairs from the same range. A fabulous accessory would be this oversized wall clock with golden numerals, ideal for pulling together the rustic style in the family kitchen/diner.

The dining room

If you want to create a more formal look in the dining room, the Farringdon extendable dining table still packs a punch, as do most rustic dining tables with their reassurance presence.

The Farringdon dining and chairs set is a great starting point, with the grey upholstered dining chairs offering a luxurious feel to the formal dining room.

Continue the rustic style with a sideboard with wine rack combined, an ideal addition to any dining room.

If there is one room where you can add drama without limits it is the dining room. start with the floor, adding a beautiful platform to the rustic dining table with this beautiful blue rug from the Lois de Poortere collection.

Ring the changes with this simply exquisite contemporary bulbous hanging pendant light, the golden tones and uncluttered styling fitting with the rustic appeal, whilst adding a note of interest and luxury.

Everyday dining room

If you have the luxury of being able to use two dining spaces, one for more formal entertaining and the other for everyday dining, then you have double the opportunity to adopt two rustic dining tables!

The Farringdon table with chairs and dining bench set is a great starting point for the rustic dining room, ably supported by the rustic ladder shelving unit for keeping accessories and other items close by. We feel the dining bench is underrated as an ideal addition, great for informal dining and those impromptu get-togethers around the dining table.

If you hanker after drawer space in the dining room, a slimline rustic console table would fit the bill perfectly. With a shelf below and two deep drawers, this is an ideal piece for any room in the house.

Again, we have opted to add colour and texture with a beautiful rug. This beige with hints of blue traditional patterned rug being an inspired choice.

Reclaimed industrial tables – 4 Ways to style them for best effect

Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

The industrial look, in our opinion, will never age or dull in its significance. Many people like it – as we do – for its clean, almost-minimal look but enjoy the warmth generated when familiar meet and fuse. Creating a warm industrial style in the dining room is within your grasp. Here, we show you how…

The Kingsbridge Collection is stunning. What more can be said? The industrial dining table from the range makes for a stunning centrepiece, more so when flanked by velvet dining chairs. Choose grey velvet or opt for a bespoke colour to give your dining room an even more impressive feel.

The beautiful Kingsbridge drinks cabinet makes for a stunning dining room piece, and when you have accessories like the oversized wall clock and the semi-circle console table to pull the look together, you have an effortlessly chic and industrial styled dining room.

Linen and industrial chic!

The Maddox Collection is a firm favourite with customers seeking the industrial look because, with this beautiful collection, it is hard to go wrong.

Characterised by the black legs and reclaimed wood table top of the dining table, the elm used in this piece is desired by many. With its beautiful grain prominent, the texture of the linen upholstered dining chairs is the perfect foil. Still retaining an air of luxury, there is a utilitarian feel to linen that is ideal against the industrial look.

We have plenty of industrial styling tips for combining textures and colour, why not take a look?

Quiet elegance

The industrial look can be angular, with smart linear shapes and so it may come as a surprise that with a change of texture and colours, it can become a quiet, calm and elegant style.

The Raffles industrial reclaimed wood dining table exudes elegance without compromising on its industrial credentials. With the velvet or fabric Sandy dining chairs alongside, it takes on a completely different feel to the other setups we have shown thus far.

As well as using this beautiful slimline industrial console table as a partner in the room, choosing from a rug from our expansive range would also add the touch of elegance with texture and colour.

Industrial with a strong hint of rustic

If there are two styles that pair well it is the industrial feel and the rustic style, and it works well in the dining room.

As with all the other styles, it is the industrial dining table that takes centres stage, around which the rest of the room is created. An extendable dining table is a wise investment for many us – entertaining is a cinch with an 8-seater reclaimed wood dining table in the dining room – with the industrial dining bench being the perfect partner for when you want to increase seating options as the table and number of guests expand.

The faux leather dining chairs are also great options but what marries the industrial backdrop with a more rustic feel is the inclusion of reclaimed wood large sideboard. Adding more than a hint of practicality to the industrial dining room, the abundance and warmth of the reclaimed wood of this unit deliver a different not in this dining room landscape.

Four great ideas for an industrial dining room with reclaimed wood furniture. Which is your favourite?

Make room for these beautiful refectory dining tables

A refectory is a large communal dining room, the kind of which you find anywhere from the work ‘canteen’ to the large dining halls of schools, colleges and other venues. At the centre of the refectory is the refectory table, a long trestle-like table around which many people can comfortably sit. Equally, at home, an oak dining table accompanied by a dining bench to match its length or upholstered dining chairs is giving the refectory table somewhat of a resurgence.

The grand oak trestle table

Oak is a beautiful slow growing tree and the timber it gives is dense and incredibly robust.

The beauty of a large oak table is not to be underplayed and this trestle table is perfection. Two large column legs at either end, with delicious curves, give the table top a rigidity and strength.

Of course, it is the beauty that you will notice – both looks and quality – and frankly, we think sumptuously upholstered dining chairs won’t look out of place around it.

The Farmhouse dining table

Perfect for the refectory look – the long, imposing dining table at its centre – the farmhouse reclaimed wood dining table is the perfect mimic of the grand oak table.

It boasts a similar shape, complete with attractive leg columns and a reclaimed tabletop perfect for friends and family to gather around.

The farmhouse style is all about mixing function with style so why not mix it up with a dining bench down one long side of the table, and wooden and fabric dining chairs around the other long side and two short sides. You could, of course, add upholstered or even leather dining chairs, and they wouldn’t look out of place.

The appeal of dark wood

Dark wood is the ‘Marmite’ of the furniture world – you either love its drama or you hate it. We love it, especially when it comes in the superbly glorious shape of a dark wood refectory table.

Sublimely styled, it too boasts the column legs with carved detail and a glorious expanse of dark wood table top that brings its own drama to the dining room.

If there is one dining table that is the epitome of the hallowed dining halls of years past, it is this table. Retain the drama with dark wood dining chairs although we love matching velvet dining chairs in darker shades with this table.

Back to lighter oak tones

Coming full circle, we come back to the beauty of oak in this magnificent 8-seater dining table, an ideal addition to any home but if you have the farmhouse-style kitchen, you have found your farmhouse dining table.

It has presence. It has beauty. It oozes quality from every knot and grain. Slide a dining bench alongside one long edge to increase the seating space or keep it chic and elegance with neutral upholstered dining table. The beauty of cream or grey linen against it light finish allows the table to remain the important piece in the room.

Which would you choose?

Beautiful oak dining tables to suit all budgets

A quality oak dining table and bench set will give you years of service. Chic and elegant, it will remain the star of the dining room for as long as you want it but when your budget is tight, you may need to revise your plans! We showcase four of our oak dining tables at different price points proving that there is the right table out there at the right price.

Top end investment

Consider the decades that an oak table will last, the one-off investment will certainly reward you.

The Hoxton dining table comes in four sizes but there is something beautifully grand and timeless about this piece that makes it a firm favourite with many customers.

The lightness of the oak is perfect for the Scandinavian style dining room, although it would also fit perfectly in any style or when your tastes change – traditional, farmhouse and modern included.

The versatility of the table is not to be understated. You can see it here, styled by our customer and looking stunning with upholstered dining chairs. It would also work with a functional dining bench too and of course, leather or faux leather dining chairs shouldn’t be forgotten.

Two choices of an oak table at the mid-range price point

In the mid-range price point we have two beautiful but fairly distinct oak dining tables;

Square oak table

The Mitcham square industrial dining table with its ‘spider leg’ framework is one of those pieces that will never regret buying.

Perfect in the smaller dining room, open plan Scandinavian living room or in the kitchen diner, there is something satisfying about the square oak table top with the metal framework beneath. Team with equally delightful leather dining chairs and similarly styled dining room furniture for symmetrical appeal.

Extendable dining table

Again, it is a purchase at the mid-price point of your budget that you won’t regret investing in. the Hudson Wycombe extendable dining table will see you through many dinner parties, Christmas dinners, birthday means and will grow and shrink as needed with your family and activities. If you truly love the Scandinavian furniture and style, then you will be hard pushed to leave this behind in our studio.

Fantastic value without compromising on quality

Affordability is the name of the game when it comes to this beautiful oak dining table, also from the Hudson range and perfect for those who have a keen eye for the warmth and functionality of the Scandinavian style.

Quality is no less, however, and so when you pack your family and friends around this 6 seater dining table, you won’t be disappointed by its performance nor style – nor the many, many years of service it will give you.

Again, when practicality is the priority, team it with the matching dining bench but when style and comfort take over, this oak dining table will seat equally as comfortable in the company of upholstered dining chairs.

We understand that for all our customers, the price is a consideration but we also know that quality and buying products made from sustainable materials and managed resources are equally as important.

How to beautifully style sideboards with wine storage

They are the perfect addition at any time of the year but the sideboard with wine storage comes into its own during the festive, party season. Just how can you style this must-have reclaimed furniture piece so that it shimmers through all seasons?

In the dining room

A recent addition to our range is the Kensal Collection, a collection we chose for its modern, Scandinavian appeal that offers so much. The sideboard is a common feature in the dining room – makes perfect sense to us! – and so Kensal sideboard with wine rack looks perfect alongside the console table from the same range.

Balance the symmetry in the dining room with an extending dining table from the same range. Use industrial style dining chairs to add a hint of the unexpected – these wire-framed back chairs, with leather seating is just one example. Or, you can add more than a note of decadence with upholstered chairs if you feel you want to add both a different texture.

The dining room rug is an essential piece, the platform on which everything is held aloft and we know that the drama of the mineral black rug from the Lois de Poortere collection is more than perfect.

In the living room

Whenever we look at reclaimed wood furniture and other pieces, we exam just how versatile a piece they are – not every piece should be pigeon-holed – in other words, a sideboard with wine storage isn’t just for the dining room.

It has all the elegance you would expect of a piece for the living room and with the many practical elements of this large sideboard with wine rack, again from our new-in Kensal Collection, you can see why is it ideal for the living room.

As well as a rack for wine, there is a cupboard for spirits and mixers complemented by a drawer for other items that really don’t need to be on display.

We have paired this sideboard with the patchwork blue rug, a colour that we love with a brown leather armchair. The oversized metal wall clock is the ideal accessory that is neither lost not over the top.

In the open plan living room

In an open space, you have more options when it comes not just to size but the detailing too. In effect, you can go for more and it still looks understated in the space. Of course, the sideboard with wine rack, like this large sideboard with cupboard and drawer space, can also be used as an item for zoning the space.

The reclaimed wood coffee table on wheels is also ideal in a larger space because again, the chunky metal frame and its generous dimensions won’t swamp the room. Against the beautiful sideboard, there is a connection rather than a competition of ‘who is best’?

The note of change in this scheme is the addition of a grey sofa – you may have been expecting brown leather – but we think the neutrality of the grey allows all the pieces to stand out, a factor that is aided by the grey rug.