industrial Archives - Page 21 of 26

Our most read blog posts of the year

The aim of our blog is simple – to give you ideas on how to create the style and finish you want in your home. And it seems that our articles and posts are hitting the right notes.

With this in mind, we took a look back at the three most popular blogs. And what they tell us is interesting…

5 Interior Design Styles

Take a moment to read any interior design or lifestyle blog, and you will see it talks about various trends and must-have styles. But the problem is that even though the photos look appealing and you decide a certain style will work for you, it is often impossible to recreate the style in your own home.

This blog looked at the basics of five of the most popular interior design styles, from rustic to industrial. It included key elements that made an interior style rustic or farmhouse, or what materials need to combine to give the industrial looking edge to your home or the mid-20^th Century modern that so many of us enjoy. Well worth another look!

Read the blog here.

Welcoming Spring with the Farmhouse Style

There is something comforting, yet elegantly stylish and unfussy about the farmhouse look that makes for it being so popular. It is practical without every element of detail or design being eliminated. It came as no surprise to find that the second most popular blog from this year was this piece of how to create the farmhouse style in your home.

We know it can be hard to reproduce the style across the home, so with this blog, we took a room by room approach. It looked at how to use open shelving – great for the studio, study or living room – as well as other farmhouse furniture staples work well to create the style.

It examined how to create a cohesive farmhouse style in the kitchen and the dining room, as well as a look at which accessories work well with the style. Take another look at how to create the farmhouse style in your home, no matter what time of year.

How to Choose the Perfect Wood Dining Table

It is an item of furniture that lasts for years and years. Rarely replaced, the dining table needs to be universally stylish. Choosing the right dining room sets can take a long time, especially with so much choice.

Wood is the favoured material as it ‘fits’ all design styles, from the rustic to the industrial style, as well as the uber-modern. But which shape? Which design? What style? What about dining chairs – upholstered or leather? Or is a dining bench a better option?

With so many questions that need answering, many people turned to a popular blog we published in the summer. This was our third most popular blog – and is still racking up visitors – and no wonder because choosing a wooden dining table that offers everything you need is a tough decision!

Take a look at the blog again for help to choose the best wood dining table for your home.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed providing inspiration through our blog this year – what would you like to see us cover next?

Our best sellers of the year

Have you noticed how, as we get to the end of the year, everyone from retailers to TV shows chart the year in what was amazing, funny, sad and popular? We decided to take a look back at which items from our collections were popular, from the farmhouse table to the most popular chairs…

The Standford Industrial Reclaimed Table

In the top spot is this impressive industrial dining table. Mixing the elegant with the practical, customers loved the dining sets with bench, as well as the extendable dining surface that makes it ideal for any busy home. It is robust and yet not devoid of style, brought about, we think, by the reclaimed wood top. With reclaimed wood, you can bask in the warmth of knowing that the item you have purchased is completely unique. Every grain and blemish hints at its past, just one reason why this is one of our best sellers.

The Luxe Kensington Dining Table

Just as popular is this pleasing mix of styles, the rustic dining table with a reclaimed wood top and the elegant metal work legs. As well as the larger, rectangle dining table, there is also the round Luxe dining table, with the exquisite metal legwork column that sets it apart from all others. There is a rawness to this table top that really makes it stand out. Perfect for when you want something different, but without compromising on the ideals of the industrial or rustic styles.

English Beam Table

The simplicity of the English Beam dining table in a ‘medium finish’ is probably the main feature that makes this a popular seller this year – and we don’t expect its rising star to wane anytime soon. It has the industrial look to it that easily fits a home, the perfect table for friends to gather round. The other factor that we know makes this a popular item is that you can order it in custom sizes too. So, no need for a table that is too big or too small.

Allegro Chairs

Fourth on our list are dining chairs that we always knew would be a hit – and we weren’t proved wrong. The Allegro chairs in Cerato leather are the ideal teammates to any of our rustic or industrial styled dining tables. Cerato is a herb that when correctly prepared and administered, helps people to realise their individuality and we think this is a fitting name for our leather dining chairs. Available with wooden and metal legs, which would you choose?

Florence Chairs

Whereas the Allegro dining chair oozes a deceptive simplicity, the upholstered dining chairs from the Florence range offer exquisite detail that brings sophistication to a dining room. Light in colour, the robust fabric is soft to the touch, it is the stud work and the added detail of the ring metal handle on the back of the chair that gives it the edge. Available in natural and white, it is no wonder these dining chairs are popular with our discerning customers.

Did you purchase one of our best sellers this year, or are you looking for inspiration for next year? Either way, we’d be glad to hear what you think of our best sellers!

Comic Christmas jumpers are a must for Christmas Jumper day

There is no denying that the festive season can bring out the ‘bah-humbug’ in us.

We may love the twinkling fairy lights but only once we have wrestled them free of their many tangles.

We love the real Christmas tree but hate vacuuming the dropped needles.

We love seeing family and friends – but it is an effort when all you want to do is curl up with a good book.

And this is why the modern tradition of Ugly Christmas Jumper Day is such a sweet invention.

Handmade Gifts

Many people still hand-make gifts for family and friends which is, of course, nothing new. As children, you were probably bribed to wear the itchy hand knitted jumper that Grandma or someone else had knitted. Once Christmas day had passed, the jumper was banished, never to be seen again, along with the horrendous knitted bed socks…

But it has made a comeback and when it comes to festivities at your workplace, there is nothing better than Ugly Christmas Jumper Day.

Better still, when you wear your Christmas jumper to work on 15^th December 2017, ugly or otherwise, you can add a few pounds to the charity box, knowing that you, along with your esteemed colleagues, are supporting Save the Children in their important work.

Comic, ugly or overly ‘busy’ Christmas jumpers are a must, perfect for showing the lighter side of your work colleagues sitting around at boardroom tables. And it is not just small business getting involved, but large businesses too.

Recycling: The Parent of Ugly Sweater Fever

No one seems to know why, why, where, when or how the current craze for ugly Christmas sweaters began. A book on the subject noted that there was an upswing from 2001 onwards. Although it can’t be confidentially attributed to the movement of recycling and upcycling, the early examples of ugly Christmas jumpers were charity shop finds.

And this is how it continued for many years until major retailers spotting a demand issue in the market, started to create their own versions of ugly Christmas jumpers, which is why you’ll see them at almost every desk and chair in the office these days.

What Makes an Ugly Christmas Jumper?

What is stylish to one person, will be atrocious to another. So, what makes Millie sat at her corner office desk love the flashing nose of Rudolph on her Christmas jumper, but detest the Santa festooned jumper of Robert, sat at his bespoke wooden desk?

Frankly, anything goes and the bigger, bolder, brasher and more colourful, the better. And there is no doubt that the best ugly Christmas jumpers are those with 3D adornments, flashing lights and an abundance of bright, festive colours. From magenta pink to glow of gold accessories, the more the jumper has on it, the better.

Not Just Humans, But Dogs Too!

The other aspect that has started to emerge to this trend is the penchant of dog owners to dress up their pooches. Why should Fido miss out on the festive season? There are all kinds of superb Christmas dog jumpers, jackets and hats that make taking your dog to work so much more exciting.

Fashion faux pas or otherwise, the ugly Christmas jumper is a fun way of raising money for a worthwhile charity – or donate to another of your choice – and kicking back and having ‘silly’ fun with your work colleagues.

How to style: dining set or mix and match chairs?

The dining table is an important piece of furniture so it’s no surprise that customers take time to consider all their options. From considering which shape will work best, to which style will suit their home, there is also the question of whether a dining set which gives a cohesive style to the dining room is the way to go or whether choosing chairs separately, so you can have your own unique take is the best step forward.

No one can make this decision alone, so we asked our Houzz and Instagram followers what they thought.

We showed them the Wycombe, one of our oak dining sets, complete with chairs and dining bench…

And we showed them the Maddox industrial dining table…

And we asked which do you prefer? Are dining sets still on-trend or is creating your own dining table styles with mix and match chairs the way to go?

What YOU Said

It was a close-run thing but there was a clear push for the Maddox industrial table with mix and match chairs. But why?

There was no doubting that for many, the contemporary style and fresh feeling of the Maddox industrial table with mix and match chairs were appealing. But why?

The table itself is perfection when it comes to the industrial style. The combination of raw, not overly processed reclaimed wood with the stark, cool contrast of metal is perfect. But the edginess and angles of the industrial style are softened by the lower backed velvet dining chairs with wooden legs but, more importantly, the colour of the chairs and the plush fabric adds texture and warmth. In fact, this was one comment about the Maddox dining table; the great colours and the soft look were exactly what many people wanted.

But the winning comment must surely be that the mix and match effect ‘offers so many possibilities’. If you are looking to create a unique look to your dining room that is on-trend but warm, genuine and stylish there is no doubt that the Maddox table and mix and match chairs is the style path for you.

Dining Sets – Not as Old Fashioned as You Think

But that doesn’t mean the Wycombe dining set missed out on its admirers.

Chic, modern and with a Scandinavian style, there is an understated simplicity about the Wycombe dining set. Our dining room sets come in a range of options: in this case, you can opt for four chairs, or dining benches or a combination thereof.

An oak extending dining table is, of course, also worth its weight in gold in a busy; the extending section works well with the dining bench as there is more room for guests in an instant.

Oak dining sets are also practical, something that many of our voters on Houzz and Instagram were keen to point out. There were many comments about the Wycombe set being infinitely practical but there were also clear preferences for it because of its versatility in the home.

Even though there was a clear winner – the Maddox industrial dining table with mix and match chairs – there was a respect and a big nod of approval for the Wycombe dining set too, for all that it offers. Which is your favourite?

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…

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.