living room Archives - Page 24 of 31

Why a vibrant rug is much more than just a mat

Louis de Poortere Blue Rug in Childrens Bedroom

A rug makes a fantastic addition to any living room scheme, bringing with it sophistication and style. To make your living room’s rug work for your needs, think about the colour, texture, pattern and size of the rug.

If you have opted for cool tones with your furniture, flooring and wall choices, opt for a geometric pattern with a large pattern that brings together your colour palette. A large square pattern, like one of our Vintage Patchwork Yellow Rug, would work for a room with a more classic style. Alternatively, our Mad Men Central Yellow Interior Rug, with its stunning, subtle pattern will work beautifully with all wooden flooring, and compliment leather sofas perfectly.

For a decor scheme that makes use of primary colours and contemporary furniture, pick a rug with a fun design to create a coordinated look which will certainly make a statement. A design with flowing lines will add movement to your living room and will contrast the clean lines of contemporary furniture. Light wood or white furniture looks fantastic with a pop of colour – a blue rug like the Atlantic Ocean Blue Waves Rug or the Atlantic Ocean Blue Stripes Rug offer an eclectic, statement design in a colour which compliments most decor schemes. For something more subtle, the design also comes in grey.

Using rugs to separate out an open-plan space is a tried and tested method to break up your room without losing the fantastic open plan feeling. But you don’t need to go for contrasting colours. Two luxury rugs in a neutral colour can be accessorised with subtle pops of colour and sophisticated pieces like large glass chandeliers, decorative wall mirrors and classic, elegant furniture. The iconic style of a grey chesterfield sofa would be the perfect accompaniment to this polished style.

Finally, a rug is a great way to frame two sofas. In a narrow space, with two sofas, a large rug will make your seating area feel complete, pulling the look together and adding an artistic touch to your living room. A bright pattern or colour, like green or red, would look great to break up two cream sofas. Just make sure that your rug is large enough to fit underneath both sofas for a sleek, stylish finish.

Will you be adding a rug to your living room?

It’s official, luxury traditional tweed is irresistibly gorgeous

Fabrics in the home need to long-lasting, wear well and be fit for purpose. They also need to be stylish and colourful, as well as offering different properties depending on their use.

Fabric is everywhere in our homes from the plush, soft cushions to the gathers of fabrics as curtains and blinds. It is, of course, the outer layer of the fabric dining chairs that look so elegant in the dining room, as well as the sofa and armchairs of the lounge.

But we wondered, which material do our customers prefer when it comes to a sofa? Would people opt for the cool to the touch but ever-so-elegant brown leather sofa or would the pleasant feel and warmth of a tweed upholstered sofa hit the mark?

We Asked, You Answered

And so, we took to both Instagram and Houzz to pose the question. We gave you an idea of one of best selling brown leather sofas in the shape of the Bamford Chesterfield sofa. Available in leather and tweed, you told us what you thought.

There was a clear favourite: tweed. Winning hands down on both Houzz and Instagram, you told us that tweed was the choice when it came to the sofa fabric.

What is Tweed?

It is a woollen fabric, with a soft, open and flexible texture. Slightly ‘rough’ to the touch, it is a fabric that when spun into a closely woven pattern, is incredibly strong and long-lasting. As it is a natural product, it has fantastic insulation properties as well as a whole raft of benefits and superpowers.

In the busy family home, it makes an ideal fabric for all kinds of upholstery applications, from fabric dining chairs around your reclaimed wood dining table to bold coloured or understated patterned armchairs by the wood coffee table near the fire.

And it is probably these qualities, along with the fact it looks and feels great, properties not easily diminished over time, that the majority of our customers answered the poll with a resounding yes to tweed.

In recent years, we have noted an increase in the popularity of tweed. It fell out of favour for a while, seen as old-fashioned. But with new life breathed into it in terms of colours and patterns, tweed is now a staple of the new urban modern styling we are witnessing.

Leather: NOT the Poor Relation

But it wasn’t a complete whitewash in terms of tweed versus leather. There was a strong showing in support of leather and no wonder.

One comment was clear: leather was the favoured choice because it is an easy-care fabric, looks good and stays looking good for a long time. Leather dining chairs make sense – simply wipe away sticky finger marks and blobs of jam – and the brown leather sofa is the ‘old favourite’, the addition to the home that sees all of life from the tears to the laughter.

Leather never falls out of fashion. Suited to many different interior styles, including the note of warmth in a rustic interior and the added-detail-without-fuss to the industrial styled living room, it is an understated, versatile fabric.

Why not join our next poll? Find us on Instagram or Houzz to join in the fun!

Bring a burst of colour in your home with tweed

Adding colour can be risky. Too much and it looks out of place and brash. Too little, however, can leave a room looking sparse and cold.

There are solutions to adding colour to a room, bringing with it warmth and texture: tweed. With a soft, open texture, tweed is a beautiful fabric made from spun wool. As a natural product, its beauty is enhanced using a mix of traditional and modern methods that make it a delightful and colourful addition to a room.

Moon Wool

Heard of Moon wool? It sounds out of this world – and it is! Since 1837, Abraham Moon & Sons have been creating exquisite wool products for use in furniture manufacture. Even today, they use the same wool suppliers from New Zealand and Merino Wool from South Africa to be assured of the very best quality.

It is Moon Wool that we use to create stylish bespoke pieces, just for you. And with some of our wool upholstered items also featuring Moon Wool, you know you are getting the very best. Warm to the touch, the colours and patterns available are many and varied.

And with your stylish eye, you will soon be able to add the zing of colour you need, with the help of Harris Tweed and Moon Wool furniture.

Modern meets Tradition

If you want a serious pop of colour, then the Kirk Moon wool armchair is the right choice to make. With deep purple or turquoise available, take a look at the unique finish for the back with contrasting piping that really sets this armchair apart. A perfect way, we think of mixing modern living room furniture with a hint of the traditional.

Strong Colour

Adding colour is not always about adding vibrant hues with extra zing. This deep blue armchair, the Napier Harris tweed chair, is perfect for adding depth of colour to a room. With minimal detailing, it is ostentatious or over-the-top, its height also contributing to it being an understated piece that makes a quieter statement. Keep accessories such as decorative mirrors light in detail too so that they create a cohesive sense of style.

Style it Out with Checks

Checked fabric armchairs are the perfect way of adding not only a burst of colour but detailing too. The Kramer Moon wool armchair has a range of options when it comes to coloured check and for any room, from the contemporary styled lounge to rustic heaven, this is a great choice. The unassuming shape also makes this armchair the perfect addition to the home study and the bedroom.

Not Just Armchairs…

The Birley Chesterfield sofa is also completely customisable and makes the perfect partner (complimentary or contrasting!) to any of our tweet or Moon wool armchairs. The checked Harris tweed works well with the supple brown leather, as well as with the large range of Moon wool patterns too.

The Power of Colour

Colour, no matter what shade or hue, has the power to transform a room. It adds detail, warmth and detail to the eye, perfectly complimenting any style.

What do you think: is tweed the new popular trend?

As you know, we canvass opinions on all kinds of interior design subjects and this time, we wanted to know your thoughts on tweed.

We Asked, You Answered

We wanted to know if you thought tweed, as a material for sofas and armchairs, was an upholstery choice that was on trend. It was a close-run thing but tweed just pipped leather into second place when it came to both sofas and armchairs.

What is tweed?

Tweed is a softly weaved wool, a material that is warm to the touch, appealing to the eye and surprisingly hard wearing and robust, perfect for the modern home.

Being made from wool, it is a natural product thus its insulation and cooling properties are legendary. Using only the best quality wool, manufacturers create all kinds of colours and patterns for use on armchairs and sofas using a mix of the old and modern.

And it is probably these modern patterns, colours and prints that make tweed an attractive and popular choice for the modern consumer, with an eye for style and detail.

Creating Your Bespoke Armchair

Fabric dining chairs are a delight but, for many of our customers, the mixing of fabric with sticky fingers, spills and stains at the dining table ‘rules out’ fabric.

We have a solution, as you would expect, that doesn’t compromise on style not blow your budget. The Castello dining chair is a thing of beauty, bringing sheer elegance to any dining table. Opt for the leather upholstered seat but why not include a Harris tweed upholstered back, choosing a check that compliments or contrasts (the choice is yours, after all).

When it comes to leather or fabric dining chairs, why choose when you can have both? Frankly, mixing the best of both worlds with leather dining chairs and Harris tweed is a very desirable solution.

Contemporary Styling…

… with a dash of the traditional is how we would describe the combining of leather and tweed, with the iconic shape of the Chesterfield sofa and armchair.

Let us consider this heady mix, for a moment, in the contemporary styled living room: you want a sharpness to the clean lines of your sofa and leather armchair, but you want the exquisite detailing that sets it apart from the clinical look. You want detail without the fuss, colour without brashness.

The answer is the combination of leather and tweed as seen with the Birley sofa and the grey armchair, with leather casing.

Long established beauty

It is a struggle between function and beauty, and not just in the living room. Leather, we assume is the must-have option, so practical and easy to maintain. A fabric is, we assume, the opposite, requiring dry cleaning, specialist equipment and effort to keep it looking and feeling pristine.

But tweed won’t let you down, especially Harris Tweed because it is made from the finest wool. The processing of the wool follows a long-established process – if it works, why fix it? – which produces a beautiful soft-to-the-touch fabric that can be used and admired for years.

Combining the traditional with the modern is not a step too far with Harris tweed and the finest leather.

How to create a calm feel in your home

A deep sense of worry, pounding headaches, being unable to control breathing, an uncontrollable fear… there are many triggers to someone’s anxiety, the symptoms of which also vary from one person to another, from one ‘attack’ to the next.

Home should be the space in which anyone should feel safe and for someone battling to control anxiety, it is imperative it is designed and maintained along lines that really do make them feel safe and calm.

It is known that design plays an important role in helping people to leave anxiety at the front door and so with this in mind, we looked at styling tips to help people with anxiety to feel exactly that: calm, in control and safe.

Space and Light

For some people feeling closed in, in small dark spaces can be a trigger for feeling unsafe. And so, ensuring that your home has as much natural light as possible and an open plan design is a clear winner when it comes to helping allay anxiety and fear.

But for others, this is a nightmare scenario. Similar to agoraphobia, all that ‘openness’ can lead them into a world of feeling exposed. Using moveable reclaimed furniture and accessories, such as display cabinets to ‘shorten’ the space can help.

Top tips:

Choose neutral colours with a warm undertone such as creams and beige
Neutral tones furniture works well too to create a sense of cohesion and order; for example, cream dining chairs will add texture to the smaller dining room and look great with any style of dining table and furniture
If natural light is an issue, choose soft glow bulbs and lighting solutions throughout the home, but especially when it comes to living room lamps.

Declutter

It is an emotional journey but there is no doubt that decluttering, freeing space and bringing in order and light can be a useful (but sometimes painful) task for anyone suffering anxiety.

Decluttering is not just about ‘throwing things away’, it is about creating a storage system that works so that clutter doesn’t accumulate. It is a way of changing how you live in your home so that you maintain it as the space you want it and need it to be.

Create a storage system that you know you can stick too
Pretty boxes and furniture with ‘hidden’ storage such as a blanket box for a coffee table in the living room are also great solutions

Which Style Works Best?

Of course, you need to style your home according to your taste and budget, from oak bedroom furniture to glossy cupboards, but the Scandinavian style is one worth considering. A seamless blend between warm, natural materials, its modern feel also works well for those that prefer a more traditional approach, slimline, without sharp angles, it is a popular styling choice for the home and your workspace.

Anxiety – a Hidden Issue

It is not something that people have commonly shared, preferring to keep their anxiety locked away. But in recent times, we have seen a changing attitude toward mental health and how issues, such as anxiety, a more common than what we think.

We often think that we are the ‘only one’ and that others will deride it as being something we ‘just need to get a grip on’. Our surroundings play a big part in helping us to deal with anxiety and other issues. Make this the year you style your home that gives you not only pleasure but the safety and control you crave.

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?

Predictions of the year for interior design styles

If you love interior design like we do, you will probably be wondering what 2018 has in store in terms of trends, as well as which trends from 2017 will still be appealing in the coming year too…

Colour in the Kitchen

If you love colour, you will like the idea of adding bolder colours to the kitchen. However, for those of us who find the industrial style beautiful and practical, you may have the shivers.

But there is good news: colour in the kitchen is not about adding coloured doors and worktops but adding colour to walls. And even then, the favourites are muted greys, perfect for sitting alongside your industrial style furniture in the kitchen.

We predict…

… that muted colours such as greys and blues will stay with us for most of 2018. In complete contrast, the Pantone Colour of the Year is a rich, evocative Ultra Violet, perfect we think for the occasional bold, contrasting statement.

Vintage Lighting

Designers are bringing through new trends that will sit so well within the landscape of an industrial styled home. Lighting confirms the ambience of a room and, so we think that the desire for vintage lighting is perfect. Any scheme should have the odd surprise or two so why not contrast vintage with the angular, newer industrial style?

Think vintage, think brass but if you can’t quite see your way to trailing around vintage shops and markets, opt for ‘modern vintage’ such as the Embla floor lamp, its rich, warm gold tones adding depth and detail.

We predict…

… customers will become even more adventurous in their choice of lighting and materials.

Shiplap tiling is staying…

… but there is also a trend coming through called ‘millwork’ tiling. Think hexagonal and ‘wireframes’ patterns for tiling, a great alternative, we think to shiplap which doesn’t always sit easily alongside the industrial style.

Create a feature wall of hexagonal tiles in the kitchen or be daring with the bathroom floor.

We predict…

… shiplap tiles won’t be hanging around once we see the amazing results of hexagonally shaped tiling.

Other predictions in brief:

Metallics will be a must. A framework pendant light would add detail to an industrial living room.
Concrete is the new must-have material, pushing granite and marble aside. Pattern it, stamp it and polish it, concrete is brilliant as flooring and worktop solutions.
The fireplace is back! If you are lucky to be gifted a fireplace, bring it back at the focal point of the room. Whether it is casting a warm glow in the dining room next to your fabric dining chairs and statement table or a non-working feature in the bedroom, make it the star of the show for 2018 at least!
Art is nature inspired. If you are looking to add canvas art prints to your industrial themed home, the on-trend art subject is the natural world, specifically plants. Perfect for adding a little greenery and softening the angles, nature easily sits within the industrial style.

What trends do you want to stay for the coming year?

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?

A Merry Christmas from the Modish Living team

There is something so magical about Christmas and the glitz and glamour of Christmas decorations is no exception. We would love to see your creativity and the fun you’ve had decorating for Christmas this year.

How you decorate your home for Christmas is totally personal, and that’s part of the fun. Perhaps you get crafty by making handmade items? Perhaps your children bring home trinkets from school which you hang proudly on the Christmas tree? Or perhaps you love modern, industrial decorations and keep decorations to a minimum?

A new piece of furniture creates the perfect opportunity to try out something completely new with your decorations. So if you’ve bought a new reclaimed wood dining table from us this year which is spending your first Christmas in your home at the centre of your festivities, you’ve decked out your rustic coffee table, or some of our upholstered dining chairs ready for those Christmas plans, we would love to see what you’ve come up with.

We’ve shared plenty of decoration tips and ideas to get the most out of our reclaimed furniture over the past year including lots of Christmas ideas of the past few weeks. Maybe you’ve used one of our ideas, or come up with something totally unique! You could even give us an insight into your family’s favourite Christmas tradition.

From all the team at Modish Living, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2018!

Starting as a team of just one just under 5 years ago, the Modish Living team, headed up by husband and wife team Chris and Hellen Barlow, has grown tremendously, with an influx of new team members over the past 12 months. Modish is now run from a gorgeous Sussex Coast barn, which is also a studio for some of the most stunning pieces in the collection. In the last year, Modish has also picked up a Best of Houzz Design award and has been recognised as a ‘highly commended website’ by the Good Web Guide – two awards we are very proud of.

It’s safe to say that 2017 has been a fantastic year for Modish Living. But it isn’t just our team who have helped Modish Living to thrive. We couldn’t have done it without our customers and followers who like, share and comment on our posts and blogs so thank you!