living room Archives - Page 27 of 31

Spoil your mum by offering her a Lazy Day

On Friday 1st September, it is Lazy Mum’s Day. Even on Mother’s Day, mothers keep cooking, cleaning and working hard to look after their families which is why Lazy Mum’s Day is a day where they are encourages to simply be lazy.

There’s no need to buy your Mum a present, just give her some peace and quiet!

Start the day right with breakfast in bed – perhaps even get the kids to prepare breakfast! In a cosy haven of a white wooden bed with lots of scatter cushions and luxurious throws, your Mum can relax with a cup of coffee and her current book rather than rush around getting breakfast and getting everyone ready to leave the house.

If breakfast in bed isn’t an option, once the kids have got to school, if you don’t have to work, take the day to put your feet up. Relax in a comfy armchair reading the newspaper with a hot drink.

Alternatively, for a bit of luxury, invest in a leather chesterfield sofa. The winged arms of this sofa give an elegant twist to this icon of British furniture design and creates an opulent look in any living room. Hang a couple of knitted throws over the edge of the sofa so you can get comfortable and settle in for the long haul. You could even save yourself the hassle of dinner by getting a takeaway and just spend time with family.

Make sure you have the perfect reclaimed wood coffee table to pop your drink on. Sumptuously stylish, this British made rustic coffee table would make the perfect centrepiece to your living room. Stack the shelf with magazines and books so you can spend the day taking a well-earned break with some time to yourself.

To find the perfect living room furniture, take a look at the Modish Living website or get in touch with one of our team members for any enquiries.

Spend a day with your dog and don’t worry about cleaning

Do you sometimes struggle to balance everything in life? When this is the case, it is sometimes because there is so much going on that you can no longer prioritise tasks and activities.

This ‘not being able to see the wood for the trees’ is rectified by only one action; taking a step back. There are many ways you can do this – retail therapy, a walk in the hills or a day spent with your dog.

Treat Your Dog Day (And Restore Balance in Your Life!)

Your four-legged furry friend with their wagging tail and cold, wet nose quickly become an important member of the family. No matter what the weather is doing outside or what life throws at you, your dog welcomes you home with snuffles and barks.

But don’t just take our word for it. It is a known and scientifically proven fact that stroking a dog, cuddling buddies or simply taking Fido for a quick walk around the block restores and supports a sense of emotional healing.

So, how could you spend the day with the man’s best friend?

Take a Walk

Every dog needs exercising and every dog appreciates a chance to spend at least half an hour sniffing out the smells of their local neighbourhood. You could, of course, venture further afield. Find a dog park for fun with other canines or enjoy a stroll in the fresh sea air (checking local bylaws that dogs are allowed on the beach!)

Snuggle on the Sofa

Not everyone allows their pets on the sofa – and with good reason because getting rid of dog hair from fabric chairs or a crushed velvet Chesterfield sofa can be a nightmare (but stick with us because we’ll show you how) so instead, create a fantastic bed for your furry best friend with a wool rug in front of a roaring fire, perfect for enjoying a winter’s afternoon and evening together.

Removing Dog Hair, the Easy Way

Leather furniture, from sofas to club chair, is the better option for the dog-friendly household. Unlike other fabrics, pet hair doesn’t stick to leather. Simply wipe it off with a damp cloth or use the leather-nourishing wipes to ‘feed’ the leather.

Fabrics such as velvet attract and hold on to both dog and cat hair and thus need a special, but affordable cleaning implement in the shape of a lint roller. This is a roller on a handle that rotates and has a tacky surface. Simply gently roll over the surface of the fabric armchairs and what dog hair and unseen remnants of dust stick to it too. Some people use sticky tape but be careful not to damage the velvet pile or you velvet chair and sofa will soon have a ‘matted’ or flat appearance.

Of course, you can always protect your sofa before a day of snuggling with your canine best friend by covering it. What about a warm, cosy throw, perfect for you and the dog to share – if they let you? Shake the loss dog hair from its fibres and pop in the washing machine, making sure you read the washing instruction label, once you have spent the day restoring your balance and enjoying the company of your canine companion.

Pamper yourself and your pet on Dog Day

Dog Day is on 26th August and is a day to celebrate all breeds of dogs. It honours family dogs plus those which work to save lives, bring comfort and keep individuals safe.

There are so many reasons why a canine companion is the perfect addition to your home. First and foremost, a dog will provide unconditional love to you and your family and also gives you a reason to get exercising.

But there are other not so obvious benefits to having a dog too. Firstly, according to experts, by bringing a dog and its germs into the home, it gives your body a chance to build up antibodies thereby boosting your immune system. Not only this, a dog is a great way of meeting new people – namely, other dog owners in the park! If your neighbours have dogs too, you could even walk them together.

If you have a dog, Dog Day provides the perfect excuse to pamper your dog. Think about how you can make your dog bed that little bit more luxurious. One way to do so is to move the bed into a more social space – if they love a treat or two, move the bed into the kitchen. Alternatively, placing the dog bed in the living room will allow them to be a part of family life.

If you love vintage items and you want to create a unique bed for your dog, you could re-use a vintage suitcase. This creates a stylish dog bed which will look fantastic with your home decor, and can also be neatly packed up when you want to go away, with all their favourite toys inside too!

And what about if your dog enjoys the finer things in life? Create a glamping-inspired bed for your dog with a sheepskin rug which will keep them warm and comfortable. A sheepskin rug can even be used as a kitchen rug. Why not place under a farmhouse kitchen table for a glamorous twist and a spot your canine will love sleeping in whilst you eat.

If you don’t have a dog, it doesn’t mean you can’t get involved. Instead of pampering your dog, pamper your home with some canine-inspired decor. Cushions with dogs on them are hugely popular at the moment, and can look incredibly stylish on a simple armchair and footstool or even on wooden chairs in the kitchen. There are plenty of other unique options too. Look out for quirky dog-shaped lamp bases to add plenty of personality to your space or even a statement wall of dog wallpaper.

How are you going to pamper your dog on Dog Day?

How many calories can you burn in a Lazy Day

Whilst it may be summer at the moment, living in England, the summer is never without its rainy days – the perfect day for a lazy day at home. And now you don’t even need to feel guilty for taking a day to relax and rewind at home, because even lazy day activities burn calories!

Just because its a lazy day doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll want to be in your pyjamas all day. Some simple getting ready activities actually burn calories. For example, burn 68 calories for putting on makeup for 30 minutes and blowdrying you hair burns roughly 170 calories in an hour. Sit on a gorgeous club chair to add a bit of luxury to your lazy getting ready. Even having a shower and towelling off burns calories – 91 calories in 30 minutes to be precise!

And what about lazy day activities? Why not play a game or two with your friends of family – a 2 hour game of Scrabble will burn 200 calories and give your brain a work out too! Pop your game of scrabble on a stunning coffee table with storage to get your whole family sat around. You could even pop a couple of sneaky treats in the drawers so you don’t have to get up to go to the kitchen.

But you even burn calories watching the television, which is good news for binge watching your new favourite TV programme. Lying quietly whilst watching TV will burn 36 calories every 30 minutes but will increase to 60 calories if you are a fidgeter. Make sure you have the perfect TV set up for your TV marathon – a white wood TV unit with storage space for media players and TV boxes means everything is all in one place.

Lazy days for many involve ordering takeaways so you can sit back and relax – so make sure you have the perfect brown leather sofa to do so! But if you fancy cooking dinner, you’ll actually burn some of it off! Making dinner for 1 hour will burn 238 calories and might even burn off enough calories for an ice cream treat after dinner. Singing whilst you cook will burn even more calories, with singing for an hour burning 136 calories. Alternatively, order a takeaway. If you are up for leaving the sofa on your lazy day, you could walk and collect it.

And why not enjoy a lazy day with a friend? Laughing burns roughly 50 calories for every 30 minutes of laughing.

So there you have it – take a day to relax and burn calories all at once!

Spend a lazy day in your reading nook

National Lazy Day is just around the corner. You can spend August 10^th, 2017 doing exactly want you want – unplug, unwind and enjoy a lazy day. Being lazy is about relaxing, and not necessarily doing anything that you don’t really want or need to. So, what is your favourite way to relax?

We took a straw poll of our team and it seems that the perfect lazy day for us to curl up with a good book. Or two. Or three.

But we think there is one more element that adds to a lazy day of reading and day-dreaming – your very own reading nook.

But Why a Reading Nook?

Reading and being ‘lazy’ is about relaxing, unwinding and unplugging from busy work and social lives. Reading is a chance to escape, to exercise a part of your creative brain that doesn’t get flexed enough when days are busy. And your very own reading nook is a warm, cosy space where you stop your world from spinning so fast, for a while at least.

Styling Your Reading Nook

It can be the smallest of places, like under the stairs or a space in the loft that is dressed with a comfy armchair (look at the stud work!) and a wool rug, complete with super-soft cushions, a blanket box and a throw for when the rain is hammering at the window.

You only need the smallest of spaces to convert into a reading nook and providing the lighting is good, you really can set up home anywhere.

The What

And now comes the exciting bit – the bit where you get to create your very own personal reading nook. Think of no one else but what you like!

But what is essential in a reading nook?

Lighting – from the loft to under the stairs, to a delightful space in the corner of a room, it needs to have good lighting. Choose soft lighting, but one that illuminates your book or e-reader, such as an elegant metal arc lamp. For extra light in a space, consider adding a mirror.

The seating – next on the list is the comfy armchair you are going to curl up in. fabric armchairs are a great idea, as are sumptuous leather armchairs (too big? Take a look at a smaller fabric armchair) Style and comfort do go hand in hand but when it comes to colour, the choice is entirely yours, from a modern armchair to something more old-school. Don’t forget some lovely cushions and throws.
The coffee table – for mugs of steaming coffee or a cocktail, the ideal surface is a wood coffee table. For storing your books, consider a coffee table with storage such as a drawer or shelving. And don’t forget rustic wood shelves for super stylish storage solutions. We also love the romance of a wooden blanket box, the ideal place to store extra throws for when you need an extra layer or two.

Rugs – to bring the whole space together, you need a third item besides your armchair and coffee table. And this comes in the shape of wool rugs. Use a rug to add colour, as well as warmth and texture to your space (and a cosy feel beneath your feet!).

Go on tell us, will you spend National Lazy day on August 10^threlaxing? Or will you be too busy creating your very own relaxing reading nook?

No space for an office? A study nook is the solution

Oldman White Industrial Reclaimed Wood Desk

More and more of us are realising the flexibility of working from home. Great for a business and fantastic for boosting productivity levels, working from the comfort of your own home is the ideal solution in so many ways.

Unless that is, you don’t have a space that can be turned into a small office or study. Working long hours hunched over your laptop on the sofa or curled up on your bed is not the best solution.

But when rooms are occupied, squeezing your home office space in can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Until now.

The solution is the study nook.

What is a ‘Study Nook’?

A small space that effortlessly occupies a small space in your home. It can be the space under the stairs or a small cubicle like space in the corner of the room. It can be the space on the landing that doesn’t have a purpose or a small part of the dining room.

It may be small but it is mighty because not only is it practical and functional, it is stylish too.

The Desk and the Chair

First and foremost, you need to ensure that your working platform is as you need it. In a small space, having a ‘fitted’ desk is ideal and that means ordering a made-to-measure and finished-to-your-specifications desk, such as those in our Oldman Desk range.

A reclaimed wood desk is the ideal choice, especially when matched with an office chair that fits you and the space perfectly. Remember, comfort can walk hand in hand with stylish; those comfy chairs really can be the seating solution you need.

Kit it Out

How do you spend work time? Do you sketch things out or spend all your time crouched at your desk? Do you read, edit, make notes?

In other words, do you always have to be sitting at your desk? Using the lounge is one thing, but there are too many tempting distractions there so stay in your stylish study nook by accessorising and kitting it out with useful and pretty things.

Curl up in a comfy grey armchair the next time you conference call or enjoy the feeling of a wool rug beneath your feet on a grey, cold morning, the Atlantic blue colour complementing the space perfectly, as you set about your day’s work.

Wool rugs are ideal for adding depth and texture to a space, as are other textiles such as cushions and throws. But to complement your wooden desk and other items of reclaimed wood furniture, you need some accessories too.

As well as dealing with storage, you need to create the ideal atmosphere to help your creative spirit.

Why not maximise light, for example, with a mirror, great for adding a flourish of detail too? Candle stick holders are ideal too – pretty when not in use, or for when you want to create an air of calm, burning scented candles is ideal. If you don’t fancy an unguarded naked flame, these delightfully curvaceous tea light holders are beautiful. And in sets of three, they are the designer’s delight!

Designed around you and your work, the study nook is ideal in so many ways. How will your study nook look?

The best living room shelving ideas

living room oak ladder shelving for living room

Adding some sort of shelving unit to your living room is really underrated. Not only will a wooden shelving unit add lots of extra storage, they often also provide a perfect opportunity for adding a personal touch to your home with souvenirs from your travels, quirky decor pieces and photos.

Industrial furniture has remained a huge trend in home decor, but its no mystery why. The blend of old and new with reclaimed wood and subtle metal touches makes for truly eye-catching furniture that works in most contemporary homes. If you are looking for industrial shelving for your living room, the clean lines and the slim frame of the Hudson Living Brooklyn Bookcase is perfect. With a combination of the slatted design and concrete surfaces, the Brooklyn Bookcase is a statement in itself, even before it is dressed to impress.

With the ever expanding range of TV units, you no longer need to worry about making your TV look stylish. A white TV unit is perfect in any living room as the white helps to create the illusion of more space, and create a more tranquil environment you’ll love relaxing in. The stunning Nottingham White TV Cabinet adds luxury to your lounge, and will provide a charming focal point. With cupboard and shelving space, you can store all of your media players and tuck away those unsightly wires and controllers for a clutter-free, peaceful space.

If you are looking for something unique in a wooden bookshelf, a shelf ladder may be the perfect option. The understated, Scandinavian styling of the Light Raw Oak Small Shelf Ladder is perfect for any living room with the light oak wood and enchanting design. Perfect as a bookcase or display unit or even as a standalone style statement in both contemporary and traditional rooms.

Turn it into a feature

Once you’ve found the perfect piece for your living room, think about how you can turn it into a feature, rather than something purely practical. Here are a few tips for creating the most stylish shelves around.

Mix shapes and textures

When it comes to arrangement, a display will always be more aesthetically pleasing when you mix shapes, textures, colours and sizes to create balance. For example, place a larger frame at the back of the shelf and add two or three objects like a shorter vase or candles in front to create depth. This also helps to avoid your shelf looking too cluttered.

Colour code books

If you have a lot of books, why not make a feature of them. Colourful bookshelves look beautiful in bright white homes as a fun pop of colour. You could even colour code your books to create a rainbow.

Go minimalist

Alternatively, a minimalist look can look just as beautiful. With one or two items on your shelves like a pot plant with a flash of green, a beautiful coffee table book or two and an odd accessory in a colour of your preference, you can really let the shelves themselves do the talking. This will create a stunning Scandinavian inspired space.

For more shelving options for your living room, browse our living room storage collection or get in touch with one of our team members for a bespoke piece.

How to customise a sofa you will love forever

bretby grey harris tweed and black leather sofa

On one hand, it sounds a great idea – create your own contemporary sofa in your choice of style, colour and fabric. But on the other, overdone customisation leads to an item looking dated and out of place in a blink of an eye as interior design trends change.

Hence, customers tend to stick with the ‘tried and tested’. But we think people are missing out on creating something not only unique to them but with careful consideration when it comes to what and how to customise the new sofa, an item they will love forever.

With this guide, your sofa will not look out of place either.

The Shape

When it comes to sofa shape, there are various styles to choose from. From the ultra-modern to the iconic shape of the Chesterfield, choose the shape that is comfortable to use and will generally sit well with your wider interior design tastes.

HINT The more iconic the shape of the sofa, the less likely it is to look dated as trends change.

The Colour

The real issue for many people is choosing a colour that will be subsumed across the year into the new colour schemes and changes you will make to the room in which it sits.

You want a sofa that stands out for all the right reasons but choosing a strong accent colour for the sofa can mean that you are restricted to using certain colours on the walls and soft furnishings.

You may think sticking with a brown leather sofa is not quite at the upper end of customising a sofa, but just look at the different shades and unique appearances you can create using natural fabrics, such as leather.

It can be the detail that adds the extra sense of it being different, such as the magnificence of the stud work that makes a luxury sofa to behold.

Lighter brown work well too, for adding a sense of luxury to a space, but choose the best like this uncorrected Italian leather sofa. In effect, you are allowing nature to customise your sofa as using leather means embracing the difference in one hide when compared to another.

The Materials

So far, we have discussed leather. Cool to the touch but with an exquisite look and a sense of luxury, it is also a practical addition to any home.

You may, however, hanker after the soft luxury and warmth of fabric but keenly aware that spilt drinks, stains and sticky fingers are not great bedfellows with fabric.

As you would expect, we have a solution across our fantastic sofa range. The ‘leather and wool’ sofa is the solution but is in no way a compromise. The batted wool exterior frames the piece perfectly and the seating benefits from all that leather offers.

Or, if fabric is your ‘thing’, this Bretby sofa comes in a range of finishes and fabrics. Again, look at the exquisite detail that frames this marvellous piece. Can you see the look of this beautiful sofa being out of date and fashion any time soon?

A mix of the new and the old, reclaimed furniture and luxury sofas are worth every penny of the investment you make. Why not take a closer look at what a customised sofa could do for your home! Browse the Sofas and Armchairs collection and choose your perfect one to customise.

Get creative with your side table

hudson living nest of side tables with white top

A side table is an underutilised piece of furniture in the modern home. If you are contemplating adding one to your rustic styled living room or Scandinavian furniture to your living room, you have a number of options from which to choose.

When choosing a side table, you need to decide whether you are adding it to show off the interior design scheme or whether you are adding it to maximise the space available.

You may be thinking that it will add a touch of interest or that you are in need of extra surface space.

If this is the case, consider the material carefully. A modern living room would enjoy the addition of a Perspex side table but for either the rustic or Scandinavian inspired living room, there is no doubt that a wooden side table or two would be the ideal choice.

So, what are the options?

Cubed Side Tables

Pleasing in both a rustic and Scandinavian interior design scheme, the cube side table is a practical and stylish addition. Rustic furniture works so well in many homes and rustic design isn’t just for larger items of furniture.

In addition, our oak nest of tables offers two options – either nestle the tables in one or when you need an extra surface, simply pull out the smaller cube.

Split the coffee table

A coffee table is an essential platform in any living room. But as one solid piece, its versatility can be limited. Rather than investing in a coffee table and side table, why not spilt the coffee table?

When you need one larger surface, simply push the two pieces together. When you need a smaller table, simply pull the sections apart.

Trolley or Table?

You may think that the tea trolley is a relic of an age gone by but we love the idea of a delicate tea trolley, complete with wheel.

For a rustic or Scandinavian look, opt for a wooden tea trolley, complete with wheels for ease of use.

Consider a nest of tables

Again, a nest of tables could be a sign of an era long gone but actually, in the modern age – and certainly in the rustic or Scandinavian designed living room – the nest of tables is ideal as a side table.

We have two great solutions:

The white-topped Bergen nest of tables is ideal for the Scandinavian design. Combining light wood with the white top means this Scandinavian side table fits effortlessly into your living room.
For a rustic appeal, our Hudson oak nest of tables are two, triangular shaped tables that have a delightful appeal in any living room.

Consider the Appeal of Reclaimed Wood

A reclaimed wood side table is the ideal addition to a rustic living and makes the perfect platform for a table top lamp. The chunkiness of its finish is particularly appealing. Available as part of the Farringdon range too.

A rustic wood side table makes for a great additional surface to a living room but sometimes, the chunkiness is not what the scheme needs. When floor space is lacking, consider a narrow side table that will easily fit the space but still give you useable surface.

This cube side table, for example, could be used lengthways to frame your sofa or armchair.

How will you use side tables in your living space?