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Our 2021 best selling rustic furniture of the year

As we come to the end of 2021, it’s time to reflect over the past year before we start anew. To ensure we are offering you the type of rustic furniture and reclaimed wood furniture you most covet, we look back at your most popular pieces of the year. From industrial dining tables to bedroom furniture let’s see just what your homes are proudly wearing.

Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Dining Tables

Dining tables are once again our top sellers. The popularity of the Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table continues to rise – it looks as good as a contrast piece in a modern urban home as it does in a loft or rustic cottage. The Farringdon reclaimed wood extendable trestle table is particularly popular with families who are seeking a chunky solid wooden extendable dining table. This table looks especially great with the matching wooden dining bench – a practical choice if you like to entertain with room to fit more guests around the table. Another wooden table with bench that needs a mention is the Lansdowne Industrial. With plenty of other pieces in the collection including a wooden sideboard, with just these items you have set a stylish foundation for your dining room theme.

Standford Brown Leather Dining Chairs

Dining Chairs

When you are looking for seating for your dining room then the classic soft tan leather Standford is your top choice. These leather dining room chairs combine comfort with an industrial style that will complement many different interior styles and colour schemes. Perfect if you’re looking for a more rustic look the Allegro chairs were another top pick for the stylish dining room. Those of you who were looking for a vegan option fell head over heels with our Cleo faux leather seating collection – with benches and bar stools available as well as the faux leather dining chairs, all offered in tan or grey – we weren’t at all surprised to see this at the top of the list.

Dulwich Reclaimed Wood collection

Bedroom Furniture

The Dulwich reclaimed wood solid bed frame is a classic rustic bed that continues to be the popular choice. Many different styles are available but all feature a solid wooden headboard that has been handcrafted right here in the UK from reclaimed beams, which are often over 100 years old. As well as the Dulwich range our Winchester and Chelwood reclaimed wood collections also proved to be a bedroom essential in your homes. A reclaimed wood table at your bedside was your bedroom furniture piece of choice, adding not just essential storage, but warmth and character than only reclaimed wood can.

Chelwood Reclaimed Wood TV Stand

Living room furniture

Along with the ever-popular industrial dining table from the Standford collection many of you have decided to opt for an industrial look in the living room too. Our wooden sideboard from the Standford Industrial collection as well as the industrial coffee table have been popular choices throughout the year. Industrial furniture is so versatile – it can blend into any interior scheme and can be softened to create a warm inviting living space. A modern country scheme has also proved desirable this year, with our Chelwood reclaimed wood TV unit being one of our best selling living room furniture picks this year.

We’ve brought you are best sellers, now take a look at what our most read blogs of 2021 were. If you missed them, see our inspiration and ideas to discover some great tips and advice.

It’s National Tree Week! Why reclaimed wood is tree friendly

National Tree Week starts tomorrow, marking the beginning of the winter tree planting season that runs every year in the UK from November through until March. It’s the largest annual tree celebration in the UK and if you love trees and protecting trees like we do, you can take part in lots of events and get planting.

Living sustainably and protecting the planet we live on is close to our hearts here at Modish Living. It’s why we champion reclaimed wood furniture and sustainable furniture, so as well as planting a tree next week, see here how you can help protect our trees by choosing furniture that is eco-friendly.

Why reclaimed wood furniture is eco-friendly

Reclaimed wood furniture is produced from solid wood that is rescued from old buildings that are being demolished or old railway sleepers, even wooden boats. No mature trees are cut down for this and no new trees are being prematurely felled to produce this furniture. We all know that deforestation has a huge effect on the earth’s climate – that’s why over 100 world leaders promised to end deforestation by 2030 at the recent COP26 summit. The wood used retains its original markings giving each piece of furniture uniqueness and individuality. From a rustic sideboard to an industrial coffee table reclaimed furniture is generally crafted and finished by hand – which is a great way to maintain traditional carpentry techniques and jobs.

Our Beam and Urban Industrial collections are produced using traditional methods right here in the UK. Everything from a wooden super king bed and bedside tables to reclaimed wood dining tables and industrial wooden dining benches are all produced by hand, to order, from reclaimed local timber.

What is sustainable wood?

Sustainable wood comes from forests that have been responsibly managed and continuously replenished. When it comes to sustainable furniture, mango wood furniture is a great option. A by-product of mango farms, when older trees stop bearing fruit it is chopped down and a new tree planted in its place; instead of the wood being burnt or left to rot, the wood is sold on to furniture manufacturers to transform it into stylish furniture. This not only cuts down on deforestation, but it also gives mango farmers an additional income. Mango wood is a hardwood that lends itself brilliantly to rustic furniture. Beautiful grain patterns, a rich honey colour and natural undulations all give wonderful character as seen in our stunning Canford, Farnham and Ringwood mango furniture collections.

What other sustainable furniture options are there?

Rattan is another great choice when it comes to making an eco-friendly, and tree-friendly, furniture purchase. Mainly grown in the tropical forests of South-East Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Rattan is part of the palm family and needs trees to grow up so it is harvested without the need for trees to be cut down, thus reducing deforestation. It also grows very quickly and is ready to harvest after just two years rather than 20+ years for a tree. Once the rattan is harvested it is left in the sun to dry – this low tech production method has very little impact on the environment. Rattan furniture is a popular choice in homes due to its planet-friendly nature and wonderful style.

Easy ways to elevate your Halloween decorations

Halloween is often thought of as a bit kitsch – something just for kids to get dressed up and go trick or treating – but adults can get in on the action too with something a little more sophisticated and grown-up. If you have any reclaimed wood furniture or rustic furniture in your home then you already have a great foundation to set off some super stylish Halloween decorations. Here we look at a few alternative ideas that will help you elevate your Halloween house decor.

5 Stylish Halloween Decor Ideas

1. Paint pumpkins

Instead of carving out creepy faces on the standard orange pumpkins, you can paint the pumpkins a stylish white. Paint simple black scary faces on them if you like, much easier than pumpkin carving! Get a selection of different sized pumpkins and create an attractive and elegant feature on a reclaimed wood coffee table in your living room or on a rustic console table in the hallway ready to welcome your guests as they arrive.

2. Fill glass jars or vases with Halloween decor

Keep your Halloween decorations in more impressive clusters rather than scattered all around the house. Use glass jars to display Halloween decorations and attach several cutouts of black bats together on a string and suspend them from a witches broom or add simple cob webbing to the corners of rustic furniture for a spooky feel.

3. Go for a cosy and welcoming look

Mix mini white painted pumpkins or white squashes with cosy autumnal textures like wool and faux fur. Dim lighting will help create a more spooky and cosy atmosphere, candlelight is perfect for a Halloween dinner party or you can use fairy lights scattered with mini painted squashes on your reclaimed wood dining table. Marry Halloween with autumn and bring in warm-coloured autumnal flower, or twig, displays.

You can also decorate your front door with Halloween wreaths and a few different sized pumpkins by your front door, they don’t even need to be carved. Garlands of autumnal leaf displays framing the door also look lovely and give a warm welcome to guests.

4. Go all black!

Halloween doesn’t have to be orange. Stick with black and decorate an area of your dining room or living room; maybe around the fireplace to make a really impressive display. If you don’t have a fireplace then consider the top of a wooden sideboard. A witches hat or cape is a really handy accessory, hang one on a hook by the fireplace in the living room.

5. Keep it simple

If you are just having a quiet Halloween night in then there is no need to go all out and spend hours decorating your house! Bring in a hint of Halloween and add small accents here and there in your home. Just a little display on a sideboard, wooden side table or rustic bookcase is all you need to be part of the fun.

What chairs to choose for your rustic dining table

You have your gorgeous new rustic dining table picked for your dining space, maybe you already have some chairs you want to use or maybe you’re looking for some new ones. Discover different options of dining chairs that pair beautifully with a rustic table.

Wooden dining chairs

The Standford Industrial range marries together an industrial and rustic look beautifully. The reclaimed dining table from the collection is an industrial style table, so let’s look at chairs that match it. To soften the industrial look consider a set of wooden chairs. The Standford Wooden dining chair with an upholstered seat is crafted from reclaimed wood and will sit perfectly around a rustic dining table or industrial dining table. Alternatively, the Standford leather chair is another very popular choice. This classic seat design sat on solid industrial legs with the tan leather blending easily with many different styles of table, not just rustic. The Standford collection also includes a stylish faux leather dining chair perfect for if you are trying to achieve a sleek and slightly more modern look in your dining space.

Faux leather dining chairs

Faux leather dining chairs are so convincing these days. They look and feel just like real leather and are a great ‘wipe clean’ choice for a household with children…as well as being the animal friendly option. The Cleo faux leather dining room chairs are a perfect addition to a rustic table and will add contrast to your dining space by mixing rustic and modern. You can mix and match chair colours – we love how great grey and tan look together, the tan complementing the wood on your table and the grey adding contrast.

Dining benches

We all know that benches are “the thing” when it comes to dining room seating right now. They are right up to date and also bring the benefit of being able to get extra people around your table as well as bringing a casual mood to your dining space. There are so many different styles and coverings to choose from. A classic wooden dining bench can be easily mixed with other rustic or reclaimed wooden dining table and chairs, as can soft and plush velvet benches. A velvet bench for example is the perfect partner for our sophisticated Chelwood Large Reclaimed Wooden Dining Table bringing a dash of bling to your dining seating.

The aforementioned Cleo range of dining room seating also features benches and corner benches, both with backs for super comfortable dining. If your dining space is in a corner then you can save space by pushing them up against the wall.

How to mix rustic and modern furniture in your home

We see the images on social media and in all the home magazines….beautiful rustic furniture and features mixed in with sleek modern furniture and wondered how do they get it so right? How do they know what goes well with what? What should the modern element be and what should be antique or rustic to get the blend just right? In this blog, we hope to answer some of these styling conundrums.

First, how do we define modern? By this term, we mean anything from about the 1950’s onwards whether it be an original piece of furniture in this style or an updated copy. The minimalist Scandi or the more popular scheme, Japandi look is a good example of what we mean by “modern”, the chic uncomplicated style of this furniture is perfect to mix with rustic and antique.

Rustic incorporates anything that has a natural worn look with rugged, neutral and earthy touches. Antique pieces and antique furniture can also be included.

Use natural wood

Reclaimed wood furniture is perfect for this look. An ultra-modern sofa or armchair with crisp modern lines looks great when pulled next to an industrial coffee table with the tabletop crafted in rustic reclaimed wood. The natural lines and undulations of the wood soften the sometimes slightly clinical look of modern furniture. You can lay reclaimed wood floorboards to stand your modern furniture on, again a lovely contrast of rustic and modern. In the hallway, go for a modern tiled floor with a rustic hallway bench seat – it will not only be a very useful addition but will change the look of the entrance to your home.

Use texture and colour to cosy up the room

Texture is another great way to help your rustic and modern elements look more cosy together. Use a rug to bring elements together in your room – the rug will also help to define zones – or add a deep cushioned upholstered armchair in front of a brick fireplace with a wooden mantel to soften an otherwise hard and cold surface. Another trick is to use modern on-trend colours with rustic features. Be bold and go for an all-dark interior by painting walls, coving and skirting boards in the same dark colour and add a rustic edward leather armchair – the look is dramatic and cosy, yet modern at the same time.

Use contrasts

Opposites do attract, so consider placing a striking modern table lamp on an antique or rustic bedside table. A reclaimed wood dining table with modern dining chairs – maybe choose a bold colour to provide contrast against the wood? Rustic bar stools can bring in different shapes and add interest into a minimalist straight-lined kitchen. Also consider contrasting finishes – glossy surfaces with wood rich in natural features are a great pairing.

Tips to create a modern country home

Years ago we considered traditional farmhouse decor to be a little bit dated and we felt quite restricted with what we could do with it to bring it up to date. This has all changed now – out goes dark wood panelling, doilies and farm animal prints and in come calming neutral colours and a beautiful blend of rustic and modern.

Colour scheme

The modern country home should be filled with light! So bring it in with your decor and furnishings – stick with pale and neutral colours for walls, floors and ceilings. You can, of course, dot some accent colour into your rooms to add depth and interest but the overall feel should be light and airy.

Plenty of texture

A modern country home should have a good selection of different natural textures to give it a wholesome feel. Baskets of fire wood, wicker baskets, a jute rug, rattan pendant lights, exposed wood beams and brick walls will all work together to bring in a whole load of different textures.

Rustic furniture

Of course, you need to fill your home with gorgeous reclaimed wood furniture – statement, investment pieces that simply shout out country home. It’s a natural and earthy feel that you want to achieve. So a solid reclaimed wood bed, choose one from the handcrafted Dulwich range, for your country bedroom. A statement reclaimed wood dining table in the kitchen, with a practical dining bench so that diners can budge up to accommodate extra dinner guests. A rustic sideboard in the living room and a stylish Oswald 2 seater sofa pulled up to a large square coffee table crafted from full of character reclaimed wood.

Bring the outdoors in

We are all way more aware of how important the great outdoors is to our wellbeing now. So bring the outdoors in however you can, of course, the natural materials help, but position your furniture so you can see out to the garden or countryside wherever possible. Bring life into your home in the shape of houseplants and not just in the living room, you can add plants in every room of the house so you get the pleasure and benefit of seeing them wherever you are!

Make the kitchen the heart of the home

The kitchen should definitely be the heart of any country home – somewhere to sit around a rustic dining table in front of a range cooker with a cup of tea or coffee and a slab of home-baked cake. It’s the picture we all automatically conjure up when we think ‘country kitchen’. Make the kitchen homely and inviting in a modern way by using light neutral hues then bring in pops of accent colour.

Glamorous industrial dining that oozes style

industrial dining table with grey and blue velvet dining chairs

Industrial furniture is known for being practical, streamlined and functional – but who doesn’t like a bit of bling? Here we look at how to achieve an industrial but glamorous look in your dining space.

Top of the list has to be the ever-popular Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table a perfect blend of striking shiny legs topped by a full of character reclaimed wood tabletop that will definitely delight your diners. The Mitcham range has dining room storage covered too in the shape of a stunning industrial sideboard!

The Standford range features several dining table designs guaranteed to get your guests talking. This collection includes rectangular, round and extendable dining tables as well as console tables and glass display cabinets – everything you need for the industrial wow factor.

The Oasis collection is another stunning example of how glamorous the dining table can be. Pair this table with the Oasis Dining Chairs.

Add in some of this season’s must-have house plants to bring in some greenery to your room, this will add another layer of luxury. In addition to ceiling lights, you can bring in glitzy decorative floor standing lamps or tabletop lamps, use these to subtly highlight your favourite features in the room. Tall candlesticks also look great and give height when displayed on a sideboard or console table. Mirrors also add a bit of sparkle to a room so make sure you hang one of those to reflect features and bounce light around the room.

Although you don’t want to completely overdo the glamour, and draw the eye away from other features, dressing the table does give a luxurious finishing touch. Place a runner down the middle of the table with a glitzy centerpiece on it. This is a place to add contrasting decorative items that can be changed to suit your mood and the changing seasons.

The industrial look as we know is all about being functional, practical and streamlined and we hope that our hints will help you decide how to elevate this look to create a gloriously glamourous dining space.

How to create a rustic family dining space

This week we have been exploring how to make spaces at home a little more rustic, in this blog, we are looking at the dining space and easy ways to bring in some rustic warmth ready for the coming cooler months. The dining area is one of those spaces that will be used for quick midweek dinners as well as more formal occasions – so it is good to remember this when choosing how to decorate and furnish this space. Remember to take into account who will usually be dining at the table – a rustic wood dining table is a great family choice as it will already have stunning natural marks and undulations on it….which will help to disguise any additional ones made during day to day use! Being solid wood, a reclaimed dining table is also much easier to repair by furniture technicians.

The dining room

There is a huge array of rustic furniture available these days giving you plenty of scope to create a basic rustic dining room or to elevate your room to an eclectic blend of rustic and modern – a rustic dining table crafted from reclaimed wood would look great in either.

To keep it simple opt for a minimalist style table and wooden dining bench and if you want to blend rustic and modern you can pair this very same table with a plush velvet bench, velvet chairs or more modern faux leather dining chairs.

Adding a rustic sideboard allows you to bring in another element of cosy rustic to really reinforce the theme…. this also gives you ample storage opportunities for your serving dishes and table linen…. saving your room from getting cluttered and unruly!

A ‘faded look’ rug under the dining table and chairs will bring in extra rustic warmth and will anchor it in the room – it will also help to zone the area – this would also work in a combined dining and living space.

A fire place is not just for the living room – if you have a fireplace in your dining space then make the most of it – you can also add wood cladding for extra warmth and make the most of any exposed brick, stone or beams.

Dining area in the kitchen

If your dining space is within your kitchen then you just as many opportunities to bring in some cosy rustic elements. Rustic and farmhouse just belong together, so if you are lucky enough to have a farm-style house then you can go to town and bring in a butchers block instead of larger a rustic sideboard – a kitchen dresser is a classic piece of farmhouse furniture offering ample of storage and usually open shelving at the top to show off your more decorative crockery.

A breakfast bar or bar table is another feature in the kitchen that you can give a touch of rustic . The Dorset kitchen stools with backs look great at a breakfast bar – hang pendant lighting above the breakfast bar produced from a natural material like rattan or wicker.

Create a warm and cosy living room for autumn

a rustic living room full of autumn warmth

The living room is one of those places that we like to feel safe, warm and cosy – the rustic style lends itself to this perfectly. Of course, rustic furniture will help set a theme but there are many other little things you can do to bring in a warm and cosy feeling as the nights get longer and colder.

The walls and ceiling

Make the most of any features you may already have in the room. Accentuate ceiling beams with clever lighting. If you have an alcove area by a fireplace then consider a rustic bookcase for your book collection or simply use it for showing off your favourite decorative pieces. Wooden wall cladding is also an option, you can go halfway up the wall all fill the entire walls – natural wood is always a good bet to warm up the room.

The floor

Rugs are the way to go if you want to cosy up a floor! Have a go at layering rugs on a wood or stone floor – not only will this bring in extra insulation but it looks great too. Start off with a large plain floor rug – a natural jute rug is perfect for this and then add one or more smaller rugs over the top. You can also use rugs in this way to zone your room and draw the eye to any features you want to highlight.

The fireplace

A fireplace is undoubtedly one of the most warming and cosy features you can have in a living room – make it a standout feature! If you are lucky enough to have an open fireplace then dress it up – paint the chimney breast a bolder colour or clad it in stone. Stand a basket of logs near it and of course put a rug in front of it – add one or two fabric armchairs to the sides for an instant cosy feel when you enter the room. If you prefer not to have an open fire in your house then consider a wood burner with a glass door and if that doesn’t work for you maybe an electric one will – there are so many choices out there now!

The furniture

Think about rearranging the furniture in your room to make it more cosy by pulling the leather couch up closer to the fireplace. Warm up a tan leather sofa with a selection of scatter cushions and throws, use warm colours like orange, red and burgundy in heavier fabrics like corduroy, tweed, velvet, wool and faux fur. A rustic TV stand, coffee table or wooden sideboard that has been produced from reclaimed wood will bring another homely and earthy element to the room.

The finishing touches

Dim lighting is another quick trick to creating a cosy room. If you don’t have dimmer switches then bring in a floor or table lamp. Fairy lights around pictures or mirrors are soothing and flickering candlelight is also an option. As we are talking about the senses you can also consider scented candles or use a diffuser to bring in a cosy autumnal or winter scent.

What do you add to give your living room a cosy feel for autumn? Leave a comment below and share your ideas.