reclaimed Archives - Page 9 of 24

10 Ways to Create a happy home

We have all been spending a lot of time within our own four walls of late, but now is the time to brighten your home, bring in the summer and make it your happy space once again. Here we look at some quick fixes to help you create a happy home

1. Embrace warming colours – is your colour scheme a bit dull? Do you want to add some bright accents? Lansford Dining Chair Saffron Dining Chairs could be just want you need to place around your rustic dining table to brighten up the space.

2. Fill your home with flowers & plants – these are proven to lift your spirits. Place a houseplant on a rustic sideboard in your dining room or a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the reclaimed wood coffee table in your living room.

3. Get a pet – we are absolutely not suggesting you dash out and get a puppy! Even a goldfish can have a positive health benefit, research suggests watching fish in an aquarium can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety.

4. Make your bed extra comfy – cosy up your bedroom with a mattress topper and new pillows. Finish creating a perfect sleeping sanctuary by getting a new bed throw and some new scatter cushions on your solid wood bed. You can use this opportunity to bring in a new colour scheme to your bedroom.

5. Treat yourself to something you love and that makes you smile – if you have a room that is a bit lifeless, dated or you’ve just fallen out of love with it, then have a good clear out and buy just one new piece of statement furniture. An industrial style dining table in your dining space will give you a whole new look and bring your room right up to date.

6. Create a happy entrance – place a decorative bouquet of your favourite flowers on a hallway console table, add some word art or put a photograph on the wall that makes you laugh.

7. Use a few basic Feng Shui practices to encourage positive energy – declutter the entry to your home to allow energy in, keep windows clean, place sofas and beds in a commanding position in the room, keep pathway clear in the home and bring plants in for energy etc.

8. Keep on top of clutter – have regular clear-outs and look where you can improve storage options around your home.

9. Create a happy corner – somewhere where the sun shines at the end or the start of the day or overlooking your favourite part of the garden. Choose a place that’s cosy and cossetting in any room, even on the landing you could add a velvet armchair to this space and take a few minutes out of your day to sit there and enjoy it.

10. Capture all the senses – as well as things in the home you like to look at think about the other senses – use a diffuser to enjoy a smell you love, invest in a good home speaker system to enjoy your favourite tunes. Surround yourself with tactile cushions, blankets and rustic furniture to touch. Taste: make a point of one night every week, one member of your household chooses their favourite meal and you all sit around the dining table to eat together.

5 interior mistakes that will keep you up all night

Large bed with grey covers and white sheer curtains and drapes

We all know how important a good nights sleep is now – so in this blog we will have a look at some common interior design mistakes and how you can fix them to get a perfect nights sleep.

1. An uncomfortable bed

No one likes waking up in the morning with backache, or tossing and turning all night trying to get comfortable so getting the right mattress for you is so important. It is suggested that those who prefer to sleep on their side get a medium-hard mattress and those who generally sleep on their back or front get more comfortable on a harder one. The only way to really know what’s best for you is to go into a showroom and try a few out. What you put your mattress on is also important – you need good strong supportive slats to hold the mattress well to avoid any sagging. The Dulwich Reclaimed Wood Bed is the perfect solid wood bed frame for this! Another thing to consider is if you like to sleep a little propped up or like to relax and read before sleeping. If so, you should consider a bed with a good solid wooden headboard to help keep your pillows and cushions in just the right place.

2. The wrong colour scheme

It is proven that bedroom colours can affect sleep quality so think carefully about the colour scheme in your bedroom. If you are drawn to bright bold and energising colours as a rule then use these as accent colours and keep the rest of the bedroom a paler, calmer, more neutral shade to balance it. Darker colours are also a great choice for the bedroom – they will give it a more cosy and intimate feel – and coordinate well with rustic bedroom furniture, again you can always brighten some areas with something lighter or brighter. According to studies green, blue, pink, white and beige are great colours to create a sanctuary that is easy to relax and sleep in.

3. The wrong window coverings

Window coverings that are too thin will disrupt your sleep pattern. In spring and summer when it gets light earlier there is a good chance that daylight spilling in will wake you up prematurely. Likewise, at night, moonlight or a street light may be able to creep in and keep you awake longer or disrupt your sleep. You can layer your window coverings – maybe some thin blinds – great if you live in a built-up area and don’t want people to see in and then have some heavy curtains to use at night. Heavy curtains are also great if you work shifts and like to have a sleep in the afternoon and of course, can help keep a room warmer in winter.

4. Too much clutter

A cluttered room is very unlikely to be a restful sanctuary! So clearing clutter is an essential point on this list! Make it an effortless task by clearing and donating or recycling items you no longer wear or use and bringing in the correct storage for your room. A wooden under bed storage drawer is great for bedding, and a wooden bedside table or chest of drawers for those little things you like to have handy when in bed. If your room is a little dark and you want to keep it light then consider light coloured furniture such as a white painted wardrobe.

5. The wrong scents

If you are a fan of the diffuser then think about the scents that you are using with it. In the bedroom, you will want ones that help you relax and drift off to sleep, these scents include lavender, rose, chamomile and jasmine.

Spotlight: Introducing new additions to our Dulwich collection

Our gorgeous range of Dulwich Reclaimed Wood bedroom furniture has always been a hugely popular choice with our discerning customers…. now that some new pieces have been added to the range we just couldn’t wait to share them with you.

Dulwich Reclaimed Wood Bed

If you are looking out for an impressive and sturdy, solid king size wooden bed frame (or super king) then look no further than the Dulwich Reclaimed Wood Bed. It’s simply styled to let the beauty of the salvaged wood shine through the medium or natural wax finish.

Just a reminder – our Dulwich range is handcrafted right here in the UK – all the pieces in this collection started their lives well over 100 years ago as parts of old buildings that have been demolished. Rather than just going to landfill or being burnt they are skillfully crafted into statement pieces of furniture equally perfect for the modern or more traditional home. This saves new trees being chopped down and machined for furniture production making the Dulwich range the perfect choice for the eco-conscious buyer.

Additional items from the Dulwich range

The Dulwich reclaimed wood furniture range includes other items for the bedroom – such as different sizes of solid wood chest of drawers and bedside tables.

Caring for your Dulwich rustic bed

Caring for your reclaimed wood bedroom furniture is super easy too! When you first get it, to help it acclimatise to its new surroundings, we recommend a monthly wax for the first three months and then every month or so to keep up the beautiful lustre of the wood. Then the usual day-to-day stuff applies, use coasters, wipe up any spillages as soon as possible, don’t drag the furniture along the floor when moving it – pretty much the same as any other wood furniture you have in your home. Full details are in our care guide.

How to create an indoor-outdoor space that flows

Outdoor patio with rattan sofa and large glass window

Here we are looking at ways you can transform a small balcony, courtyard or patio into an outdoor masterpiece that will blend seamlessly with your indoor living space.

Some of the ideas in this blog would be perfect to create a small “outdoor extension” to your living room, kitchen or bedroom. You may find some great ideas to help brighten up your outdoor space if you are in a flat in town or have a small brick-walled courtyard out the back of your house …….and you might even find it makes both the indoor and outdoor spaces feel more spacious and light.

Wherever you can, choose natural materials

If you have a wooden interior floor consider wooden decking for your outdoor space. If you have a tiled floor then get tiles that are as close a match as possible to let the space flow. Stone also works well – it looks lovely and natural and is perfect for outside. When it comes to furniture, again choose something natural that would be used inside and out – a rattan sofa set for a living room and a rustic wood dining table paired with rattan dining chairs for a dining room. Reclaimed wood furniture fits in perfectly here.

Bi-fold, crittall or sliding doors will open up the space

To make the most of any available light and to make your space look as large and open as possible then big doors and windows that can slide open or fold back are a must-have. If you do have the opportunity to replace a window or door then make the new one you install as big as possible and you will get to see even more of your cosy garden space.

Think about walls inside and out

Just as you have with the floor, if your patio is surrounded by a brick wall, consider exposing the brick on one side in the inside, if the brickwork is a bit dull then you can paint it white. Or how about wood panelling to mimic fencing? Or some bamboo panels for an eco-friendly fix. If you are in a flat and want a bit of privacy when you are sat out then you can add thin bamboo panelling to the railings, if you don’t want to block out light then a nice thin panel would be ideal.

Match planting inside and out

You can have the same plants inside and out and set a theme for your plant pots to give the feeling of continuity from indoors to out. Plants don’t just have to be stood on the floor you can save space by having hanging baskets, wall boxes and plant stands. To mimic this indoors arrange houseplants on reclaimed wood shelving. If you have a wooden table and chairs then place a garden-inspired centrepiece to it. A tall plant in a pot by the doorway will help disguise any door or window frames and give the feeling of a continuous space. Fairy lights help make your outdoor space magical as day turns to night, you can wrap them around your plants which again will ensure your outdoor space doesn’t fade away in the darkness!

How to perfect alfresco dining indoors

Group of people eating around a rustic dining table

Create a magical outdoor dining scape table setting even if you don’t have an outdoors with our stylish garden dining tips…

A wooden dining table

First off, a wooden table is a must. We value nature more than ever before meaning many of us feel the need to connect with the outdoors. You can start this in your own home by introducing rustic wood and other natural materials. And, because we value and respect nature more then it should really be an authentic reclaimed wood or rustic dining table to be true return to nature!. Adding a wooden dining bench or wooden dining chairs will also give you a bit more of an outdoor feel during the summer months.

Decorate the table with green foliage and flower displays

A great way to bring nature into your dining space is to use natural table decorations, houseplants, twigs, green foliage and freshly cut flowers. If your table is small and you need all the space on it you can consider a reclaimed wood sideboard. This surface of this would be another great (and more permanent) place to add a beautiful natural-looking garden display that will also give you a whole load more storage space too!

If tabletop and room space is tight create a botanical display to hang over the table

Use a piece of wood and rope and entwine ivy, leaves and flowers to create a magical display. You can add some fairy lights to this to create some gentle candle-like lighting for a more intimate evening. Garlands around a mirror or along a mantlepiece or hanging on the wall will help make your dining space even more naturally magical.

Credit: Bex Partridge

Cover the table with natural linens

Here you can opt for a natural linen table cloth and play with layering, add a runner and garden colour napkins – choose a light and dark shade of green and add an accent colour like red, orange, yellow or lilac to mimic your favourite garden flowers. A combination of brown and green table linen is also great and would work particularly well with the beautiful, natural grain of a rustic wooden dining table.

Open the windows to let in fresh breezes

It’s always good to get some fresh air into your living space – we recommend you open your windows wide at every opportunity and let the gentle evening breeze into your room.

Weave fairy lights throughout the dining space

Use as many fairy lights as you like to mimic romantic garden lighting. Yes, hang them everywhere, around mirrors, pictures, along a sideboard wrap them around tall house plants or place a bunch of string lights in a glass dish on your large dining table….you can even add a touch of greenery and some stones to this to create your own unique table centrepiece! You will want good lighting for dishing up and while you are eating, to keep the garden feel going, we would suggest a bamboo pendant light over your dining table.

Serve an alfresco style menu

Serve the type of food you would usually have if outdoors, such as garden party favourites like antipasti, grilled meats, and a green garden salad. Consider share platters, tear and share bread and other traditional garden party favourites like burgers and grilled vegetables. For drinks, you can serve sangria, a delicious lavender champagne cocktail, or a summery, zingy and minty mojito! Enjoy!

5 ways to bring the great outdoors in

Green houseplants in living room with grey fabric sofa

Summer is getting closer and closer and we all want to make the most of being outside, topping up our vitamin D and enjoying the sun whenever possible. But if you don’t have an outdoor space then you really don’t want to feel like you are missing out. Here we have a look at some great ways you can bring the outdoors in.

1. Add plants & trees

Reclaimed wood furniture, such as a reclaimed dining table is a great way to bring wood into your home and just works perfectly with other natural elements like house plants and trees. It may seem a bit extreme at first but, yes, you really can bring a tree into your home! If you have a rustic sideboard then fill the top with greenery – house plants are proven to lift your spirits and reduce stress. Use rustic-looking plant pots in natural materials to give your room a garden feel!

Credit: Prestigious Textiles, Whisp Collection

2. Use natural materials

You should use materials that are found in nature whenever possible like wood, rustic wood, reclaimed wood, stone, wicker and rattan. Pots for your house plants that look like stone or baskets that are produced from wicker are another great choice. If you are lucky enough to have a reclaimed wood coffee table then go for natural granite or wicker drinks coasters. Leather frames look great on wall art and mirrors.

Reclaimed wood coffee table with white painted legs

3. Large windows

If you have the opportunity to change your windows then make them as big as possible. Of course, this is a bigger initial investment but it will be well worth it when you have a whole load of lovely sunshine spilling into your room. You could also look at changing a window for a floor-to-ceiling patio door, if you are in a flat above ground level you can add decorative railings so you can open them wide without the risk of anyone falling. If that’s not an option, keep windows clean and drape sheer fabrics so the outdoors is clearly visible and the sun can still filter in.

4. Choose nature-inspired artwork and accessories

If you wanted to add some wall art you could opt for a print of a tropical plant or forest scene. For cushions, get covers in a natural fabric with botanical scenes and pair with a matching sofa throw, or curtains to hang at the windows.

5. Introduce natural scents

We all like our living space to smell fresh and inviting to achieve this you can use fresh flowers, diffusers and scented candles to give a wonderful nature-rich fragrance. Try a few different aromas depending on your mood and go for gentle smells rather than strong scents that can get overbearing.

Real Homes: Adding character to a new build

Terracotta vases on rustic console table

When you buy a new build you benefit from a blank canvas, but what can be tricky is bringing in character. Not so for Arthty Ragupathy of @av.home. With some clever DIY hacks and a beautiful eye for rustic furniture and accessories, Arthty is transforming her new build into a wonderfully welcoming and stylish home. We talk to her about reclaimed dining tables, minimalist styling and wood panelling….

Who lives here?

Arthty and her husband, Vasanth and their half Pomeranian, half Jack Russell fur baby, Royce.

Type of property?

A semi-detached new build house in Basingstoke with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms + 1 WC

What changes have you made and are there any you would like to do?

Our completion date was delayed as a result of COVID, which meant we had extra time to figure out how we could inject character into our new build. When we got the keys, we started by hiring contractors to build two fireplaces and add a backsplash in our kitchen.

We DIY’d our glossy kitchen cabinets into a traditional shaker style, painted the doors in our house black and even added a unique panel wall which our Soho Extending Reclaimed Wood Dining Table sits beautifully in front of. We would love to add panelling through our entryway leading up the staircase, running through the landings of both our floors. The list is endless but we’ve learned that it’s a slow yet satisfying process.

You describe your style as modern with a traditional twist – how do you achieve this?

I love adding wooden, rustic elements to our interior decor – alongside modern, more “current” pieces. This creates such a cosy feeling without appearing too outdated. I’m always looking for ways to keep our decor timeless, inviting and aim to evoke a sense of gathering as we love having family and friends around.

What styling tips can you give to our readers on how to get the rustic look in a modern home?

I’m by no means an expert, but I definitely recommend creating mood boards and gathering items that will work in your given space. I use Morpholio to make sure different elements complement one another before I spend my money.

I’ve found that small businesses, such as Modish Living, are great for rustic decor. Ultimately, wood is your best friend when trying to make your new home feel rustic and traditional. Decorate with natural tones and don’t be afraid to incorporate texture. My reclaimed wood console table, entryway bench and rustic dining table make our home feel “lived in”.

An all-time favourite tip of mine is to always save photos that you feel drawn to and look back at these to understand the common theme. This is the best way to uncover your taste when you feel like you can’t quite pin it down.

Our Soho Extending Reclaimed Wood Dining Table looks fabulous in your home. Tell us what you love about it and how you like to style it?

What do we not love about our Soho table?! The reclaimed wood, the different lines, dents, markings – all add character to our dining room. In the short time we’ve had it, it has taken its fair share of dog scratches, fallen cutlery, etc. and any marks simply blend with the timeless texture of the wood. We love that it’s extendable so it can accommodate our large family when it’s safe to host indoors again and that it blends into our cosy home – we could not be happier!

At the moment, we keep our table styling very minimal. Our oversized stone vase takes pride of place in the centre of the table. We’ve opted for black wooden dining chairs which go so well with the reclaimed wood of the table.

Who would be your dream dinner guests to have around your dining table?

I’m utterly obsessed with Studio McGee and I’d love to have Shea McGee at my dining table, discussing all things home interior-related. For those that are unfamiliar, definitely check out “Dream House Makeover” on Netflix and prepare to fall in love! I’ve been following the McGees on Youtube for several years and my obsession with home decor is very much inspired by them.

See more of Arthty’s gorgeous style by following her on Instagram @av.home. To discover more about bringing the rustic style into your home read our blog 5 Reasons Rustic Furniture Makes our Heart Flutter.

All images Arthty Ragupathy @av.home

5 Ways to get farmhouse style in your kitchen

Reclaimed wood butcher's block with two drawers and metal bottle opener

There is nothing quite as homely as a farmhouse kitchen – full of character and homeliness. This obviously works really well in an older property but adding some classic farmhouse furniture pieces can help recreate this lovely homely look in any type of home, including newer properties.

Farmhouse table

The farmhouse table is one of those pieces that adds instant cosiness to a kitchen – and one crafted from reclaimed wood will give you an inviting warm rustic look.

Photo featuring: Worcester Large Reclaimed Wood Extendable Dining Table

By adding a wooden table and chairs to your kitchen you are creating another space in your home for people to spend time in…and keep the chef company as they cook. A place for the kids to do homework or just to hang out – it makes your kitchen more of a family room rather than just a functional “service” room.

Dress up dining chairs

Whether you have wooden or fabric dining chairs in your kitchen you can add some cushions to them to give them a warmer farmhouse vibe. A neutral natural fabric cushion always works well – you can choose some patterned cushions with cottage flowers to add some interest to your seating area. Faux animal fur throws and chunky knits are another great way to cosy up kitchen chairs and benches.

Photo featuring: Worcester Medium Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Dresser

The kitchen dresser

A kitchen dresser is an iconic piece of kitchen furniture and a must-have in the farmhouse kitchen – a place to keep all your serving dishes, cutlery, condiments, placemats and so on. But a dresser with some glass doors also gives you the opportunity to add personal display items as well as your favourite cook books. The Chelwood dresser has everything you might need from several handy large and small storage drawers, to an open shelf as well as glass doors – and at 1.55m wide it will not take up too much floor space. A reclaimed wood sideboard is another option, again many different sizes are available that will fit right into your farmhouse kitchen.

Photo featuring: Elton Butchers Block – Prairie

A butchers Block

A butcher’s block is another one of those pieces that fits right into the farmhouse look – even if you have a modern or retro kitchen one will add an instant touch of rustic farmhouse. Our new Elton range includes a butchers block that provides an extra storage option for the kitchen – you can place it near the table if you need extra serving space and also stand decorative items on it when not in use.

Styling tips

When it comes to styling there are many things you can add to give your kitchen some farmhouse character. Open display shelving and spice racks are a good place to start. Rustic pendant lights crafted from metal or an industrial style pendant will work particularly well to add some modern farmhouse character. Natural weave baskets on shelves are a great way to keep things tucked away and rustic. And, of course, be sure to make the most out of exposed brick if you are lucky enough to have some in your kitchen. Keep materials natural – wood, stone, linen – and you have your farmhouse style sorted.

Spotlight: Introducing our new Eastwood collection

Rustic dining table with fabric dining chairs and white linen table runner

Our new Eastwood range is here and we couldn’t wait any longer to tell you about it! This gorgeous new range is characterised by the rich oak wood used to craft it and beautiful rustic furniture fittings.

For the dining room

This collection includes the perfect rustic dining table to suit any space from the monastery to the refectory dining table. The tabletops on all of these proudly boast natural markings and undulations which will bring a little history and individuality into your dining space. These tables really do match many styles of dining chair from plush velvet in a bold colour, to a neutral fabric dining chair. If you want a solid wood sideboard to match your dining table then there are two different styles to choose from, either giving you loads more handy storage in your dining space.

For the living room

Sideboards are traditionally found in the dining room – but nowadays we like to see them in the living room too – a whole load of hidden storage for books, children’s toys, your DVD collection and so on. The Eastwood range does not stop there when it comes to living room furniture. Put your favourite display pieces on the rustic oak highboard and match up with a wood coffee table from this range. For something stylish to set the TV on there is the perfect media unit.

Other pieces from the range

The Eastwood range does not end with just these home staples, to add some reclaimed wood warmth in your hallway you can choose the rustic console table – this also looks great in the living room behind a sofa with a lamp!