rustic Archives - Page 12 of 45

A romantic table for two at home

A red and white handstitched fabric heart with two silver forks

This year we will not be making a reservation for a table for two in a romantic restaurant. Instead, we will be staying at home and getting a takeaway or preparing our own special dinner for two.

Set the scene

Place some candles on a reclaimed wood dining table to get the lighting right, some fresh cut flowers always spell romance on Valentine’s day. A dining bench with back is a great love seat – make it cosy and comfortable with cushions and throws.

Prepare your meal

Here are a few meals to consider cooking for your special meal for two.

A classic steak dinner, serve on a wooden board on a rustic dining table with fries or jacket potato and a crisp fresh salad, if you like you can add a mushroom or tangy pepper sauce.

A smoky Spanish chicken dish with roast potatoes and greens, the simple ingredients for this dish, chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and paprika take need little cooking on the stovetop, soak up the sauce with rice or couscous.

A creamy salmon and pasta dish is always a winner – indulging and comforting it is quick to prepare and cook leaving you free to enjoy your evening. Serve this with some fresh crusty bread rolls.

For a completely vegetarian meal, ricotta-stuffed aubergine rolls – all tomatoey with melted cheese, serve this with a side of pasta or fresh bread rolls and a green salad. Again these can be prepared in advance and put in the oven to warm through just before serving.

A chocolatey desert like a double chocolate mouse is quick and easy and can be prepared well in advance, then left in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Sit down, relax and enjoy the evening

Whether you have a farmhouse table or an industrial dining table, bring your dishes and set them out, grab a glass of wine or special drink and get comfortable for the evening on some sumptuous fabric dining chairs. Wooden sideboards provide an extra surface for additional romantic lighting and to place dishes on, keeping your table clear of pots and dishes.

Photo featuring: Raffles Reclaimed Wood Industrial Dining Table

Great films for a Valentine’s night in

White and red candles lit on a coffee table with two red mugs

This year Valentine’s day falls on a Sunday so you will get the opportunity to spend the whole day with your loved one. Obviously there isn’t anywhere special to go this year so we are having a look at some of the most popular romantic films that you can snuggle up to and watch together. Even if you are spending the day on your own, with a box of chocolates for company, these films will bring a touch of romance into your life!

Prepare some snacks

Whether you opt for cinema-style after-dinner snacks and nibbles or a buffet spread to share and pick at throughout the evening then think about this in advance to give you a chance to get food in. To make it a bit different to every other evening you can decorate your reclaimed wood coffee table with love-themed table decorations, and candles of course. Don’t forget to get some wine, beer or champagne chilling in the fridge.

Get the mood right

You can stage your front room beautifully – turn down the lighting for a romantic ambience, place a table lamp on a sofa side table and candles on your coffee table. Fresh cut flowers are a great addition on large sideboards – you can opt for fairy lights to keep the lights toned down but still draw your eye to the flowers.

Photo featuring: Knightsbridge Reclaimed Oak TV Stand

Sit down and enjoy the film

Reclaimed wood furniture paired with a brown leather sofa is a match made in heaven. Get your sofa super cosy with cushions, blankets and throws to snuggle into ready to pop your favourite movie (or two) on your TV on a romantic rustic TV stand. Below are some films to give you a few ideas…

Ghost
Dirty Dancing
Just Go With It
Love Actually
When Harry Met Sally
Crazy, Stupid Love
A Star is Born (2018)

Photo featuring: Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood TV Stand

If you prefer the golden oldies then you can opt for Casablanca, Gone with the wind or An affair to remember – to name just a few!

How to create the perfect sleep sanctuary

Woman in long sleeved white t-shirt asleep in wooden bed with white covers

Sleep good – feel good

Lots of stressors and changes in routines are playing havoc with our sleep patterns. Here we have put together a few practical things that you can do to help create the perfect bedroom sanctuary…..to help your drift off into an easy sleep.

Woman wearing white long sleeved t-shirt asleep in wooden bed with white covers

Get the right size bed

A king size wooden bed frame is the most popular size bed in the UK – this will fit in most bedrooms and allow you some room for a small bedside table either side of the bed as well as other bedroom furniture. But, what about the headboard? If you like to wind down by propping up and reading then you might be more comfortable with a custom height headboard. The Winchester range, a old wooden range that’s used through-out is full of character and beauty. The Winchester Reclaimed Wooden range includes chests of drawers, bedside tables and blanket boxes all produced using reclaimed wood to fill your sanctuary with warm and rustic charm.

Photo featuring: Winchester Reclaimed Wood Sleigh Bed

Invest in a good mattress

You might have the perfect reclaimed wood bed frame – but this is only the half of it. A good mattress is a must-have – especially if you’re experiencing back pain in the morning, you’re not sleeping well or if you get better rest in other places like a chair or sofa. Do some online research to see what might suit you. A mattress should be replaced around every 10 years so it’s definitely worth getting a good one.

Keep tech out of sight

It really is a good idea to keep phones and tablets off the bedside table. If you can’t sleep then it is way too tempting to start scrolling or keep checking the time on your phone. Unfortunately, this will do quite the opposite to getting you off to sleep. If you have a large chest of drawers a bit further away from your bed put your phone on there to charge.

More decluttering

A restful environment should be clear of clutter – make sure you have the right storage solutions in your bedroom. A small dressing table is perfect for keeping cosmetics and toiletries in, a chest of drawers for foldaway garments and a wooden wardrobe to hang clothes. The Onslow Wardrobe (below) has shelves inside, this is a great choice if you are limited for space.

Get the temperature right

The ideal temperature for sleep is 15 to 22 degrees Celsius but this does vary from person to person. If your partner likes a cooler bedroom then keep an extra throw in a wooden blanket box at the foot of your bed for those cooler nights.

How to create a feel good home office

White office desk with dark fabric chair with large green floor plant and wide sideboard

I guess by now, all those that can work from home have got some sort of office space set up. Here we concentrate a little more on creating a feel-good factor in the home office.

Make space

Of course, ideally, we would have an empty room, and budget, just waiting to be converted into the perfect home office! But if you need more space and a bigger reclaimed wood desk – see if you can move the furniture around in the spare bedroom to accommodate more suitable home office furniture. Or would some new office cabinets give you the additional storage space you desperately need? Working from home could be around to stay for quite some time yet. Having a clear and clutter-free space away from distractions, should help you feel more productive and help your day go more smoothly.

How to make do with space

If your office is still the rustic dining table in the kitchen or the dining room then try to clear your work items away at the end of the day – you don’t want to be sat at dinner, after hours, having a quick peek at what is lined up for you for the next day. A large sideboard, that complements your dining room furniture is a good investment – not only for your office paraphernalia, but also for dinner plates, serving dishes and napkins! If sharing the dining table is becoming a bit tedious then maybe now is the time to consider other locations in the home where you can add a small home office desk. A garden view in a nice sunny window would be perfect, is there a bit of space on the landing? A dressing table in a spare room could be big enough and easily converted ……or a console table in the hallway might also be an option.

Get comfortable in your surroundings

If you can only invest in one thing to help you work from home in comfort then make it the best office chair that you can afford – I promise you, your back will thank you for this in years to come. Make your space personal and beautiful. A potted plant will help lift your mood and is also a nice backdrop during video calls, as are bookshelves and photos of family and friends.

Rest and move around

When you were in the office you will most likely have moved around and had a quick chat with a colleague as they pass by your office or in the coffee room. This is one of the downsides to being away from the office, a video call or zoom meeting will never replace person to person contact and many of us make friends for life in the office. Try to find time to send a colleague a quick message to ask if they are OK, how are the kids, the dog – it will just keep your relationships going. Take a brisk walk when you get chance or take your coffee into the garden for some fresh air and a change of scenery. Do not be tempted to carry on working into the evening, you need to take time away from the “office” to recharge, relax and spend quality time with your family

Home improvements to improve your wellbeing

Girl sat crossed leg in bright white room with lots of hanging green plants

January, arguably the toughest month of the year, is over…..! Made worse by spending too much time at home of late – this may be starting to affect the wellbeing of you and your family. Here are some ideas to improve your home environment and help bring back some balance.

Bring in natural elements

House plants are a great start, but we are talking more than a putting a couple of house plants in the living room – this is making the most of nature and bringing in as many natural elements as you can. Add in organic materials – wood, reclaimed wood furniture in particular, will add an earthly, natural element to your home. With it still being winter, you should make the most of natural daylight – open your curtains to let in as much daylight and sun (if there is any) as possible. Make sure your windows are clean to make the most of it. Use essential oils to help your mood – citrus is uplifting while you can use lavender to calm down and relax. Fresh cut flowers are also great at boosting your mood.

Bright living room with large cream sofa, two armchairs, industrial coffee table and two big green house plants

Choose the right colour palette

Much is written about the use of colours in the home. Light colours for a room that feels bright light and airy, if you prefer a cosy, cocoon-like feeling in your home then you should opt for darker colours. Bold and bright colours will give your room an energised feel. Whichever colour scheme best suits your personality, what will always work with it is rustic furniture. Your living space can be bright and airy but why not give your dining room a more dramatic look by using dark colours? If you like to create an atmospheric mood when entertaining family and friends around a statement wood dining table, then dark accents bring in a touch of drama.

Round industrial dining table with four brown leather dining chairs

Photo featuring: Standford Round Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

Add round shapes

Circular shapes create balance and calm – reinforce this by adding a round kitchen table, round pendant ceiling lights over a breakfast bar and round coffee table in your living room. A round rug on the floor can help you zone a room as well as give it a warmer feel.

Photo featuring: Melbury Industrial Nest of Tables

Clear away clutter

We all know that a clutter-free room is easier on the eyes and the mind, generally more calming to be in. If you add one piece of furniture in your living room then it should be a large sideboard – this will give you so much space to tuck things away and also provide an extra surface to display something on, such as favourite family photos, a houseplant and a table lamp for when you want subtle lighting. Another great way to hide clutter is a coffee table with drawers – perfect to stash away remotes, coasters, books you might be reading, glasses and anything else you like to have close at hand while relaxing in your living room.

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Get confident with colour with Earthborn Paints

Quick fixes to get a cosy farmhouse bedroom

We have been looking at how to master modern farmhouse styling over the last couple of blogs – here we have a look at quick changes you can do to give your bedroom a lovely cosy modern farmhouse makeover.

Feature walls

Wood wall panelling is a quick way to get a farmhouse feel into the bedroom – you can go half wall or full wall, paint in a fresh light colour like light grey, beige or off white as these are very versatile when it comes to your overall colour scheme. Exposed brick walls and beams should also be championed, wonderful features that will give an immediate farmhouse feel. If you want to keep the decor clean and crisp then paint the walls pure white and let the rustic furniture in your room be the focal point.

Farmhouse furniture

Introduce reclaimed wood furniture, yes, it will blend with new, more modern, pieces to get the ‘old meets new’ farmhouse look. We love the Worcester king size double bed frame, ideal for a modern farmhouse bedroom furniture – white painted reclaimed wood complemented by beautiful natural-coloured wood – the best of both worlds. A wooden blanket box at the foot of your bed is the place to store spare bedding, duvets and winter woolies, If your room is already bright and airy you may want to consider a medium wood colour, the Winchester wooden double bed is part of the range which includes everything you need to furnish the most dreamy of bedrooms.

Wicker storage

Wicker baskets in a bedroom are a great way to store things – you can get shallow ones that fit under your bed and use small ones to put toiletries in on your wooden dressing table. House plants are great in the bedroom, another excuse to introduce some wicker in the form of a plant holder! And of course, the traditional wicker laundry basket. Our Rattan May Wicker Storage Bench fits in perfectly with most farmhouse furniture, this is also great for extra storage in a child’s bedroom or playroom.

Up the cosiness

Get your room looking inviting and super comfortable by layering your bedding or add a quilted throw – add in some scatter cushions and a rug. Curtains and even window nets are allowed giving you plenty of scope to get the look just right for you. Wall tapestry or wall hangings are another great way to add some texture and warmth into your room. If you have a spindle chair or wooden dining chairs, bring them in from the dining room, add a faux fur throw or cushions and you have an instant modern farmhouse wooden bedside table.

Upcycling

This is the perfect way to give your bedroom the look! Do you have an old mirror with a less than perfect frame? An old chest of drawers or an odd small bedside table? These can be given a new lease of life by upcycling them – often just by sanding down and re-painting. Right on trend – and good for the environment too!

5 easy switches to get a modern farmhouse kitchen

Selection of wooden kitchen utensils including wooden board

In our last blog we looked at how to set about achieving the very current modern farmhouse look – in this blog we follow this up and look at quick and easy changes you can make, concentrating on the kitchen. Of course, we can’t all go out and get a completely new kitchen so we are concentrating on 5 things you can do on a smaller scale to get a look that you can elaborate on over time.

Farmhouse furniture

A farmhouse table is a great switch to make – the kitchen is the heart of just about every home, so it is great to have a space to be able to sit down in – whether for a quick breakfast, a bite at lunch or a cup of coffee as you flick through recipes and ponder on what to rustle up for dinner. If you don’t have loads of space, a smaller round table will also work, set in a cosy corner. A wood table with wooden dining chairs will introduce warmth and a homely feeling to your dining space, it’s an investment that will reward you and your family for years to come.

Farmhouse wooden dining table with wooden chairs in traditional kitchen

Add a rustic dining bench

A rustic kitchen table with bench seating just screams farmhouse. Historically benches used to be the common form of seating with the chairs being reserved for the most important people around the table. Wooden benches still conjure up images of medieval feasts with people crowded around a table laden with food and ale! And now they are back and right on trend – a reclaimed wooden bench has one main benefit….you can squeeze more people around your table.

Reclaimed wooden cabinets

A beautiful and rustic touch to any kitchen – you can opt for an open shelving unit, a kitchen dresser with cupboards and a glass-doored display unit on top. If you like the feeling of space and to keep things out of view you can opt for a lower level kitchen sideboard. As long as it is crafted from full of character reclaimed wood, it will be a perfect fit for the modern farmhouse kitchen.

Natural elements

Stick to natural fabrics – add a faux fur throw on a wooden bench, a jute rug under your dining table and seating area, wicker baskets for additional storage, plain or printed hessian cushions. A mix of earthenware and terracotta pots are perfect and will slot right in, making perfect plant holders, fruit bowls and utensil holders.

Finishing touches

This is an area where you can really reinforce your personal style. You can opt for unusual pendant lighting, you can bring in a slightly industrial element here which incidentally looks wonderful with reclaimed wood furniture. Hang some pictures on the walls – you can go for photos of your family and friends or choose paintings of rural landscapes, wall decals are also popular right now – you can look online to find a quote that really suits you and your family to really bring in the personal element.

Get a modern farmhouse look with reclaimed wood

Living room with extra long rustic sideboard with white sofa and wicker armchair

The modern farmhouse look combines the traditional farmhouse with Scandi influenced minimalism. An eclectic blend of old and new. This look should ooze sophistication and style – with no need for loads of vintage-style bits ‘n’ bobs to clutter up your home. The colours should be light and airy opposed to the more traditional dark farmhouse look. For this, you need to contrast the old and the new, leaning towards crisp and clear rather than busy and kitsch.

So, in the kitchen for example you can use a rustic farmhouse table or reclaimed wood dining table and dining chairs but style this with modern elements like stylish floor or wall tiles. To accessorise choose eye-catching statement pieces like unusual pendant light fittings, a section of display shelving or sleek barstools around a kitchen island. We think the Newton Dining Table (below) is the perfect piece of furniture for the modern farmhouse kitchen – providing plenty of character and able to blend in beautifully.

Photo featuring: Newton Dining Table Small – Natural

In the living room, let exposed authentic brickwork, a traditional open fireplace or exposed beams be the main feature in your room. Keep the rest of the room simple and crisp – choose a classic farmhouse or cottage style light coloured sofa, pale walls and lots of lovely reclaimed wood! Adding the wood will bring warmth and cosiness to the room, we think a coffee table such as the Standford Industrial Wooden Coffee Table and a TV stand.

For the bedroom, we stand by the ever-popular Onslow range – solid wood furniture crafted right here in our UK workshop. Sturdy a wooden double bed, or king-size bed will provide the foundation for many wonderful night’s sleep – for bedroom storage you can add bedside tables, a chest of drawers and a wooden blanket box. Keep the bedding light and add an array of cushions to give your room a cosy but not too cluttered cottage feel.

Photo featuring: Onslow Reclaimed Wood Bed