rustic Archives - Page 22 of 45

Tidy office, tidy mind – Smart ways to de-clutter your office

Laptop on top of a dark wood office desk

Some of us appear to thrive with a less-than-tidy desk. Or do we? With strong scientific evidence that a cluttered work environment stifles our focus and creativity, the time has come to try it. But that means upping your office storage solutions and making changes to your home office.

Boxes and trunks are great for quick, easy wipe-it-away decluttering

Decluttering in the home office tends to take a back seat when work is so busy and relentless all of the time. The secret to a tidy desk is to have storage solutions that are quick, easy and simple to use.

A box with a lid is perfect. But what you don’t want is a teetering column of boxes in the corner so opt for one box, two at the most and make it a monthly activity that you empty the boxes contents and recycle, shred and get rid of the contents.

Avoid the clutter of boxes in the office with hideaway storage such as a sideboard, ideal as office storage and for complementing the reclaimed wood furniture you’ve chosen for your working space.

Tidy doesn’t mean featureless

Clutter is the stuff that doesn’t need to be there or directly correlate to what you do in your home office but getting rid of everything under this definition means you’ll create a featureless, boring landscape.

This is not what a tidy desk is all about. Being surrounded by pretty things and items you like can be just as good for creativity and focus as a tidy desk.

Open shelving is perfect as office storage BUT you need to be confident that those open shelves won’t become a dumping ground for ‘stuff’.

Industrial shelving is the ideal solution. Space for important books and files but also space for accessories that give your home office character and appeal. Of course, there is nothing stopping you from choosing office storage that is pleasant to look at. For example, the industrial metal storage cabinet from the Aviator collection is surely welcome in every home office?

Create order

A tidy industrial desk is one that allows you to get on with work but for you to be able to ‘see’ clearly. So the printed document you need to consult or the tools you need to reach for all need to be within easy distance of you as you sit or stand at your desk.

Therefore, for a tidy desk, you need one that suits what you do and offers the simple office storage solutions you need.

A larger reclaimed wood desk with ample storage is fantastic, especially if you want integrated storage at your fingertips. Opt for a desk that offers you plenty of drawer and cupboard space.

Sparkling Bonfire Night storage ideas

Full of colour and excitement, bonfire night is a favourite time of year for many people. But, no matter how much you love it, hosting a party in which guests trample mud into your home from the garden or coats, scarves and hats get piled in a room is most definitely not welcome. How can you make sure your hallway is welcoming but also practical?

Bench seats

A hallway storage bench is an ideal option and not just for bonfire night but every day of the year. With clever storage solutions – simply pop shoes and boots on one shelf or box and hat, gloves and scarves in the other – this is a multifunctional piece of furniture. Acting as a stool, you have a comfy seat to sit whilst shoes and boots are pulled off.

There are different sizes of wood storage bench too. Opt for a small bench, perfect for a corner in the hallway or, if you have a longer expanse of wall opt for a longer bench that has three or four baskets for storage of winter clothing and boots.

Open storage

Some hallway benches have storage in the shape of wicker or rattan baskets. These are a great solution as they are easy to keep clean. Simply vacuum them every now and then. If they do get muddy or dirty, wipe them over with warm water and a mild detergent and leave them to air dry thoroughly.

Another solution is to opt for a storage bench seat in the hallway that has separate compartments so that every member of the family has their own ‘pigeonhole’ for storing shoes and boots. Easy to keep clean – sweep out dried mud – they are perfect at both the front and back door entrances to your home.

If you want somewhere to store wellingtons or other boots, opt for a storage bench seat that has a wider and taller slot.

Storage bench with lift up lid

Another solution for welcoming guests in the hallway but also as a piece of reclaimed wood furniture with storage is to opt for a flat-top blanket chest or trunk in the hallway.

This versatile piece of furniture can act as a blanket or linen store in the bedroom but if you feel storage is lacking in the hallway, it also makes a great seat-with-storage solution too.

It is also a great ad hoc solution for bonfire night when you know you’ll have guests and need a quick and easy solution to store hats, gloves and scarves!

Opting for a flat top hallway trunk means people can sit on it but simply lift the lid to toss their hat or gloves inside.

A simple hallway bench

As we’ve seen, sometimes the best solutions are the simplest. When it comes to creating a welcoming hallway, is there anything better than a simple hallway bench?

Whether you enjoy the contemporary style in your home, or the industrial or rustic, a simple hallway bench will slot right in. Add a cushion or two for comfort, colour and texture along with open baskets or wine boxes underneath to keep shoes, scarves, gloves and hats neat, tidy and out of the way.

Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of our latest photoshoot

A photographer taking a close up photo of our Sussex Oak Parquet Industrial Oval Dining Table

Discover how our furniture and homeware are brought to life on set of our photoshoots.

Simon, our photographer, getting the right angle of our Sussex Oak Parquet Industrial Oval Dining Table. Don’t you think the black Bamboo Orbital pendant light complements the black metal spider legs wonderfully?

It’s been a busy few months here at Modish Living HQ! As well as sourcing, selling and ensuring the delivery of our beautiful reclaimed wood furniture and sustainably sourced furniture and homeware, we embarked on a series of lifestyle photoshoots. Four shoot days, 15 different interior settings in one studio, using over 25 items of furniture… It was a lot of work, but a hell of a lot of fun! Go with us behind the scenes and discover what it takes to get the perfect shot.

The first shoot was held on a stifling hot day in July and a sense of eager anticipation was heating up in the Modish Living studio as much as the temperature outside. The styling props were being unwrapped, the furniture assembled and Macy and Dave, our resident pooches, were wagging their tails in excitement.

While good design speaks for itself, it is the interior experts who help style and shoot our collections that truly bring them to life. We teamed up with stylist, Gemma Gear, and photographer, Simon Eldon, to create the inspiring set of visuals you see on our website and social channels.

Using her brilliant eye for detail and knowledge of interior trends, Gemma had already created a multiple of mood boards with the key creative direction for each scene. With the furniture in situ, Gemma put her styling magic to work, dressing the sets with a mixture of Modish Living home accessories and other props to bring a little reality and create a genuine ‘at-home’ environment.

This helps you visualise how our collections could work in your home. We all know that no matter how lovely it is, a wooden table on its own can sometimes look a little uninspiring. Set it within a dining room with complementing upholstered dining chairs, a wooden sideboard, big mirror and modern lighting, dressed in beautiful linen table covers, stoneware and glasses and you can see the reclaimed wood dining table in its full lust-worthy glory.

Once the set is ready it’s time to get snap happy. Simon begins by taking a series of shots from various angles, each with different exposure times to get different lighting effects. It’s all very technical and as Simon waves his bright camera lights around to create different shadows and highlight particular elements in a shot, we’re thankful to have his photographic expertise.

It takes a number of attempts to get the shot we want. We look at different chair options. Should we use leather dining chairs or a wooden bench? Does a tall planter look better than a large plant? Once we’re all happy, it’s straight onto the next scene – well, maybe a brief, but absolutely essential, interlude for a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit! The furniture for the next shoot has already been assembled and whilst Gemma is busy styling the new set, the previously photographed furniture and props are dismantled and boxed safely away before the team start assembling the pieces for the next shot – as you can well imagine, it’s all go!

It’s a long day, and as we watch the sun setting behind the sea (the perks of having a studio with sea views!), we’re exhausted but thrilled with the end results.

Our Amalfi Industrial H-Bar Oak Dining Table looking ready for its close-up

Macy trying to steal the limelight from our stunningly styled Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Table

Gemma adds the finishing touches to our Large Farringdon Reclaimed Wood Trestle Table Dining Set. Did you spot our new Sintra Round Wall Mirror in the background?

Simon checking how his shot of our Dorset Reclaimed Wood Extending Table with Bamboo Darcy Double Pendant light looks on screen.

Gemma and Simon with co-founder, Hellen, bringing our Mitcham Spider Leg Industrial Dining Table to life.

From stylish dining room to a chic bedroom.

Our resident model back in the frame, showing us her best side!

Keep a lookout for all the beautiful images from our photoshoots on our website and social channels. And, don’t forget to share your favourite photo at @modishliving.

5 Ways to go eco-chic in your kitchen

Rustic living room in earthy colours with a wooden dining table

We all know that we have to play our part in slowing climate change. Take a look at your lifestyle and habits, and you’ll be amazed to discover just how wasteful and environmentally unfriendly even the most mundane of everyday tasks can be! The eco-friendly kitchen is a great way of acting on climate change but how?

1 Opt for products made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials

When plastic was invented it revolutionised our lives, so much so that today we don’t blink when we buy plastic utensils for the kitchen. Cheap and robust, they may last a lifetime, but unfortunately they take a lot of energy and natural resources to make.

If replacing items in the kitchen is on the horizon, why not look for;

Crockery made from recycled materials or made from ‘waste’ materials such as offcuts
Reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen is just as robust, strong and stylish and something ‘brand new’
Stick with sustainably sourced materials from wooden spoons to a reclaimed wood dining table
Reclaimed wood is used for all kinds of furniture including the kitchen bench, wooden dining chairs, coffee tables and more.

2 Opt for natural materials

Again, the issue many of us have is that synthetic materials tend to be not only cheaper, but more readily available. Like plastic, many synthetic materials are made using a huge amount of energy and natural resources, such as oil. You’ll also be surprised at just how many things contain plastic without realising.

Natural materials are strong, easy to look after and like reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen, are stylish too.

Why not try…?

Linen – table linens come in all shapes, sizes and colours, perfect for adding warmth and colour to your reclaimed wood dining table. White napkins, for example, instantly transform a reclaimed wood dining table into a chic vision, perfect for everyday meals and when entertaining too.
Bamboo – an underrated material until now, bamboo is made from the tall fronds of leaves from a fast-growing plant. Grown in tropical climes, bamboo is sustainable and with many manufacturers who use bamboo part of fair trade deals too, you know that your bamboo pendant light hasn’t cost the earth nor a community to make.

3 Be more aware of the products you use

We mentioned earlier about how plastic can be in things we never thought it would be. Some pan scrubbers, for example, have tiny beads of plastic within them, which when used are released into wastewater. These beads can make their way into the ocean and rivers too.

Consider swapping from your usual products to those that are certified as environmentally friendly. You might also want to consider reducing the number of chemical-based products you use too.

4 Reusable food storage

Ditch plastic film and other products for reusable and resealable food storage; a much more environmentally friendly way of storing food and cheaper for you too!

5 Compost and recycle

And finally, if you are not doing so already, compost food waste (or place it out for kerbside recycling) and make the most of the recycling facilities on offer in your area.

Discover our sleeping tips for when the clocks change

When the clocks fall back an hour at the end of October, it officially signals darker evenings. Whilst this can be a joy in many ways, it also presents some of us with a problem and that is, adapting our sleep pattern to fit with the change in time.

This isn’t an uncommon problem. Jet lag is similar. The body’s natural rhythm becomes disrupted by changes in time zones. It can take a period of adjustment to get back to our natural sleep pattern but there are things you can do to encourage your body to wind down at the end of the day and enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

1 Accept that your sleep may be disrupted for a few nights

Some people are sensitive to the change in the clocks and so when you know this will be the case, taking steps to be prepared can help.

Start by decluttering the bedroom, clearing the tops of your rustic furniture and making it a relaxing space helps get you in the mood to nod off. A change will have an impact on how you feel about the room. For example, fresh linen on your reclaimed wood bed is a sheer delight, as to is having a wafting gentle scent of a diffuser or scented candles. Lavender is a restful scent that can lull your whirring sense to a state of calm.

Clear the top of your small dressing table and wooden bedside table too so that there is no unnecessary clutter to detract from it being a restful space.

2 Have a bedtime routine and stick to it

A bedtime routine is just as important for adults as it is for children! A warm bath can help you to relax before bed, as too can set a time when you will have your bath and go to bed. The temptation is to leave it until we feel tired, but this can make us overtired and more fretful about not getting to sleep!

3 Digital, screen-free zone

With your reclaimed wood furniture decluttered and a few choice accessories around, you now need to set a rule and one that can and will revolutionise your life: the bedroom is a digital and screen-free zone. Ditch the mobile (leave that somewhere else) and if you read via an electronic reader, leave that for daytime reading opting for the printed word instead. Reading helps the mind to slow right down and when you feel the eyelids start to droop, put your book down, turn off the light and allow yourself to sink into sleep.

4 Don’t eat too late

Some people believe that the less your body has to do at night time, the more likely you are to fall to sleep. Eating before bed means the body is busy digesting food in the gut and for some people, that means being awake. Allow yourself two hours after dinner before bed and steer clear of spicy foods that could lead to indigestion.

5 Don’t worry about not sleeping!

It may take a few nights but eventually, your body will fall back into its natural rhythm. In the meantime, enjoy your bedroom and a good book!

Gorgeous ways to style our new rustic mirrors

Farringdon Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table and wooden chairs

No matter what your style, accessories need to be well chosen and placed so that they sing not just their own praises, but the other pieces in the room, such as the reclaimed wood furniture you have. Reflect on how beautiful these mirrors are by taking note of how they are placed so that they can be enjoyed in any room.

Round mirrors

Angles and clean lines have their place, but the beauty of the round mirror should not be underestimated. Promoting the natural flow of the room, a round mirror is ideal in so many ways and for the rustic style, it certainly promotes the warmth and comfort that this style oozes.

Knowing where to place a mirror can be difficult but when you use it to frame a piece of furniture, such as a reclaimed wood trestle dining table or sideboard you’ll find it stands out all on its own. The Sinatra round wall mirror is ideal above the large sideboard either in the hallway or the dining room. Don’t hang it too high – in fact, if you hang it slightly lower than you normally would, you’ll find it will have more impact.

The Farringdon dining table and fabric dining chairs make for a perfect setting with this wall mirror and there are others that deliver the same exquisite detailing to a space.

Arched mirrors

The arch of the Hatfield wall mirror is a delight that adds grandeur to its appeal. The rustic finish is also ideal not just for the rustic style but within the industrial setting too.

In this setting, we have placed it above the Farringdon sideboard, a beautiful addition to any home. In fact, the Farringdon Collection basks in the glow of its popularity, which is why we chose the Farringdon extendable reclaimed wood dining table with the timeless combination of wooden dining chairs and dining bench.

Again, accentuate the dimensions of the mirror by hanging a few inches lower than you normally would and you’ll find that it and the sideboard lean on each other perfectly in the space.

Pull a statement together by illuminating it

Mirrors are practical for a number of reasons, one of which is the way that light is reflected in the space and how it can change the feel of a room in the blink of an eye.

Daylight is the lighting that every space and room covets but when the sun sets (or doesn’t get a chance to peek through the clouds), you need to rely on electric light.

It can be stark or soft, casting a gentle illumination over the space. Layers of light work so well in any room and the pendant light over the dining table is both practical and decorative. Its soft glow will highlight the grain of the wood whilst also setting the perfect backdrop for any meal, whether you are entertaining guests or enjoying a family meal together.

We opted for the Bordur white woodchip pendant light, perfect for this setting. The bell-shaped shade is not overly large that it distracts and clutters the eyeline. It provides a beautiful contrast to the black arched mirror that sits just behind the table too.

A superbly rustic setting, with the mirror taking pride of place in its supporting role.

Let our tempting armchairs warm up your cosy nook

You may have swapped your flip flops for a cosy pair of slippers now that the chill of winter has set in but that doesn’t make it a dull season. Far from it. For many of us, the grey of winter is the ideal time to kick back and recharge our batteries. When the rain is hammering at the window and dark evenings long, who wouldn’t want to sink into a cosy armchair in a reading nook to enjoy the season’s best sellers?

How to create a stylish nook for reading, lounging and napping

The perfect reading and lounging nook needs to be an appealing space but it also needs to be practical with layers of soft light and warm textures and colours. The first place to start is with the armchair…

The armchair

The most crucial addition is the armchair. It needs to be supportive and to fit in the space (don’t forget to measure), and it needs to be your kind of style too. We have armchairs for every style and better still, they all sit beautifully nestled beside the reclaimed wood furniture within your home.

The traditional wingback leather armchair

It seems the best place to start simply because the shape of this leather armchair is synonymous with so many of our memories. Stately in appearance and posture, the gentle sloping back of the winged armchair is perfect for reading and napping. Supportive of your body no matter which posture you find comfortable, the tan leather will age beautifully as well. A worthwhile investment? We think so.

Traditional with a twist

If you feel you want to make a statement with your reading armchair, then look no further than the winged armchair made of tweet and leather. Based on the traditional shape of the winged armchair, it mixes the best of both worlds when it comes to fabric. There is the warm touch of tweed combined with the soft touch of leather. Dark in colour, there is a drama to this chair that makes it one of our favourites. We see it nestled next to a reclaimed wood coffee table complete with the gentle glow of a pendant light for winter afternoons spent reading.

Modern with plush velvet

If there is one fabric that entices everyone to run their fingers across its short, yet luxurious pile it is velvet, which is one of the reasons why the modern, deep seat of this velvet armchair is so very popular.

Its neutral colour makes it a joy to style with the right accessories and means it will maintain its appeal across all seasons. Surround with scented candles – the joy of a flickering flame and gentle scent hanging in the air – and a small side table for a glass of wine or warming hot chocolate to ease away the stresses of the day.

Scandi inspired armchair

There is something about this armchair that makes it worth more than a second glance. On the face of it, it is one of those fabric armchairs that has a hint of Scandinavian style about it as well as a nod to the modern style seen in the 1970s. Either way, it is incredibly comfortable, the deep seat enveloping you as you lower yourself into its confines. Why not include a footstool alongside scented candles, a table lamp and a side table.

Which of these cosy reading nook scenes lures you in?

3 of the best ready-to-party rustic extendable tables

Farringdon Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table and chairs

Planning on entertaining? Want the dining table that will offer you the style and space you need in the dining room or kitchen diner? We have three of the best rustic, extendable dining tables to make all future dinner parties a breeze.

Limited floor space? Opt for a round extendable dining table

The beauty of the round extendable dining table is that it is not only an inclusive shape for a dinner party but is also perfect for when the dimensions of the dining space are not as generous as you would like.

With the Alton round extendable dining table, the extra leaf is cleverly hidden away but when you need it, up it pops extending your table to a beautiful oval shape. Complete with a central pedestal leg, this round table which easily accommodates six to eight diners is also perfect in terms of no bruising encounters for knees against the legs!

A boxy delight

For many people, the perfect dining table is a vast rectangle filling the dining room or kitchen diner. It’s angles and straight lines are a pleasing combination and with a dining table to suit every style from the contemporary to the rustic and industrial, rectangle extendable dining tables will never lose their popularity.

A reclaimed wood 6 seater dining table to 8 seater dining table is a worthwhile investment. From festive parties to summer buffets, the boxy shapes of the Farringdon reclaimed wood dining table is perfection, whichever way you look at it.

Extending quickly and easily, diners won’t clash elbows and with the boxy legs in each corner, there is little chance of bruised knees either. Dress it with a dining bench mixed with upholstered dining chairs and you have the perfect setting.

Beauty of oak

As a slow-growing hardwood, there really is a sense of luxury around anything oak. And an oak extending dining table is surely the epitome of practical and decadence?

The Kingsbridge industrial style dining table will sit beautifully alongside upholstered dining chairs – why not use a mix of different coloured upholstery? – and again, extends to offer more space easily making an 8 seater dining table available larger gatherings.

There is so much detail to this oak dining table, it’s hard to know where to start. The parquet detailing on the tabletop is too good to be hidden away but for more formal dinner parties, adding a linen tablecloth or runner would compliment the wood beautifully.

The u-shaped legs also mean that seating diners at either short end of the table are a viable option.

Be practical

Just remember to measure your dining room before you order any extending dining table. Typically, you need a meter of space from the back of the dining chair to the wall (measure it as if someone is sitting on the table) or the nearest piece of furniture such as the drinks cabinet or sideboard. Any less, and simply walking around the table will be too much of a squeeze.

5 Ways to go Eco-Chic in your kitchen

Farringdon Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and chairs

We all know that we have to play our part in slowing climate change. Take a long hard look at your lifestyle and habits, and you’ll be amazed to find just how wasteful and environmentally unfriendly even the most mundane of everyday tasks can be! And the eco-friendly kitchen is a great way of doing your bit towards climate, change but how?

1. Opt for products made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials
When plastic was invented, it revolutionised our lives so much so that today, we don’t blink when we buy plastic utensils for the kitchen. Cheap and robust, they may last a lifetime but they take a lot of energy and natural resources to make.

If replacing items in the kitchen is on the horizon, look for;
– Crockery made from recycled materials or made from ‘waste’ materials such as offcuts
– Reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen is just as robust, strong and stylish and something ‘brand new’
– Stick with sustainably sourced materials from wooden spoons to a reclaimed wood dining table
– Reclaimed wood is used for all kinds of furniture including the kitchen bench, wooden dining chairs, coffee tables and more.

2. Opt for natural materials
Again, the issue many of us have is that synthetic materials tend to be not only cheaper but more readily available. Like plastic, many synthetic materials are made using a huge amount of energy and natural resources such as oil. You’ll also be surprised at just how many things contain plastic without realising.
Natural materials are strong, easy to look after and like reclaimed wood furniture in the kitchen, are stylish too.

Why not try…?
– Linen – table linens come in all shapes, sizes and colours, perfect for adding warmth and colour to your reclaimed wood dining table. White napkins, for example, instantly transform a table into a chic vision, perfect for everyday meals and when entertaining too.
– Bamboo – an underrated material until now, bamboo is made from the tall fronds of leaves from a fast-growing plant. Grown in tropical climes, bamboo is sustainable and with many manufacturers who use bamboo part of fair trade deals too, you know that your bamboo pendant light hasn’t cost the earth, nor a community to make.

3. Be more aware of the products you use
We mentioned earlier how plastic tends to be in things that we never thought it would be. Some pan scrubbers, for example, have tiny beads of plastic within them which when used are released into wastewater. These beads are found in the ocean and rivers too.
Consider swapping from your usual products to those that are certified as environmentally friendly. You might also want to consider reducing the number of chemical-based products you use too.
4. Reusable food storage
Ditch plastic film and other products for reusable and sellable food storage, a much more environmentally friendly way of storing food and cheaper for you too!
5. Compost and recycle
And finally, if you are not doing so already, compost food waste (or place it out for kerbside recycling) and make the most of the recycling facilities on offer in your area.