rustic Archives - Page 38 of 45

Our most read blog posts of the year

The aim of our blog is simple – to give you ideas on how to create the style and finish you want in your home. And it seems that our articles and posts are hitting the right notes.

With this in mind, we took a look back at the three most popular blogs. And what they tell us is interesting…

5 Interior Design Styles

Take a moment to read any interior design or lifestyle blog, and you will see it talks about various trends and must-have styles. But the problem is that even though the photos look appealing and you decide a certain style will work for you, it is often impossible to recreate the style in your own home.

This blog looked at the basics of five of the most popular interior design styles, from rustic to industrial. It included key elements that made an interior style rustic or farmhouse, or what materials need to combine to give the industrial looking edge to your home or the mid-20^th Century modern that so many of us enjoy. Well worth another look!

Read the blog here.

Welcoming Spring with the Farmhouse Style

There is something comforting, yet elegantly stylish and unfussy about the farmhouse look that makes for it being so popular. It is practical without every element of detail or design being eliminated. It came as no surprise to find that the second most popular blog from this year was this piece of how to create the farmhouse style in your home.

We know it can be hard to reproduce the style across the home, so with this blog, we took a room by room approach. It looked at how to use open shelving – great for the studio, study or living room – as well as other farmhouse furniture staples work well to create the style.

It examined how to create a cohesive farmhouse style in the kitchen and the dining room, as well as a look at which accessories work well with the style. Take another look at how to create the farmhouse style in your home, no matter what time of year.

How to Choose the Perfect Wood Dining Table

It is an item of furniture that lasts for years and years. Rarely replaced, the dining table needs to be universally stylish. Choosing the right dining room sets can take a long time, especially with so much choice.

Wood is the favoured material as it ‘fits’ all design styles, from the rustic to the industrial style, as well as the uber-modern. But which shape? Which design? What style? What about dining chairs – upholstered or leather? Or is a dining bench a better option?

With so many questions that need answering, many people turned to a popular blog we published in the summer. This was our third most popular blog – and is still racking up visitors – and no wonder because choosing a wooden dining table that offers everything you need is a tough decision!

Take a look at the blog again for help to choose the best wood dining table for your home.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed providing inspiration through our blog this year – what would you like to see us cover next?

Our best sellers of the year

Have you noticed how, as we get to the end of the year, everyone from retailers to TV shows chart the year in what was amazing, funny, sad and popular? We decided to take a look back at which items from our collections were popular, from the farmhouse table to the most popular chairs…

The Standford Industrial Reclaimed Table

In the top spot is this impressive industrial dining table. Mixing the elegant with the practical, customers loved the dining sets with bench, as well as the extendable dining surface that makes it ideal for any busy home. It is robust and yet not devoid of style, brought about, we think, by the reclaimed wood top. With reclaimed wood, you can bask in the warmth of knowing that the item you have purchased is completely unique. Every grain and blemish hints at its past, just one reason why this is one of our best sellers.

The Luxe Kensington Dining Table

Just as popular is this pleasing mix of styles, the rustic dining table with a reclaimed wood top and the elegant metal work legs. As well as the larger, rectangle dining table, there is also the round Luxe dining table, with the exquisite metal legwork column that sets it apart from all others. There is a rawness to this table top that really makes it stand out. Perfect for when you want something different, but without compromising on the ideals of the industrial or rustic styles.

English Beam Table

The simplicity of the English Beam dining table in a ‘medium finish’ is probably the main feature that makes this a popular seller this year – and we don’t expect its rising star to wane anytime soon. It has the industrial look to it that easily fits a home, the perfect table for friends to gather round. The other factor that we know makes this a popular item is that you can order it in custom sizes too. So, no need for a table that is too big or too small.

Allegro Chairs

Fourth on our list are dining chairs that we always knew would be a hit – and we weren’t proved wrong. The Allegro chairs in Cerato leather are the ideal teammates to any of our rustic or industrial styled dining tables. Cerato is a herb that when correctly prepared and administered, helps people to realise their individuality and we think this is a fitting name for our leather dining chairs. Available with wooden and metal legs, which would you choose?

Florence Chairs

Whereas the Allegro dining chair oozes a deceptive simplicity, the upholstered dining chairs from the Florence range offer exquisite detail that brings sophistication to a dining room. Light in colour, the robust fabric is soft to the touch, it is the stud work and the added detail of the ring metal handle on the back of the chair that gives it the edge. Available in natural and white, it is no wonder these dining chairs are popular with our discerning customers.

Did you purchase one of our best sellers this year, or are you looking for inspiration for next year? Either way, we’d be glad to hear what you think of our best sellers!

How to: gift wrapping on a budget

There is nothing more exciting than receiving a gift and when that gift is wrapped beautifully, it shows even more thought and love. The good news is, that elaborate gift wrapping needn’t be complicated nor expensive. With these crafty tips of gift wrapping, you can delightfully wrap all kinds of gifts, sitting on your upholstered dining chairs at your table without spending a penny on wrapping paper.

Many of these suggestions use items that you already have to hand and also re-use wrapping paper, tissue paper, string, ribbon etc. that you have kept from previous birthday and Christmas gifts. So what do we suggest?

Take a Walk!

When the rain stops, and the wind is no longer howling, step outside and enjoy the crisp winter air and everything this season has to offer. We may associate winter with sparseness and hibernation, but many shrubs and trees drop their seeds to the ground in readiness for spring growth.

Fir cones along with a few small sprigs of an evergreen pine or holly bush make for a simple, yet effective adornment alongside homemade gift wrap.

Sitting in the warmth of your home at a wood dining table, loop string or twine (or old ribbon if you have any) around the centre of the gift many times, with a gift tag looped in, and tie securely at the back. Insert the spring of greenery and use string looped over the base of the fir cone to securely anchor it to the gift.

Homemade Gift Wrap Style

As well as buying gift wrap, you can make your own by recycling wrapping paper and tissue from previous gifts you have received.

For your own unique touch, wrap the gift in a block colour paper – a lot cheaper than festive paper – adding your own layer of colour and detail over the top.

For example, this black tissue paper base entirely coverts the gift but the star-festooned tissue paper is recycled, with a small band covering the top of the wrapped gift. Again, use natural elements to complete the look such as twine or craft string.

For a fantastic display, wrap gifts in similar colours, using the same natural adornments and cluster them together under the Christmas tree or hide them in plain view in the glass cabinet.

Newspaper Chic

Save a few of your broadsheets to create your own bespoke wrapping paper. Use twine to hold it all together, tying a spring of cinnamon and a parcel tag to give it not only a festive look but a festive smell too.

Ribbon Perfection

Adding decoration to a wrapper gift is the ideal way of adding a little bit of the wow factor to it. Ribbon is used not just on gifts, but on clothing and other bought products. Keep all these for the Christmas wrapping season, matching your ribbon to recycled tissue paper, or use with newspaper too to give it an extra bit of chic. There are some great online sites that will show you how to tie elaborate bows too, great for adding even more detail.

Other material can be recycled too, especially if you make your own hampers. If it doesn’t look festive enough, why not spray it with glitter paint for added sparkle?

Map It

Frankly, maps are a little old hat, especially with Satnavs and smartphone apps taking over. Reuse the pages of old atlases and maps for wrapping paper. Use ribbon and string to add detail, just like in all the other examples.

Creating your own gift wrap is about a little bit of imagination, and plenty of reusable wrapping materials.

How to impress your dinner guests with no effort

It’s great having family and friends over for Christmas dinner but it can be so much work and effort that you are too tired to enjoy it. From chasing perfection from the dinner table settings to the food itself, inviting dinner guests over can be a situation that balloons to nightmarish proportions.

But not with this guide as to how to impress your dinner guests, without too much effort.

The Table

There is a saying, we eat with our eyes first and our bellies second. As well as presenting the food nicely on plates and in bowls, the table also needs to look the part.

And frankly, when it comes to table setting trends and fashions, we say leave them behind! The festive season is all about twinkling lights, anything that sparkles, as well as colour combinations such as red and green with a dash of gold or silver.

For something ‘different’, nip outside with your secateurs and bring in some cutting of ever-green fronds from your fir trees, holly bush (even better if there are red berries too!) or any other evergreen leaf. Along with pine cones, cluster the foliage along the length of the rustic dining table. To finish, sprinkle with glitter or colourful beads, adding tea lights in pretty holders too, to add pretty twinkling lights.

Top tip – we love the battery-operated lights that are available online and in high street stores. Simply intertwine these around the foliage, hiding the battery compartment under it. Switch on and let them work their magic.

Table Settings

No one has unlimited matching plates, cups, and cutlery lurking in their cupboards and, so it comes as no surprise that when you have many dinner guests for Christmas dinner that there is a range of plates and glasses. We think it makes the occasion.

Remember, perfect table settings are not your goal: making memories and having a great time is. So, bring a range of chairs to nestle against your statement fabric dining chairs and enjoy the fact that your dining room is full of fun and laughter.

Top tip – table full throughout the year with guests? Why not consider investing in a dining bench, a great alternative to different chairs and great for accommodating more people.

However, using matching key plates can lift the table and so it is worth investing in some key items. We think that…

Matching or complimenting oven to tableware – as well as having plenty of cutlery to go around, why not invest in a cluster of oven to tableware dishes? These present a sense of cohesion and providing that all your ‘mismatch’ plates and bowls share the same colour palette, it won’t look too chaotic.
Handmade, designed and created plates – clustering bowls and plates is a way of showing off your ‘best’ tableware too. We love the idea of opting for something different but one that is timeless and elegant. Tableware, from serving plates to dinner plates, are items that over the years, you will come to amass in your cupboards. And so, you need timeless, elegant pieces that look as fresh today as they will in years to come.

Planning Ahead

Impressing your guests can place you on a collision course with festive season stress, a condition that can see you become fixated on smaller details that really don’t have bearing on the wonderful meal you are about to cook.

What do we suggest? Planning ahead is the solution, along with getting as much done as you possibly can before the main event. And we have some useful tips too:

Don’t battle through Christmas shoppers for your groceries and other essential – shop online! Get as much as you can beforehand, making the best use of pre-prepared foods and put in the freezer.
Shop local – local suppliers, such as butchers and grocers, will often have affordable hampers in the run-up to the festive season. As well as supporting local businesses, you will also be getting quality produce that tastes delicious.
Set the table the night before – for many of us, creating a fantastic looking table is the fun part but it can take longer than you think to create the ultimate dining table setting! Make it your ‘night before’ task or even a day or two beforehand. Enjoy a few dinners off your lap as a treat!
Nothing wrong with ready meals – we are not suggesting you serve a ready meal for Christmas dinner but with so much going on, be kind to yourself and invest in high-quality ready meals for you and your family. Again, local grocery stores and food suppliers have some great pre-packed products.

Choose Dishes Carefully

Chose dishes that can be prepared beforehand and then simply finished off before you serve them. The best course to do this with is dessert and this Festive Pavlova is ideal.

You will need:

6 large free-range egg whites
350g caster sugar
1tsp white wine vinegar
1tsp cornflour

For the filling;

600 ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
50g sifted icing sugar
900g of fresh fruit – any combination, such as raspberries and blueberries
50g pomegranate seed
A few mint leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°, Gas 3 and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Draw around a large dinner plate as use this as your guide.
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks then gradually add the sugar slowly until stiff and glossy.
Mix the vinegar and cornflour and stir into the egg whites
Heap the mixture onto the greaseproof paper, shaping it into a ring, leaving a gap in the middle
Place in the oven reducing the temperature to 140° to gas 2 for an hour or until the meringue is hard on the outside but soft on the inside.
Allow the meringue to cool – it will keep well in the fridge!
Just before serving, whip the cream with the vanilla paste and icing sugar and spread generously on top of the ring of meringue. Pile the fruit on top, finish with the jewel-like pomegranate seeds and decorate with mint leaves. Serve with a sprinkling of icing sugar or edible glitter dust.

Impressing Christmas dinner guests is just as much about the company, the laughter and the stories as it is about the ‘right’ decorations on your dining room furniture or the ‘correct’ festive inspired sculptures in your small display cabinet. And don’t forget – enjoy it too!

Order today to get it in time for Christmas

The build-up to Christmas has begun and if you plan on creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere with sheepskins rug this festive season, you must order this week to guarantee its arrival in time.

But why opt for sheepskin rugs? What do they bring to different rooms in the home?

Ways to Use a Sheepskin Rug

Sheepskin rugs are perfect for introducing colour and texture into a space, and work well with many interior styles but especially the clean lines of the Scandinavian style and the warmth of the rustic style. So how can you use them for maximum effect?

Added Warmth

The beauty of a white fur rug is that as a natural product, it has amazing insulation properties. Perfect for winter, they can add warmth not just for your feet on the floor but for armchairs, sofas and dining benches.

In the Bedroom

As well as using a sheepskin rug on the floor, these rugs can be used as an extra layer of welcome warmth on the bed too. When the temperature plummets and the combination of bed socks and duvet are not keeping your digits toasty warm, layer a sheepskin rug on top. This king size sheepskin rug will add not only an ideal bedroom decoration and accessory but adds unbelievable luxury too.

The Hallway

Both the rustic and Scandinavian interior design styles are about practicality and function but also about creating an impact where you need it most. In the hallway, a space often devoid of storage, a bench is a perfect addition. Soften the sharp lines and make an impact with a deep pile rug on the bench. Don’t go overboard with colour otherwise, it may look out of place. A grey sheepskin rug, for example, would add warmth without a distracting colour.

Dining Room Essential

Again, for when winter comes, and you want to add warmth both in terms of texture to space and a practical element, there is nothing better than a smooth, deep pile sheepskin rug for dining room seating. Perfect for both upholstered, leather and wooden dining chairs. In fact, in the dining room, using a rug in this way is part and parcel of the Scandinavian style.

The Office

If you spend hours at your desk, you will know the discomfort that being seating for long periods brings. Why not soften the blow with a sheepskin rug? Use a rug that is large enough to cover the whole chair as it will bring warmth to your back too.

A Reading Corner

There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book but what improves the experience is having a space that is all your own. Opt for a comfortable armchair and a small table close by for the essential coffee (or maybe a glass of wine?) and to frame the space, use a black sheepskin rug for the floor. If you want to, add an extra layer to the chair, perfect for snuggling down on a winter’s afternoon.

If you don’t order today, you won’t have this stylish rug for your home in time for Christmas…so why not browse now to order yours? View the sheepskin collection.

Do you think dark wood is becoming fashionable?

Winchester Reclaimed Wood Dark Sleigh Bed

On the one hand, it can look dark and imposing but on the other, dark wood furniture can look superbly impressive. But for many years, we have tended to opt for lighter tones when it comes to furniture, from light beech to painted white items.

But is the tide turning, we asked? And once again, you gave us the answer.

We showed our Houzz and Instagram followers the Winchester dark wood bedroom, complete with resplendent sleigh wooden bed, and matching bedside table and dark wood wardrobe. We asked for your opinion: was this too dark and imposing? Or did it have the elegance and delight of yesteryear that turned the room from ordinary to extraordinary?

The majority agreed: dark wood is fashionable, and our Instagram followers weren’t so sure. Whilst many thought it is fashionable, there were many who believed that it should remained assigned to the past. We want to show people dark wood can look stunning and imposing, but for all the right reasons.

The Dining Room

A separate formal dining room may be falling out of favour, but the dining table isn’t. You want a dining table that is grand and elegant, and around which family and friends always feel welcome.

A large dark wood dining table you may think, is fit for a certain style of home. Those with a traditional style, with nods to bygone eras such as the ornate Georgian dining room but not for a modern dining space, where rambunctious children gather for snacks and homework.

For too long, we think that dark wood has been seen as too imposing, too dark and too ‘old-fashioned’. Using reclaimed wood, such as in the English Beam farmhouse style extendable dining table, you can see just how beautiful, elegant, robust and on-trend dark wood can be.

The Living Room

From coffee tables to nest of tables, there are all kinds of pieces that a living room needs to make it a stylish and functional space. Used well, this darker wood, industrial style display cabinet won’t cast a shadow in the living room.

But when we say, ‘used well’, what do we mean?

Colours

We know that darker colours absorb light which is why, in interior design, in smaller spaces, darker colours are used sparingly, if at all. And this is possibly why many people feel that using dark wood furniture is only suitable for larger rooms.

But with clever use of colour, dark wood needn’t take over. In the Winchester bedroom, the dark wood bed, wardrobe and bedside are the intended focal point of the room. The wall colour – a light, pleasant, barely-there sage green with crisp white glossed door frame – supports and balances the room. It is not closed in or dark. It is open, bright and beautiful.

The supporting colours on the bed – the taupe edged bedlinen, crisp white pillow cases and the dusky pink cushions – add further depth and tone to the space.

Texture

As well as colour, texture brings out the beautiful grain of the wood which is why the neutral tones rug and throw make such great additions. A white sheepskin rug, for example, would be perfect next to the bed.

Have we convinced you? Will you next purchase be a dark wood furniture item?

Get the glamorous look of this dining room

The warmth and glamour of this dining room shine through. But what is it that adds glamour to a room? Is it anything sparkling and shiny, or something else?

We think it is more than that. This dining room has a fantastic ambience about it. It oozes sophistication and glamour, and it does so because of the smaller details that sit within it. Not hidden, and yet not immediately obvious, it is a space that invites you in to take a closer look, to touch it, to find these hidden details.

It is the richness of these details matched with perfect harmony to the colours and warm tones used throughout. And the good news is, it is a dining room style and ambience that can be reproduced in your home. Here’s how…

The Barclay Dining Room Collection

For rich in detail reclaimed wood furniture, look no further than the Barclay Collection. The dining table comes complete with an end drawer, perfect for stowing away fine dining cutlery in between dinner parties.

Refined and smooth, there is an elegance to this table that many others are hard-pressed to emulate. Perhaps it is the delicate leg styling that makes it stand out and the detailing on the drawers?

Love the Barclay dining table? Hurry because it is only available
until the end of the year.

In the background, you can see the Barclay reclaimed wood modern sideboard, a perfect addition to any dining room but certainly, the perfect combination with the dining table. The detailing is once again, simply stunning and perfect for adding a sense of cohesion and connection between the main dining room furniture pieces.

The warm tones continue in this space with the upholstered cream dining chairs. The Luxe Daisy button back bespoke velvet dining chairs will certainly add the aplomb you are looking for. With a taller back, there is the added detail of buttons and the studwork on the edging of the chair.

Another solution would be the Luxe Macy upholstered dining chairs, again available in custom velvet. Slightly smaller in the height of the back, there is just enough detail to make these chairs perfect for using with this dining table.

Accessories, of course, add the detail to a room. Keep the tones warm and in keeping with the main wall colour and flooring. The large wall clock is simply delicious in this space because it adds a focal point that draws the eye.

Style and Colour

It is important in any room that is one main focal point, but finding this harmony on non-competing pieces can be tough. The solution is simpler than it seems: there needs to be a sense of cohesion and connection between items. You do this through similar styling – such as the Barclay dining table and sideboard – and colour too.

Everything pulls together and yet, your eye is drawn to the beautiful table, flanked by the cream dining chairs and supported by the matching sideboard. Nothing dominates, nothing competes but your eye notices the finer details.

How do you decorate: with metal or wood accessories?

We posed yet another tough styling question to our social media followers. We really had no idea which way people would vote but unlike some of our other polls, the answer is quite definitive.

So, which do you prefer to accessorise your home with? Metal or wooden sculptures, objects and accessories?

The majority of our voters on Houzz opted for metal – twice as popular as wood – and our Instagram followers also opted for metal, again a choice that was twice as popular as wood.

But this doesn’t mean that wooden sculptures and accessories have had their day. The popularity of metal accessories is an indication of the current trend of interior design styles but with the right look, wood accessories can bring out the delight of wooden furniture, no matter what style you are aiming for.

Metal accessories

Another factor that may affect people choices is the time of year.

The festive season – as well as autumn and winter – are associated with sparkling items that reflect light around the home. With the night’s drawing in – by Christmas, sunlight fades by 3.30pm in most parts of Britain – we want accessories that maximise light in the home.

And, of course, anything shiny or sparkly fits right in with the Christmas theme and so this magnificent metal antler stag head, perfect for wall mounting in any room, is the ideal choice.

This stag head also fits well with both the rustic and farmhouse styles, two themes you may have assumed would only welcome wooden accessories into its folds. However, both are themes that embrace the outdoors and so anything that alludes to nature and wildlife is welcome.

This metallic bison head is a modern twist on something commonly associated with the deep west. It brings something different, raises a smile and certainly fits with many of the interior design styles popular today.

Wood Accessories

Wood is a beautiful material, no matter from what tree the timber derives.

But our reclaimed wooden furniture gives off a different vibe entirely. The scuff marks and blemishes, the undulations and the grain all give off a small flavour of its past, something that we think should never be lost or hidden.

Many interior design styles embrace wood as a component part of its theme, including the industrial style. Surprising, you may think, as when we think of ‘industry’, we think of metal and bricks, cement and tough solid features. But wood had its place in industry and thus, this rather fetching circular wooden accessory is the perfect antithesis to industrial furniture. Imagine it on an industrial coffee table or maybe a modern console table.

Of course, there is no doubt that wooden accessories fit with the rustic and the farmhouse theme (and be easily slipped into a modern style too!) but all that wood, you may think, can look too uniform.

The trick is to use various shades and timbers, as well as painted furniture. Imagine the rustic appeal of this gorgeous wooden horse against a painted sideboard in the dining room?

Even though there was a clear winner, do you think wooden and metal accessories could work in your home?

Organise your bottles with a rustic wine rack

Buffets and sideboards make a wonderful addition to any dining room. A reclaimed wood sideboard cabinet will not only add rustic style and elegance to your room, but it will also add invaluable storage space, perfect for housing dinnerware and glassware.

One fantastic feature in any sideboard, which is sometimes overlooked, is a space for storing wine bottles. Often we have bottle storage in our kitchens, but extra storage in your dining room never hurts, especially given the upcoming party season of Christmas and New Year.

If you are looking for a large sideboard, the Riya Reclaimed Wood Sideboard may be the perfect investment. With gorgeous colours running through the wood, the sideboard will bring any room to life but is also enviably easy to pair with reclaimed wood furniture. Complete with plenty of cupboard storage, three drawers and room for 10 bottles, the Riya Sideboard is the perfect, showstopping sideboard.

Our bestselling Cotswold Reclaimed Wood Sideboard is another beauty. With space for housing an impressive wine collection, storing up to 28 bottles, plus a mix of drawer and cupboard space, this would make the perfect addition to any rustic dining room. Simple, elegant and practical – what’s not to love?!

Alternatively, if you’d prefer a lighter wood option without compromising on bottle storage, the Chedworth Natural Wine Rack is gorgeous. This rustic sideboard is the perfect spot for storing wine in style, and also comes finished with two good sized drawers, perfect for keeping dining room accessories like bottle openers, stoppers and napkins within handy reach. Complete with stylish nickel cup handles, the wine rack would look just as at home in a modern space as it would in a cosy country kitchen.

View the sideboards collection at Modish Living. For any enquiries, please get in touch with one of our team members.