scandinavian Archives - Page 3 of 7

The beauty of round wood dining tables

The round dining table is, without doubt, the shape that allows for the most intimacy between those sat enjoying a meal at it, whether this is a formal dinner party of ‘everyday’ family meal.

Sitting at a round wood dining table, whether a Scandinavian dining table or something different allows you to see all the other diners. This is true whether it is a small dining table for four or a huge table for 10 diners or more. Aside from this intimacy and connection, round dining tables offer so much more…

Perfect for smaller spaces

The modern home here in the UK is smaller than that of older properties. This isn’t a problem if you know how to use the space – and a round dining table fits perfectly. The continuity of its shape allows for freer movement in a room.

Simplicity is key to the smaller dining room or kitchen diner not feeling swamped by the round kitchen table but this doesn’t mean the table and chairs set has to be devoid of all detailing and character.

The Hambledon oak dining table with its spider legs is perfect if you want a significant style note. There is something very beautiful about this table, especially when paired with matching oak chairs that have the heady Scandinavian style about them. Let this round kitchen table sing by not swamping it with overly decorative or styled dining chairs.

Completing the style jigsaw

As well as size, you will need a round dining table that sits well with the style and colours you have chosen for the dining area.

Light coloured woods are the ‘easiest’ to incorporate in many ways but if you are dealing with both limited room dimensions and a prominent style then the solution may lie in the beauty and versatility of a round extendable dining table. Keep it neat and compact for everyday use but when you need a little more room, extend it for instantly more space.

Style statement

Like the Hambledon dining table with its spider legs, there are other examples of smaller round dining tables that have detailing that connect with your chosen style. The industrial style is as popular today as it ever was and certainly, in the kitchen diner, it is a practical style.

A superb mix of metal and wood, this round reclaimed wood dining table with an industrial flavour is ideal if you love this style. Its fluted metal pedestal leg is a must and even though you could never describe the industrial style as blousy, there is a dramatic element to it that you can harness and make the most of.

The previous tables have had a pleasing simplicity to them thus the dining chairs used alongside them would be best suited if they too were simply elegant. With this table, you can afford to take a little more drama to the table.

Coloured velvet upholstered dining chairs won’t look out of place – neither would the cool touch of leather upholstered dining chairs – but why wouldn’t you want to turn it up a notch.

Is the round dining table the shape and style you prefer?

How to declutter the living room

Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table and Brown Leather Sofa

Surprisingly, decluttering is not just about getting rid of stuff from the living room but about creating storage solutions that work for you. We take a look at how to declutter, without going so minimal that your living room looks and feels sparse.

1 De-clutter – reassign or recycle

The first step is to spend some time sorting through everything you have in the living room. De-cluttering can be cathartic for some, especially after the busy festive holiday period but for others, it can be an emotional journey.

Effective decluttering consists of making three ‘piles’ of items – stuff that is staying in the living room, stuff that needs to be reassigned, stuff for recycling.

Don’t bother with a ‘maybe’ pile – be brave!

2 Storage solutions

Now you have decided what items are staying, what are to be reassigned and which items are being recycled, this is what you need to do (in order!):

Recycle the items immediately so you have more space to work
Reassign items to other rooms and locations
Decide the best storage solutions for items remaining

3 Getting storage right

For storage to work, it needs to be easily accessible – the quicker and easier it is to reach for something and put away again, the more likely you are to take this full range of actions.

However, before you rush out and buy ‘storage solutions’, as well as considering what you have to store, you need to consider the space you have to fit it in and whether you want it on display or not.

ABOVE HEAD HEIGHT

Store things about head height that you will only need to reach for on rare occasions. For example, books and pretty accessories work well on the higher levels of a ladder bookshelf, for example.

FLOOR LEVEL

Be careful storing things on the floor as this contributes to the ‘full and cluttered’ look that can befall a room. If the living room is small, keep the floor space as clear as possible, choosing furniture that has a gap between its underside and the floor – in other words on legs! A coffee table with storage could be a great option here.

Things stored at a lower level, for example in a large sideboard, should be items you need to get at occasionally. Closed storage such as a sideboard is also great for ‘hiding’ things away.

THE MIDDLE GROUND

The things you reach for most often should be ‘in the middle’ or hand height for a better description.

Again, it is your own personal preference as to what you want on show or not.

4 Dual purpose furniture

Making the most of the space you have is important when it comes to enjoying a decluttered look and feel to the living room.

There are all kinds of options and many people looking to declutter choose Scandinavian furniture that offers clean lines and a fresh look. A coffee table with storage wouldn’t look out of place against the beautiful brown leather sofa or perfect for framing the leather armchair in your reading nook.

Decluttering is about creating storage solutions for a room, as much as it is about getting rid of things. Are you planning on decluttering the living room after the festive holiday?

Great ways to make your home look bigger

The modern home is getting smaller. Since the 1970s, the average size of the UK home has shrunk by 32%, according to The Guardian. The living room is 7m² smaller today, compared to 24m² back in the decade of flares. Bedrooms are smaller too.

Bijou homes are not sub-standard, because, with clever styling, your compact pad can feel as palatial.

Minimal colour

Paint it all white, opt for Magnolia or even a beautiful grey but the less colour you have splashed across the walls of your home, the bigger it will feel. We know that lighter colours make the most of light – natural and ambient – and so it pays to stay at the lighter end of the colour spectrum.

Lighter shades are not boring – far from it, the beauty achieved in the Scandinavian styled home proves the point – but minimising the number of changes in the shades and colour hues helps to bring cohesion across the home from the front door to the loft.

Consider this when choosing furniture. For example, a light grey sofa would suit any room with a light colour on the wall. Keep furniture light too, such as in the Scandinavian bedroom style with light oak beds, for example.

Minimise shadows

Small windows, furniture blocking the flow of light, walls in the way… you name it, there are many dense obstacles that stop the flow of light through a space. And when that happens, shadows are cast.

Make the most of the natural light that you have. Changing the style of the windows will make a difference and if you have the budget, knocking a wall down to open the space making the downstairs living room and other rooms open plan transforms a space.

Minimising shadows when it comes to ambient light too. A table lamp on a nest of tables in the ‘dark’ corner of a room changes the feel of the space.

Maximise storage

Whether you are working with a bijou bedroom or a compact living room, what instantly closes the space down is when you don’t have enough storage – and that means it becomes cluttered both physically and to the eye.

Choose clever storage solutions such as a wood coffee table with drawers or use a wooden blanket box as a coffee-table-cum-handy-storage unit.

In the bedroom, don’t be tempted to store things of tops of wardrobes as this clutters the eyeline, bringing the ceiling close. Add height to storage such as a tall chest of drawers and again, a wooden blanket box makes a handy seat as well as great for storing linens.

Minimise ‘clutter’

From those cluster of ornaments to huge vases, consider carefully the detailing you add to a room. there is a certain sense of practicality needed about living in a smaller space and that means ditching the idea that you can show horn everything in.

By maximising clever storage in the living room and the bedroom, you can store away things not currently being used but with the change of seasons, you can bring out stored items and put away others.

Maximise small prints

It’s the oldest trick in the book but any print you use in a small space needs to be minimal in size. So ditzy flower prints or barely-there geometric detailing on cushions and throws will work. Keep textures ‘flat’ too, such as a flat weave rug over a deep pile sheepskin rug.

A smaller home is a fact of life and can still be beautifully stylish.

Our most popular blogs of the year

Wycombe Oak Dining Table and Chairs with Bench

As the year draws to a close, there are award ceremonies and ’best of’ lists of all kinds. Not ones to be left behind, we thought we would do the same. We have, of course, created best-selling charts of our furniture items for you to take a look at, from the reclaimed wood dining table to the large sideboard but we also thought we would look through the year’s blog posts.

We use our blogs to provide information and ideas covering a broad range of topics, but which four blog posts caught your imagination most?

The Scandinavian style dining room

What is there not to love about the Scandinavian furniture style? A fusion of light coloured woods with natural materials, there is a clean, crispness to this style that makes it ideal for every home, from the family pad to the apartment of the Millennial.

Our get the Scandinavian style in the dining room blog with these new sets blog attracted a lot of attention, mainly because it gave ideas on how you can create the perfect backdrop against which the dining table can sizzle.

The best industrial coffee tables

As living room pieces go, the coffee table is a staple piece of furniture that can help to provide the balance and symmetry that the room needs. It can also be a talking point which is why we brought you a round up of the latest industrial coffee table to our range.

The new in: the best industrial coffee tables crafted from reclaimed wood blog brought together many beautiful industrial pieces that got people talking. From the round best of tables to the industrial coffee table on wheels, there was something in this blog for everyone of every taste and budget.

The industrial furniture look was popular throughout 2018, a trend that we expect to see continuing. There is something refreshingly uncomplicated about the fusion of familiar materials such as reclaimed wood and steel, one of the reasons why the industrial dining table too remains a popular style choice for many.

Stainless Steel in the dining room

Anything that shimmers, sizzles and glimmers is ‘gold’ in our eyes but when it comes to using metallic finishes, knowing when and how to use it in the home can be problematic. When is it too much? Can you have too much chrome, stainless steel or gold finish?

In our blog beautiful stainless steel pieces you need to have in your dining room, we shifted our focus on using metal finishes to an important room in the home and how, with the right backdrop and setting, a ‘silvery’ finish can lift the room from ordinary to extraordinary.

The busy hallway

A hallway is a place of transit, one of the reasons why we always leave decorating this space to the last minute. With this in mind, we have long championed the hallway as a space that should be stylish and functional.

In the blog what is the perfect storage for a busy hallway we gave you plenty of ideas for adding storage to the hallway. Versatile storage solutions, we looked at everything from cubed shelving storage units to hallway benches.

What’s in store for 2019?

There will be many styles and topics we’ll cover in the New Year too, from looking at the latest trends to how to use colour schemes, how to style reclaimed wood furniture and the reclaimed wood table and more. But of course, we want to hear from you too. What would you like to see more of in the coming months on our blog?

Beautiful oak dining tables to suit all budgets

A quality oak dining table and bench set will give you years of service. Chic and elegant, it will remain the star of the dining room for as long as you want it but when your budget is tight, you may need to revise your plans! We showcase four of our oak dining tables at different price points proving that there is the right table out there at the right price.

Top end investment

Consider the decades that an oak table will last, the one-off investment will certainly reward you.

The Hoxton dining table comes in four sizes but there is something beautifully grand and timeless about this piece that makes it a firm favourite with many customers.

The lightness of the oak is perfect for the Scandinavian style dining room, although it would also fit perfectly in any style or when your tastes change – traditional, farmhouse and modern included.

The versatility of the table is not to be understated. You can see it here, styled by our customer and looking stunning with upholstered dining chairs. It would also work with a functional dining bench too and of course, leather or faux leather dining chairs shouldn’t be forgotten.

Two choices of an oak table at the mid-range price point

In the mid-range price point we have two beautiful but fairly distinct oak dining tables;

Square oak table

The Mitcham square industrial dining table with its ‘spider leg’ framework is one of those pieces that will never regret buying.

Perfect in the smaller dining room, open plan Scandinavian living room or in the kitchen diner, there is something satisfying about the square oak table top with the metal framework beneath. Team with equally delightful leather dining chairs and similarly styled dining room furniture for symmetrical appeal.

Extendable dining table

Again, it is a purchase at the mid-price point of your budget that you won’t regret investing in. the Hudson Wycombe extendable dining table will see you through many dinner parties, Christmas dinners, birthday means and will grow and shrink as needed with your family and activities. If you truly love the Scandinavian furniture and style, then you will be hard pushed to leave this behind in our studio.

Fantastic value without compromising on quality

Affordability is the name of the game when it comes to this beautiful oak dining table, also from the Hudson range and perfect for those who have a keen eye for the warmth and functionality of the Scandinavian style.

Quality is no less, however, and so when you pack your family and friends around this 6 seater dining table, you won’t be disappointed by its performance nor style – nor the many, many years of service it will give you.

Again, when practicality is the priority, team it with the matching dining bench but when style and comfort take over, this oak dining table will seat equally as comfortable in the company of upholstered dining chairs.

We understand that for all our customers, the price is a consideration but we also know that quality and buying products made from sustainable materials and managed resources are equally as important.

How to scandi style dining room with oak

Characterised by simple lines and an unfussy appeal, it is no wonder that so many of us turn to the Scandinavian style. And for the dining room, it is the perfect style that easily morphs from the informal to the formal.

Why the Scandi-style dining room works

Think purity, think non-fuss, clean and simple and you have the crux of the Scandi style. Styling it doesn’t have to be difficult either. Against a backdrop of crisp white walls, you can create a Scandi styled canvas to your dining room.

Or if white feels too blunt, opt for a very, very light grey or a warm white. Colour is added with furniture and accessories, with no colour should be too harsh or contrived.

So how do you create a Scandi styled dining room? Here are three great ideas.

Showcase wood

A key element throughout the Scandinavian style is wood and we have chosen to showcase oak, a slow-growing timber that is dense and strong. Like most of our collections, our oak tables are made from reclaimed wood and this is perfect for this style in the dining room.

The Skandi collection is an exquisite example of a Scandinavian furniture that suits this style and your budget.

It works well with inspired Scandinavian dining tables. Create a sense of symmetry with an inspired sideboard choice, minimising fussy accessories to just a few well-chosen pieces that add just enough detail.

Be versatile

The thing about the dining room is it needs to be uber-versatile. In other words, you can enjoy evenings and days of people hunkered around your dining room by at other times, enjoy smaller family meals or the occasional romantic meal for two…

Versatility is also part of the Scandinavian style appeal as this Skandi Extending Dining Table. Whether you’re looking for a 10 seater dining table and chairs or an 8 seater dining table and chairs, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.

This piece comes with a contemporary, lighter feel than the oak dining table showcased above, perfect for the smaller dining room as well as a dining space where you need the table to expand and contract with the number of guests.

Accompanying furniture needs to be lighter too and so the Skandi Dining Bench is the ideal mate at the table to give the complete look. For the sideboard, maintain the sense of versatility with a two door/three drawer that can store the extra plates, bowls and cutlery for when you entertain guests.

Comfort, colour and pattern

The difference between minimalism and Scandinavian style is the addition of pattern and other comforting details we expect to find.

A round dining table suits the Scandi styled dining room simply because its shape is welcoming. When you have guests over for dinner, no one is left ‘stuck in the corner’ or an outcast on the edge of a rectangle.

In the dining room, the presence of a round dining table imposes but without taking over. Add a patterned rug underfoot choosing a colour and design that are ‘barely-there’ and you have the basis for a perfect non-abrasive styled dining room.

Add texture too, with the light oak and Oasis Dining Chairs, with the Standford Large Reclaimed Wood Industrial Sideboard adding a hint of the unexpected. The oak bookcase from the Mayfair range pulls it all together nicely.

Dining with a bench – the latest trend

Beam Reclaimed Wood Dining Table and Bench

We have noticed a shift in attitude to the extending dining table that so much, we can now triumphantly declare the extending reclaimed wood dining table is king of the dining room.

It makes perfect sense – simply add more dining space when you have guests, decreasing its size for when you don’t – as far as reclaimed wood furniture goes, it’s the perfect choice- especially when you’re catering for the man, or for the few..

But an extending dining table is only one part of the equation. The other is seating. No one wants to dine balancing on a stool that means their chin rests on the table or too tall a stool to find their knees rubbing painfully on the underside of your rustic dining table.

The answer is simple – a dining bench (or two).

The solution to all your dining needs

With the end of summer yet to enjoy and the golden colours of autumn to come, encouraging people to think of Christmas seems premature.

But it is the time that most of us are likely to welcome guests into our home for both formal dining events, as well as the traditional festive buffet. The truth is ordering now guarantees your dining table with bench in time for Christmas – by late November you may be very disappointed.

The dining table with bench options…

*The best sellers

It’s no wonder that these are our two most popular kitchen table sets. The industrial charm with more than a hint of rustic makes the Standford Wooden Large Extending Dining Table a popular choice.

Its best selling counterpart, the Newton Dining Table also have the pleasant solidity about it that many customers in love with the industrial dining table style enjoy.

*Scandinavian appeal

If it is refinement you are after with a subtle elegance and style then look no further than the Scandinavian inspired Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Dining Table.

As kitchen tables sets go, this surely is the triumph that we have been seeking. A great size, it will sit in any kitchen/diner, performing time and again. And yet, with a few elegant twists and additions, it will become the sophisticated dining table you need for your next Christmas dinner party.

*Beautifully rustic

There is a romantic ideal of imagining and seeing all your friends and family gathered around a large farmhouse-style table, tucking into delicious food. A gabble of noise as they all talk over each other, the occasional bouts of laughter and endless chatter gives any host a warm feeling.

If you hanker after the farmhouse dining table, we have two amazing options;

*The white painted legwork of this extendable trestle dining table makes it perfect for those who seek the farmhouse style to their dining room. Add elegance with upholstered dining chairs alongside the functional dining bench.

*The Elton Farmhouse Dining Table is very similar, offering fantastic dining space and great for the kitchen/diner too. The ding bench stores neatly away under the table and so if you don’t need the full extent of the table, you can push it against the wall.

The dining bench is multi-functional. Drape with throws and cushions to soften the seat, squeeze guests along its length to enjoy an impromptu get together and you’ll find your family will love it too.

How to obtain an elegant monochromatic décor

Do you hanker after an elegant colour scheme to your home, making it feel and look like a space that is effortlessly chic?

Have you tried monochromatic décor? You may think it only means black and white but it can mean any colours, in fact, use sparingly and exclusively.

The definition of the word monochromatic leads to confusion as it means one colour but when it comes to décor, a monochromatic is one that uses two contrasting yet complementary colours to produce a finish that if chic, stylish and beautiful.

But how do you get this look right? Surely it’s impossible to go wrong? Or is it?

THINK luxury and simple

To get this chic finish, as well as choosing a colour palette that works well together, you need to think in terms of luxury and simplicity.

Take a look at a traditional black and white finish, and you will notice the clean-cut finish to the whole effect. For example, choose a classic, unfussy grey fabric sofa alongside a classically styled small armchair works well in a traditional black and white monochrome setting.

THINK in patterns

Monochrome décor appeals to people for many reasons but if you feel it looks a little flat and lifeless, give it a lift with pattern.

From patterned tiles in the bathroom or monochrome kitchen, for example, to pattern in the same colours for scatter cushions and window treatments, there are many ways of adding warmth and depth to the style.

THINK lush, green foliage

Another trick for adding an instant lift without stepping too far outside of this style scheme boundaries is to add colour with plants.

A cluster of lush, broadleaf plants, for example, of the hallway console table of the reclaimed wood coffee table in the living room adds a note of interest in the monochrome landscape.

THINK symmetry

The beauty of monochrome décor is that it can fit in any room and across the entirety of the home. And so in the dining room, a natural palette of monochrome sits well with both the oak dining table and upholstered dining chairs.

It’s an incredibly neat and tidy look too, probably why it is so popular and so maintain symmetry with everything well placed within invisible borders. Centre the artwork, use odd numbers of the same accessories such as plants or vases and contrast the textures of the smoothness of the oak dining table with the luxurious feel of upholstered dining chairs.

THINK warmth with wood

If you love the monochrome look but worry it will look too minimal and starkly modern, warm it with wood. Reclaimed wood furniture works well in most décor schemes, the monochrome look included. Mix it with modern materials, such as plastic bucket seats or let it warm the sharp coolness of the industrial style with monochrome décor.

THINK boldness

We achieve less in our comfort zone why break out of its confines and be bold. Go the whole hog and reach the dizzying height of monochrome success with whitewashed walls, black industrial furniture and reclaimed wood furniture as points of interest!

4 Tips to renovate your living room like a pro

Remodelling the living room can be advantageous in so many ways. As well as giving it a crisp, clean style, you can also create a space that truly works for you and your family.

In this renovation blog, we look at what you need to consider when renovating the living room. Surprisingly, there is a lot more to think about than ripping everything out, and simply painting the walls and ordering a new sofa.

Research and plan

Like other rooms, make a ‘mood board’ for your newly renovated living room so you can see the colours and feel the textures. Research what the current styles and must-have trends are, taking elements from these that work for you.

Remember, you are not creating a show home, but a space that allows you and your family to live it and love it.

Consider a style that works

Its easy to become lost and swayed by the glossy pictures in magazines but remember, a style needs to support what you do and how you live in your home.

Here are just two style idea that could work;

·The Scandinavian style is popular, and it is easy to understand why. A pleasing mix of warm and natural materials, it is unfussy but without the starkness of minimalism.

·The rustic style has a homely feel to it, perfect for packing a punch in terms of style without changing how you live in your home

Think colour

Colour can open and close a room; it can cool it or add vibes of warmth.

Work with colour and shade to see how the natural light in the room affects it. What looks fabulous under the white lights of the DIY store will take on a different hue in your living room.

Consider how you will add colour. Will you opt for the chic coolness of Scandinavian furniture, such as a small occasional table, and the mellowness of a neutral shaded Scandinavian sofa, for example?

Or maybe you will add depth and drama with a deeply-coloured but strikingly gorgeous velvet sofa?

Think textures

Style and colour dovetail with texture. It is the layers of texture in a room that add depth.

The Scandinavian style should be warm and without fuss. Achieve this with wood and natural materials – the deep pile sheepskin rug, for example, is a must – but opt for lighter woods. Reclaimed furniture can fit right in because it has the warmth of its past too, to add depth to the space.

The rustic look has a less refined finish and this adds texture to your remodelled living room that is divine, if it suits, of course. This doesn’t mean it is coarse and unfinished, just that the depth of the wood’s character and past can be touched, a great finish for any furniture. A reclaimed wood coffee table is a great addition – useful yet still strikingly beautiful.

The rustic style adds a certain something to items that we may, in the past, have considered mundane. But there is nothing mundane about a rustic TV stand, for example.

Think your lifestyle

Plan, create and renovate the living room so that the style supports the way you live, but always choose items, colours and textures that you fall in love with. That way, it is a unique renovation and perfect for you.