accessories Archives - Modish Living

Decoration ideas for a more sustainable Christmas

Collection of Christmas ornaments against rustic wood background

One of the reasons people love to buy reclaimed wood furniture is how wonderful and natural it looks but the other reason is, of course, the positive environmental impact it has on our planet – ie. reusing wood that would otherwise be destined for landfill. So if you do not have a liking for mass-produced plastic Christmas decorations and want a more sustainable Christmas, as well as having something fun and creative to do as a family – this blog will be of interest to you…

Here we have put just a few ideas together so you can decorate your home with something a little more personal and individual. Some suggestions could also work as a small personal gift for a friend or family member.

You may have some old decorations and want to reuse them in a new and more modern way instead of just throwing them away.

A homemade wreath on the front door is a perfect seasonal welcome to your home – just a simple wreath made from fir branches, pine cones, dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks. A bit of red ribbon or some holly berries finish it off – hang it on your door and you give your door a bit of Christmas cheer for passersby and for any visitors.

It is lovely to create a welcoming hallway when you come in from the cold – it’s generally a small space so Christmas decorations should be sized so people can easily walk past them on their way in and out of the house. You can make a small twig tree to fit on a narrow console table, add fairy lights and just a few decorations. If you have a hallway storage bench you can add a wall-mounted decoration like a twig tree above it and hang fairy lights around that to give a bit of Christmas cheer as you walk in and take your boots off.

You can also make a twig tree for the dining room – this is perfect for next to a rustic dining table. If you have a nice large sideboard you can place a wreath on it with one or more candles to create a more festive atmosphere. There is so much in nature that you can use, the kids would love foraging for pinecones, twigs, leaves and the many other things they would find to incorporate into your masterpiece.

We love this simple and effective Christmas display – this is so simple to achieve and would look brilliant on a wood bookcase in the living room or as a centrepiece, arranged on a silver tray or plate, on a rustic coffee table, you could add some more candle holders to turn it into a real feature.

Really easy ways to create a more eco-friendly home

Beige and taupe coloured cushion with wicker plant pot with green plant

This really is a hot topic right now and there are so many small steps we can all take right now to give our planet a helping hand.

Dining room with reclaimed wood industrial dining table, wooden chairs and rustic glass display cabinet

Use eco-friendly and sustainable materials when decorating and maintaining your property

Next time you embark on a home makeover project try to look for eco-friendly products. The Little Greene Paint Company has a vast range of water-based and vegetable oil-based paints in a gorgeous array of colours.

Hallway with dark green painted wood panelling and wooden console table

Photo credit: Little Greene Paint Company – Hopper No 297

Buy sustainable and reclaimed wood furniture

Try to buy investment pieces of furniture that will last for years to come, although the initial outlay may be a little more this will most likely save you money in the long run. An FSC certified reclaimed wood dining table will last you for years, they are incredibly easy to maintain with a thin coat of wax or oil needed every now and then. Small marks and dents will not be noticed and if more specialist help is needed you can easily find a furniture technician to come out to your property to help with any more serious repairs.

Close up of reclaimed wood furniture with green plants on top

Repurpose furniture in your home

Use old wooden sideboards, a bedroom chest of drawers or cupboard in a storeroom or garage rather than just disposing of it. This will not only help reduce landfill, but will also help save on the huge amount of energy that’s needed during the production of furniture.

Introduce a few meat-free meals every week

Get into the habit of having two or three meat-free meals every week – if we all did this we would make a real dent in the climate crisis. There are some wonderful and hearty recipes available online just waiting to become your new family mid-week favourites! Another great way is to support local farm shops these will have the best and freshest locally grown seasonal fruit and veg.

Close up of selection of pulses, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables

Eco-friendly cleaning products

We have all stepped up our home cleaning regimes over the last few months, this has caused sales of chemical-heavy cleaning products to skyrocket. Consider switching (even just a few) to eco-friendly cleaning products…these will also most likely be in recycled packaging as an added bonus. There are also many, many completely natural, family and pet-friendly cleaning tips to be found online.

Switch to low-voltage lighting

Switch to low-voltage light bulbs for your table lamps. Yes, there is an initial outlay but on average you will make that money back by saving on electric bills in around two months. This is a great move if you will be working from home more during the darker winter months. You could change your main form of lighting. Instead of having the big lights on in your living room or dining room all day place a recycled glass table lamp on a side table or sideboard near where you sit.

Photo featuring: Vance Neutral Lamp

Take a look at our top 5 pendant lights

Black double pendant light against white painted exposed brick wall

Now we are getting deeper into winter…. and the longest hours of darkness, we are looking at stylish ways to light up our rooms.

Jute hanging pendant light over side table next to a grey sofa

Here we have a look at our top pick pendant lights. These are no longer limited to being suspended over the dining table, the breakfast bar or above the stairs. They look really stylish hanging over a small bedside table as well as also over a small side table at the end of your sofa, or in a reading corner. This is also a great way to keep dangerous, dangling cables out of the way of babies and toddlers.

A pendant light can be a subtle addition to your room, a way to distribute light more evenly or it can be a bold statement piece reflecting your personality. You can layer lighting in your room depending on what mood you want to set in different areas and at different times of day or night – use a combination of downlighters, pendant lights, table lamps and even fairy lights to cover all your lighting requirements.

1. Large Woodchip Pendant Light

Eco-friendly reclaimed wood furniture is hugely popular so we wanted to extend this to accessories. Woodchip has made a stylish comeback in the shape of modern pendant lighting. The woodchip used to produce this light is moulded using completely biodegradable woodchips into a classic industrial form. This gorgeous and sustainable light fitting would be right at home illuminating a reclaimed wood dining table.

2. Bamboo Segia Large Double Pendant Light

Bamboo is another material that is making its way back into the eco-conscious modern home – and here it’s doing so in the shape of a stunning statement double pendant light. Produced from durable and sustainable bamboo this light fitting pairs up beautifully with rustic furniture in any room of the house.

3. Bamboo Darcy Single Pendant Light

We love the minimalist qualities of this bamboo pendant light. The rustic shade allows light to filter freely around the room, creating interesting shapes and patterns.

4. Bamboo Half Moon Double Pendant Light

Believe it or not, this modern pendant light is also produced from sustainable bamboo but with a polished, shiny finish. Available in natural, white and black – this pendant looks stunning if you have an industrial black-legged dining table.

5. Manta Triple Pendant Light

This handcrafted triple pendant light is a gorgeous weave of natural and black bamboo, three complementing lampshades hang in a cluster to create an unusual yet very stylish pendant. This will blend in perfectly in a living or dining space filled with light coloured, natural and earthy materials.

Great ways to brighten up a dark dining room

Dark dining room with black dining room table

If you don’t have a lot of natural daylight streaming into your dining room here are a few of our top tips to help brighten it up.

Bright kitchen diner with wooden dining table, chairs and dark rug

Crisp white walls

White reflects light – so the number one tip is to keep walls and the ceiling nice and white, crisp and clean. Light bounces around a white room and scatters light around the space. Build on the white theme by adding white curtains or blinds, white mirror frames or white framed artwork. This includes wiping down walls to keep them as white and bright as possible.

Pale wood dining table with matching spindle chairs in bright dining room with dark blue doors

Photo featuring: Branford Round Extending Dining Table – Oak

Pale wood and white furniture

Of course, a great way to introduce light into a room is by furnishing with light coloured or white furniture. A Scandinavian minimalist theme is perfect, the whole concept of Scandi style is to make the most of natural light and to use every means possible to bring yet more light into the room. The Scandi interior embraces sustainability so reclaimed wood furniture is hugely popular. Crafted from high quality light oak, we think the Scandi influenced round Wycombe oak extending table is a perfect choice. A round dining table set also works particularly well in a small space as it has no corners so it will make your space look bigger. The Chelwood Medium Reclaimed Wood Dining Table is another excellent option, with this trestle table you have the option of a wooden bench as opposed to individual chairs. As a bench has no back, again it will make the room appear brighter with less in it.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Medium Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

Layering lighting

If your dining space is in a kitchen you can place one or two glass table lamps on the top of a kitchen sideboard, hang fairy lights in dark areas or stand a floor lamp in a dark corner. Wall lights also work well as the light is concentrated on the walls -more eye level than a ceiling light, these work particularly well if they shine light down as well as up.

Photo featuring: Vance Neutral Lamp

Use a light floor rug

If you have a dark floor and want to bring more brightness into the room you can add a light coloured rug. With grey still a popular colour in interior style right now you will easily be able to find a light grey rug that suits most interior decor styles. It’s a neutral colour and will help break up and brighten dark flooring.

Add a bit of black and accent colours

A great way to make the white really pop is to add a couple of dark items to the room – we suggest adding a black pendant light – this works to make the white look whiter! A black pendant light works wonders over a reclaimed wood dining table as it distributes the light more evenly around the room. Bright and bold accent chairs will also help brighten the room – adding a burst of vibrant colour against the white will bring in another eye-catching contrast against the white.

Modern wing back chair in bright red in empty room with white walls and black hanging pendant lights

Living room furniture that has stood the test of time

Brown leather chesterfield sofa with rustic coffee table and wooden sticks with blue candles

Living room style has changed a lot over the years – from a formal room used for special occasions and receiving guests, to the room many of us spend most our relaxation time in. Here we have a look at what pieces of furniture have stood the test of time and continue to be a living room favourite.

The Chesterfield sofa

The Chesterfield sofa started becoming popular in Victorian living rooms during the mid 19th century, the colours and fabrics have been changed to follow interior design trends over the years but the basic style remains the same. This classic 3 seater leather sofa is here to stay, it’s hugely versatile and continues to timelessly blend with ultra-modern, industrial or reclaimed wood furniture.

Photo featuring: Oswald 2 Seater Sofa

Wing back chair

This is another living room classic. The design of this armchair was initially driven purely by functionality not for comfort or for its aesthetics – they were designed with sides and a high back so that the person sat in it would not be affected by drafts, common in a 16th or 17th century house. Similarly, these features also offered protection from the blistering heat as they sat by the fire.

Photo featuring: Grayson Grey Fabric Armchair

A mid century sideboard

Sideboards were originally only for the dining room – initially just a table against the wall on which the food would be placed – then shelves were added below and then doors until they ended up being what they are today. Their storage capability was recognised and they made it into the living room, where they now store board games, DVD and console games, books and anything else you want to keep close to hand but hidden out of sight.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Large Oak Squared Industrial Sideboard

Faded rug

Faded pink rug with glass coffee table and pink velvet sofa

Photo featuring: Louis de Poortere Fading World Pink Flash Red Rug

The oldest known surviving rug is the Pazyryk Carpet which dates back to around 500BC – but textile floor coverings are thought to date back more than 4,000 years. With today’s endless fabric dyes and weaving capabilities, we have a huge choice when it comes to living room rugs. These are definitely here to stay, we love how Louis de Poortere rugs mix a modern faded finish with classic rug designs.

Wall mirrors

Hanging a big mirror above your mantlepiece is the classic way to decorate over the fireplace. Some suggest this was historically done as frames and wall mirrors would have been very expensive – frames were often made from silver, ivory, tortoiseshell or ebony – it was the done thing to display your most valuable pieces in a prime position so it would be the first thing people see as they enter the room. Of course, fine art was also displayed in this prominent position and now we often see a TV over the fireplace.

White living room with white armchair, mirror of fireplace and large green plant

Pendant light

Pendant ceiling lights are believed to have originated in ancient Greece where they started off as a clay pot hung up with animal fat in and a wick for burning….Luckily they have come a long way since then! Now they are a must-have in a living room with a high ceiling. In a living / dining space, you can hang one over a dining table or suspend one so it hangs over a sofa end lamp table as a stylish alternative to the standard table lamp.

For similar pendant light see our Karine Jute Pendant Light

Easy ways to make your dining space look more expensive

Open plan dining space and living room in front of large window with large hanging pendant light

Now that we are heading towards autumn, and with winter fast approaching, we are spending more and more time indoors. We might spend a bit of time on thinking how to give some of our living spaces a bit of a freshen up and upgrade – here we look at a few quick tips on how you can make your dining room look more expensive.

One statement piece

You don’t have to go out and buy a complete new set of dining room furniture! Just adding one statement piece can lift the room, something like a dining room sideboard will make a huge difference – plenty of space to clear away any clutter, an extra surface for when the dining table gets a bit crammed (will come in handy at Christmas) and also a surface to add a couple of ornamental items. Another option is to update just your dining table – a reclaimed wood dining table will make an instant impact. A reclaimed, or rustic dining table or an industrial dining table can be paired with so many styles of chair from leather dining chairs to upholstered dining chairs and look particularly good with dining benches.

Upgrading dining room seating

If you already have a dining table you love then you can just swap up the chairs you have around it. For a luxurious look choose a combination of a rich velvet upholstered bench and dining chairs. Dining benches are definitely here to stay, plus there are so many styles to choose from. Mix soft leather chairs like the Cleo Faux Leather Dining Chair with an industrial dining bench to add some loft style sophistication to the room. You can dress a bench with small throws and cushions to glam up your seating and give it the designer magazine look.

Photo featuring: Cleo Faux Leather Dining Chair

Add new lighting

Pendant ceiling lights are all the rage – decluttering your dining room and hanging a pendant light over the table will give you a quickly achieved chic new look. You can choose one large pendant or have a cluster of smaller lights. Natural bamboo is hugely popular right and eco-friendly.

Large bamboo pendant light over large wooden dining table with white spider legs

Photo featuring: Bamboo Sergia Large Pendant Light

Accentuate features

Make the most of the features you already have – dress up the fireplace, make the most of an exposed brick wall, add an accent chair. If you have French doors to the garden dress them with new curtains. You can add some wood paneling halfway up a wall or hang some glamorous wallpaper on one wall.

Dining room with exposed brick wall with large mirror and glass pendant ceiling light

Coordinated dining room textiles

Choose your favourite colour and have fun accessorising, add cushions on benches and chairs, get a new table cloth, placemats and napkins. Place a houseplant or two in matching pots or add a coordinated lamp on your sideboard. A silver rug set below a dining table with silver accents, will anchor the dining table and give you a base colour to accessorise from. And mirrors of course always look great!

How to pull off the laid back luxury dining look

White dining room with pale wood dining table and white candles

The dining room shouldn’t always just be for formal dinner parties, but also for comfortable homely weekday evening meals with your near and dear ones. Here we look at some ways to inject some glamour and still have a relaxed and homely dining space that you can enjoy as a family.

Photo featuring: Derby Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Invest in a showstopping reclaimed wood dining table

The right reclaimed wood dining table and chairs will set the tone for your dining space. The Chelwood furniture range provides bags of style, with a tabletop produced from old wood rich in natural features and character. It has a pale finish and an industrial edge with steel bars in the centre of the table base. This can be paired with the wooden sideboard from the same range.

Add a dining bench

Combine wooden benches with upholstered dining chairs. A reclaimed wood table and bench set will certainly bring a more relaxed feel to the dining room, they can also be dressed with cushions and throws for an added touch of luxury and comfort. Alternatively, you can opt for a more formal leather dining bench with back but pair it with wooden chairs to keep a casual air.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood Console Table

Add some storage space

No room will ever have a luxurious feel if it is cluttered. This additional storage can come in the shape of a dining room sideboard – a perfect place to hide away your serving dishes and other dining room bits and bobs. Style this with earthy accessories to introduce a rustic and relaxed element to your dining room. Reclaimed wood shelves are another storage option – great for occasional use decorative serving dishes that you want to keep on show.

Luxurious lighting

A sparkling chandelier or sleek pendant light can add an instant touch of luxe to the room. Hanging over a simple reclaimed wood table and bench, it will add height to the room and give it instant elegance.

Dining room with wooden table and large artwork on wall

Wonderful wall art

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder! Add some wall art that appeals to you, whether it is a simple landscape or some funky pop art. This will add a personal touch to the room. Oversized mirrors also add a touch of glamour to a room. You can bring back the relaxed element by keeping the walls neutral, adding houseplants, natural textures and warm earthy tones.

How to set your table for on-trend dining

White plate with beige napkin tied with natural straw

Setting your table for a special event takes some thought. Think about the occasion, who the guests are and the atmosphere you want to set. Here we have looked back at the top styles for tableware in 2020.

Layering

Layering is often seen on beds and sofas but you can adapt this to work on your rustic dining table by mixing and matching table cloths, runners and napkins. Start with a white tablecloth and go from there – try a few different ways with a runner going horizontally or vertically – add different colours that will blend together or go for contrast. If you have dining benches you can continue the layering approach with coordinating cushions or small throws. Different shades of grey table linen look amazing on a black metal legged, industrial dining table and bench set.

Photo featuring: Industrial Lansdowne Rustic Wood Dining Table and Rustic Wood Dining Set

Traditional

The classic timeless table setting with a white table cloth and a white napkin – this works well in most settings – add some silver candlesticks or a fairy light lamp and a floral centrepiece, silver cutlery and white crockery. You just can’t go wrong! The fairy light lamp doubles up as the perfect decorative piece on your dining room sideboard when you are not entertaining.

Gorgeous Gold

Gold in the dining room is very on-trend right now, a warm colour scheme, great for autumn and perfect for, dare we say it, Christmas! Gold cutlery, candlesticks holding large candles, plates with gold edgings and gold serving dishes… this colour scheme works so well with a reclaimed wood dining table to provide a stylish and glamorous table setting.

Relaxing rustic

A rustic table setting perfectly complements an industrial table. Our Lovely Linen table linen is made for this style – gorgeous earthy colours, produced from 100% natural European linen with a slightly crumpled look which helps create a laid back and relaxed ambience.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table

Serving dishes

We would recommend you get a selection of serving dishes – some staple pieces that you can adapt to different requirements. We love how the Suzy baguette bowl can double up as a fruit bowl or a dish for serving crisps or breadsticks in – it’s also a perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves to entertain! And of course, as we are partial to cutting down on clutter, we recommend choosing a serving bowl that will work as a decorative item on a sideboard or in a display cabinet when not in use.

How to choose the perfect rug for every room

Pink velvet sofa with pink faded rug and metal and glass coffee table

With the colder weather fast approaching our thoughts are moving away from the great outdoors and more towards cosy days indoors. A rug will warm up the floor of your room, give it an additional feature and help keep your feet toasty warm. Here are some tips for choosing the right rug for your room.

Think about the room’s function

For obvious reasons, you don’t want a nice plain cream rug right by the main entrance to your house! The hallway and the kitchen are high traffic areas so a rug produced from a more hard-wearing material is the only real option. If the room does have a busy footfall you will most likely want a rug with a low pile so it doesn’t show irritating footprints in between cleans. Also, consider the colour you will be buying, a darker colour would definitely be best or one with some patterning. Reclaimed wood furniture and cream rugs work so well together but it does have to be in the right room of the house like a dining room or the living room, it’s also a natural choice for bedroom rugs. You can also place a rug to protect your carpet in certain areas – it’s way cheaper to replace small rugs than large areas of expensive carpet.

Get the size right

Large living room rugs should fill a room and finish 30-40 cms off from the wall. One of the purposes of a smaller rug is to bring the furniture in your room together so try to avoid the ‘floating rug’ look. Try to get one slightly bigger than the space you want to fill, it should be just touching – or placed under your furniture. Rugs can also be used to create “zones” in an open living space, one to identify the dining area and the living space or to identify a reading corner in your living room and so on.

Think about what shape works best

In the hallway a long rug is most likely needed – but you could lay two smaller ones running down the hallway. This would probably be cheaper than getting a long runner and there’s also the option, rather than two exactly the same, that you could get two that complement each other to add a bit of style to the entrance to your home. In living rooms, think also about layering rugs, so they overlap slightly, to give more texture and add an additional feature to your room.

Make the most of colour, patterns and style

We love to see a red rug in a neutral coloured living room it will add a lovely warmth to the room as well as being an eye-catching centerpiece. You can see below how a Louis de Poortere gold rug ties in statement furniture and feature lighting and really helps make the most of the sun flowing into a south-facing room.