dining room Archives - Page 28 of 39

5 beautiful industrial sideboards that caught our eye

With storage and style in abundance, a large sideboard is a great addition to living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, studies and even bathrooms.

At Modish Living, we’re big fans of industrial furniture because it mixes classic with contemporary in an interesting way with pieces often featuring quirky designs which really make a statement. Here we share five of our favourite industrial sideboards which we think are beyond perfect!

Sideboards are typically slim-line, which makes the perfect for packing in lots of extra storage if you don’t have much room. We love the Rocco Industrial Oak Sideboard for its light wood appearance and clean lines, offering an overall sleek appearance. But not only does it look great, with a depth of just 45cm, the Rocco Sideboard makes a fantastic hallway or living room sideboard if you have limited space.

Alternatively, sideboards can make perfect media units in your living room. With enviable space for games consoles, set-top boxes, DVD players etc. plus plenty of room to spare, a sideboard like the Mitcham Industrial Oak Squared Large Sideboard will keep all your living room essentials neatly out of sight for a sophisticated, serene environment. The lower height of the Mitcham Sideboard makes this the perfect choice if you’re planning to use your sideboard to double up as a media unit and the stylish square front creates a unique, Bohemian feel which will work beautifully with rustic furniture styles.

In your dining room, paired with an industrial dining table, a sideboard is the perfect accompaniment. Useful for storing glassware and dinnerware (perhaps those glasses you save for special occasions?), a sideboard also creates space for adding personality to your dining room. The table top creates space to pop a statement table light, some brightly coloured blooms or perhaps a stack of beautiful coffee table books. But above, a sideboard creates the perfect wall space to anchor artwork so it isn’t just floating in the middle of the wall. For a cohesive look, try and blend the artwork in with an item on your sideboard – for example with a colour, or an item like large tropical leaves. Perhaps add a modern rug to a similar colour for a room which looks wonderfully thought through.

For the dining room, we’re big fans of the Mitcham Oak and Concrete Sideboard. The concrete resin outing creates a unique finish which breaks up the wood (perfect in a room like the dining room with such a large piece of furniture as a dining table) and the steel black legs make for an achingly cool finish. Alternatively, for more grey-toned dining room tables, the Kingsbridge Industrial Reclaimed Sideboard is perfect. The beautiful cupboard fronts, reminiscent of parquet flooring, make for a classic style but the black framing adds a unique twist which creates an eye-catching overall appearance.

And finally… to give your home a pleasingly quirky twist, how about the Aviator Sideboard? Perfect in a room like your study where you can afford to have fun with your decor, the sleek aluminium panels and iconic riveting create a true statement in a piece which also provides practical storage space.

How about it? Make a sideboard your home’s secret weapon.

Bring some sunshine yellow to your dining room

The colour of hope, sunshine and happiness, yellow is a colour loved by many.

But in terms of interior styling, some believe it is a difficult colour to work with. Some shades are strong and golden, but others are barely whispers of yellow and yet, match it against another darker, bolder colour and it takes on a creaminess of lightly churned butter.

We are here to show you that you can work with yellow, and it does work in the dining room with reclaimed furniture. and although we are focussed on summer – because why not? The sun is shining! – yellow is a colour you can use all year round.

Brighten the gloom and grey of winter with it or welcome the autumn with it or dash away winter by marrying it with spring. But this summer, use it in the dining room.

Yellow and the farmhouse style

Yellow works with most styles, just vary the shade to match. But there is one that welcomes it, no matter how golden or light in shade it is– the farmhouse style.

How many reclaimed wood dining tables do we see, resplendent with yellow checks and dainty fellow flowers? An uplifting sight if ever there was one. There’s something about a farmhouse dining table bedecked in yellow that brings out the sunshine in us all.

Ice cream yellow

Pantone are the colour experts thus when they released a colour scheme of ice cream pastel, including a delicious yellow, we collectively swooned.

A mid-tone yellow, it can be used as the star of the show or, as an accent, it is that versatile.

Throw caution to the wind

If you are cautious, then opt for painted walls that you could change with a swish of a paint roller but live with it, for a few months at least.

For the less cautious of you, why not try;

·Rug – a rug in the dining room should be essential in our humble opinion. This Vanilla Dream yellow rug is the perfect addition, and a dream indeed. Light in shade it isn’t overly bearing in terms of yellow, just enough to stand out.

·Armchair – Would you dare? As an accent colour, yellow we think is one of the best, something we have written on before. A deep, mustard yellow or even sunshine yellow is a sheer delight.

·Dining chair – make sunshine in your home a permanent feature with yellow fabric dining chairs and watch as people admire your courage in styling.

Yellow accessories

Sunflowers, one of the happiest flowers in the world. And it is magical too because who can fail to raise a smile when they see the proud, pristine yellow head of the sunflower in gardens and vases?

Fabulous in a large, slender vase, sunflowers will last a time in the dining room, as will other yellow flowers. Change the water daily and let them enjoy the sunshine on a window sill – look out for blousy yellow chrysanthemums, for example.

Plant pots and window boxes with yellow pansies and violas, intercepting them with the orange of marigolds to vary the appeal.

Good for the soul and the mind

There is some research that suggests eating foods that are yellow – as well as red and orange – are full on sunshine because, it is, after all, why they are yellow in the first place.

From yellow peppers to varieties of tomatoes, using yellow ingredients and eating yellow foods can help your sense of well-being.

There are some in the Mediterranean who believe sunshine food served alongside oily fish is the perfect antidote to feeling blue.

We’d go along with this theory, especially if it means your food is as uplifting as the décor you’ve created in your dining room!

How to bring the summer festival vibes in your dining room

Rocco Industrial Dining Table and Chairs

Summer festivals are a chance to truly kick back, enjoy great company, brilliant music and let the sun warm you to your bones.

And so its no wonder that many of us want to emulate this in our homes. The team got together to create a guide to bringing the summer festival vibe to your dining room using industrial style furniture.

The dining space

With such a stylish backdrop, who could resist creating a summer festival vibe inside your dining room or open plan kitchen/diner with industrial furniture? You can always dine al fresco too – these ideas will work for both settings.

·Colour

Summer is a time of bright colours, all drenched in sun and warm vibes. Opt for a golden palette of yellow, orange and red.

Or, if you want to tone it down a notch or two, pretty pastels work great too. Use a light coloured table clothes the perfect neutral backdrop on your reclaimed wood table but keep the table settings less formal.

Sharing food around the dining table– sitting on your industrial dining chairs, tearing off bread, passing around the dips and enjoying the various tasty dishes you’ve prepared – is the name of game this summer.

·Texture

Put away your chunky knits and your fleece throws and deep pile rugs, opting instead for a flat, smooth weave to everything from rugs to cushions.

It’s not so much about fuss but about having cooler feeling textures about the dining room. Soften the dining bench with a few well-placed cushions but allow the full beauty of your fabric dining chairs to shine through.

Of course, if you want to add more flavour to the dining setting, opt for delicious coloured fabric dining chairs, perfect for making a style statement no matter what time of year.

·Decorate

Decorate the dining room so that is encapsulate everything about summer. Opt for flowered wallpaper but leaving the safe floral patterns behind, choosing large, blousy blooms instead.

Or why not take a look at printed scenic wallpaper? Choose a photo of your choice and have it made into a mural, ready to stick on an expanse of dining room wall.

·Accessories

It is the small details that will bring the full summer festival experience to your dining room.

Looking out over your beautiful garden, enjoy a dance or two on the lawn and don’t forget, your wellies aren’t just for winter. They make the perfect festival shoe, alongside the barely-there flip-flop.

Turn up the volume – but invite the neighbours – and under the shade of the gazebo or pergola, enjoy the sweet scent of plants.

As the light begins to fade, let LED solar lights cast a warm glow on the space as you enjoy a picnic on the lawn. Or bring the party inside and enjoy tasty snacks amongst the jam jars of flowers dotted around the dining table.

And then relax even more, falling into the comfy confines of fabric armchairs, to reminisce about summer festivals past.

With plenty of plants and delicate flowers about the space coupled with industrial styled furniture, you have the perfect summer festival retreat.

How to take the stress out of hosting dinner parties

A well-hosted dinner party looks effortless. And yet, beneath its serene waters, the host is paddling furiously and has been for days!

Stress no more with these great tips for hosting a dinner party.

PLANNING

·Consider the guest list carefully – the overall success of a dinner party depends largely on who you have gathered around your bespoke and beautiful reclaimed wood dining table. If people don’t know each other, consider what they have in common before sitting them around the farmhouse dining table. Without pre-planning the guest list, you could find the source of stress is complete lack of conversation between guests.

·Decide the menu in good time – and stick with what you know. If you are experimenting with a dish, cook it at least twice before the dinner party to get the taste and seasoning right, as well as the presentation. It is also wise to ask about allergies and intolerances.

·Prep food in advance – starting with the hard stuff first! Stress-free dinner party hosts will make a range of desserts, for example, a day ahead of the dinner party so that the final course is effortless, leaving the host to concentrate on the main meal, the lynchpin of a fabulous dinner party.

·Set the table in advance – and not at the last minute! Finding out 20 minutes before your guests arrive you don’t have enough soup spoons or dessert forks is sure to send you into a spin.

TOP TIP – The dining room

They say that atmosphere is people, and ambience the setting. Thus, spending time creating a stunning dining table setting is not wasted.

Luxe Kensington dining table styled by Sarah-Jane

But it isn’t just the dining table;

·Theme – whichever theme you have decided to opt for, continue elements of this on the dining room sideboard cabinet and the display unit too. For example, a large floral centrepiece could have echoes of smaller, flower posies in vases on the sideboard and mantelpiece.

·The hardware – the dining table will have the dinner service and other accessories to glamourize it but make sure you afford the fabric dining chairs the same treatment. Wipe over with a damp cloth and use a soft bristled brush to sweep the weft in the same direction. If you have invested in the upholstered dining bench with your table, make sure this stunner is stunning!

PARTY!

The party starts with you, thus you need to be;

·The host with the most – and that means having snippets of information about guests stored ready for you as you introduce people. With your prepping and planning done, there is nothing more to be done than relaxing with your guests.

·Background details – such as soft, flowing music is a must and takes away the awkward background silence that can linger heavily on the guests. So way before the evening starts, spend time on Spotify and the like, creating a dinner party music list that lasts a long time.

·Be a great host but not too serious – dinner parties are not meant to be stuffy affairs but a chance to get to know different people, enjoy company and great food too.

Share your dinner party stories with us – the good and the bad!

Party ideas – how to host a great breakfast!

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and tea like a pauper, an old saying that suggests breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

With this ringing in our ears, we decided to take a look at hosting a brunch party. Increasingly popular, hosting people in the morning is a great start to everyone’s day.

However, we understand that not everyone’s favourite time of day is first thing in the morning. And neither do you want to rise from slumber to be faced with cooking for a huge crowd. So here’s how to create the perfect brunch party, without the stress and morning grumpiness.

1 Pre-plan

When the sun is promising to shine, most people will have their day ready and raring to go by mid to late morning. This means if you are planning on a breakfast get together, invite what they have planned after enjoying a very pleasant morning interlude.

2 Set the table the night before

Just like an evening meal or a BBQ, we feast with our eyes and that means, making sure your beautiful rustic styled kitchen/diner is ready for action.

A less formal meal in many ways, your rustic dining table can still look delightful but ditch the table cover for pretty mats and charger plates.

The last thing to add in the morning – apart from people and food! – is a jar of handpicked blooms from your garden.

Why not dine al fresco? If you have large patio doors that lead onto the patio or terrace, simply lift your table and wooden dining chairs outside and enjoy the morning sunshine. Soften the blow to table and chairs legs with a flat woven rug.

3 The menu

The brunch menu needn’t be complicated either. In fact, the menu can be as rustic as your kitchen/diner!

Why not try;

·A continental breakfast with tasty carved hams and artisan breads

·A hot breakfast needn’t be just a fry-up– add delicate tasting treats such as white puddings instead of black and thick cut, locally reared bacon from your butcher

·For those who prefer a lighter breakfast, opt for pancakes, fresh fruits and thick, creak Greek yoghurt, perfect for dolloping on a pile of tangy fruits

Pile as much as you can in the centre of the reclaimed wood dining table for everyone to help themselves. If you run out of space, why not use the dining sideboard as a serving area too?

4 Relax with florals

Granted, the farmhouse style is not all about florals but for a summer’s morning brunch, we think it is the perfect backdrop.

Soften your wooden dining chairs and rustic furniture with pretty throws and scatter cushions. Choose two main colours to use when decorating the table and opt for a third accent colour to frame the setting. We love doing this with traditional rugs.

We also love the round kitchen table, perfect for everyone to squeeze in and enjoy the spoils of breakfast together.

Is a brunch party something you would consider hosting? Or are you not a morning person?!

Our three favourite tips for fresh summer dining

Summer dining is just so beautiful and relaxed, isn’t it? With the summer breeze gently caressing the plants and blooms around you, the sun slowly setting the temperature warming your body and soul, there is nothing better than summer dining with friends, whether that is al fresco or in the dining room.

Celebrate and dine in style, with these great summering dining tips from the team here at Modish.

I. G-o-r-g-e-o-u-s tableware

There is a saying, we eat with our eyes first, and there is nothing more pleasing for a host that when guests arrive, there is a short intake of breath as the beauty of a well-laid summer dining table reveals itself.

There are countless ways of creating a beautiful dining table but in the summer months, we think the best way is to make use of the natural light.

Natural light is made up of all the colours on the spectrum and so glassware that looks blue in mid-day sunlight will look much less severe, taking on a pinkish glow in the rays of the setting sun.

So our first tip is simple – everything shiny, from beautiful glassware to extra shiny cutlery and cut glass tealight holders work.

II. Theme it

We know, predictable but you know, there is a lot to be said for choosing a theme to your table decoration.

If you want a pretty-looking table, it needs to be stylish and that means bringing a sense of cohesion to the table.

And just because you are dining al fresco, flowers and floral prints are not the only options, although who can refuse the delight in the heart with the sight of a blue Forget-Me-Not?

How about bright colours, such as the blue of the ocean to brighten your reclaimed wood furniture, making it staggeringly beautiful in the summer sun? You could opt for fabric dining chairs in a lovely shade of blue.

In fact, blue is a fitting colour, along with dashes of red – how about framing the underside of your dining table with bench with a contemporary red rug? – for the upcoming celebration of July 4^th. Back in 1776, independence from her colonisers was declared and America became the land of dreams.

Our second tip is to choose a colour palette and stick with it, using an ocean theme with pleasantly cool blue and streaks of red and white are ideal with July 4^thcelebrations on the doorstep.

III. Light it up

The atmosphere is created by people, company and conversation, whilst ambience is created by lighting.

Strings lights with their delicate light work well piled into glass jars. Used them liberally across the top of the large sideboard in the dining room or on the industrial shelving unit that allows light to play.

And then there is the romance of flickering candlelight to include. Use candelabras with slender candlesticks on the industrial sideboard to make a statement with both height and light. Or keep the candles to small tea light, clustered and scattered across the dining room.

As guests discuss the gossip and hot topics of the day in low murmurs, they will be hypnotised by the flickering light.

Everything looks so much more beautiful and less harsh and real somehow, by candlelight.

So our third tip is this: let there is light, but dim, low-level and warm.

Do we have space to squeeze in a sneaky tip? We think so. Thus, if you do nothing else, in the centre of your beautifully styled reclaimed wood dining table, place a vase of garden flowers, from blousy peonies to rambling roses, to trails of ivy and scented honeysuckle, tie it lightly with a ribbon and let summer stay with you for a time to come.

Spending quality time with your children at the dining table

According to Royal Family protocol, children don’t sit with their parents at a formal meal until, allegedly, they are able to ‘hold polite small talk’ and ‘know how to act’.

Whilst this may suit in a more formal situation that the Royal Family find themselves in, psychologists and child-rearing experts all agree that the daily gathering around the reclaimed wood dining table at the end of a busy day is the perfect time to sort through issues, raise concerns but also to laugh and bond as a family.

But how do you spend quality time at the dining table with your children? We took a look at what the experts suggest.

Make it routine

Weekdays can be super busy, from a rushed bowl of cereal in the morning to all kinds of after-school and sporting activities. When you all finally arrive home, the temptation to slump on the sofa watching your favourite soaps can be overriding rather than sit around the static, but no less beautiful reclaimed wood furniture in the dining room.

However, gathering around the dining table can give you ample chance to talk. And communication is key in any family.

But rather than the normal question of ‘how was school?’, try;

·What made you laugh today?

·How did somebody help you today? Did you help someone?

·What games did you play at lunch?

It’s also a great time to check what practical stuff you may need to help them with too. But you need to make it routine and that means instilling it as part of your family life that you all sit down to eat and talk together around the dining table.

Making food together is just as important as eating together

Preparing food is, in many cultures, a key feature of community and family life. But in the UK, we tend to be caught up in the health and safety trap – children shouldn’t be in the kitchen for fear of burns and scalding. We can encourage them into the kitchen without compromising on their personal safety.

By watching you prepare and cook food, your children will pick up on some great habits. However, kids running through the kitchen is not a great idea so create a child-friendly area in the corner of the kitchen.

Keep them occupied with tasks and activities, while sitting on the dining bench as well as chatting about their day and what they are looking forward to doing.

Even having them sit at the table on the dining bench whilst you cook up a storm brings an inclusive feel to your home and eating area.

Ban technology?

We love and hate technology in equal measure. It is an integral part of our lives but it can overtake everything that we do.

A mobile phone at the dining table, scrolling through stories on Instagram or tweets from the day isn’t creating an inclusive feel to meal times.

But, sitting around the dining table on your beautifully upholstered dining chairs – or even wooden dining chairs -is a great time to talk about technology, especially what’s happening on the social sharing sites that children and young people lend so much weight too.

You may not allow your children to have profiles on these platforms, but they may still find that they impact their friendships and relationships.

How often do you sit around your reclaimed wood table together?

How to add drama and glamour to your dining room

Luxe Kensington Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

Want to up the glamour and drama stakes in the dining room? Hark back to a time when glamour oozed from every pore and in every room in the house, including the dining room.

The 1920s and 30s were decadent decades, a time when glamour and sophistication were on everyone lips, a chance to leave the dullness and greyness of what had been the dreadful Great War behind.

And today, nearly a hundred years later, you can take elements of these two decades to add to your glammed up dining room.

Drama and depth with the Luxe Kensington Collection

If there is one collection in our range that oozes glamour and drama, it is the Luxe Kensington.

Just look at the high shine finish of the legs on the industrial reclaimed wood dining table? If ever anything oozed sheer elegance, it is this collection. Reclaimed wood furniture goes well with any style.

To give it extra glamour and drama, opt for the glass top on the table too.

Shine as bright as a diamond

The 1920s and 30s made the best use of the Art Deco style. Angular shapes, right angles and straight lines were all part of the glamour but they are as much about drama, as anything else.

The one true characteristic is to choose items that are made from a reflective material. In fact, you can’t have too many mirrors, glass or shiny metallic finishes in the dramatized and glamourized dining room.

This round coffee table would make a beautiful addition, alongside a large sideboard where your dining service could be stored when not in use.

Colour is part of the drama and glamour

The 20s and 30s characterised a lot of things and the one thing that aid and abet glamour in the dining room is colour. Think plush pinks, dramatic purple and enjoyable green, earthy in tone and depth. Mix these colours with plush feeling materials, such as velvet dining chairs and you are on to a winner.

Dress your glass top dining table with these modern, grey velvet dining chairs, the perfect way to create an amazing centrepiece and focal point to the dining room. Or how about the velvet dining bench, with its high back for drama?

Add more colour with large, blousy blooms in a large, bulbous vase. And go all out with a glamourous mantelpiece clock, if you have a fireplace or, if not, a large wall clock, flanked with beautiful art.

Not just for dining

Parties in this era were not just about dining and great food. It was about relaxing, kicking back and enjoying a cocktail or three.

Whilst America rallied against Prohibition, in Britain, the cocktails flowed, the music played and people danced.

Why not introduce the same informality with a bar area in the dining room and enjoyable way of greeting guests and enjoying their company?

Frame the bar area with a modern rug, a bright contemporary one. Opt for a pattern or choose a colour that easily fits with the early 20^thCentury glamour that signifies the era.

And finally, if its glamour you want in the dining room, glamour you shall have – and that comes in the shape of a reclaimed chandelier…

How to bring warmth to your home with reclaimed wood

In the past two to three years, more people have been opting for reclaimed furniture in their homes. But that doesn’t make it a trend which will go out of style any time soon – reclaimed wood furniture offers a classic, luxurious style you’ll get enjoyment out of for many years to come.

Why should you opt for reclaimed wood?

With each piece having a rich history, reclaimed wood furniture feels particularly exquisite when placed in any room in your home. Additionally, no piece of furniture is identical. With no pieces being mass produced, you are guaranteed a truly unique piece of furniture.

Looks aside, reclaimed timber prevents unnecessary waste from entering landfills, repurposing old wood and turning it into something beautiful. It also creates less of a need for cutting down trees, essential to reducing carbon emissions and providing a home for wildlife around the globe.

A rundown of our collections

To add a little bit of luxury to your dining room or kitchen, our simply stunning Kensington collection is perfect. Something like our reclaimed wood table is a fantastic statement piece when paired with velvet upholstered chair and a pop of colour. In an otherwise-simple colour scheme, the Luxe Kensington dining table is bound to become the star of the show. For classic style, something like the Barclay collection is great – the reclaimed wood desk is a real head-turner (which will hopefully make your day that little bit easier).

If you are looking for beauty on a budget, our Standford Industrial or Farringdon collections may be just the ticket. The Standford is perfect for injecting warmth into any decor scheme with the deeper colour of the wood whereas the grey undertone of the Farringdon collection makes it enviously easy to blend in with existing furniture.

How to mix reclaimed wood with your home decor

One of the great things about reclaimed wood furniture is how flexible it is when it comes to home decor. If you get tired of the decor scheme which matched your light wooden reclaimed furniture perfectly, there’s no need to worry.

Blend classic reclaimed styles with steel for an industrial look which will work wonderfully with sleek glossy kitchens and ultra contemporary furniture, or use painted or stained wood to create a chic, country look. Painted bedroom furniture looks simply superb with crisp white bedding and soft gold accessories to create that tranquil setting you’ve always dreamt of.

In terms of colour scheme, with light wood styles, opt for subtle colours to create a calming Nordic scheme which will keep even the smallest rooms bright and spacious. With darker woods, neutral colours will work to create a classic, sophisticated scheme you’re unlikely to tire of. Alternatively, deeper jewel tones are fab for creating a bit of drama – just ensure to add good lighting and a large mirror to reflect light around the room if you’re opting for dark colours in a small space.

What’s your favourite thing about reclaimed wood?