editors pick Archives - Modish Living

Get creative – meet the founders of Cornish Milk Paints

Meet the founders of Cornwish Milk Paints

If you love upcycling your rustic furniture, you are going to fall head over heels for our latest new find. We love discovering independent businesses that are doing amazing things in the world of homes and interiors and even more so when they are flying the eco-friendly flag and helping us create stylish homes that are kind to our planet. Our latest favourite find is Cornish Milk Mineral Paints, a fantastic family business in Cornwall that makes water-based, non-toxic, non-solvent, non-chemical (that’s a lot of ‘non’) environmentally friendly paint with a lower than low VOC content. Created using organic earth pigments sourced from the UK and available in a gorgeous curation of colours that capture the true essence of Cornwall, the paints can be used on most surfaces, but are perfect when it comes to upcycling dining, living room or bedroom furniture.

We spoke with Reece and Joe, founders of Cornish Milk Mineral Paints to find out more….

First things first, what is milk mineral paint and does it contain actual milk?

No, there are no cows involved in creating our paints! Cornish Milk Mineral Paint is a water-based decorative paint that we created because we both loved using milk paints on our own upcycling projects. Upcycling furniture has always been a passion of ours and we wanted to make a mineral-based paint formula that had the same smooth and matt finish you get with milk paint, but without the fuss of having to mix a powder and water.

And where does the Cornish part come in?

It’s our home and it’s always been a dream of ours to have our own decorative paint collection ever since we started painting our furniture about ten years ago. After our upcycling hobby grew into a business and we started a family, we began to put the foundations in place for Cornish Mineral Milk paints. We knew from day one that our collection would be Cornish-inspired and reflect our beautiful home. We had great fun as a family exploring the pretty fishing villages and towns along the Cornish coast as inspiration for shades and names.

How do you make your paints?

We value the traditional way of paint making, not only because it produces the best results, but from an environmental perspective, it’s better too. All of our paints are made, poured and labelled by hand and then packaged by us before being shipped to our stockists and customers all over the world. By making and pouring our paints by hand, we have reduced our C02 emissions by 75%, compared to a normal machine operated factory.

All our Cornish colours are made with 100% real powdered earth pigments and contain zero synthetic dyes or stains. Our pigments guarantee a flawless finish with a superior richness to the colour.

What makes your paints ideal for painting furniture?

Our paints can be applied to almost any surface whether that’s on furniture, walls or exteriors, and the superior coverage makes it the perfect formula for upcycling. They offer exceptional coverage, outstanding adhesion and no visible brush strokes making it super easy to bring an old piece of reclaimed wood furniture back to life. Our unique formula ensures brush strokes disappear and after seven days of curing, the formula hardens leaving you with a smooth and matt finish every time. It’s also self-sealing, so no waxing or topcoat is required, saving you time and money and because it gives such a fabulous coverage and finish, you only need to apply one or two coats.

What tips can you give to get the best finish when upcycling furniture?

Preparation is key. Cornish Milk Mineral Paint is easy to apply and can be used on natural wood, varnish or over old paint, but to achieve the best finish, you should give your piece of rustic furniture a good clean. We couldn’t find a natural one that worked, so we created our own! Bioclean is a unique 100% plant-based and biodegradable furniture cleaner that removes dirt, grease and grime with no solvents or chemicals and is the perfect first step to painting furniture. Once it’s clean give your furniture a light sanding so that the paint has a surface to grip onto and you’re pretty much good to go.

Tell us what’s new?

We have collaborated with our official stockist, Jacked Junk, to create two very special limited edition Cornish Milk Mineral colours to raise awareness for Autism and raise money for The National Autistic Society. Seahorse and Coral are two beautiful and vibrant Spring/Summer 2022 colours that we hope will inspire our customers to get creative! The colours were hand chosen and named by Jack, who is 13 and has autism. Jack’s goal is to own his own Jacked Junk shop, employing other autistic people in the business. 10% of all proceeds from each tin sold will go directly to the National Autistic Society and we hope it will help raise awareness of autism.

Find out more about Cornish Milk Mineral Paints or for some upcycling inspiration visit @cornishmilkmineralpaint.

If you liked this….

Check-out the Our Friends series to discover pro tips and gorgeous homes to inspire, including How to do pattern with Prestigious Textiles and stepping inside interior stylist, Maxine Brady’s, chic Brighton home.

5 of the Best Home Office Chairs

How to create the red thread in your home

Have you heard of the red thread? No, we’re not talking about a new movie or Netflix series, but the holy grail of successful interior design! The red thread, also known as the throughline, is an essential guide interior designers follow to achieve cohesion and consistency in the home by binding living spaces together. The trend focuses on one design detail of high importance, such as colour, shape or texture, which becomes a common thread throughout your home. The good news is that many of us will do this automatically, however if you are struggling to find continuity, these tips will help you find your own unique red thread to seamlessly unify your home.

Photo credit: Dulux Heritage

Colour

Colour is a popular red thread used to link rooms together. Focus on finding the most prevalent colour in your home, or simply pick your favourite. This can be found within subtle hints of your decor or in statement furniture pieces. When continuing these colours throughout your home, you can also maintain the thread by using variations of the hues. For example, splashes of gold can be carried through the thread with the warm and golden tones of a rustic oak sideboard or coffee table. You’ll be pleased to know that your key colour doesn’t have to match each room’s colour palette either. You can incorporate the boldness of your classic blue velvet dining chairs within your dining room through to your sophisticated living room by using blue accents in the way of comfy cushions, throws or a rug. If you have an open-plan home, colour is considered increasingly important to bear in mind as it helps your space flow.

Texture

You can also use primary textures as the red thread in your home. These can be shiny metals, patterned textiles or coarse and earthy reclaimed wood furniture. As an example, to create the thread within a bedroom, a king size wooden bed frame is a beautiful piece of furniture to start with. Complementing furniture, such as reclaimed bedside tables or a wooden wardrobe will create the DNA of the thread. However, make sure you pay attention to the pattern and finish of the wood. The beauty of reclaimed wood is that it’s totally unique, but the finish, knot or grain of the wood will alter the aesthetic and texture of each piece. When continuing the theme throughout your home, the nature of rustic furniture is versatile. If you have a traditional living room but a contemporary kitchen for instance, you may consider a rustic dining table or solid wood sideboard as a contrast to modern units and hi-tech appliances, creating a sense of harmony between the two spaces. To establish the thread without investing in new furniture, reclaimed wood shelves or wooden photo frames are another gorgeous and authentic additions for creating consistency.

Shape

Focusing on the shape of your furniture and decor is an interesting yet exciting way to allow your living spaces to flow. Shape is extremely powerful and can be used within your home to evoke all different kinds of feelings and impressions. Whether you embrace the popular trend for minimalist and contemporary round furniture or the bold and angular art deco feel, maintaining these shapes within each room, and not just in isolation, will help create a consistent feel and look throughout your home. If you have curved furniture, the soft outline of your sofa can be echoed within the smooth edges of a round rug or a circular and organic shaped mirror hanging on the wall to achieve a calming and fluent space. For bolder and straight-edged furniture such as a square coffee table with a linear design pattern, you can convey this theme throughout your home using geometric accessories or the sharper points within intricate line art to achieve a decadent yet harmonious home.

Get more interior design tips and inspiration….

Modern rustic: discover our NEW rustic furniture collection

Looking for some smart sustainable rustic furniture for your home? Check out our new Eastwood rustic collection full of stylish pieces expertly crafted from sustainably sourced oak.

Explore our new oak furniture collection

Every piece in this stand-out collection is crafted from sustainably sourced solid oak and has been given in a wonderful mid-tone finish that will fit into any colour and interior scheme. All of the tables, from the rustic coffee table to the wooden dining table, feature a striking star-shaped and angular legs, whilst the units enjoy sleek metal legs and contemporary slim door handles. Of course, the rich mid-tone wood is the champion of these pieces especially when it comes to the oak veneer parquet effect on the cabinet doors, which further highlights the variances in the wood colour.

The Eastwood Rustic Oak collection really is a modern rustic furniture collection that will suit many different interior themes and can be styled with many different types, styles and colours of furniture. Let’s explore more…..

For the dining room

The Eastwood solid oak table is available in two sizes – a 2m length and also in 2.4m. Both are perfect for entertaining due to the eye-catching central star-shape leg, ideal for squeezing more around the dining table, and with the larger of the two tables comfortably seating eight people, it’s also a great choice as a dining room centrepiece. For dining room storage there is the option of three different types of sideboard – a large wooden sideboard with four spacious cupboards, a medium sized rustic sideboard with three deep cupboards and also a stylish highboard, which is perfect if you want more storage without taking up too much floor space. An oak console table is also available if you want a surface in your dining room to add a lamp and other decorative accessories to make it your own.

For the living room

The Eastwood has plenty of options for the living room also. The rustic TV stand is a real eye-catcher with two feature parquet design doors for hidden storage and two open shelves for games consoles and TV boxes – at 125cm long it is perfect for a large TV in the living room. The coffee table is another piece that will add instant style, combine it with the matching oak side table and you will have stunning coordinated look for living room.

See the full Eastwood Rustic Oak collection.

If want some more rustic inspiration, check out some of our blogs for great tips and ideas….

8 Best Christmas Decorations 2021 for a rustic home

Are you feeling festive yet? We know we are! If you’re looking to elevate your Christmas decor game this year, we’ve pulled together an edit of some of the best Christmas decorations to adorn your home with. From mini Christmas trees for your reclaimed wood dining table to gold stars hanging above a wooden sideboard, check-out our fabulous festive finds and diy ideas to give your home some yuletide joy.

Best Christmas Decorations to buy 2021

1. Alternative DIY Paper Christmas Tree Decor

We love this simple, but classically stylish idea from Lights4fun. Pages from old note pads or books, naturally yellowed and worn with a string of fairy lights entwined with the paper and a twinkling star on top – it would look perfect hanging over a rustic sideboard in a room. Dress up the top of your sideboard with candles, garlands or wreaths to make a beautiful festive display.

Photo credit: Lights4fun

2. Illuminated Gold Osby Stars

These gorgeous stars would look wonderful absolutely anywhere. Rest on a wooden sideboard, a solid wood chest of drawers, on a mantlepiece or hang from ceiling and doors. We like the minimalist simplicity of this pair of illuminated stars – simple, sparkly and stylish.

Photo credit: Lights4fun

3. Table Top Christmas Trees

These are just fabulous for a festive farmhouse dining table display. One at each end of the table with a garland or natural green foliage, fairy lights or candles and pine cones in between. The natural colour scheme will blend in perfectly with a room featuring rustic furniture and a neutral colour scheme.

Photo credit: Lights4fun

4. Totem Wooden Candle Holder

These gorgeous candlesticks from Dutch company, 5mm paper, are crafted from sustainable Beechwood – a lovely eco-friendly choice that can be used on their own or part of a larger seasonal display. They are not just for Christmas and will look great wherever you stand them, all year round. We love how they combine a minimalist design with a warm and feminine touch, especially when combined with warm and rustic coloured candles as pictured here.

Photo credit: 5mm Paper

5. Snowberry Christmas Heart

A wreath is a Christmas must-have and a perennial favourite, it was hard to choose a favourite….until we spotted this chunky “knit” one! Bright bold warm red with festive foliage embellishment – lovely for a warm inviting farmhouse kitchen. This is a really cute gift to give a friend or family member during the run-up to Christmas, if you can bare to give it away, that is!

Photo credit: Chunky Couture

6. Quirky Christmas Baubles

When it comes to baubles we like to have a bit of fun. We think this black cab and David Bowie bauble from Red Candy are just perfect for a funky, slightly retro and irreverent interior scheme!

Photo credit: Red Candy

7. Rustic Supersize Coffee Bauble

Bring elements of nature into your Christmas display with this unusual coffee bean bauble from The Urban Botanist. This impressive 20cm supersize bauble on rustic rope features a gorgeous large Arabica coffee plant planted on a bed of fragrant coffee beans – perfect all you coffee lovers out there.

Photo credit: The Urban Botanist

8. Rustic Christmas Bough on Dining Chair

If you like to go all out with your decorations then this hanging Christmas bough will add even more festivity to your dining space. Perfect for the back of a wooden dining chair, the mix of faux eucalyptus and velvet ribbon is oh, so stylish. If you fancy having a go at making your own you will need lots of faux or real pine tree branches and twigs, along with berries, ribbon and other decorations that match the colour scheme of your room. Another idea is to hang small festive wreaths on the back of dining chairs – another great way to dress up your dining space.

Photo credit: Lights4fun

For more Christmas inspiration check out our guides for holiday decor ideas and entertaining tips, together with practical solutions such as seating to fit everyone around the dining table.

Spotlight: Introducing our new Eastwood collection

Rustic dining table with fabric dining chairs and white linen table runner

Our new Eastwood range is here and we couldn’t wait any longer to tell you about it! This gorgeous new range is characterised by the rich oak wood used to craft it and beautiful rustic furniture fittings.

For the dining room

This collection includes the perfect rustic dining table to suit any space from the monastery to the refectory dining table. The tabletops on all of these proudly boast natural markings and undulations which will bring a little history and individuality into your dining space. These tables really do match many styles of dining chair from plush velvet in a bold colour, to a neutral fabric dining chair. If you want a solid wood sideboard to match your dining table then there are two different styles to choose from, either giving you loads more handy storage in your dining space.

For the living room

Sideboards are traditionally found in the dining room – but nowadays we like to see them in the living room too – a whole load of hidden storage for books, children’s toys, your DVD collection and so on. The Eastwood range does not stop there when it comes to living room furniture. Put your favourite display pieces on the rustic oak highboard and match up with a wood coffee table from this range. For something stylish to set the TV on there is the perfect media unit.

Other pieces from the range

The Eastwood range does not end with just these home staples, to add some reclaimed wood warmth in your hallway you can choose the rustic console table – this also looks great in the living room behind a sofa with a lamp!

A look at our top 2023 sellers

Wooden numbers saying 2020 on white washed wood with fairy lights behind and best sellers words

With 2023 behind us, we take a look back to see which furniture was the most popular with our environmentally conscientious customers. Our stunning range of dining tables (as ever) has again been at the top of the list!

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Table & Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Dining Bench

Dining Tables

The Standford dining table – This is from our hugely popular Standford range which includes gorgeous reclaimed wood furniture pieces for just about every room in the house! This rustic dining table is available as a fixed top table or as a very handy extendable table. From wooden sideboards to beds, large chests of drawers to a small living room lamp table – everything in this popular wood furniture range is skilfully crafted from timbers salvaged from former factories.

The Chelwood – This glamourous dining table features in our top sellers list just about every year! The polished stainless steel legs provide industrial elegance while the unique, full of rustic charm, solid reclaimed wood tabletop completes its undeniable allure.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Large Reclaimed Wood Dining Table

Rocco Spider Leg – This industrial dining table features a sustainably sourced solid oak top which sits on a central and stylish industrial spider leg. Plenty of room around the table with no annoying legs in the way for diners to bang their knees on!

Dining Chairs

Allegro chair – Sit back and dine in a high quality, soft Italian leather dining chair. These modern dining chairs pair perfectly with industrial furniture as well as more rustic and modern dining room furniture.

Photo featuring: Allegro Leather Dining Chair

Standford Leather & Faux Leather chairs – These leather and faux leather dining chairs from the ever popular Standford range won’t disappoint – a hugely popular addition to dining spaces up and down the country.

Cleo Faux Leather chairs and benches – Faux leather dining chairs are becoming increasingly popular with our animal-friendly customers. Our Cleo range of dining room seating is available in grey or tan, you can choose from dining benches, bar stools or chairs which all have sleek industrial legs. For those who want a comfortable upholstered dining chair that can easily be wiped clean then faux leather is proving to be a top pick.

Bedroom furniture

Onslow bed frames and bedside tables – The glorious bedroom furniture from the Onslow range has proven to be a winner yet again. Handcrafted in the UK from salvaged railway sleepers, this chunky bedroom furniture adds a warmth to your bedroom that can only be achieved by a statement king size bed frame, caringly crafted using solid reclaimed wood.

Photo featuring: Onslow Reclaimed Wooden Bed Frame

Living room furniture

Oldman coffee table – We think this is a fine example of an industrial coffee table and our style-conscious customers definitely agree! As this is another of our pieces that are hand finished in right here in the UK, your coffee table can be made to bespoke sizes….meaning that you can have a coffee table that is perfectly in proportion with your living room.

Photo featuring: Oldman Industrial Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Barkby sofa – This gorgeous brown leather sofa has been a huge hit during 2020. This range is skillfully made to order, you get to choose from a 2 or 3 seater leather sofa with or without an armchair to create the perfect combination for your living room.

Chestey Velvet Sofa – The popularity of this stylish, industrial style sofa just proves how much style our customers have!

Oswald Armchair – The Oswald real leather armchair is just waiting to be sat in, in a cosy reading corner. Seeking the ultimate in comfort, our customers have also opted for the coordinating leather footstool. A 2 seater sofa and a 3 seater is also available.

Our favourite vegan chairs for your dining space

Red heart shaped sticker World Vegan Day words stuck on cork board

It’s world vegan day this weekend on November 1st so we thought we would look at animal-friendly and sustainable furniture that will help you take veganism beyond just the dining tabletop to around the dining table.

Small with pink bow around its neck walking in grass

The number of people switching to a vegan diet in the UK is rapidly increasing. Many are introduced to a plant-based diet during Veganuary, some go back to their normal diets, maybe with some tweaks – while many carry on, and permanently switch to a vegan diet. Just recently a large UK supermarket announced they will be dedicating a couple of aisles in some stores to only vegan food products which suggest that plant-based products are definitely gaining more widespread popularity.

Maybe you just like the look of a leather chair, or you have a household with young children and fabric dining chairs are just not practical, this is where easy wipe-clean faux leather dining chairs will come in. Every colour and style is now available on the market as well as a range of different quality materials being used with some looking and feeling more realistic than others. Below are three of our favourites!

Brown faux leather dining chairs with black steel legs and industrial dining table

Photo featuring: Cleo Faux Leather Dining Chairs in Tan

Chloe faux leather dining chair and bench

This is a hugely popular design available as a single chair and also as a bench and in grey or tan. You can try a mix of both colours around a reclaimed wood dining table to achieve a very current look. Consider these gorgeous high-quality vegan leather dining chairs if you are matching with an industrial dining table or with other reclaimed wood furniture. We are becoming more environmentally aware so this is the perfect combination thanks to the sustainable roots of reclaimed wood and vegan furniture.

Grey faux leather dining bench with grey cushion

Photo featuring: Cleo Grey PU Leather Industrial Dining Bench

Turner grey faux leather dining chair

The Turner PU leather chair is beautifully moulded to offer maximum comfort for long dinners! This chair is also available in tan or grey but with a gorgeous distressed leather finish, it’s perfectly suited to sit around a rustic dining table.

Photo featuring: Turner Faux Leather Dining Chair in Grey

Lansdowne faux leather bar stool

To create a small dining or breakfast area in the kitchen, a reclaimed wood bar table with bar stools is a great investment – a place where you can sit and enjoy a snack, a coffee in the morning or a spot to sit while you are preparing food. Pair the rustic solid wood industrial bar table with a set of faux leather bar stools and achieve a modern and environmentally friendly casual seating area.

Photo featuring: Lansdowne Faux Leather Industrial Bar Stools

How To Choose Your Family Sofa

legs of two children and a dog sat on grey sofa

It’ll be the piece of furniture that the family will snuggle and sit on for many years to come so getting the right one is essential. Just how do you make the choice of the right family sofa?

1 Measure, measure, measure

Before we plunge into the long list of ‘what to consider’ we need to start with THE most important aspect of choosing a family sofa – size.

You need to consider the dimensions of the space in which it will sit and what arrangement will work best for your family AND the room.

For example, would two smaller sofas work better in your living room than one large three-sofa? What about a small leather sofa and armchair combination?

Consider all the options before you order a large, L-shaped sofa that seats 10 because the smaller sofa and armchair combination could work just as well, if not better in terms of versatility and style.

2 Do consider fabrics and colours

Patterned fabrics will hide a myriad of stains and spills whilst a block colour can be a little more unforgiving in this aspect.

You might also consider that a brown leather sofa would work best, especially as it can be wiped over with nourishing leather wipes from time to time to keep blemishes at bay.

Leather also ages beautifully, and so the brown leather sofa you choose now could well last throughout the entire childhood and teenage years of your children and still look just as fabulous!

Fabric, on the other hand, can give a very sumptuous and plush look to a room. Some fabrics can also be pre-treated with a stain-repelling substance so that any spills in the early years of its life won’t affect the look of your modern sofa. And don’t forget you could reupholster the sofa, leather included, if the frame remains in good condition.

3 Don’t choose fabrics that date

Colour and pattern are fantastic in any living room, but they are subject to the whim and changes in interior design trends.

For example, a mustard yellow upholstered fabric sofa may look fantastic and on-trend now but what about five- or 10-years time? Will it look old and jaded, clearly belonging to another era?

Choose colour wisely, maximising the longevity of your sofa for years to come by choosing a colour, pattern and style that is modern and in keeping with your taste but is not too specific or tied to a certain trend.

Having said that, there are some trends that last the test of time. A plush velvet armchair or sofa, for example, will always remain at the height of glamour and sophistication with both dusky pink with gold-effect frames remaining in vogue as too will dark green velvet.

4 Extend legroom with a footstool

All too often we are so fixated on buying the sofa that we forget the other important components of relaxing on it – stretching out our legs.

This is impossible to do when you have family sitting with you but if you need to stretch your tired legs, it makes sense to opt for a matching footstool.

Some designs are bijou and compact – the small leather footstool is ideal for most people – although there are other much larger footstools that can, if you want, also act as a ‘coffee table’. Simply balance your tray on its vast top and you have a piece of furniture that is both comfortable for your feet and also ideal as an occasional table. Why not consider a leather sofa set, for example, that includes both stylish sofa and matching footstool?

Tag: editors pick

Get creative – meet the founders of Cornish Milk Paints

First things first, what is milk mineral paint and does it contain actual milk?

And where does the Cornish part come in?

How do you make your paints?

What makes your paints ideal for painting furniture?

What tips can you give to get the best finish when upcycling furniture?

Tell us what’s new?

If you liked this….

5 of the Best Home Office Chairs

How to create the red thread in your home

Colour

Texture

Shape

Get more interior design tips and inspiration….

Modern rustic: discover our NEW rustic furniture collection

Explore our new oak furniture collection

For the dining room

For the living room

See the full Eastwood Rustic Oak collection.

Shop our best selling rustic furniture of 2021

How to mix modern and rustic furniture in your home

How to create a rustic family dining space

8 Best Christmas Decorations 2021 for a rustic home

Best Christmas Decorations to buy 2021

1. Alternative DIY Paper Christmas Tree Decor

2. Illuminated Gold Osby Stars

3. Table Top Christmas Trees

4. Totem Wooden Candle Holder

5. Snowberry Christmas Heart

6. Quirky Christmas Baubles

7. Rustic Supersize Coffee Bauble

8. Rustic Christmas Bough on Dining Chair

Spotlight: Introducing our new Eastwood collection

A look at our top 2023 sellers

Our favourite vegan chairs for your dining space

How To Choose Your Family Sofa