hallway Archives - Page 2 of 6

Hello 2024! Happy home New Year Resolutions: Part One

2024 Is finally upon us and 2023 has been and gone – YAY!! So let’s get the year off to the most amazing and positive start. In this blog, and in the next one, we have listed our top 10 New Year’s resolutions for a happy home.

New Year resolutions don’t just have to be about dieting and working out! But also about improving our lifestyle in the space we value, relax and recharge time in – our homes.

Number 1 – Read more

“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book” – Jane Smiley

Make a point of picking up a book every now and then – aim for a book a month to get started – chances are you will find some real gems which you will not be able to put down! And with all this reading going on you will, of course, need somewhere to keep all these books – give them pride of place in the Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Bookcase. In the right spot, you can create a small reading corner in your home – all you need is some shelving for your books, a small armchair and maybe a small side table for your reading lamp.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Bookcase

Number 2 – Keep the hallway tidy

The hallway is an often forgotten about part of the house – it’s not a place we spend much time in so don’t give much thought about furniture in it. But our second resolution suggests we should at least sort out some practical hallway storage – who likes to walk into a home tripping over abandoned shoes and bags? A narrow console table is perfect to put a handbag down on and you can get one with a shelf below and drawers if you resolve to keep clutter-free. A hallway storage bench is a perfect allrounder – somewhere to sit down while you get your shoes on and off as well as compartments or baskets to hide them away.

Number 3 – Get a better work/life balance

Working from home is a lot more in our lives now – invest in a good home office desk and desk chair to make your working time as productive as possible – it’s so much more comfortable than the kitchen table. Also, if you have a designated workspace then it is much easier to switch off and spend downtime away from work distractions. We love the Standford industrial desk which is crafted from gorgeous reclaimed timbers; it’s a very popular choice with our customers too!

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Desk, Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Bookcase, Standford Grey Faux Leather Office Chair

Number 4 – Live a greener life

Start a new greener life in 2021 – if everyone took a few small steps like recycling and reusing, then together we could really make a difference. Little shifts in habits, like a couple of vegetarian meals a week, recycling more, choosing reclaimed wood furniture, cutting down on single-use plastics and composting food waste, could really bring in change.

Photo featuring: Derby Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Number 5 – Sit at the dining table for meals

Make time every week to have some family meals sat around the dining table. We love the Derby Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table – a reclaimed wood dining table that gives your kitchen or dining space a hint of Scandi style. With the option of extension leaves, upholstered dining chairs and dining benches it’s a brilliant family option and a must have when entertaining.

For part 2 of our Happy Home Resolutions, see our next blog!

Quick-check – Last minute Christmas check list

To do notepad on rustic wood with green pine needles

Christmas is going to be quite a different celebration this year – but even if you are at home with just your immediate family or have a few extra guests over, you will want to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible….so all you’ll need to do is sit back, relax and spend valuable time with your nearest and dearest.

Here we have put together a list of a few things you might want to add to a last-minute to-do list.

Tidy round

Most of us will have this covered already! But it is surprising how quickly a room gets cluttered with a few extra guests and opened gifts. Not to mention the discarded wrapping paper. If you have a wooden sideboard in your living room put as much away in there as possible – If you keep your remotes on a rustic coffee table pop them in a drawer or on the shelf underneath it so you won’t be hunting around later. Tidy away shoes in the hallway, make additional space under a hallway storage bench to make some room for your guest’s shoes

Prepare the guest room for overnight visitors

You may know some guests will be staying over, but even if there is a chance some may unexpectedly stay, have the spare room hoovered out and some fresh clean bedding and towels ready and waiting to be used – having last-minute guests to stay will be a breeze! Place a festive plant or some Christmas decorations on the bedroom wooden chest of drawers, or place some festive cushions on the bed.

Think about seating

Seating around the dining table is always an issue at Christmas! Now is the time you should check if you have enough dining chairs. If you have an upholstered bench in the hallway you can easily bring it into the dining room ready to use. You may have an office swivel chair in a kids bedroom or the home office that can also be counted in. It’s not just in the dining room that you need to consider seating – you may need extra in the living room too so you can all sit down together and watch a festive family film after Christmas dinner.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Large Reclaimed Wood Dining Table & Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Dining Bench

Do you have everything for the table?

Do you have enough serving dishes and/or trays? How will you dish up Christmas dinner? Check you have serviettes, crackers, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, even salt and pepper. If you enjoy eating cold meats and cheeses for supper, or the next day, check you have some of your favourite pickles in. You might even want to get the table set now – rustic Christmas decorations and wreaths look beautiful on a reclaimed wood dining table and can be left in situ throughout the holidays.

Last-minute household essentials

Foil is one of those things that often gets forgotten about – I know I have done it myself! But things like toilet roll, matches, scented candles and especially batteries for the kids new toys or even the TV remote. It’s also worth checking on dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll, clingfilm for leftovers and the other things things that we do not purchase as regularly.

Treats to offer any unexpected guests

It’s always a good idea to have some extra bits in just in case you do get some unexpected guests. Mince pies, a spare box of festive chocolates, savoury nibbles and a couple of extra cartons of juice will keep well in the store cupboard.

Assortment of milk chocolates and white star biscuits on a brown plate

How to get your hallway ready to welcome autumn

Autumn is coming and along with it come bulky coats, muddy wellies, wet shoes and dripping umbrellas, all these things will most likely enter your home via the hallway…..

Here we have put together a few ideas to help you organise your hallway and get ready for the wet and muddy onslaught. Umbrella’s at the ready….!

Boot storage

This really is the most important one – no one wants to open the front door and hop, step and jump over shoes strewn across the floor! Boots take up so much more space than little strappy summer shoes, sandals and flipflops. Even though summer shoes are small, they should definitely be put away during the winter months….. Not only to protect them from being crushed somewhere at the bottom of the shoe rack but also to make plenty of space…. don’t underestimate the amount of boots and shoes that will gather!

The Chedworth Large Wooden shoe storage, featured above, ticks all the boxes, not only does it look absolutely gorgeous in natural rustic wood, you get 12 individual compartments and on the top, you can pop your handbag down and have a dish to keep the house and car keys in… Hang a round wall mirror above it, add a vase of flowers and you have a stylish and organised hallway.

Coat hanging

This is also the time of year to tidy away those lightweight summer jackets and get the big coats out. If you don’t already have a coat rack then think about how many coats you will need to hang on it – make sure you get one that has enough space and is sturdy enough to hold them. There are so many ways to do this – hooks on the wall, a traditional style coat stand, a hidden cupboard under the stairs or an open rack.

Clear the clutter

Very important in the hallway! The first thing people see when they come to your door will be the hallway – it looks so much better if everything has its place. A narrow console table will help hide all the bits and bobs tidy – gloves, keys, coins, dog lead – anything you need to grab on your way out can all be housed in one – and of course, there is the added bonus of being able to stand something decorative on top for a really ‘finished’ hallway look.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood Console Table

Hallway seating

A seat is a great idea in the hallway. Boots take a bit more effort to get on than slip-on summer shoes – so it could be a good idea to add some seating. With wicker storage baskets the Rattan May hallway storage bench combines clever storage and practical bench seating or Clockhouse Hallway Wooden Bench, featured below, makes a stylish and practical addition.

Photo featuring: Clockhouse Hallway Wooden Bench

Easy clean flooring

It does make sense to have an easy clean area to take wet coats and shoes off – but once you are past that you can add a rug, this will give you an instant homely and warm feeling and is, of course, luxurious underfoot. You can use a floor rug to give your hallway an accent colour and then add coordinating welcoming accessories.

Finishing touches

These are all the things you can do to give your hallway a stamp of character. Add or change your wall art, add a pot plant, add a wall or floor mirror or simply get a new doormat.

Practical and stylish hallway storage furniture

empty entrance hall with red door and houseplant

In our last blog, we looked at ways you can style a hallway – tips and ideas to create a warm welcome to your home. To follow on, in this blog, we look at clever hallway storage to help keep the space clear and clutter-free.

Seating with storage below

There is nothing worse than coming in with bags of shopping and falling over pairs of shoes strewn across the floor. Of course, a shoe rack is an obvious solution, but as we are looking at practical storage we like a shoe storage bench with a seat on top so you can sit down while putting your shoes on. You could choose one with wicker baskets to hide shoes away in, you can also pop other items in this such as hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, even dog leads…all those things you will be looking for on your way out. Another option is a tall shoe rack so you can style the top of it with a houseplant, a table lamp and a conveniently placed bowl to keep keys in.

Under stairs cupboards

If you have an under stairs area you can get some fitted cupboards installed which is a very practical and clutter-free solution to hallway storage. But if you prefer the natural beauty of reclaimed wood hallway furniture then this would be the place to add hallway storage such as a bookcase, a ladder shelf unit, a storage bench, a chest or wooden shoe storage, tucked out of the way but very easily accessible on your way out of the house.

Coat racks

Coats are another thing that we really do need to keep in the hallway. You can get a simple rack mounted on the wall, or a traditional hat and coat stand. If you need a little more room for coats you can get an open wardrobe, these will often have a rack on the bottom and a shelf on the top so you can add baskets or boxes for hidden storage.

Console table

A reclaimed wood console table is the perfect addition to your hallway being nice and narrow they take up little floor space. One with a couple of drawers like the Chelwood console table, pictured above, to store items you need on your way out.

Warm welcomes – What to put in your hallway

Hallways are generally not very big and can be dark and uninteresting places, basically, a space that no one really spends time in and just leads you on to the more happening rooms in your home.

But it should not be neglected, first impressions matter! The hallway is the first thing people see when they come to our home. Even if they don’t actually come in they will most likely get a sneaky peek as they stand on the doorstep. So what can we put in a hallway to make it an attractive and inviting space?

Keep it light

Brighten your hallway by painting it in a light colour, this will give it a light and airy feel – and most importantly will make it feel bigger. It is also easy to accessorise if walls are a light or neutral colour.

Lighting

The Vance Neutral Lamp on a Reclaimed Wood Lamp Table looks great. It will give a cosy vibe to your hallway.

Mirrors and pictures

Mirrors are always a good idea in the hallway – an opportunity for a final once over before you leave the house! And of course, we all know they give the feeling of space and reflect light. The Elmer Rustic Window Mirror (pictured below) would be an eye-catcher to anyone entering your home. You can add some of your favourite pictures on the wall – they don’t have to be landscapes – they could be photos of your family and friends to give your visitors a warm welcome as well as being a talking point.

Console table or bookshelf

A reclaimed wood console table is a classic piece of hallway furniture, on this, you can place a decorative bowl to keep keys in, hang a large wall mirror over it, stand a table lamp on it, place a pot plant or fresh flowers on it – consoles provide a perfect focal point for you to accessorise in your own style. A reclaimed wood bookcase would also fit in here, being narrow it won’t take up much floor space but it provides plenty of shelving not only for books but also for a few of your favourite decorative pieces.

Flooring

It’s a good idea to have easy-clean, heavy-duty flooring in the hallway, tiles, wood, laminate are all good for the inevitable wet and muddy footwear – but you can add a floor runner if you want to brighten it up a bit and introduce a bit of colour to the hallway.

Clever Storage

There are many hallway storage solutions that combine practicality and good looks, benches with storage underneath, coat racks, boot crates etc. – keep an eye out for our next blog where we delve into this a little deeper!

Where To Spend & Where To Save with Home Staging

Home staging is an American concept that they have long used to sell properties. In a nutshell, it is about showing your home in its best light, suggesting the lifestyle the buyer could have if they bought your property. It sounds a good idea and simple enough, but spending too much and spending it on the areas can prove a costly mistake. So, what should you be doing to get the best possible price when you sell your home?

1 The kitchen

For many buyers, this is the room that can make or break a house viewing. A kitchen that looks dated and tired is not visually appealing.

The solution is not always to rip out and replace the kitchen, however. Replacing worktops, painting cupboards doors or replacing them, updating the tap and generally decluttering so the work surfaces are clear can make it look far more attractive than it currently is, without too much of an investment.

2 The dining room

Another important area. The dining room lost its popularity for a while with homeowners preferring the more socialable kitchen/diner set-up. However, in recent years its seen a bit of a come back and whilst a tired or dated dining room is not as off-putting as a dated kitchen, there are still some tricks to making it more appealing.

Declutter by getting rid of furniture if needed or putting it in storage so that buyers can see the dimensions of the room. Reclaimed wood furniture is very beautiful but furniture around every edge of the room closes it down.

With your reclaimed wood dining table, add a stunning centrepiece such as a floral display (great for colour and scent too!) and arrange the dining chairs so that the room’s accent is on the important bit – the dining table and the space the room offers.

3 The living room

Like the dining room, you need to place an accent on the dimensions of the space and what potential buyers could do with it if it were their own.

Thin out bookcases and the like so that the range of furniture in the room, from the wooden coffee table to the beautiful sideboard and display units, shine through.

When buyers can feel the space in the room by seeing the edges and the furniture that is in there, it will have the feeling of space and style that they are looking for.

4 The bedroom

Clever home staging is about drawing the buyer’s eye to the points you want them to notice.

Bedroom furniture that has the same style is key as it creates symmetry in the room, but you also want to balance it by clever placement. The large chest of drawers, for example, shouldn’t dominate the room as the reclaimed wood bedframe should draw the eye first – make sure you have the best bed linen for viewing day!

A rug can help draw the eye around the room and with key items such as a wooden blanket box helping to ‘hideaway’ blankets and spare linen, the room will have the feeling of organised space that people want.

5 The spare bedroom

And finally, don’t underplay the spare room by leaving it looking sparse. Make sure that buyers understand this space too. For example, a single bed with sideboard and a wardrobe and a small chest of drawers showcases the room perfectly.

With hallway rugs adding pops of colour and texture, the smallest and cheapest home staging tweaks will make a difference.

10 Items That Are Cluttering Up Your Home

Pile of books with what's cluttering up your home writing

Whether you’re thinking of selling your home or simply want to create a fresh and more ordered space, you’ll need to de-clutter. But what items are cluttering up the space in your home and what should you do about it?

1. Things that are not yours – simple but true, if you have items in your home that are not yours and are just taking up space and gathering dust, either return to the sender or find another home for them. From library books to furniture that friends are storing at your place, now is the time to move them on.

2. Thin out your bookcase – if you are an avid reader, you will possibly have hundreds of books. Thinning out your bookcase is part of the de-cluttering process as is investing in display units that match your interior design style to store your edited book collection. Pass your books forward to friends and family or give them to charity and you will not only create space for new tomes, but share the pleasure of a great read.

3. Small appliances that don’t work or you don’t use – heading into the kitchen, you’ll no doubt find an appliance or two that you either don’t use or are broken. Recycle them (many councils recycle at the kerbside) and free up kitchen cupboard space.

4. Containers that don’t do anything – from baskets to plastic boxes, we buy these containers assuming that they will be perfect for helping us de-clutter and store things. Ironically, the trouble is, they are often aren’t and simply create more clutter! Get rid of these and replace them with other solutions, such as a coffee table with storage or a slimline console table with drawer for the hallway, so you still have places to store your belongings, but in a much more stylish way.

5. Toiletries in the bathroom – often the smallest room in the house, thinning out your toiletries will mean clearer surfaces. Easier to clean and keep clean, less clutter on tops and open shelving will work wonders for the appearance of the bathroom.

6. Spare bed linen, duvets, blankets… – from piling on top of the wardrobe to piling them in boxes under the bed, spare bed linen and the like are bulky and take up space. Consider a blanket box for the bedroom, which can also serve as an occasional seat or even update your bed to one with underbed storage drawers.

7. Magazines in the living room – there is something about reading a printed glossy mag that is a real treat, but you’ll soon find that they pile up in inconvenient places. The solution is to recycle or opt for storage solutions such as a coffee table with drawers.

8. Stationery and ‘stuff’ in the home office – it’s your work space which means you’ll be surrounded by the things you want and need, but if you’re not careful, it can look messy and unappealing. Clear surfaces by recycling items you don’t want or need and opt for home office storage solutions that allow for easy storage of items.

9. Out of date technology – we all have them; phones from years ago or chargers that we are no longer sure what they are for… streamline these tech bits and bobs and consider adding something like an open shelving display unit for charging phones and other tech.

10. CDs and DVDs – like books, CD and DVD collections grow over the years, but with todays streaming services, how many times do you ever put a DVD or CD on? If they are now obsolete in your home, ask yourself if you need to keep them. If you can’t bear to lose your favourite album or movie, consider sliming down your collection and how you are storing them. A reclaimed wood TV unit with cupboards and drawers is a perfect solution.

Create A Good First Impression – Hallway Focus

Wooden letters spelling home with a red heart for letter o

Spring has arrived! A sign of new life, it is also the time of year that most people who have decided to sell put their property on the market. But before you welcome potential buyers over the threshold, you need to make sure your property is ready – and that means every part of it, including the welcome buyers are given when they enter the hallway. So why is the hallway so important?

When people view a property, they come with a set of criteria, but they also need to fall in love with it. It needs to have ‘the feeling’ they are after and that’s why first impressions matter.

Styling your hallway is key and that means…

Decluttering – thin out the coats, the bags, the boots, the shoes and wrangle the scarves and gloves into a hallway storage bench so that the hallway is tidy. This also helps make it more appealing by giving a sense of space.

Make hallway storage a priority – no matter who buys your property, the hallway is a functional and practical space, something that you need to show. Emphasise its dimensions and functions with storage. There are many different hallway storage ideas, such as a hallway bench to a reclaimed wood hallway cabinet or narrow console table.

Hooks – if there is one storage item that can solve a range of problems in the hallway it is the humble hook. From coat hooks to a wooden shoe rack, the simplest solutions are often the best. BUT, just keep one or two coats per person in the hallway other it can look like a growing mountain of coats and jackets!

Lighting – a warm, soft glow from a table lamp on the hallway table, window ledge or console table is a must. Remember, to create the right impression you want to appeal to all the senses. Lighting helps the space to feel welcoming, as well as being a practical addition.

Gentle scent – a welcoming scent is important too. You can opt for a fresh flower display, ideal for perching on the hallway small console table or you could also light a scented candle (opt for a gentle floral scent). Similarly, diffusers also work well in the hall as their gentle perfume is wafted around as people move through the space. Remember to regularly turn the reeds, so they don’t lose their fragrance.

Mirrors – don’t underestimate the power of the mirror in the hallway. Perfect for reflecting light about, its reflective surface also makes the space feel bigger. But it also has another important role too and that is, ‘anchoring’ hallway furniture in the space available. For example, behind a piece of reclaimed wood furniture in the hallway, such as the console table, a large mirror hung a few inches above its top gives a sense of grandeur to the room but also gives the item a definite place in the order of the room. Try it – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Alongside practical flooring – a hard floor with a hallway rug for texture and colour is great in this space – if the hallway ticks all the right boxes, the viewing will go from strength to strength.

Spring Clean Your Hallway in 6 easy steps

You may still need a warm outer layer in spring but the heavy boots and winter coats can be safely stored away now that the first shoots of the season are visible. For the hallway, this is a welcome update and a chance to give it a fresh new look. The first impressions in the hallway do matter, so here’s how to spring clean your hallway…

STEP 1 – Thin out coats, bags, hats, shoes and boots

The hallway bench and other shoe storage ideas have seen you through the winter but now is the time to minimise all the winter clutter so that the brightness of spring can filter into your home. Wash and thoroughly dry coats, hats and scarves or have them dry-cleaned and then pack away in the spare bedroom wardrobe or blanket chest until they are needed again.

STEP 2 – Declutter the hidden stuff too!

The storage bench seat has offered immeasurable storage solutions over the winter months but there will be stuff gathered in the bottom of the hallway storage bench that really don’t need to be there.

Odd gloves, hats and dried pieces of mud from boots make their way into the corners, so give it a good clear to make room for spring and summer atire. The same can be said for the console table drawer or the sideboard cupboard that has offered so much. Recycle or repurpose items that you will no longer use rather than throwing them away.

STEP 3 – The hallway lighting

Dust and grime gather in the most awkward of places and although it may be a place through which people pass and not loiter, you’ll be amazed at just how dirty some hallway accoutrements become. The hallway pendant light, for example, should be taken down and washed, if possible, or carefully cleaned until sparkling again.

STEP 4 – Clean the hallway mirrors

A hallway mirror is somewhat essential. In a smaller space, it allows for light to be reflected, giving the hallway a larger, more spacious appeal to it. The layer of dust that has accumulated on its surface will not have been noticed in the gloom of winter but with the arrival of spring, the sunshine has a habit of naming and shaming the errors of our housekeeping… with cloth in hand and a quality streak-free cleaning solution, clean the round wall mirror and any other reflective surfaces you have in the hallway.

STEP 5 – Deep clean the floor and staircase

The one aspect of the hallway that takes a real battering over winter is the floor. You’ll have vacuumed and mopped several times over the winter months but again, spring sunshine has a habit of showing us the layers of dust that we haven’t seen. Start by vacuuming behind hallway furniture, as well as the staircase and other areas in the hallway. Go chemical free and use a homemade cleaning solution – bicarbonate of soda in warm water with a generous splash of lemon juice for scent – mop the floor, wipe down skirting boards, surfaces and door handles so that every part of the hallway is sparkling clean.

STEP 6 – Switching up the accessories

During winter, a scented candle in a storm jar in the hallway was perfect for giving it a welcoming and pleasant scent but you can switch up the scent by adding fresh, blooming flowers to the narrow console table from springtime onwards. Just as you do this, swap your accessories too, to give you something new to look on your reclaimed wood table at as you leave and enter your home.