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Our top 10 blogs in 2021 voted by you!

our top 10 blogs of 2021 as voted for by you

Looking back at our blogs over 2021 it’s obvious to us that you like a mixture of tips and ideas as well as inspiration from interior experts and nosing around other peoples homes. As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at the blogs you most enjoyed reading in 2021.

Our top 10 most read blogs

1. Arthty Ragupathy of @av.home gave out some super tips on how to add character to a new build. In this blog, she explained how wood is your best friend when trying to make your new build home feel rustic and traditional. Along with our Soho Extending Reclaimed Wood Dining Table, she uses different textures and neutral tones to create a contemporary interior with a warm, homely and lived-in feel.

Credit: @av.home

2. Dining room furniture ideas are still the top item of interest with industrial dining tables being as popular as ever…. of course with that comes additional decisions for you when choosing dining chairs as well as the must-have wooden dining bench. Getting the right dining table is very important to you and we are often asked Which wood is best for a dining table? To answer this we had a look at numerous popular rustic dining table options from oak to a reclaimed wood dining table and looked at the pros and characteristics of the most popular choices.

3. Our blog looking at how to Style a rustic dining table with leather seating was another hugely popular read. We didn’t only look at leather seating we considered faux leather dining chairs too as an eco-friendly alternative – like us, our readers care about the planet and want their homes to reflect that.

4. We shared our top tips when it comes to How to style chairs with your industrial dining table and it was clear you were asking the same question. Our blog covered not just the typical black metal legged industrial tables we all love, but also a more glamorous option, the Oldham Oak Dining Table.

5. The breakfast counter is another area that you’ve been wanting to improve. Choosing the right bar stools for your kitchen can be tricky, so we looked at practical ways to help you decide what style of kitchen island stools would work well for you and the members of your household, whilst looking super stylish, of course.

6. Using eco-friendly products throughout the home is something that many of you are interested in and our blog Using colour with The Little Greene Paint Company made it into our top ten. Their water-based paints carry the industry’s lowest eco-rating, meaning its VOC content is almost zero – great for your home and for the environment.

Credit: Little Greene Paint Company

7. After an unprecedented year, it’s no surprise that our focus has been on home decor and the useability of indoor and outdoor space, so it will come as no surprise that so many of you enjoyed reading our 3 colours that complement a brown leather sofa blog. A brown leather sofa is a perennial favourite in the home and sits comfortably with pretty much any colour, but we picked three modern hues that clearly inspired you.

8. Sticking with advice to make your home your favourite place, our tips to get a family friendly living room also made it into our top 10. We showed how you can create a stylish sophisticated space that works for everyone in the household.

9. Working from home became a norm for most us throughout the year and a focus on improving our work space was hugely popular. We’ve been with you all the way with plenty of ideas to create a comfortable home office – whether you have a separate study or have had to combine it with a room that has, until recently, only been used for something else. We’ve looked at everything from office storage, to choosing the best desk chair right through to Ways to give your workspace a creative edge.

10. We added to our range of popular British handcrafted Onslow Reclaimed Wood Bed frames and took the opportunity to look at ways to make the most of the space in your bedroom, which we were glad our readers enjoyed. From what to consider when purchasing a reclaimed solid wood chest of drawers to ideas on how to style the foot of your bed, including adding a wooden blanket box or even a wooden bench for a wonderful rustic look.

What were your favourite reads from our inspiration and ideas this year? We’d love to hear what you enjoy, so we can bring more of it to you next year. Leave a comment below to let us know.

Ways to create a cool industrial dining room this Christmas

Introducing our new Urban Industrial Reclaimed Wood Furniture dining collection

Although industrial style furniture conjures up images of a New York City loft or a 1920’s factory it has evolved to a style that isn’t exclusive to only urban style homes, but all types of interiors. It is no longer a cold, bare look. With the use of warm materials such as leather, velvet, rattan and statement lighting, it can be elevated to create a warm, sophisticated and inviting living space – perfect for a cool Christmas.

Urban Euston Industrial Dining Table and Urban Euston Industrial Dining Bench

If you’re picturing a Christmas gathered around a trendy industrial dining table with family and friends sat on a mixture of an industrial wooden dining bench and plush fabric dining chairs, there’s still time to get the look with our new Urban Industrial Furniture collection.

What’s more, order any industrial dining table from the Urban collection before 15th December 2021 and we not only guarantee delivery in time for Christmas, but we will throw in the matching Urban Industrial dining bench completely free.

Order any Urban industrial dining table before 15th December 2021 and receive the matching Urban dining bench for free!

Tempted? Let’s take a closer look at how you can bring the industrial look into your dining space this Christmas. The main elements to consider are….

reclaimed wood furniture
exposed brick
metal
concrete
bare bulbs
neutral colour scheme, but you can add accent colours
a pared-down look

Once you have your main industrial elements in place you can bring in the finishing touches. Mix a wooden dining bench with plush blue velvet dining chairs around the table. An industrial style pendant light over the table and a table lamp on a wooden sideboard for some mood lighting. Hang some striking modern art or a wood-framed mirror on the wall, choose leather or rattan placemats and coasters for the dining table. A large floor standing houseplant in a rattan container is another great way to soften an industrial space. And, of course, adorn it with cool Christmas decorations for a festive feel. We’re loving the deep blue colour scheme that’s popular for Christmas 2021 – it sits effortlessly next to the rustic wood and black metalwork.

Urban Kings Cross Industrial Dining Table and Urban Kings Cross Industrial Dining Bench

Loving industrial furniture as we do, our new Urban range of industrial dining tables with matching benches will help you achieve a cohesive look in your dining space. With a reclaimed wood dining table top and sturdy black steel legs, they are the perfect anchor to design and personalise your own unique industrial dining space. The tables and benches in this range come in four different sizes, three different finishes (light, medium and dark) and with three different metal leg designs, you are bound to find something that is right for your home. Free delivery and assembly are also included!

We also think these tables are perfect as a home office desk. The industrial look is very popular right now in office design, creating a functional minimalist space to work and be creative in.

Urban Victoria Industrial Dining Table and Urban Euston Industrial Dining Bench

The new Urban Industrial range, along with our Beam range of handcrafted furniture, supports our efforts to purchase from growing British business whenever we can. Every table and bench is handmade to order, by craftsmen right here in the UK and as the wood used is reclaimed, each and every wooden dining table with bench will have unique markings and undulations meaning they are a genuine one of a kind.

Cosy industrial living room TV ideas

Time to cosy up in front the TV

We will all be spending more time in front of the TV over the next few winter months, so let’s look at how it works in the space you have. Does it fit well in the space? Can people see it from wherever they are in the room? Would it be better in a different position in the room? You might also have a second focal pointing your room that you don’t want to sit with your back to like an open fire or wood burner, or maybe the sun hits the screen at a certain time during the day.

1. Place your TV at the optimum distance from your seating

There are some useful guidelines about how far away from the TV screen you should be sitting. For 30 to 49 inch TV’s it is recommended to leave a distance of 3-5 feet, whereas a 50 inch and above screens should have a minimum of 6ft.

2. Choose an attractive TV stand

Wall mounting a large flat-screen TV has always been a popular choice but it can sometimes look a bit low and like it is floating in the middle of nowhere – then of course there’s often an unsightly cable dangling down to the nearest powerpoint. And, you still need to find somewhere to place TV boxes and games controls and all the other bits and bobs that are needed near to the TV. This is the time to consider a reclaimed wood TV stand. A medium height TV stand is generally 50-60cm high – your TV should ideally be at or just below your eye level when you are sitting down. You definitely don’t want to be straining your neck to be looking up at it all the time!

The Standford industrial TV stand is a perfect choice for your living room with warm reclaimed wood on stylish industrial legs, with the industrial coffee table from the same range you have your living room furniture sorted.

3. Balance out proportions

Of course, the TV is not the most important thing in everyone’s living room! If you like books or like to have decorative pieces around you, you may want to blend your TV in more into the rest of the room rather than it being the focal point of the room. You can bring some balance into the room by adding some wall shelving or a rustic bookcase on either side. This will give the room some balance and draw attention away from the TV.

4. Blend TV in with living room

Another top trick to help your TV blend in to your room is to paint the walls a dark colour rather than white or a pale neutral colour. Deep dark colours are very much on-trend, especially in the living room to give it a cosy comforting feel, and it also helps the TV blend into the wall.

Glamorous industrial dining that oozes style

industrial dining table with grey and blue velvet dining chairs

Industrial furniture is known for being practical, streamlined and functional – but who doesn’t like a bit of bling? Here we look at how to achieve an industrial but glamorous look in your dining space.

Top of the list has to be the ever-popular Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table a perfect blend of striking shiny legs topped by a full of character reclaimed wood tabletop that will definitely delight your diners. The Mitcham range has dining room storage covered too in the shape of a stunning industrial sideboard!

The Standford range features several dining table designs guaranteed to get your guests talking. This collection includes rectangular, round and extendable dining tables as well as console tables and glass display cabinets – everything you need for the industrial wow factor.

The Oasis collection is another stunning example of how glamorous the dining table can be. Pair this table with the Oasis Dining Chairs.

Add in some of this season’s must-have house plants to bring in some greenery to your room, this will add another layer of luxury. In addition to ceiling lights, you can bring in glitzy decorative floor standing lamps or tabletop lamps, use these to subtly highlight your favourite features in the room. Tall candlesticks also look great and give height when displayed on a sideboard or console table. Mirrors also add a bit of sparkle to a room so make sure you hang one of those to reflect features and bounce light around the room.

Although you don’t want to completely overdo the glamour, and draw the eye away from other features, dressing the table does give a luxurious finishing touch. Place a runner down the middle of the table with a glitzy centerpiece on it. This is a place to add contrasting decorative items that can be changed to suit your mood and the changing seasons.

The industrial look as we know is all about being functional, practical and streamlined and we hope that our hints will help you decide how to elevate this look to create a gloriously glamourous dining space.

Industrial furniture ideas for a clutter free hallway

Oh, the hallway! The place where everything is dropped down on the way into your home – it can be a real nightmare. It’s one of the smallest spaces in the house but also a space where you need storage for bulky items, it should also look organised and tidy, should anyone come to your door. It is good Feng Shui to have an organised and clear entrance to your home – as this is believed to allow positive energy and wealth into your home.

Have a seasonal clear out and tidy up to help keep this a nice welcoming space to enter your home. We love the industrial look so in this blog we will be looking at hardwearing industrial furniture that will provide ample storage opportunities in this high footfall space.

Remove summer items

It’s getting less likely that you will be needing your flip flops when you head out – we’re far more likely to be grabbing some trainers or boots from now on! So store them elsewhere to clear up space for more bulky autumnal footwear. While you’re at it pack away any sun hats and light summer windbreaker jackets. Hopefully, you will still be needing your sunglasses so get an industrial console table with a drawer to make storing these little items easier and tidier.

Invest in a shoe organiser

With autumn and winter come more bulky footwear so invest in a wooden shoe rack or a hallway bench. This will not only provide a space for storage but also a very handy to sit on as you battle to get big boots on and tie up shoelaces. The Standford bench is a great study choice and for hidden storage, you can add some wicker baskets below.

Think outside the hallway

You don’t have to store everything in the hallway. Keen gardeners can store wellies in their garden shed, garage or utility room, the same goes for sports shoes that don’t get worn every day like muddy running shoes, football or rugby boots. We really don’t want to see them in the entrance hall!

Go basket crazy

Use wicker baskets to create as much storage space as possible – assign one for gloves, one for scarves, one for hats etc, or allocate one to each person in your home. You can place these under a hallway bench or under a console table. An industrial sideboard is not just for the dining room or living room, if you have the space, a sideboard is a worthy addition to your hallway with cupboards and drawers for all those things that you like to keep tidy by the front door.

Why The Industrial Style Is So Popular In Home Interior Design?

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to interior design. People always gravitate more towards trending colours, materials, and overall designs. But ultimately, a good design shouldn’t just look good, but it should also be functional. Among the many interior design styles that have crossed our path, the industrial style is becoming more and more appealing for its simplicity and straightforward design features. When designing your home in the industrial style, you can incorporate other materials such as reclaimed wood furniture and industrial furniture with natural features, even comfy furniture.

With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some reasons why industrial furniture is becoming more popular:

Easy To Combine With Other Interior Styles – many home interior designs incorporate elements of other styles. If you choose industrial as the dominant style, you may combine it with many other elements, such as the rustic feel of a country home décor with a rustic dining table. Industrial style furniture also combines nicely with minimalist style and carefully calculated geometric elements. Home interior style is a long-term commitment that shouldn’t restrict you in terms of design choices.

More Light – in manufacturing spaces, workers need ample light from large windows or bring artificial lighting to use machinery better and inspect products more easily. It can be applied to home interior design projects to improve aesthetics. Homeowners have more flexibility when adding lighting elements to improve the aesthetic and functional aspects of their interior. Following the global pandemic, many people need a dedicated workspace in their home. A combination of natural light from large windows and strategically positioned artificial lighting can enhance productivity and concentration.

Easy To Accessorise – accessorising an industrial interior is easy to do. It’s a more masculine style by nature, which can be made softer with natural greenery. Rugs and paintings also work well in an industrial environment. These elements can inject a bit of organic feel and colour to the concrete/brick design. Although industrial design is forgiving and flexible, you shouldn’t over-saturate or clutter it with too many accessories.

Easy To Choose A Colour Palette – industrial design is known for its neutral colours. You can simply choose any mono-tone or neutral tone when adding industrial interior elements. Natural, muted colours of metals, bare bricks, concrete, and reclaimed wood are the basic components of industrial style. It’s hard to go wrong with colour selections, as long as you stick to neutral colour palette.

It’s More Sustainable – early industrial designs came from a time when there were no plastics, foam, or other synthetic materials. Metal, bricks, concrete, and properly treated woods are long-lasting. You can source sustainable materials to create a home with attractive industrial design.

To learn more, contact Modish Living today and shop our wide selection of stylishly designed home goods for your modern home.

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Tips to get a family friendly living room

how to get a family friendly living room

We all want a nice stylish living room but some believe that when there are children involved, be it toddlers or teens, that it will all go to pot! In this blog we look at some top tips that we have gleaned over the years to help you keep your living room spic and span and looking fabulous at all times.

Stay on top of clutter with clever storage

Nowadays there are stylish storage solutions for everything in the living room. From a large wooden sideboard for books and board games to a rustic coffee table with drawers for coasters and remotes to a reclaimed wood TV stand with shelves for DVD players, games consoles and compartments galore – nothing in your living room need ever be out of place again!

Use adaptable furniture

To add in even more extra storage opportunities you can opt for a Blanket Box that can also double as a hidden storage space perfect for scatter cushions and winter throws.

Keep the colours bright and approachable

A light and bright colour scheme will always work well in the family living room, but don’t be tempted to go for a pale colour as it will be tricky to match if you need to do any little touch-ups. Of course, you can bring in some bright and bold accent colours for the younger ones in the household – all kids love a bean bag so pick a bright one – perfect for sitting on to flick through a book, a little afternoon nap, watching a film or when extra seating is needed.

Add a photo gallery wall

All kids love seeing photos of themselves and their family around the house – ready to remind them how cute they were and how much they have grown. A family photo wall is also a great way for other people to see your favourite photos, they’re always a great way to start lovely conversations with your family and friends. What’s more, it brings an informal and personal feel to a room. We like to keep it stylish and simple and stick to more monochrome black and white prints.

Invest in a stylish TV unit

Watching a movie is a family pastime everyone enjoys, so keep everything organised and your DVD collection easily accessible with an industrial TV unit like the Ironbridge Industrial Reclaimed Wood TV Unit. There’s plenty of room for games consoles, remotes and other TV and media-related paraphernalia you want to have close at hand, yet out of sight.

Get family friendly furniture

Family friendly furniture is a must-have in your living room with leather furniture being a perfect choice. Choose a 2 seater sofa as it is easy to wipe up any spillages or, of course, there is the faux leather, vegan friendly option. When it comes to furniture go for a rustic coffee table – small wear and tear dents and scratches will barely be noticeable and will blend in with the natural undulations in the wood. Of course being reclaimed and solid wood, any more major damage can also easily be put right by a furniture technician.

Top tips to style 5 rustic sideboards 5 ways

A solid wood sideboard works well in so many rooms – in the dining room, in a spacious hallway, in the kitchen, and of course in the living room. While they provide plenty of hidden storage on the outside what can you do with the top of them to turn them into an eye-catching focal point in your room? Here we show you how to style your wooden sideboard with five hot interior themes.

1. Boho vibes

The Serenity Reclaimed Wood Sideboard is a feature piece all on its own. The reclaimed solid wood from which it has been crafted is arranged into a striking pattern which is inset with detail. Give this sideboard a Boho look by adding natural elements like bamboo, dried grasses and terracotta to mimic the free-spirited and carefree nature of boho style. Coordinate this in your room with with layers of pattern, texture and warm colours, a perfect style match for natural rustic furniture.

2. Nordic Noir

The Nordic look is a popular as ever giving your room a cool and airy Scandi vibe. The Chelwood Nordic reclaimed wood sideboard has been styled with darker elements that contrast with the pale wood while still maintaining a cosy kind of minimalism. Here the solid wood has been paired with dark metal, as well as a houseplant in a smoked glass feature vase. The Nordic style embraces natural light and minimalist clean lined modern furniture.

3. Loft Living

Even if you don’t live in a loft you can still embrace the industrial look. Here we are looking at how to dress an industrial sideboard. The industrial interior style showcases utilitarian materials such as wood, metal, brick and cement. The Standford Medium Industrial Wooden Sideboard is crafted from hand-sawn reclaimed wood and nixon black distressed steel legs. A rustic sideboard with slick metal detailing that will bring in an instant NYC loft look.

4. Distant shores

You can give a dark wood rustic sideboard an oriental overhaul to create a zen-like relaxing space influenced by the tropical shores of the Far East. We feel this look is perfect on the Knightsbridge sideboard. Strand a large leafy pot plant on the floor next to it and on the surface add grey pots and decorative accessories and a couple more small lush and leafy house plants to give a contemporary feel.

5. Coastal chic

This works perfectly with a white painted sideboard, such as our Dorset Reclaimed Wood Large Sideboard, to bring in a relaxed easy- going vibe, coastal chic incorporates natural elements in a faded, washed-out finish. Its netural colour scheme is peppered with hints of green, grey and blue reminiscent of the sea. For this look you want white stone pots, mimicking pebbles or shells, grey wood, reminiscent of drift wood and “sailing” ropes.

Are reclaimed wood tables good?

We are often asked questions about reclaimed furniture and in particular if it is good for dining tables ….In answer to this question, we think reclaimed wood is absolutely perfect for dining tables – read on to understand why, together with some answers to other questions we often get asked about reclaimed wood furniture.

What is reclaimed wood?

Reclaimed wood, repurposed or salvaged wood is basically wood that has been used previously – whether that be as part of an old building that is now being demolished, old railway sleepers, doors or even boats that are no longer seaworthy. Once the building is dismantled, the timbers are sorted and only the best quality wood qualify to be re-crated into beautiful and unique pieces of furniture.

Is reclaimed wood easy to maintain?

Scuffs, marks, scars and blemishes which were picked up in its previous life are all part of what forms the character of reclaimed wood this makes it perfect for everyday family use. Little scratches and dents will simply blend in, you can help this along with waxing your furniture relatively regularly. To be honest, waxing once a month or every other month is all you really need to do to keep up the rich lustre of the wood. Apart from that it is just the same commonsense stuff as other wood furniture – use mats under glasses and plates, wipe up spillages as soon as possible, lift rather than drag furniture etc. Full care guides for all our reclaimed wood furniture can easily be found on our website or read our blog How to Treat Marks on Reclaimed Wood Furniture.

What qualities does a reclaimed wood table have over new dining tables?

Imagine walking into a cosy farmhouse kitchen with a large dining table set ready for a hearty family meal – it’s welcoming and comforting, right? Reclaimed wood is older, it has an extra warmth and depth to it which will add to the ambiance of the room, something new wood simply can’t replicate.

Is reclaimed wood strong?

Absolutely! Reclaimed wood has already aged during its first life and is stronger than ever. Only quality salvageable timbers are used to craft furniture – meaning the furniture which is created will be long-lasting and sturdy. Reclaimed wood furniture and reclaimed wood dining tables are considered to be investment furniture that will stand the test of time.

Is reclaimed wood furniture only for older traditional-style rooms?

Not at all – it will actually fit in with most interior styles and is no longer associated with just the classic farmhouse dining table: It can be modern and glamorous, as is the case with the Knightsbridge reclaimed oak dining table, a beautiful solid oak tabletop sits on a stylish slim silver frame which will bring industrial elegance to any dining room. Alternatively, it can be homely, cosy and comforting, what group of family and friends would not want to gather around a rustic wooden dining table like the Chelwood for an evening of good food and conversation? If minimal industrial furniture is more for you then the Standford range ticks all the right boxes. The reclaimed wood adds warmth and texture, whilst the black steel frames brings an industrial edge.