kitchen Archives - Page 2 of 12

How to create an indoor-outdoor space that flows

Outdoor patio with rattan sofa and large glass window

Here we are looking at ways you can transform a small balcony, courtyard or patio into an outdoor masterpiece that will blend seamlessly with your indoor living space.

Some of the ideas in this blog would be perfect to create a small “outdoor extension” to your living room, kitchen or bedroom. You may find some great ideas to help brighten up your outdoor space if you are in a flat in town or have a small brick-walled courtyard out the back of your house …….and you might even find it makes both the indoor and outdoor spaces feel more spacious and light.

Wherever you can, choose natural materials

If you have a wooden interior floor consider wooden decking for your outdoor space. If you have a tiled floor then get tiles that are as close a match as possible to let the space flow. Stone also works well – it looks lovely and natural and is perfect for outside. When it comes to furniture, again choose something natural that would be used inside and out – a rattan sofa set for a living room and a rustic wood dining table paired with rattan dining chairs for a dining room. Reclaimed wood furniture fits in perfectly here.

Bi-fold, crittall or sliding doors will open up the space

To make the most of any available light and to make your space look as large and open as possible then big doors and windows that can slide open or fold back are a must-have. If you do have the opportunity to replace a window or door then make the new one you install as big as possible and you will get to see even more of your cosy garden space.

Think about walls inside and out

Just as you have with the floor, if your patio is surrounded by a brick wall, consider exposing the brick on one side in the inside, if the brickwork is a bit dull then you can paint it white. Or how about wood panelling to mimic fencing? Or some bamboo panels for an eco-friendly fix. If you are in a flat and want a bit of privacy when you are sat out then you can add thin bamboo panelling to the railings, if you don’t want to block out light then a nice thin panel would be ideal.

Match planting inside and out

You can have the same plants inside and out and set a theme for your plant pots to give the feeling of continuity from indoors to out. Plants don’t just have to be stood on the floor you can save space by having hanging baskets, wall boxes and plant stands. To mimic this indoors arrange houseplants on reclaimed wood shelving. If you have a wooden table and chairs then place a garden-inspired centrepiece to it. A tall plant in a pot by the doorway will help disguise any door or window frames and give the feeling of a continuous space. Fairy lights help make your outdoor space magical as day turns to night, you can wrap them around your plants which again will ensure your outdoor space doesn’t fade away in the darkness!

5 Ways to get farmhouse style in your kitchen

Reclaimed wood butcher's block with two drawers and metal bottle opener

There is nothing quite as homely as a farmhouse kitchen – full of character and homeliness. This obviously works really well in an older property but adding some classic farmhouse furniture pieces can help recreate this lovely homely look in any type of home, including newer properties.

Farmhouse table

The farmhouse table is one of those pieces that adds instant cosiness to a kitchen – and one crafted from reclaimed wood will give you an inviting warm rustic look.

Photo featuring: Worcester Large Reclaimed Wood Extendable Dining Table

By adding a wooden table and chairs to your kitchen you are creating another space in your home for people to spend time in…and keep the chef company as they cook. A place for the kids to do homework or just to hang out – it makes your kitchen more of a family room rather than just a functional “service” room.

Dress up dining chairs

Whether you have wooden or fabric dining chairs in your kitchen you can add some cushions to them to give them a warmer farmhouse vibe. A neutral natural fabric cushion always works well – you can choose some patterned cushions with cottage flowers to add some interest to your seating area. Faux animal fur throws and chunky knits are another great way to cosy up kitchen chairs and benches.

Photo featuring: Worcester Medium Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Dresser

The kitchen dresser

A kitchen dresser is an iconic piece of kitchen furniture and a must-have in the farmhouse kitchen – a place to keep all your serving dishes, cutlery, condiments, placemats and so on. But a dresser with some glass doors also gives you the opportunity to add personal display items as well as your favourite cook books. The Chelwood dresser has everything you might need from several handy large and small storage drawers, to an open shelf as well as glass doors – and at 1.55m wide it will not take up too much floor space. A reclaimed wood sideboard is another option, again many different sizes are available that will fit right into your farmhouse kitchen.

Photo featuring: Elton Butchers Block – Prairie

A butchers Block

A butcher’s block is another one of those pieces that fits right into the farmhouse look – even if you have a modern or retro kitchen one will add an instant touch of rustic farmhouse. Our new Elton range includes a butchers block that provides an extra storage option for the kitchen – you can place it near the table if you need extra serving space and also stand decorative items on it when not in use.

Styling tips

When it comes to styling there are many things you can add to give your kitchen some farmhouse character. Open display shelving and spice racks are a good place to start. Rustic pendant lights crafted from metal or an industrial style pendant will work particularly well to add some modern farmhouse character. Natural weave baskets on shelves are a great way to keep things tucked away and rustic. And, of course, be sure to make the most out of exposed brick if you are lucky enough to have some in your kitchen. Keep materials natural – wood, stone, linen – and you have your farmhouse style sorted.

How to introduce industrial style to traditional homes

Velvet corner sofa with industrial coffee table

If you live in a more traditional or classic style home you may be thinking that incorporating industrial style is a straight no, no for you, but it can be done and can look stunning! Here are some ways you can inject some industrial style…

Pick a piece of industrial furniture for high footfall areas

In the hallway for example a slim console table with black industrial metal legs will always give a stylish welcome for visitors. Dress the top with a table lamp, some fresh cut flowers, a houseplant or some scented candles for a warm and homely feel when you walk in. In the kitchen, you can add a touch of industrial by choosing metal bar stools, opt for real or faux leather seats to further reinforce the look. And in the living room, just an industrial coffee table will instantly bring in an industrial theme.

Choose a neutral colour scheme

Let the black metal and wood of your industrial furniture be the feature. A neutral colour scheme is always a great base colour to style industrial features with, the black metal will stand out making each carefully chosen piece really catch the eye. Use a lighter colour in a dark room or opt for an atmospheric deeper grey if your room has plenty of light flooding in.

Photo featuring: Picasso Industrial Oak Dining Table

Change the flooring in a room

If your traditional house doesn’t already have a wood floor then look at reclaimed wood flooring to add character, salvaged oak planks are great for this. A concrete floor or a good quality laminate floor will add an instant industrial look in a large kitchen diner space. You can choose an industrial dining table that is finished with a slight hint of grey to the wood… this fits just right with dark industrial legs, hang a pendant light over the table and you have the perfect centrepiece in your dining space.

Photo featuring: Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Look for reclaimed wood furniture

Reclaimed wood and metal is a key driver to the industrial style. The rustic look of the wood and the strong metal structure of the industrial furniture are perfect together…. the reclaimed wood adds warmth, history and individuality. With the natural undulations and markings found in reclaimed wood furniture, you will have an eye-catching contrast to cold dark metal. Upcycling is also a great way to give old, tired-looking furniture pieces a new lease of life. You can look for old preloved items of furniture in second-hand shops – re-varnish them, paint them in black or dark grey or just tidy items up and change the handles to black metal.

How to create more space without extending

Open plan kitchen and living room with black wooden bar stools

If you don’t have the budget to extend or if you live in a property where it would be hard to get permission, there are lots of tricks that you can do to add some more useable space or simply bring more light into your room to make your room appear bigger.

Make use of dead spaces

Under the stairs is definitely the main contender here – this space can be transformed into a hidden storage heaven – a place to pop away coats, gloves, scarves, boots, shoes, school bags…the list goes on. You can even squeeze in a home office!

A storage bench seat is also a quick and easy way to create a feeling of space in a hallway by hiding away clutter. The landing is another area with potential for adding space – a small console table or a wood bookcase can help take books and other items out of another more cluttered room.

Knock through rooms

This is a great idea if you have a separate but adjoining kitchen and dining room. A wall means you lose space in both rooms and restricts where you can put furniture pieces, but by removing it, you will instantly have the feeling of more space, especially if this lets in more light to a small or dark room. If you are creating a kitchen-diner then you might want to consider using dining benches around your reclaimed wood dining table – as a bench is lower than the table, the space appears less interrupted with no taller chair backs.

Photo featuring: Parquet Dressing Table

Multi-use rooms or layout changes

Many of us have a spare room, but how many nights a year does it really get used, a total of a month? This space can be used for something else, something like a gym or a home office. A home office desk can double as a dressing table for guests and you can use a chest of drawers to put your office bits and bobs away in. Switch your everyday office items on the desktop to some house plants to make the room more inviting to guests.

Zoning rooms

You can easily zone a room to make it more multi-purpose using furniture such as a large sideboard, a bookcase, sofas or floor rugs – the great thing is you have the flexibility to easily move them if you need to change how the space is being used.

Furniture choice

Choosing the right furniture for your room also plays a major part on whether your room feels a bit crowded or light and airy. For example, smaller pieces of furniture, like armchairs, will make a room feel more cluttered than one light coloured 3 seater sofa.

White living room with white fabric sofa, wooden coffee table and shelf with white painted wooden letters spelling Home

Change doors

A really simple but effective thing that you can do is change the doors to rooms – Using a sliding door to lead to smaller rooms such as an en-suite or dressing room will enable you to use make the most of space otherwise taken up opening and closing a standard door.

Different ways to extend your home

Industrial loft conversion with extra large skylight windows

We’ve all been spending more time at home lately leading many of us to think more about the space we live in and how we could make it better. Of course, there is the option to move to a bigger house, but many of us are attached to our homes for various reasons – you may have lived in it for many years, it’s in a beautiful area or you have children that are attending a great nearby school? Maybe the cost and stress of moving are just too much for you and your family right now?

In this blog, we will look at different ways you can extend your home and create more space. Of course, before making any plans you should contact your local council about any planning permissions that may be required.

Front porch extension

There are a huge number of homes in the UK where you walk straight into the living room or just have a small entrance area. If you have some space to the front of your property, a porch extension is a great addition to your home. It can be a place to store shoes, coats, a pushchair or bike and you could add a bookcase or a hallway storage bench for other things you would like to hide away.

Photo featuring: Ellington Dining Table – Black

Side extension

If you long for a larger kitchen or open plan kitchen/ diner then many houses (especially Victorian semi-detached or terraced homes) sit on a plot that would allow a side extension. The great thing about this of course that you would only use a narrow area down the side of your house…. rather than eating into precious garden space too much. We all value our gardens so much more; it could be a tough one to call. A side extension would however give you enough space for new dining room furniture or maybe a small seating area where you can add a comfortable velvet armchair to sit in and enjoy the garden more.

Rear extension

This is definitely one of the most popular extensions – especially on suburban and inner-city houses. We, as a nation, love open plan living and in particular, the rear extension with plenty of light coming through large patio or bi-fold doors. Adding on a multifunctional family living space is the perfect option for many, with plenty of room for a rustic dining table, you can use a kitchen sideboard to zone the dining area and floor rugs to zone a seating area. If you are thinking of this option, now is the time to decide whether a two-storey extension would be a better long term investment. It will be easier and often cheaper to add two stories in one hit, rather than needing extra upstairs space five years down the line.

Loft conversion

A loft conversion can add around 20% value to your property – no wonder this is such a popular option – and of course it takes up no outdoor space from your garden. This is where you should be looking to create an additional en suite master bedroom with plenty of space for a statement king size wooden bed frame and other beautiful reclaimed wood furniture. It would also make a great playroom or hang out room for older children and teens.

Add a dormer window

If you already have a loft extension or a bedroom with a sloping roof then adding a dormer window will transform your space by bringing in extra light, giving additional full-height headroom and usable space.

Ideas to decorate your home for Easter

Thin twigs from a tree with yellow flowers

Decorating the home for Easter is certainly gaining in popularity with more and more people buying an Easter wreath, decorating an Easter tree or adding an Easter themed table decoration. Here are a few ideas you might want to try out yourself this year!

Dining table decorations

A reclaimed wood dining table is a very versatile piece of dining room furniture and can be decorated in many ways from fun and colourful Easter baskets filled with fake grass and chocolate or painted eggs to an exquisite Easter bouquet – which will really bring the outside in. We think a mix of both works best, a basket of painted eggs as well as simple fresh cut flowers like daffodils or tulips. For something really rustic, natural and simple to stand on a wood dining table, you can arrange some spring twigs in a vase.

Close up of a collection white Easter eggs in gold framed geometric ornament as a table decoration

Living room decorations

To bring some spring cheer into your home why not decorate your living room? Hang a spring and Easter themed garland around the fireplace or add some fairy lights and a simple but striking decoration to the mantlepiece. Dedicate a shelf of your wood bookcase to Easter decorations, use little pots of spring flowers and twigs, decorative egg and rabbit ornaments to create a small Easter display – you can also add any Easter cards you receive to complete the display.

Easter wreath

This is a really popular choice for an Easter decoration now. You can hang one on your front door to welcome your own family or anyone else who comes to your door. A rustic wreath looks stunning placed on a farmhouse table or on a kitchen sideboard. You can really go to town and theme the whole kitchen by adding ribbons on the back of the kitchen chairs – something bright and cheery like yellow or green.

You can buy wreaths ready-made or you can opt to create your own, we love this rustic spring and Easter themed one above.

Easter tree

You can create an Easter tree for indoors or one for in the garden…. if you plan to do some outside entertaining. All you need are some bare twigs, which you can arrange in a vase using decorative stones to keep the twigs in place and some Easter decorations to hang on this – paper spring flowers, egg decorations, rabbits and chicks are perfect for the job.

Quick tricks of the trade to create a sellable home

Welcome doormat in front of white front door with two large grey plant pots with green shrubs either side

Moving home is listed as one of the most stressful things in life. Organising finances, selling, finding your new home, packing, unpacking and finding new schools for the kids can make it time-consuming and costly. So, here we have put together some basic pointers of what you can do to get your home ready to sell and hopefully get as close as possible to your asking price, without stressing every time the estate agent calls to organise a viewing.

Entrance

This gives the all-important first impression. Paint the front door if it looks a bit shabby, wipe down outside windowsills and thresholds and give the windows a clean. If you have a front garden make sure the grass is mowed and any borders are weed-free. A hanging basket or a floor-standing planter always look good to potential buyers as they walk or drive up to your house. Hide wheelie bins around the side or in the garage! Inside, a hallway storage bench will be a place to hide away shoes ready for when viewers pop round.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

Living room

The living room should be set out to show how the most popular pieces of living room furniture can be placed in it. A 3 seater sofa arranged around a rustic coffee table and a TV unit are essential in this room. A bookcase with doors can hide any living room clutter ready for viewings but there is no need to clear everything away – the house will benefit from a few personal pieces left on show to make it look homely and lived in. Light the open fire if it is a cooler night to give your room an instant cosy look and feel – a velvet armchair pulled up to the fire will make the buyer imagine themselves sitting there reading a book!

Kitchen

This is probably the most important room of the house to have ready for viewings. Floors, walls, worksurfaces and cabinets have to be clean. If your kitchen units are a little dated or too dark for the room you can consider painting or replacing cupboard doors. Touch-up dirty grout using a grout pen. Once you have the decor tidied-up you can look at decluttering worksurfaces and open shelving – don’t think that everything has to be hidden from sight, just minimise it giving an open and uncluttered feel to the space. If you have a breakfast table in your kitchen put a crisp table cloth on it and add some fresh cut flowers.

Dining room / area

The dining room should be clear and clutter-free ideally in a neutral colour with rustic furniture that is in good proportion with the space – a small round table at one end of the room will look a bit lost if the space is large, maybe consider an eye-catching reclaimed wood dining table instead? Arrange the dining table and chairs and add a wooden sideboard, again showing there is ample space for the most popular size, a 6 seater dining table, as well as storage. Have a clean runner on the table and a centrepiece on it, like some fresh cut flowers or greenery.

Photo featuring: Mitcham Industrial Oak Spider Leg Dining Table & Standford Brown Leather Dining Chairs

Bedrooms

The master bedroom should be a calm and inviting space with room for all the bedroom furniture essentials like a double or kingsize bed, bedside tables, a wooden wardrobe and a wooden chest of drawers. Let children’s bedrooms be children’s bedrooms, but tone them down and declutter them a little – just taking a few posters off the walls, adding a neutral throw and some cushions on the bed will transform the room.

Garage and garden

Now’s the time to clear out the garage, it’s going to have to be done when you move anyway, so do it before viewings start. Gardens of course should be cleared of toys, maybe get a storage shed to keep things in. Make sure the grass is mowed and flowerbeds are weed-free. If you have patio furniture and it is the right time of year, then put them out in the garden, again you are giving the potential buyer a small glimpse of happy days in the garden!

It’s time to get your home spring ready

Zinc milk churn full of bright pink flowers against a rustic wood background

Finally, what feels like the longest winter ever is just about over! Although we are not completely out of the woods yet it’s getting to that time when we can tentatively start thinking about spring. Outside the spring flowers are starting to show signs of life so let’s bring a bit of spring feeling into the home!

The obvious place to start is to get some spring flowers into your home whether it be daffodils, tulips or hyacinths they will all brighten the room up and lift your mood when you see them. Place flowers on a small sideboard in the living room or as a spring centrepiece on a reclaimed wood dining table, just have them somewhere where they get seen a lot!

This is also a good time to clear up and clean around the fireplace. You can probably put away some of the cosy candles and other winter warmers and replace with vases of bright flowers or dried grasses and fresh scented diffusers.

Clean the windows to let every bit of extra light and sunshine in. Wipe down shutters and wash curtains and nets to freshen them up and remove any dust that may have built up over the winter months. You could also get some new brighter cushions or throws for the sofa and take the opportunity to introduce a new colour into the living room.

In the kitchen, wipe down the cupboard doors and clean inside the cupboards. Take stock of what you have got in them and reorganise so you can find what you want more easily. We all have a near empty jar of pickles or chutneys sitting in our cupboards that’s past their best – clean and wash out the glass jars and reuse as small vases for flowers, tealight holders or even have a go at making your own jams and produce.

If you have a breakfast table in the kitchen you can get some new table linen and napkins to freshen the place up or look at getting some new kitchen chairs for a modern new look around the wooden table.

The bedrooms are also a great place to have an after-winter sort out! Put away some of those big winter woollies, make a space on an upper shelf of a double wardrobe to get them out of the way so you can get lighter jumpers in a more accessible place. Sort through your winter bedding and put heavy throws, blankets and quilts in a wooden blanket box at the foot of your bed. Not only does a blanket box provide plenty of handy storage but if you do need to grab an extra layer on a cooler spring night it is easy to get to. They also look fabulous sat at the foot of a wooden double bed!

How to zone to create a multifunctional living space

Rustic open plan living room and dining area with white sofa and furniture and large black wood burning stove

Open plan living just keeps increasing in popularity whether in the form of an extension, a new build or taking internal walls down in a current home. This is very effective in a smaller home as it gives the feeling of more space, of course, you do need to pay attention to load-bearing walls and support if you do this.

This style really only started to appear more regularly in the 1950’s where you would often find a dining room sharing a space with the living room – often an L shape area to help with the separation. At this point, the kitchen was still seen pretty much as a service room and as such was not included…. until we get closer to the 1980’s that is. Now we love a house with an open plan – a place where the whole family can spend time together.

The children can play safely, do homework or watch TV while the parents can work, prepare dinner or get on with household chores all in the one large space – but it still makes sense to have some sort of definition between the spaces.

Zone by using texture

Although you aren’t breaking up space, the use of different textures will draw the eye to the different areas in the open space – A feature brick wall can clearly define where the dining area is – a combination of a tiled area for the kitchen and wood or laminate flooring to define other areas. A rug on the floor to anchor a reclaimed wood dining table to help define the dining space, whilst the sitting area can be clearly defined by placing a rug in front of your large sofa and placing a modern nest of tables on it.

Zone by using plants

By now we all know the benefits of having house plants in our spaces – you can really embrace this natural and healthy way to zone a room. A tall plant in a floor-standing pot or some open wood shelving units are great for creating a natural divide, or how about an on-trend living wall to bring in a contemporary diversion.

Zone by using furniture

Use furniture to partition the space – it’s nice to have the option to section off an area when needed, especially if an open-plan room includes your home office. You can do this by opting for a tall bookcase, open shelving is great for this as you will still get the impression of space and see it flow. Sideboards are also great for this; the above dining space, featuring the Farringdon Reclaimed Wood trestle table, is zoned by the sideboard and a drinks cabinet. Of course, the most recognisable one is the breakfast bar or kitchen island – everyone will know that the kitchen space is beyond that point.

Zone by using colour

Painting sections of the walls in different colours is a great way to zone a large space. Or if you don’t want to commit to a wall colour, use furniture in pops of colour to define the space. We love the bright pink column radiator above for its bright and clever divide, together with the petrol blue fabric dining chairs that draw the eye to that area.