living room Archives - Page 10 of 31

How to Arrange your Furniture Around a Rug

Grey sofa with grey floor rug and coffee table

For many of us, the rug is the item we have most agonised over when it comes to picking items for the home. It brings warmth, colour and texture to a space and so it’s no surprise that from a stylistic point of view, you want it to get it just right. But how do you make sure the rug remains prominent, without creating a ‘hole’ in the room’s décor?

The round rug

For square or boxy rooms, the round rug is the perfect way of adding a change in motion;

For larger rooms try adding more than one round rug, but keep them the same design and style otherwise it will look too choppy. Place them randomly in the space or better still, allow them to float around the room as you use it (but make sure they aren’t a slip hazard!).

For smaller rooms when you don’t have a huge amount of floor space, getting your round rug noticed can be difficult. Placing it under a piece of large furniture so that its rounded curved peep out is perfect. In the bedroom, for example, put the bedroom rug under the bed so you have it to welcome your feet as you get out of bed but with plenty of rug on show at the foot of the bed.

In the dining room, use a round rug in the centre of the room, even if you decide to off-set your dining table.

The square or rectangle rug

They are, by far, the most popular shaped rug that people opt for. There is a comfort in the pleasing angular, lines of the rectangle or square rug that draws our attention. Our belief is that with this shape, a large living room rug could be easier to accommodate in any room, from the bedroom to the living room.

We can still make fundamental errors, however, which means that the rug becomes lost beneath our feet…

Not applying the four-two-none rule – when furniture doesn’t feel anchored in a room, it and your cherished rug will feel lost and floating in space. If this is happening, address it by applying the four-two-none rule. With your furniture dotted around its straight edges, either all four legs need to be on the rug (only advisable for big rugs), or two legs of each piece or none. If you have a side table on the rug and the two legs of one sofa but none of the other sofa, it will not look right.
Mismatch colours – when you want to add a rug to a room, it is best to start with the rug, matching the wall colour to it rather than the other way round. This way, your vibrant red rug or stylish blue rug won’t be jarring against the room’s décor.

Irregular shaped rugs

Irregular shaped rugs can be a welcome note of change in a room but it’s important to understand how best to use them. With rectangle and round rugs, the dimensions of the room and size of the rug will dictate whether you place furniture on it or not. With an irregular shaped rugs, designers suggest keeping furniture off it, opting for a suitably sized rug that fits the floor space you have available.

Mirror Mirror On The Floor – 5 Ways To Use An Oversized Mirror

Freestanding wooden floor mirror with white console table and green plant

In every room, you want a statement accessory, one that draws the eye and adds the wow factor. From artwork to statement furniture pieces, there are many options, with the oversized floor length mirror being one of them. But simply adding it to a room is not enough. You need to give it the focal point it deserves.

Not just for the bedroom or the dressing room

The traditional spot for the full length floor mirror is in the bedroom or the dressing, and at a push, the bathroom. Clearly, it has a practical purpose from allowing you to do a final check of your appearance before leaving the room or house to bouncing light around a room, but the good news is, the floor mirror is not just for the bedroom…

In the living room

Double up in the living room by adding two floor standing mirrors together on one wall. There is something very dramatic about a large floor mirror but when you add two, you are ramping up the dramatic impact, not to mention doubling up the amount of light bouncing around the room, For extra drama, choose dark wood framed mirrors or in a unique shape.

HINT – when doubling up, always choose mirrors with a chunky frame. Floor standing mirrors with thin frames have their place but won’t have the same impact.

In the dining room

Mirrors in the dining room should never to be underestimated and when it comes to the floor standing mirror, you can emulate the living room by doubling up or, if wall space doesn’t allow, opt for one large mirror with a frame that blends into the wall.

This style of floor length mirror still has all the impact you need but ‘blends’ into the background more. This gives the room a cosy feel, ideal for when you are entertaining.

Go extra large!

An oversized mirror is just that – one that is far bigger than a wall hung mirror or a handheld one – but if you want to really make a statement, opt for a super-sized mirror that covers most of the wall. It’s a statement, for sure, but one you won’t regret.

In the bedroom

We’d go as far as to say that a large floor mirror in the bedroom is an absolute must. But just because it is essential doesn’t mean it can’t be stylish; just don’t overdo it. You want it to be a restful space and so adding too much drama to your bedroom furniture is counter-intuitive. Opt for a floor standing mirror that has a stylish but not over-the-top frame.

A large rustic mirror, for example, would be a great addition. The warmth of the wood brings comfort to a space that you want to be cosy. Also, consider where you place it. A corner near the door is a handy spot for a full length mirror without taking up too much room.

Can you go wrong?

Not really. A mirror is welcome in any room, but don’t be constrained by ‘traditions’ when it comes to frame style, colour and size. A floor standing mirror in any room is an easy design statement to make, so go on – make an impression.

The Eco-Friendly Living Room Guide

Sustainable and stylish, if you are aiming for an eco-friendly living room, you need to read this guide! Sustainability is a peaking trend at the moment with more and more people making conscious choices when it comes to furniture and materials. How can you create an eco-friendly living room?

Buy reclaimed wood furniture

For too long, when something was obsolete, we just threw it away. In old buildings across the country, there are all kinds of materials that can be salvaged and upcycled.

This is exactly what reclaimed wood furniture is all about. Hardwood beams and other structural wooden components are removed from buildings and, using the skills of woodworkers and other skilled craftspeople, are turned into beautiful furniture that is built to last.

In the living room, a reclaimed wood coffee table, for example, is simply stunning. Or, if you like the industrial look, opt for black steel and rustic wood display units as statement pieces.

The choice is continually growing and can be used to create a stylish living room landscape.

Natural AND sustainable materials

Not all natural materials are sustainably sourced or grown but with producers becoming more mindful and consumers more aware of the origin of materials and fabrics, the sustainability of an item is coming more to the fore.

Fast-growing and sustainably farmed, bamboo and wicker can be made into all kinds of things when it is dried and tied or knotted together.

A bamboo pendant light, for example, is stylish and a talking point but is also made from a natural and sustainable material. Similarly, a rattan coffee table adds a colonial vibe to a living room, whilst being eco-friendly.

Use non-VOC paints

Volatile organic compounds – VOCs – are carbon-containing substances that easily become gases or vapours. Major paint manufacturers are attempting to phase these out and so you have probably been using these for some time. But check the label and, if they do contain VOCs, don’t wash them down the plug hole are they are damaging to the environment.

Opt for recycled materials

The course of actions used to process materials are developing all the time and so many of today’s recycled items don’t look any different from the ‘usual’ ones we would turn to.

For example, the Seagreen recycled plastic mattress with pocket springs looks nothing like the plastic bottles it is made from, nor are the PET throws. Available in three beautiful colourways, these soft throws are made from recycled plastic bottles that fishermen have collected from the sea, adding warmth and detail to your eco-friendly living room.

Discover the power of LED bulbs

From strip lighting under the cupboards in the kitchen to ‘normal’ light bulbs in table lamps and pendant lights, the LED bulb uses energy efficiently. Not giving off heat, they are cheaper to run but also help to reduce your carbon footprint too.

Add houseplants

Plants are our friends – they soak up all kinds of goodness from the air which is great in the stylish, eco-friendly living room. If you are worried about your ability to care for them, the good news is there are some very hardy evergreen houseplants need nothing more than an occasional water now and then!

Fall Back in Love with Your Home

Sweet home written on green card with white flowers

We’ve all been there and it’s more common than you think. Falling out of love with your home or feeling a little lacklustre over what it can and does offer you is a sign you need to bring back a loving feeling to it. Here are some ideas to help you see you home with a loving gaze once again.

Have a good ‘sort out’

You may be glad to see the spring sunshine streaming in through the window but not so much the dust and the clutter that seems to have accumulated in your home. Set time aside to de-clutter and re-purpose items. If you feel that clutter becomes a problem due to lack of storage, consider how you can improve this, such as wooden sideboards or rustic coffee table.

Rearrange the furniture

With clutter gone and ‘stuff’ tidied away, you may feel like now is the time to have a move around. Don’t be constrained by traditional ways of arranging furniture. For example, in the living room, don’t assume the sofas and the leather armchairs have to revolve around the TV – place them in ‘sociable’ positions instead.

Clean from top to bottom

It may not be your favourite pastime but, with the vigour of spring comes a wave of new energy, so ride this crest by spring cleaning from top to bottom. You’ll be surprised how cathartic it feels! As well as recycling items you no longer need, move furniture, vacuum in corners, clean the windows and give the surface of those reclaimed wood shelves a good dusting.

Sort out lighting in the home

There are many reasons why you may have fallen out of love with your home, even if it is only an occasional and temporary feeling. Shadow, shade and darkness contribute to a space feeling small and closed in. Layering light is the solution – ambient light for a soft, gentle glow but functional light for when you need to ‘see’. Just changing the light bulbs from bright white to soft white will make a difference and add a table lamp or floor lamp to dark corners.

Refresh the walls

Even if you haven’t got time to sand down for glossing and doing a very thorough decorating job, simply taking a brush and emulsion paint to the walls will give any room a vibrant kick. Choose light but warm shades to lighten the space and your feelings about it!

Artwork and photos

Surrounding ourselves with items that we find ‘nice’ or pretty is sure to help our mood and how we feel about a space. Within the ancient art of Feng Shui, there is an ethos that surrounding yourself with personal things that are uplifting will nourish your mind and soul. So get out the old family photos, invest in artwork you like and create a wall of magical memories that are personal to you.

Get creative

Also known as DIY, trying your hand at something new for your home can be one way of helping you fall in love again. There are thousands of ideas online but one great idea is to create a reading nook (that awkward, unused space under the stairs could work) or making a window seat complete with wooden blanket box and homemade cushions for sitting and watching the world go by. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, how about making your bed into a four-poster style long with a piece of fabric…?

Let’s Hear it for Feel Good Furniture!

There are some items of furniture that ooze the feel-good factor. Every time you use it, it makes you feel good. It could be the old-faithful sofa, for example, that just gets better with age. But what other feel-good furniture items are there?

The leather armchair

From the traditional wing-backed leather armchair to a modern silhouette, the leather armchair is very much like its sofa cousin – is there anything better than being cocooned in its familiar warmth? We like it best with a cup of tea and biscuit or a good book.

The large rustic dining table

The dining table sees all of home life and that’s why the dings, the dents, marks and scrapes both infuriate us and make us feel warm inside. The family gathers around the table for everything from every day catch-ups and household disagreements to Christmas dinners and is the place where memories are made.

A coloured footstool

It doubles as an impromptu coffee table, the ‘something to stand out’ and, of course, a comfy platform for elevating your tired feet at the end of the day, a coloured and comfortable footstool is a must. As the feel-good factor goes, it’s at the top of the scale!

A large wooden bed frame

Along with a sumptuous, supportive mattress and high-quality bed linen, is there anything more heart-warming than a solid wooden bed frame? Strong, sturdy and the type of furniture you can always rely on, a high quality reclaimed wood bedframe will provide almost endless service for years on end.

The Welsh dresser

A large Welsh dresser solves a myriad of storage problems in the kitchen/diner in one swipe, but its grand stature in a room gives it a matriarchal presence. Its familiar shape is a nod to yesteryear, even if has a modern edge and design, that we instantly find comforting and familiar. Again, like a wooden bedframe, the Welsh dresser will instantly become part of the family, if not the head of the house, for years to come.

The dressing table

So far, we have looked at pieces that everyone will have a connection to, such as the dining table or the leather armchair, the place of comfort that the household often turns to. You may not have thought as the dressing table as being an obvious piece of feel-good furniture, but it is a truly personal space. From a slimline console table to a larger tabletop, this is a place in the bedroom where you can sit and reflect and spend time making yourself look great and feel good. Dress it with personal items and framed photos of your precious family to give a high-level feel-good factor about it.

Anything made from reclaimed wood…

The beauty of reclaimed wood furniture never tires and the range of choice is staggering – from coffee tables with storage to reclaimed wood large sideboards, open shelving display units and more – there is something for every style home. The feel-good factor is not just about choice and design but the fact that reclaimed wood gets better and better with age and use.

Reclaimed from its original use, the grain and patina of hardwood mellows and develop with age. Smooth to the touch, there is also a warmth to wood, a natural material that is nothing short of elegant. When it comes to the feel-good factor in our eyes, anything from reclaimed wood has it – but what’s your favourite piece of feel-good furniture?

5 Ways to Create an Office Space in your Living Room

White desk with laptop and flowers in glass jar

Working from home is something more of us are doing, which benefits our work-life balance and wellbeing, not to mention the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But finding space to work is difficult, especially when you want somewhere with minimal distractions. The kitchen table is an obvious place, but with a bit of clever manoeuvring, you can de-camp to the comfort of the living room and create a productive working space with reclaimed wood furniture that fits the room whether you’re working or resting.

1 Desk next to the sofa

The sofa offers a number of opportunities to carve a stylish work zone. If space is limited, layering your furniture could be the answer. Add a narrow or console desk behind the sofa to create a work space and pop a rug under the desk to subtly separate it from the rest of the room. Additionally, instead of a side table next to your sofa, place a reclaimed wood desk at the end. To help the desk blend in, add a stylish table lamp that fits with the rest of the room.

2 Choose a desk that complements the style of the room

The temptation of working in the living room is that we flop onto the sofa with our laptop balancing on our knee. Whilst this is OK every now and then, for a work session where you need to get through plenty of work, a desk is a must. In the living room, you want a desk that fits with your style, such as an industrial desk for the industrial styled living room. The same is true for all the other office furniture you need including chair and storage cabinets.

3 Make the most of a nook & integrate the desk

An alcove or space next to the fireplace can make an ideal snug mini office. Consider a floating shelf for a desk that can convert into a display shelf at the weekends or pair a desk with a chair for an arrangement that will blend with the living room. Another trick is to style the area with art or framed photos on the wall above the desk – this not only makes it a delightful place to work, but will make a lovely addition to the living room.

4 Use accessories to change the tone of the desk

When you work, you want an office table that offers you plenty of space. But when you are not working, you want your desk to look like a piece of living room furniture. You don’t want your work area to be constantly reminding you of just how much you have to do when you are enjoying down time. As well as opting for a style of desk that fits with your interior scheme, using trinkets and other accessories can also make a huge difference. Simply clear them away when you are working, but return them to the desktop when you’ve finished for the day. As you use the room in the evening or any other non-working time, you won’t be ‘looking at your work desk’.

5 The office chair is important too

The other issue you’ll battle with when your desk is in the living room is the desk chair. Don’t forsake your comfort for a tiny chair so that you don’t have an eye-sore of a modern desk chair in the living room! The good news is that there are alternative to these dark plastic looking chairs. For example, if you have a modern style, opting for a white office chair is ideal and a handy extra seat when you have company. For the industrial look or for a contemporary feel, leather office chairs are a great choice.

The Lazy Guide to Spring Cleaning Your Home

Whole lemons and halved lemons on white surface

Cleaning may be therapeutic to some but for others, keeping on top of the dust, dirt and grime in the home is a chore. And with a change of season on the doorstep, the dreaded spring clean is once again upon us. However, you can give your home a new lease of life without hours of scrubbing and cleaning. Here’s the lazy guide to spring cleaning your hoe. We won’t tell if you don’t…..

Embrace symmetry

The thing with winter is that we tend to ‘huddle’ in our homes, cowering from the winter chill under many layers. And that means the symmetry or balance in a room can be knocked off-kilter as furniture is moved so that we bunch together for warmth. Simply moving your reclaimed wood furniture so that the room is symmetrical once again really works in giving your home the lift it needs in spring.

What does this mean? Balance your modern sofa with a side table at either end and a reclaimed wood coffee table placed front and centre, for example, or cluster things in threes on the rustic shelves or wood bookcase in the living room.

Clear surfaces

This goes for all rooms but in the kitchen, the bathroom and areas like the slimline console table in the hallway, as items tend to gather on tops of furniture. Whittle down these items so that you can see ‘space’ on work and tabletops.

Streamline the coat rack in the hall…

… and store away heavier winter boots and shoes. It’s amazing the difference it makes to the appearance of your home when you streamline items. Bulkier coats should be washed or dry cleaned and then safely stored away until the chill of autumn winds arrive.

Nourish the leather sofa

The sofa is the place where the family will pile onto at the end of the day and has probably had its fair share of spills and stains over the winter period. Look after your prized brown leather sofa by giving some love in the shape of cleaning it with nourishing leather wipes or cleaner. It’ll carry on giving you years of service if you do so.

Switch up the scent in a room

Scented candles are perfect for winter, especially those with spicy or musky scents. With the arrival of spring, lightening up the scent in your home by introducing floral notes. Stick with lighter perfumes for your large candles as the times isn’t right for anything too heady or perfumed just yet.

Get to grips with storage

The beauty of reclaimed wood furniture is that it is designed and made into ‘new’ pieces of furniture with the modern home in mind – and that means clever storage solutions. And so with spring knocking at the door, get organised with your home storage so that it is always tidy and aesthetically pleasing. A storage chest acting as a coffee table in the living room is a perfect example or a wooden blanket box in the bedroom hides a multitude of messy sins.

Give the hallway some stylistic attention

And finally, first impressions count, so we head back to the hallway. Giving your hallway a bit of style is a great way of making it look like you have spent hours cleaning and ordering your home to give it the warm and welcoming vibe you want it to exude. Add pretty table lamps and update the central light with a pendant light or new shade for a fresh new look this spring.

7 ways to prepare your living room for spring

At last, the gloom and chill of winter are finally giving way to spring. As the soil warms, spring bulbs blossom with the trees and shrubs awakening from their winter hiatus with delicate new buds. The birds serenade us with their morning chorus and all seems right in the world now that the sun is shining once again.

For the interior of our homes, that means clearing away winter bits and bobs so that spring can flood in. Here are seven ways to let spring bounce into your home.

1. Bring out the vases

Adding fresh flowers to your home will always change the scent and appearance of a room and so with spring on the doorstep and warm sunshine pouring through the window, add colour and gentle scent with bunches of fresh flowers, placing them on your oak side table and rustic TV stand. Choose spring-like flowers such as freesias, as well as generous bunches of roses in pretty pastel shades.

2. Get rid of winter clutter

The way we live in our homes changes with the seasons. We spend winter cocooned in the warm embrace of the living room but now is the time to cast off some of these layers, so spend time decluttering the living room. A coffee table with storage is perfect for storing away the thick wood blankets, whilst keeping them close by for cooler evenings, this is spring after all.

3. Spruce up the display unit and bookcases

Again, this is about creating an aesthetic appeal that sits with the warmer months of spring and summer. Switching up ideas will always give a room new life so that the living room has a chance to ‘breathe’ again. It could be something as simple as arranging books on the reclaimed wood shelves in pockets of colour, putting away accessories and replacing with different ones for the coming months. Replace those rich and warming candles that kept you cosy all winter and replace them with lighter and brighter scents.

4. Create new displays

They say a change is as good as a rest, and so with the change of seasons why not give your home a new look simply by having a change around. You may still light a fire of an evening but you may no longer need the sofa and armchairs placed so close to the fire so why not move your reclaimed wood furniture around so that you have a fresh new layout to the room?

5. Tone down the fireplace

Staying with the area around the fire, because we use it daily during winter, the area becomes cluttered with essential items from firewood, coal buckets and utensils for keeping the fire burning in the grate. In spring and summer, confine these to a cupboard or storage area where they can be hidden away and streamline and de-clutter the fire and mantelpiece. It will always be a feature of the living room but in spring it doesn’t have to be the main or only feature.

6. Clean the windows and freshen up the drapes

Again, heavy bundles of curtains at the windows over winter give your living room a warm and cosy feel and helps keep out the cold. But in spring, it can feel like overload. Maximise the first few rays of spring sunshine by cleaning the windows and washing or dry cleaning the curtains. And clean any mirrors in the living room too to bounce that spring light around the room.

7. Change over the cushions and rugs too

As well as freshening up all the linen in the living room, you may also want to consider changing the cushions covers and even the living room rugs for ones that are lighter in both colour and pattern. Replacing cushion covers are a great way to update a living room or old sofa. Spring tends to be the season of pastel colours, so why embrace this new lightness into your home?

Are you ready to embrace spring? We know we are!

How To Soften Your Industrial Space

Industrial living room with black metal staircase and grey fabric sofas

The industrial style is loved by many. Clean and unpretentious, there is a pleasing sparseness that makes it a simple and elegant scheme for any room in the home. But for many, the industrial style lacks prettiness and softness. However, if you think that the industrial style cannot be ‘prettified’, think again. We show you how to add the small touches and details that give it personality without compromising on its industrial character.

In the industrial kitchen and dining room

The kitchen and dining space are important, busy spaces in any home and so the industrial furniture style is the ideal backdrop with the reclaimed wood dining table taking centre stage.

Make the industrial dining table special – with all the gifts that the industrial style has, our Sussex oak parquet industrial oval set is the perfect choice. It boasts the timeless combination of steel against reclaimed wood, but the patterned tabletop of this industrial dining table gives is that extra ‘something’ you are looking for.

Reclaimed wood dining table with spider legs

Add fabric dining chairs – adding upholstered dining chairs to an industrial dining table softens the edges and gives it a wonderful unique look too. Cream fabric dining chairs make the perfect complementary addition.

Hanging pendant light with reclaimed wood dining table and upholstered chairs

Spice up the lighting – functional it may be but that doesn’t mean the industrial kitchen and dining room cannot enjoy a sumptuous elegant addition in the way of lighting options. Pendant lights are just one solution and our Bordur white woodchip pendant light is a brilliant choice. Directing light onto the work surface, its practical function is not lost but the unique shade makes it an interesting choice.

In the industrial living room

The practical functional appeal of the industrial look is what attracted you to it in the first place, but it can have a touch of coldness about it. This is because many people leave out textures, assuming that rugs and cushions will add clutter to a style that does not welcome it.

The industrial glamour look is one aspect you could adopt for the industrial living room…

Rugs – a staple of any design scheme, for the industrial living room, opting for soft beige living room rugs will make all the difference. You get warmth underfoot, you get the warmth from varying texture in the space and you get colour without it jarring against the style.

A velvet armchair – against the industrial backdrop, the leather sofa is the ideal companion but if it all feels a little flat, adding texture in the shape of plush velvet is one solution for ‘lifting’ the room from the page. Plush green velvet armchairs will marry seamlessly with your sofa, leather or fabric, and will also add the hint of glamour and sumptuousness that we seek in the living room.

The industrial bedroom

Cool, calming and welcoming, the industrial style bedroom is a haven for de-stressing and unwinding at the end of the day. The industrial style bedroom oozes everything you need but for texture and warmth, you could…

Opt for reclaimed wood bedside tables that are made from lighter colour woods – beech is a beautiful light but warm wood that works well in the industrial style.

Use mirrors to reflect light in the room – mirrors are always a welcome addition to the bedroom, both floor and floor standing mirrors.

Don’t forget lighting for the bedroom too – our Sassa wicker bedside table lamps introduces the natural fibres of wicker, with a hint of both pattern and colour.