living room Archives - Page 13 of 31

Give your home a cruelty-free makeover

The message that the environment and our planet can no longer sustain our current choices is being heard by a growing number of people. There are many drivers, one of which is opting for a vegan lifestyle. Choosing products and items for your home that are cruelty-free and made from sustainable, environmentally-friendly sources is key. But how do you know you are making cruelty-free choices for your home? Just what do you look for?

1 Opt for ‘faux’ materials rather than animal skins

Leather is a superior material, hardwearing and robust but when the source of the leather cannot be verified – and that’s quite often the case – choosing faux leather is a better option. Just as hard-wearing and robust, it is hard to tell the difference between one and the other and so faux leather dining chairs will offer the same style and finish for your dining room with no harm to animals.

2 Choose reclaimed wood furniture for your home

Choosing furniture from sustainable sources makes sense at a time when the world’s natural resources are under pressure. Reclaimed wood furniture is made from hardwoods that have served a different purpose. Using skilled craftspeople, what looks like large chunks of wood and beams can be made into beautiful, stylish pieces from bedframes to reclaimed wood dining tables.

3 Use eco-friendly paint

The technology behind paint and the dying of paint is one that has developed enormously in recent years. Traditional paints, both gloss and emulsion, however, have tended to not only swallow a lot of natural resources but also a lot of energy too. Removing chemicals from paints has, in the past, meant the quality was not what we expected – until now, that is. Eco-friendly paints are low fumes but of the high quality that we expect, the perfect partner for reclaimed wood furniture.

4 Use natural materials from sustainable sources

We mentioned cruelty-free materials, but natural materials are also an ideal option. You need to be confident that they are from sustainable sources, however, and the people who grow, farm and process them are paid a fair wage. Rattan and bamboo are two materials that tick all the boxes. Fast growing, they can be harvested quickly and once dried in the sun, become incredibly strong. Their strength is magnified when woven together. With different colour options too and plenty of choices including rattan dining chairs and bamboo pendant lights. And don’t forget to dress the table with natural fabrics too, such as beautiful linen napkins and tablecloths.

5 Choose recycled glass items

Glass is a material that can be easily recycled and so opting for recycled glass wear in your home is also a great move towards sustainability. Who knows what life this recycled glass table lamp had previously, but isn’t it wonderful to think about?

Using cruelty-free and reclaimed materials in your home doesn’t limit your choice but enhances it. How will you make a start?

5 steps to hygge happiness with living room storage

Industrial style dining room with reclaimed wood coffee table and TV unit with a zig zag rug and plants

The nights are drawing in and whilst we’ll miss the glorious sunshine and warmth, there is something enticing about returning home on a winter’s evening to a snug and cosy living room. Make your living room extra cosy and appealing with these tips.

1 Keep blankets close to hand

Blankets and throws are perfect for the cosy living room for many reasons. They can add a dash of colour and texture with pattern but they are also a practical addition. Drape it over you as you snuggle down for the evening’s film or soap opera marathon to keep the chill at bay.

But there is the question of how to store them. Draped artfully over the sofa or armchairs is one option but can look messy. A reclaimed wooden blanket box is ideal. Keep your blankets in it until you need them but have a handy coffee table top for drinks and the like.

2 Add candles to your bookshelves

There is no better time to enjoy the gentle flickering candle flame than in the evening. Adding a gentle glow to the living room, candles on bookshelves add instant cosy appeal. Better still, opt for scented candles that allow a delicate fragrance to hand in the air.

3 Add diffusers for all day (and night) scent

Candles should never be left unaccompanied when lit but you’ll want a gentle fragrance to fill the room during the day. Diffusers are an ideal solution. Place these on your rustic coffee table or again, use the diffuser to adorn open shelving in the living room or on your sideboard. As you move about the room, its fragrance will be gently fanned around the space.

4 Opt for a coffee table with storage to hide the clutter

Whether it’s kids’ toys or a steadily growing pile of magazines and newspapers (or matches and other candle and fire lighting paraphernalia), hiding them from view is also a great way of creating a cosy living room landscape.

By hiding things away in a coffee table with storage, you allow your senses to alight on the important things in the room such as the feeling of warmth from the fire, the appealing gentle fragrance of scented candles and the welcoming warmth of cushions and blankets.

There are other options for hidden storage too such as footstools with storage. A leather footstool adds texture and a hint of luxury to the living room and its perfect for resting your weary feet at the end of the day. Equally as appealing and practical is a rattan footstool and can be used as a low-level side table too.

5 Keep lighting low

Layers of light work best in any room but in the living room, soft lighting adds the glow of cosiness you want and need. Switch off the main pendant light and enjoy the soft glow (choose warm white bulbs) in lamps on the rustic coffee table and side tables.

Make sure you don’t have dark corners or shady spots in the living room, however as this will detract from just how cosy the space is.

Let our tempting armchairs warm up your cosy nook

You may have swapped your flip flops for a cosy pair of slippers now that the chill of winter has set in but that doesn’t make it a dull season. Far from it. For many of us, the grey of winter is the ideal time to kick back and recharge our batteries. When the rain is hammering at the window and dark evenings long, who wouldn’t want to sink into a cosy armchair in a reading nook to enjoy the season’s best sellers?

How to create a stylish nook for reading, lounging and napping

The perfect reading and lounging nook needs to be an appealing space but it also needs to be practical with layers of soft light and warm textures and colours. The first place to start is with the armchair…

The armchair

The most crucial addition is the armchair. It needs to be supportive and to fit in the space (don’t forget to measure), and it needs to be your kind of style too. We have armchairs for every style and better still, they all sit beautifully nestled beside the reclaimed wood furniture within your home.

The traditional wingback leather armchair

It seems the best place to start simply because the shape of this leather armchair is synonymous with so many of our memories. Stately in appearance and posture, the gentle sloping back of the winged armchair is perfect for reading and napping. Supportive of your body no matter which posture you find comfortable, the tan leather will age beautifully as well. A worthwhile investment? We think so.

Traditional with a twist

If you feel you want to make a statement with your reading armchair, then look no further than the winged armchair made of tweet and leather. Based on the traditional shape of the winged armchair, it mixes the best of both worlds when it comes to fabric. There is the warm touch of tweed combined with the soft touch of leather. Dark in colour, there is a drama to this chair that makes it one of our favourites. We see it nestled next to a reclaimed wood coffee table complete with the gentle glow of a pendant light for winter afternoons spent reading.

Modern with plush velvet

If there is one fabric that entices everyone to run their fingers across its short, yet luxurious pile it is velvet, which is one of the reasons why the modern, deep seat of this velvet armchair is so very popular.

Its neutral colour makes it a joy to style with the right accessories and means it will maintain its appeal across all seasons. Surround with scented candles – the joy of a flickering flame and gentle scent hanging in the air – and a small side table for a glass of wine or warming hot chocolate to ease away the stresses of the day.

Scandi inspired armchair

There is something about this armchair that makes it worth more than a second glance. On the face of it, it is one of those fabric armchairs that has a hint of Scandinavian style about it as well as a nod to the modern style seen in the 1970s. Either way, it is incredibly comfortable, the deep seat enveloping you as you lower yourself into its confines. Why not include a footstool alongside scented candles, a table lamp and a side table.

Which of these cosy reading nook scenes lures you in?

Make your Airbnb home perfect for a Christmas getaway

If you’re planning on opening your home to Airbnb guests this Christmas, you’re not alone. As a company, Airbnb is growing with the UK market enjoying an upsurge. According to recent statistics, Airbnb rentals in Cardiff have exploded with a growth of 206%. And it shows no sign of slowing over Christmas either.

With this in mind, you may want to welcome Airbnb guests into your home this Christmas. We show you how to get your home Airbnb rental ready!

Decorate for Christmas

Just like you decorate your home, you need to add a few hints of festive cheer with some stylish Christmas decorations. In the dining area, if there is one thing that highlights the beauty of reclaimed dining chairs, a rustic dining table and furniture in general, it is twinkling lights and the flicker of scented candles.

Add a wreath to your front door and an elegantly decorated Christmas tree that lights up your home!

A note on scent – use musk flavoured scents for Christmas along with other warming notes such as pine and spices.

Food

Traditions vary from culture to culture but if there is one thing in common, is that food is a central part of the season. If you’re Airbnb guests are joining you Christmas dinner or a festive buffet, something that will come in handy is an extendable table. As well as reclaimed dining chairs why not invest in a reclaimed dining bench too?

Traditions

We’ve already alluded to Christmas traditions and so if you enjoy a festive tradition each year, why not ask your guests to pull up an upholstered dining chair and take part? Quite often, the main reason why people opt for Airbnb is to get closer not just to traditions and culture but the people too.

Be practical

Just like at any other time of year, it pays to be practical and organised for Christmas guests. As a season, it is one of the busiest and so you’ll need to be prepared well in advance.

Aside from a deep clean, you’ll also want to make sure that you have catered to your guests’ comfort. For extra guests, invest in a Selma foldaway bed that during the day is also a beautiful sofa. And take a look at the Compton velvet sofa bed too, another alternative that is both practical and stylish.

Up the ante when it comes to other stylish features too. The trends of Airbnb rentals show that people are looking for an experience in the home they are staying in, as well as the country and people too.

Reclaimed wood furniture is beautiful no matter what the style but the allure of being eco-friendly could be what sets you apart from other Airbnb rentals too. Aside from a reclaimed wood coffee table alongside the sofa bed in the living area, why not opt for a reclaimed wood bed in the guest room along with stylish accessories?

And finally…

Update your listing to make it an attractive proposition for anyone looking to get away from it all this Christmas.

Top tips for creating a warm and cosy home

Winchester Rustic Wooden Blanket box in room

Creating a peaceful, cosy haven in your home is about creating a space that appeals to all the senses. Inviting you in, there is nothing more pleasing than finishing the end of a busy day to find your house welcoming you home. Just how do you create such a space?

Scent

There is no denying the impact that scent has on welcoming us into a space. But during the winter, the scents that appeal to us vary from those of summer. That doesn’t mean that floral notes are not welcome anymore, but rather than a heady perfume, we welcome subtle notes.

As well as opting for the delicate florals of white candles, the deeper notes of musk can be just as enticing. But just as you vary the scent of the candles, vary their sizes too. Cluster large candles with smaller ones and enjoy the hypnotic, flickering flame in the evening and wake to the gentle scent of the best scented candles hanging in the air.

Texture

As well as scent appealing to the senses, plenty of different textures in the home also make it feel snug and cosy.

Plush fabrics are essential for the winter months. Sheepskin rugs, wool throws and blankets make a great addition and work well against a leather sofa, armchair and reclaimed wood furniture or even with a reclaimed wood coffee table, perfect for placing that hot cup of cocoa and favourite book.

Wool is enjoying a resurgence in recent years. Not only is it long lasting, wool is a natural insulator making it warm in winter and cool in summer. Invest in wool throws and blankets to keep your living room and bedroom the perfect temperature throughout the seasons. And why not add a wooden blanket box to keep them in too?

With so many patterns and colours, there is bound to be something to sit alongside your large fabric sofa or leather armchair!

Visual

There is a saying in cookery that we eat with our eyes first and when it comes to feeling warm and snug in our homes, there is a lot to be said about the visual appeal of the room.

As well as richer colours – who can resist a dark jewelled red or a rich, forest green for soft furnishings and rugs in the winter? – adding layers of light instantly add an attractive cosiness to a room.

Better still, layers of light work well in any room in the home, including the hallway and landing.

With lighting, it’s important to get the layers right. You’ll need practical lighting – the sharp, bright light for when you are working in the kitchen or cleaning the living room – and then you need ambient light, a gentle light that illuminates the room, plus in the background, a softer light that stops darks shadows and corners infringing on the room.

Pendant lights can offer all layers of light. Perfect for spotlighting the dining table, for example, a bamboo pendant light casts a pleasant shade. Clustered pendant lights or pendant lights fixed in a row make a great statement feature too. Choose natural materials, such as a jute pendant light, that will fit with any style from rustic to contemporary.

What other ideas do you have for creating a cosy, warm home?

Create a cosy reading nook with a Scandi twist

Autumn is on the doorstep and the promise of chillier evenings and crisper mornings are with us. It also means that we have the perfect excuse – not that we ever need one – to curl up on an autumn afternoon with a good book. What makes this even more of a wonderful thing to do is the surroundings in which we do it and that means getting the style just right.

The Scandi style is perfect for this. Clean lines with detail, rather than clutter, it still exudes a warmth that makes it a popular choice for many. So how to create a Scandi style reading nook?

Start with the comfiest armchair possible

The best thing about enjoying a chapter or two is that you get to physically and mentally relax in a soothing, calm space, perfect for allowing the stresses of modern life to slip away. But it means having a comfy armchair into which you can sink.

A leather armchair is perfect and with a light, neutral fabric colour you have the start of a Scandi-style reading nook. Choose one that is wide and generous in its proportions so that you can lounge whilst you read. Why not add a small footstool too, for when you’re lulled into having a little nap?

Start to frame the armchair

With your warm-to-the-touch velvet armchair in place, you now need to frame it in its position. This alone is what creates the standalone space that is clearly your reading nook.

A must-have piece of furniture is the Scandi reading nook is an oak side table. Its light colour coupled with the soft curves of its rounded legs make it a typical Scandinavian piece and ideal for resting your unfinished book and that large cup of hot chocolate that makes relaxing for a few hours so very pleasant.

Accessories

With the two main pieces of furniture in place, you can now start to dress the space, giving it a calming visual appeal, making it the perfect space to loiter.

The Scandi style is all about including neutral but warm colours, with natural, soft materials that make the space inviting and warm, without the clutter and fussy detailing.

A large grey rug is cosy underfoot, adding the perfect finish to your reading nook, along with these other accessories;

– Light – you’ll need to consider the lighting in the space. The best light by which to read is natural light, with shade from the bright sun. However, with light lacking in autumn and winter, a table lamp or a wicker pendant light would be a wonderful light solution.

– Mirror – decorative mirrors are ideal on two fronts: adding detail but also being practical by reflecting light in your reading nook giving it both a practical edge and a visual warmth.

-Senses – creating a calming space is about appealing to all senses and infusing your reading nook with a gentle, pleasant scent will make all the difference. Candles and diffusers fit the bill perfectly, adding fragrant notes without being overpowering.

With your Scandi reading nook in place, now all you need to do is find the perfect novel…

Meet the comfiest (and stylish) sofa bed

All our new collections receive a warm welcome but we think the latest addition to our expanding range will prove to be one of our most popular products yet – say hello to the Selma fabric sofa bed.

Impromptu guests or Airbnb

Opening our homes and extending an invitation to family, friends and guests to stay is a wonderful luxury. However, with all the best intentions, this often results is the lack of extra beds. With every room full to bursting, just how do you fit in more space for people to sleep?

Foldaway beds and sofas haven’t always enjoyed a good press. Poor in style and even worse for comfort, foldaway beds don’t tick any happy boxes. The Selma fabric sofa bed will banish these preconceptions.

Contemporary style with a hint of the Scandinavian that fits right into the suave industrial style too…win!

Aside from being comfortable to sit and sleep on, we fell for the Selma fabric sofa bed because of its looks.

There is more than a hint of stylish versatility to it that means it will fit into the contemporary style with its switched squares and play on lines and angles.

But, it also hugs closely to the Scandinavian style with its clean lines and minimalist appeal, as well as its grey and cream colour options, that will sit beautifully well in the Scandi style too.

It also dovetails with the industrial style. Again, it’s the clean lines, the neutral tones and the angles make it ideal for the industrial styled home or Airbnb rental property.

How to style it

Opening up into a small double bed, this sofa bed is ideal for the unexpected guest or as an optional extra in an Airbnb property.

By day, it acts as a comfortable and spacious fabric sofa – we would say a generously sized 2 seater sofa bed – and by night, it offers a comfy space for guests to lay their heads.

In terms of the industrial style, it’s a great foil for items from the Mitcham Collection. Against the Mitcham sideboard and the matching industrial oak coffee table, the modern sofa bed looks right at home.

In a room where space is at a premium, you could also opt for a side table with storage, ideal for guests to temporarily safely store their belongings. Add understated texture with layers of throws and complementing cushions, as well as a rug or two. In a small room, large living room rugs make great options for adding both warmth visually and underfoot too.

And don’t forget the accessories. As well as dressing the space with a lush green plant, we also opted for Rock pendant lights and stylish artwork.

Resplendent in its position…

… and in the versatility that it offers you for entertaining guests. Great at home, it makes for a great addition to your Airbnb rental or rooms too.

Multi-tasking sideboards with a rustic edge

The rustic style is based on the use of raw natural elements within a room, usually set against a white backdrop from which your chosen pieces can stand out. In the living room, dining room and the kitchen and the rest of the home, the rustic style is a popular interior design choice.

Within the scheme will be different items of furniture that are pulled together to bring a balanced, symmetrical appeal to a space. In the rustic kitchen and dining room, there is a particular piece of reclaimed wood furniture that ‘fit’ the style…… the reclaimed sideboard.

Why opt for a sideboard?

A combination of cupboard space and drawers or a simple cabinet, the sideboard is worth its weight in gold. Perfect for storing dinner service and other items, the sideboard is a functional piece of furniture that also helps frame the room and the dining table.

But what are the style options?

Small, simple, effective

A small sideboard is just as functional as a larger one, so don’t assume that you have to opt for the biggest you can ‘fit’ into the dining room. A white, slightly distressed look is perfect within the rustic dining room. The storage it offers is versatile too – two drawers and a two-door cabinet.

Natural wood colour

You don’t have to opt for white painted reclaimed wood furniture for a room to be styled along rustic notes. Plenty of wood tones look just as beautiful. Again, similar to the previous sideboard, a dark wood small reclaimed wood sideboard would be just as at home in the rustic style dining room, complementing the rustic dining table excellently. Lighten the room with plenty of ‘natural’ accessories, such as plants and bamboo. Ceramics and stoneware are equally a great addition in the rustic-styled landscape.

Charm in the details

We often think of the rustic style as having an unrefined edge to differentiate it from the farmhouse look. However, adding charming details is not off the list.

Cream and wood are a timeless, elegant combination, which you’ll find in this small rustic sideboard from the Worcester Collection. As well as being softer in its hue, the small details such as metal, half-moon handles on the drawers set it apart from the others, whilst offering the same versatility and practical storage options as other rustic sideboards.

Go large

If you have more space to play with, a large sideboard brings so much in terms of storage, but you want one that stays true to the rustic style. We love many things about reclaimed wood furniture, one element of which is the romance that the wood and its untold story bring.

This is never more visible than with this large sideboard from the Collette range. It has detail and character, a charm and elegance as well as an air of mystery with the markings it brings from its past. Again, within the rustic style setting, it brings function and form, perfect for framing with a reclaimed glass table lamp and, just as you would with a reclaimed wood coffee table, a beautiful piece of wall art or mirror.

Tips on choosing the perfect armchair

Bristol Leather and Tweed Sofa and Armchair

It is the spot that invites to nestle within its confines, shutting out the maddening crowd. You read here. You scroll through Instagram. You sit here, just thinking, enjoying a cup of coffee or a cold glass of white wine at the end of the busy day. Where is this? Your favourite armchair of course.

Choosing the perfect armchair is a combination of getting the right shape and size of armchair, as well as choosing a style that satisfies your personal choice. Here’s what you need to consider.

Get the right size

There are two ways of looking at this: you may want a bigger/wider/taller armchair to cocoon you in but you don’t want it to look lost or to swamp the space you have available. And so before you order your must-have leather armchair to go with your reclaimed wood coffee table, we need to be practical – and that means getting the tape measure out to decide if your chosen armchair will fit into the space. Don’t forget, you’ll need a small gap around the edge of the armchair so that it looks balanced and part of the room and not something you have shoe-horned in at the last minute.

To match or not to match, that is the question

In the living room, there is a certain stylistic elegance that people enjoy about armchairs matching the sofa. Bringing symmetry and cohesion to the living room, an obvious stylistic link – same shape, fabric, style and colour – between armchairs and the sofa makes sense.

But an armchair that is different in style, texture and colour to the sofa is no bad thing. But you’ll need a connection between your chosen armchair and the sofa. It could be colour, for example, pattern, material or shape. A brown leather armchair, for example, with a similar but not the exact same style as your brown leather sofa will complement it beautifully.

Get style savvy

Adding an armchair to any room will be a stylistic choice – your own personal likes as well as ensuring it picks out the key elements of your chosen interior design style. For example, the industrial style with a hint of 1920s glamour combines the beauty and sartorial elegance of deep shades with sumptuous materials like velvet, and the golden hue of gold or brass metals.

Glamour should never be underdone and so you could introduce an armchair in a different colour and shape into your living room but fuses effortlessly with your sofa because it has all the style elements. A bit like adding jewel-coloured fabric armchairs alongside your fabric, velvet sofa. But in a traditional style, such as the farmhouse or rustic interior design, a wingback armchair wouldn’t be out of place or the leather and fabric armchair combination that is one of our most popular chairs.

Frame it

We talk about framing furniture a lot in our blogs and we do so because it is important. It makes the difference between a collection of items in a room and a room full of style and connections.

Once you have made your choice of armchair, you need to give it supporting players. It could be a rug, for example, acting as a platform for your small armchair and small side table. Or you could use a slim bookcase instead of a side table, with a pretty lamp to illuminate the armchair. Create a relaxing atmosphere with scented candles or a diffuser.

Sit in it

There is no compensation for trying the armchair out for size and comfort. We have many in our studio – why not pop along to try out an armchair or two?