living room Archives - Page 25 of 31

Need last minute party ideas for New Year?

With two weeks left of 2017, there’s just enough time to make plans for New Year’s Eve if you haven’t already. Here are a few of our favourite ideas of what you could get up to, and food you could serve up.

Stay in the Warm

Of course, there is nothing wrong with spending New Year’s Eve curled up on a comfy sofa to fit in one more Christmas film in 2017 or huddled around a rustic coffee table to play some games. If you want to make it a cosy New Years Eve party with all your family, bring together all the comfy chairs you can find, along with plenty of scatter cushions and throws for a cosy evening in.

If you want to make it into a date night, and spend time just the two of you, light some candles, mix up a couple of cocktails (or pop open a bottle of champagne) and simply enjoy each others company. New Year’s Eve doesn’t need to be expensive, or spent with anyone else at all!

With Kids

If you’re planning on staying in try and come up with ideas to keep your kids entertained. There are plenty of ‘hour by hour’ activity bags ideas to be found on the internet but the idea is to create bags with things to do for every hour until midnight. Easy, inexpensive ideas include supplies to make party hats, clues for a treasure hunt with a new game to play at the end of the trail, balloons to decorate for the big countdown, snacks, party poppers or party blowouts and a drink for a midnight toast.

You could even put the activities inside balloons and pop one every hour to reveal what they’ll be getting up to.

Alternatively, look to see if there is something going on in your local area. There are sometimes New Year’s Eve fireworks to be seen. Why not get wrapped up warm and go to see them with another family?

Host a New Year’s Party

There’s nothing like a New Year’s Eve party to bring in the New Year. Invite friends, family, neighbours or whoever you please to finish the year in style.

Make it easy in terms of food with a finger food buffet. Sandwiches, giant pizzas, quiches etc. are fantastically easy if you’re hosting for lots of people, meaning you can spend time with your guests rather than slaving over the stove. Alternatively, don’t cook at all – get your guests to come over after dinner! Whatever works best for you.

If you want to get everyone involved in a game, there are plenty of New Year’s Eve inspired games. Here are a few of our favourites.

Two resolutions and a lie: based on the popular icebreaker ‘two truths a lie’, guests have to try and figure out what resolutions people really want to achieve in 2018, and which one is a complete lie!

Race to the toast: players must race to fill their champagne glasses using only a teaspoon, transporting the champagne from a bowl into the glass. The winner is the first person to fill the glass and tap the glass with a spoon. You could even get the winner to give a toast to the New Year!

Beer/prosecco pong: depending on your guests, why not play this classic. Line the plastic glasses up like skittles at each end of the table (a glass topped one is a good idea for easy clean up), and split into two teams. Aim a ping pong ball at the glass and drink each time in lands in one. The first team to drink all their glasses is the winner. Its a great way to start a bit of competition, and an easy way to break the ice if you’re hosting people who don’t know each other.

How are you spending New Year’s Eve this year? Let us know.

The most popular Christmas decor ideas for 2017

With today being exactly THREE WEEKS until Christmas Day, it is the perfect time to start decorating. With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy trend report for this festive season to give you some inspiration. Whether you want to mix up your usual decorations with a few new additions, or give something completely new a try, here are the most popular Christmas trends this year.

Nostalgic Celebration

The joyful celebration trend is largely focussed on nostalgia and happy childhood memories and the things you once loved to play with. Add traditional folk art in bright colours, furry animal figures, trinkets from your Grandma’s loft – whatever makes you happy.

The style works wonderfully with handmade furniture complete with quirky features. It’s about having fun with your decor. Why not drape pine over the back of your chair and dangle cute ornaments, like the reindeer featured below. You could even add different ornaments all the way around – a snowman, a penguin Father Christmas – whatever Christmas means to you.

Traditional

If you prefer the look of comfy winged armchairs, reclaimed wood furniture and a cosy fire, almost like a wintery log cabin, perhaps a more traditional Christmas decor scheme is the way to go for you.

The traditional Christmas decor is all about using raw materials and focussing on high quality craftsmanship. Add earthy tones like brown, forest green and almond with a pop of red here and there to create that warming country Christmas you’ve been dreaming of. If you can knit, a stocking or two hung above the fireplace or perhaps even some knitted baubles on your Christmas tree would look gorgeous and are things you can pass on. Alternatively, if you can sew, how about creating a couple of embroidered cushions to pop on your armchair?!

Bring the Outside In

As for hallway decorating ideas, this trend is a great one – elegant, classic and sparkly – its a real people pleaser. This style is inspired by natural themes of water and ice and is all about creating an airy, delicate space with the use of soft linen, glass and metallics like gold.

Add pinecones and little bells to your Christmas tree to create a beautiful understated look. Make sure to add plenty of fairy lights to your Christmas tree, as well as throughout your home, create a magical display. Drape them around the dresser in your kitchen, around the handrail up the stairs, on the fireplace or around bed frames to turn your home into a modern, elegant Santa’s grotto!

Chic Geometry

Industrial decor has certainly made quite the impact on interior design in the past couple of years. Quickly becoming a firm favourite, ultra contemporary furniture with sleek lines and metal elements needs something equally as fun and contemporary to bring it to life at Christmas.

This eye-catching trend is about injecting strong colours and geometric shapes, as seen in modern art to create a powerful, modern Christmas scheme. Go for bright colours, or even a monochrome scheme to create the look adding items like terrariums, blocky wooden Christmas trees and angular tree decorations to make the most of this new Christmas decor trend. The Geometry trend is certainly one you can have some fun with!

And how about something more unique…

Pineapple Christmas trees are big news for 2017. A great way to add tropical flare to your dining table, there are so many ways you can use pineapples to decorate – and it’s a fairly inexpensive option too! You could hang baubles on the pineapple leaves, add lights or spray a trio of pineapples silver, gold and bronze for a fantastically unique display. Will you be giving this trend a go before it is relegated to a trend of Christmas past?

And what about a Christmas tree completely out of the box? A couple of years ago, when they first launched, many people were skeptical of the upside down trees, (and again last year when the world was introduced to half trees, the compact option perfect for small spaces). But they’re back again and they’re actually quite genius! A topsy-turvy tree may be the perfect option if you are looking to make a statement, or bring a modern twist to Christmas decor. And, as mentioned, if you are looking to save space to fit everyone in the living room on Christmas morning, or around the table for lunch, a smaller, half tree may be a fantastic alternative.

So what do you think? Will you be sticking to traditional Christmas decor this year or give something new a try? We’d love to know your thoughts.

Do you think dark wood is becoming fashionable?

Winchester Reclaimed Wood Dark Sleigh Bed

On the one hand, it can look dark and imposing but on the other, dark wood furniture can look superbly impressive. But for many years, we have tended to opt for lighter tones when it comes to furniture, from light beech to painted white items.

But is the tide turning, we asked? And once again, you gave us the answer.

We showed our Houzz and Instagram followers the Winchester dark wood bedroom, complete with resplendent sleigh wooden bed, and matching bedside table and dark wood wardrobe. We asked for your opinion: was this too dark and imposing? Or did it have the elegance and delight of yesteryear that turned the room from ordinary to extraordinary?

The majority agreed: dark wood is fashionable, and our Instagram followers weren’t so sure. Whilst many thought it is fashionable, there were many who believed that it should remained assigned to the past. We want to show people dark wood can look stunning and imposing, but for all the right reasons.

The Dining Room

A separate formal dining room may be falling out of favour, but the dining table isn’t. You want a dining table that is grand and elegant, and around which family and friends always feel welcome.

A large dark wood dining table you may think, is fit for a certain style of home. Those with a traditional style, with nods to bygone eras such as the ornate Georgian dining room but not for a modern dining space, where rambunctious children gather for snacks and homework.

For too long, we think that dark wood has been seen as too imposing, too dark and too ‘old-fashioned’. Using reclaimed wood, such as in the English Beam farmhouse style extendable dining table, you can see just how beautiful, elegant, robust and on-trend dark wood can be.

The Living Room

From coffee tables to nest of tables, there are all kinds of pieces that a living room needs to make it a stylish and functional space. Used well, this darker wood, industrial style display cabinet won’t cast a shadow in the living room.

But when we say, ‘used well’, what do we mean?

Colours

We know that darker colours absorb light which is why, in interior design, in smaller spaces, darker colours are used sparingly, if at all. And this is possibly why many people feel that using dark wood furniture is only suitable for larger rooms.

But with clever use of colour, dark wood needn’t take over. In the Winchester bedroom, the dark wood bed, wardrobe and bedside are the intended focal point of the room. The wall colour – a light, pleasant, barely-there sage green with crisp white glossed door frame – supports and balances the room. It is not closed in or dark. It is open, bright and beautiful.

The supporting colours on the bed – the taupe edged bedlinen, crisp white pillow cases and the dusky pink cushions – add further depth and tone to the space.

Texture

As well as colour, texture brings out the beautiful grain of the wood which is why the neutral tones rug and throw make such great additions. A white sheepskin rug, for example, would be perfect next to the bed.

Have we convinced you? Will you next purchase be a dark wood furniture item?

How do you decorate: with metal or wood accessories?

We posed yet another tough styling question to our social media followers. We really had no idea which way people would vote but unlike some of our other polls, the answer is quite definitive.

So, which do you prefer to accessorise your home with? Metal or wooden sculptures, objects and accessories?

The majority of our voters on Houzz opted for metal – twice as popular as wood – and our Instagram followers also opted for metal, again a choice that was twice as popular as wood.

But this doesn’t mean that wooden sculptures and accessories have had their day. The popularity of metal accessories is an indication of the current trend of interior design styles but with the right look, wood accessories can bring out the delight of wooden furniture, no matter what style you are aiming for.

Metal accessories

Another factor that may affect people choices is the time of year.

The festive season – as well as autumn and winter – are associated with sparkling items that reflect light around the home. With the night’s drawing in – by Christmas, sunlight fades by 3.30pm in most parts of Britain – we want accessories that maximise light in the home.

And, of course, anything shiny or sparkly fits right in with the Christmas theme and so this magnificent metal antler stag head, perfect for wall mounting in any room, is the ideal choice.

This stag head also fits well with both the rustic and farmhouse styles, two themes you may have assumed would only welcome wooden accessories into its folds. However, both are themes that embrace the outdoors and so anything that alludes to nature and wildlife is welcome.

This metallic bison head is a modern twist on something commonly associated with the deep west. It brings something different, raises a smile and certainly fits with many of the interior design styles popular today.

Wood Accessories

Wood is a beautiful material, no matter from what tree the timber derives.

But our reclaimed wooden furniture gives off a different vibe entirely. The scuff marks and blemishes, the undulations and the grain all give off a small flavour of its past, something that we think should never be lost or hidden.

Many interior design styles embrace wood as a component part of its theme, including the industrial style. Surprising, you may think, as when we think of ‘industry’, we think of metal and bricks, cement and tough solid features. But wood had its place in industry and thus, this rather fetching circular wooden accessory is the perfect antithesis to industrial furniture. Imagine it on an industrial coffee table or maybe a modern console table.

Of course, there is no doubt that wooden accessories fit with the rustic and the farmhouse theme (and be easily slipped into a modern style too!) but all that wood, you may think, can look too uniform.

The trick is to use various shades and timbers, as well as painted furniture. Imagine the rustic appeal of this gorgeous wooden horse against a painted sideboard in the dining room?

Even though there was a clear winner, do you think wooden and metal accessories could work in your home?

Great ideas on how to use a sheepskin rug

With its slightly deeper pile and more relaxed appearance, the sheepskin rug is an all-natural product that adds texture and warmth to a room. A commonly-used accessory in the Scandinavian interior design style, the sheepskin rug is a versatile addition to your home decor.

The Bedroom

Everything about the bedroom should ooze restfulness and calmness. Furnishings should be soft, deep and sumptuous. It comes as no surprise that the sheepskin rug belongs in the bedroom. Use it to frame the room too; use the large Icelandic sheepskin rug under the oak dressing table stool or enjoy the sensuous experience of your bare feet nestling in its long, warm fibres as you leave your bed in the morning or sink into its welcoming softness of a night time.

The Hallway

The hallways should not be devoid of detail and although the more fragile nature of the sheepskin rug would not marry well with the high foot traffic through the hallway, you can still use it sumptuous delights for colour. The hallway bench, a staple for keeping bags and shoes safe until the next time they are needed, would look divine with a sheepskin elegantly draped over it and would certainly make a pleasant seating point for when you need to wearily pull off your boots at the end of the day. A black rug would look so dashing and elegant in the hallway, don’t you think?

The Living Room

The living room is surely one of the best places for the feathery sheepskin rug to work its magic…

Fireplace essential – a rug in front of the fire has long been an accepted use of a rug and the sheepskin is no different. The warmth of the rug and the heat of the fire complement each other perfectly.
The armchair companion – the armchair is a welcoming fold of leather or upholstery but again, a downy rug of this kind allows you to sink into its softness. Softly drape it over the brown leather armchair to act as a warm layer beneath you, or enjoy its long fibres underfoot.
The coffee table and the rug – not a title of a book but a sure-fire winner when it comes to bringing the clean lines of the Scandinavian look to your living room. Soften the angles and edges with soft fabrics, using the larger king-size sheepskin rug as a base under the wood coffee table with a generous border for your feet too.
Rug or blanket – with the winter rain lashing at the window and howling gales menacing, you can always use the rug as a warm blanket for when you watch your favourite soap opera or sink into the pages of a best seller.

The Dining Room

There is room for the sheepskin in the dining room too, and not just on the floor. Why not use it as a soft landing for your derriere on the oak bar stools, for example? Or use it to add a layer of warmth to the dining bench.

Where else and how else would you use sumptuous sheepskin rugs?

What’s your top choice for a sofa?

We asked, and you told us! When it comes to sofas, there is often a choice between a fabric upholstered one and a leather one, or its synthetic equivalent.

We wanted to know what our audience thought and, so we showed three sofas, asking you which one you thought made the perfect addition to a living room.

The choice was tough as the two contenders were:

The Napier Harris Tweed sofa is simply stunning. Beautifully soft and robust, it has a charm all of its own.
Hot on its heels is the iconic shape of the Bretby leather Chesterfield sofa, a soft grey leather sofa that has a timeless elegance all of its own.

But which did you prefer – an upholstered sofa or the leather sofa? Did the best of both worlds hold water with those who were undecided?

But then we really put the cat among the pigeons by showing you the best of both worlds: the Regal Sofa, a mix of Harris tweed and leather, complete with the elbow-patch cushions.

What You Told Us…

It was a close-run thing. Our Houzz followers were split right down the middle, with half opting for leather, the other for an upholstered sofa. Our Instagram followers, never shy in coming forward, also presented a more or less even split although it has to be said there were a few more votes for the Harris Tweed Napier upholstered, just pipping the leather Bretby sofa into second position.

A Custom Choice

We think that our leather and fabric sofa does go some way in answering the dilemma that many people have when it comes to choosing a sofa. On one hand, leather is elegant and easy to keep clean but there is something warm and appealing about fabric sofas.

This is why we offer a custom service when it comes to some of our sofas. And the Regal sofa is perfect for those who have a foot in both the leather and fabric camp. Opt for a leather ‘carcass’ to your sofa, choosing to compliment fabric for the cushions and seating – just ‘click to customise’ to see how easy it is.

Or, if you know which material works best, you can customise that too in terms of colours and for some fabrics, pattern too.

Essentially, you want the sofa to set the tone of the room. Needless to say, it should also walk hand in hand with the style of your home too. Leather and fabric work well with all styles, from the homeliness of the farmhouse style to the beautiful brashness of the industrial look.

The reason is simple: we use natural materials. Moon wool, a description of high-quality wool fabric used for interior applications such as sofas and armchairs, and leather are natural products that offer so much in the way of warmth, style and practicality.

And so, in some ways, you don’t have to choose between the two. Both fit just as well with any style, including those of us in love with the Scandinavian style of clean lines and natural materials and fabrics.

Which do you prefer, the coolness, timeless appeal of leather, or the warm embrace of an upholstered sofa?

What is your number one option: Real or Faux?

With Faux Fur Day on 1st December, we thought we would look at our customers home decor preferences: real or faux materials.

Many years ago, wearing real fur was a sign of class, elegance and money. Today, the wearing of animal skin and fur is a contentious issue. And yet, people who denounce the wearing of real fur do so whilst wearing leather shoes, enjoying the warmth of leather sofas and dining chairs…

It is an interesting debate and, so we decided to stoke the flames, asking you, our customers, which you preferred in the home: real or faux fabrics?

As always, you smashed our expectations, showing there is a delicate balance between what is acceptable and what isn’t.

Real or Faux Leather?

Leather and its synthetic equivalent are popular materials. Easy to care for and wipe clean, both leather and vinyl are able to withstand the rigours of everyday use. With this in mind, we asked you to choose between faux leather dining chairs and real, brown leather dining chairs.

On the face it, both look the same and act the same, with only a small difference in price. So what were the results? Your response was divided: our Instagram followers opted for faux leather but our Houzz audience opted for real leather.

Leather is a by-product of the beef industry, a way of using as much of the carcass as possible. Whereas once it was very expensive, it is now within reach of most budgets. But, at the same time, manufacturing techniques of PU (or ‘poly’, meaning ‘made’) leather have improved enormously and this means that all the properties of leather, including a realistic grain effect, makes it a popular option.

That said, we have noticed a considerable increase in customers buying leather-clad items, from an Italian leather sofa to dining chairs. Maybe the robustness and warmth of leather are coveted, after all?

Real or Faux Fur?

The properties of fur are well-known and yet, when we wear it, people frown upon it. But we live in an age in which we are returning to natural fabrics.

Wool, for example, has anti-allergic properties, it keeps us cool in summer and toasty warm in winter. It too, like leather, is a by-product of the meat industry. Sheep and other ‘woolly’ animals are shorn in the spring, with their wool used in a range of products from wool duvets and bedding to items of clothing.

In the home, real fur, such as sheepskin rugs, are becoming popular because they are robust and long-lasting. With high-quality, well-manufactured large sheepskin rugs, shedding is minimal and that means it stays looking superb, for longer.

But what did our poll tell us? The majority opted for faux fur, with only a small number opting for real fur. And yet, the wool industry in the UK is gathering in popularity with many of us realising that natural materials do – and always have – offer us what we need. Our sheepskin rugs, for example, all made from real wool (it is treated to straighten the fibres and make the pile even more luxurious).

Is one better than the other? Each material, real or synthetic, have their pros and cons but as with anything in your home, it comes down to your preference.

The bright alternative of the classic rustic

The rustic style is a popular one. And no wonder, there is a welcome simplicity and warmth to the style that works in every room in the home.

Essentially, the key element of the rustic style is sweet wedded bliss between wood and other ‘raw’ or natural materials. Think stone, instead of brick, slate instead of tile. Think exposed beams and a colour palette that is neutral: warm creams and beige, offset by the beautiful patina of the wood. When colour is added, it takes on earthy tones – rustic greens and blues, maybe a pop of golden yellow or deep orange.

There is a sweetness and a charm to the rustic style but sometimes, we want something different. But here’s the rub: we want something different, but within the confines of the rules. It can be tough, but we have the solution: the Whiteleaf Collection.

A Collection for Across the Home

Continuing elements of the rustic style throughout the home means a welcome cohesion, a chance to wave clutter and fussiness goodbye and when it comes to the Whiteleaf Collection, the same is true…

In the Bedroom

A beautiful piece of reclaimed furniture, the hand finish to the Whiteleaf white bed frame is simply exquisite. Finished in India, the detailing on the headboard means that there is potential for uniqueness but without the hefty price tag. The wood is still a thing of beauty, sitting well within the rustic style without detracting too much from the key elements.

The Whiteleaf reclaimed wood wardrobe is a thing of beauty too, especially when used alongside the chest of drawers from the collection, of which there are two sizes.

In the Living Room

The main gathering space in the house can be full of love, laughter, hustle and bustle. As such, the style needs to be practical, without being bland, it needs to be charming without being fussy. And that is why so many of us love the rustic feel but ring the changes with the white TV cabinet. With handy shelving space and two smaller cupboards on either side, there is something pleasing about the detail that fits perfectly in any busy home.

Add a white blanket box too, to serve as a coffee table, ideal for hiding clutter when unexpected guests arrive…

In the Dining Room

The dining table is the place around which we gather – we entertain guests and we laugh, listen and console our loved ones – and so it is no surprise that we take so much time to choose the right one.

The White Wash inlay reclaimed wood dining table is elegantly simple, ideal for a busy home that has no time nor need for clutter, fuss and unnecessary detail. You can always add detail with a pretty table centrepiece and candles.

For the kitchen/diner or the large dining room is the Hoxton white dining table. The contrast between the painted white legs and the smooth, wood table top is divine. Reclaimed wood furniture has a charm all of its own so there is no need to cover it and fuss over it; let it tell its own story.

And so, within the confines of the rustic style rulebook, you can create your own version of this simple, elegant and charming style.

Rugs in home decor: how to get the best out of one

Louis de Poortere Atlantic Ocean Blue Waves Rug

Rugs have been a staple of interior design for centuries. They supply depth and texture to a space and add a welcome zing of colour.

But getting it right can prove tricky. Add too much colour and elements in the room jar against each other, but choose the wrong shade or hue, and the impact of the rug is lost.

If you want to add a bold-coloured rug to any room, this is the guide you need.

Start with the Rug

If you are redecorating a room, buy the coloured rug first and work the rest of the room around it. This means you will spend less time trying to make a rug work with the painted or papered walls – nigh on impossible – but it is much easier to mix paint to match a new bold green or red modern rugs.

Size IS Everything

When it comes to rugs, getting the right size means having the correct sense of dimension in a room – in other words, it means the rug looks like it belongs in the room.

A small rug can work in a space, it just depends on what you want it to do.

If you are using the rug as a central feature, it needs to make a statement. As well as bold design and colour, size plays a part too. Use it to frame furniture such as being the centrepiece between two sofas on which the coffee table sits. Or, if you are opting for a very large rug, it shouldn’t cover the whole room but leave a gap around the edge; this frames the room.

For patches of colour and interest, why not use a small rug under a side table? Small rugs also work well to bring an armchair and side table together. Again, this is because a rug frames the space.

ALWAYS measure the space so that when you order a rug, it is neither too big nor too small.

Material

There is no doubting that a rug is an investment and when you get the right investment – colour, size and material – it will last a long time.

Wool rugs are some of the most robust rugs money can buy, perfect for any busy home and ideal for the living room, hallway runners, bedrooms and more. It will take some quite serious use over many, many years before a wool rug looks jaded and tired.

For luxury and decadence, for the bedroom consider the soft pile of a sheepskin rug.

Pattern

Colour doesn’t have to be added with a plain block colour. Consider adding detail with a pattern such as this delightful striped blue rug or this vibrant, but lightly patterned red rug.

You may be wary of adding too much detail because you feel it limits your future redecoration choices but this isn’t always the case. With a clever pattern and bold colours, vintage rugs are simply stunning, and certainly versatile to work with a range of interior design styles and colours.

Be Different

Rugs are floor coverings, but they can make stunning wall effects too. Why not be different and hang a beautiful ornate rug on the wall, adding more detail and a dashing focal point to your room?