living room Archives - Page 3 of 31

5 Ways to give your home a New Year’s detox

We all make a renewed effort to look after our health and wellbeing in January, watching calories and alcohol intake, maybe joining a gym as we detox our bodies after the enjoyable excesses of Christmas. But shouldn’t we also detox our safe haven, our home? As well as focusing on ourselves, we like to focus on detoxing our homes for the new year. Here, we share four ideas of what you can do in the home to give it a refresh…

1. Physical clutter

We all know that having a cluttered home is not good for our wellbeing so it really is worth trying to keep it clutter-free. Even if you can’t do this on a daily basis (we all know life gets in the way of best intentions), then have an hour one evening during the week or over the weekend to clear around and put things away in their correct places. While you’re at it donate or recycle things that aren’t bringing you joy anymore and keep things that uplift you and make you feel good. Tidying expert, Marie Kondo advocates just this. She created the KonMari™ Method that offers easy but effective ways to help you avoid relapsing into clutter-ville. As well as her infamous folding techniques,the method uses a unique selection process of choosing to keep what sparks joy, which means you are not selecting what to discard but rather choosing to hold onto items that speak to your heart.

For most of us the place we tend to sit down to relax is in the living room, so when it comes to the home concentrate your efforts here. Create a sanctuary to recharge your batteries – the possessions you keep should only be what you need and what makes you happy.

2. Visual clutter

Some things need to be on show so we know where to find them and have easy access to them, but this needs to be balanced. If you have your books and favourite decorative items displayed on reclaimed wood shelving then make sure it is not overly cluttered. Stand back and look at it from further away – if it looks too busy you can take some items and put them away in a wooden sideboard and add some houseplants instead to make the display more visually appealing. The same principle applies to magazines on your rustic coffee table. Rather than stacking months worth of your favourite titles on the surface, stick to the latest three months and either store the rest in a drawer or recycle them if you’re never going to pick them up again.

3. Stay focused

As human’s we like to gather and so creating a central focal point in the room naturally relaxes us. In the dining area, this could be a show-stopping rustic dining table around which you can spend quality time with family and friends. Pair this with a reclaimed wood sideboard – very important to keep the dining room essentials neatly tucked away when not in use. The most obvious focus point in the living room is the coffee table so make it count. As we are talking about keeping the house (and mind) clear and decluttered, opt for a statement-making mango wood coffee table with storage.

4. Be bold

If you want to create a more dramatic refresh to a room, as well as keeping clutter at bay, introduce a bold colour into the space. Pick out features, such as a chimney breast or some decorative wall cladding to accentuate using a vibrant colour. This will give the room some wonderful personality and individuality without overfilling the space with ‘stuff’. Choose reclaimed wood furniture as this stands out wonderfully against a striking bold backdrop.

5. Let in the fresh air

The quickest and most simplest way to breathe new life into a home is to open the windows and doors and get rid of the stuffy air and toxins. We know it’s cold out there, but grab an extra jumper and let the fresh air in!

Our 2021 best selling rustic furniture of the year

As we come to the end of 2021, it’s time to reflect over the past year before we start anew. To ensure we are offering you the type of rustic furniture and reclaimed wood furniture you most covet, we look back at your most popular pieces of the year. From industrial dining tables to bedroom furniture let’s see just what your homes are proudly wearing.

Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table

Dining Tables

Dining tables are once again our top sellers. The popularity of the Standford Industrial Reclaimed Wood Extending Dining Table continues to rise – it looks as good as a contrast piece in a modern urban home as it does in a loft or rustic cottage. The Farringdon reclaimed wood extendable trestle table is particularly popular with families who are seeking a chunky solid wooden extendable dining table. This table looks especially great with the matching wooden dining bench – a practical choice if you like to entertain with room to fit more guests around the table. Another wooden table with bench that needs a mention is the Lansdowne Industrial. With plenty of other pieces in the collection including a wooden sideboard, with just these items you have set a stylish foundation for your dining room theme.

Standford Brown Leather Dining Chairs

Dining Chairs

When you are looking for seating for your dining room then the classic soft tan leather Standford is your top choice. These leather dining room chairs combine comfort with an industrial style that will complement many different interior styles and colour schemes. Perfect if you’re looking for a more rustic look the Allegro chairs were another top pick for the stylish dining room. Those of you who were looking for a vegan option fell head over heels with our Cleo faux leather seating collection – with benches and bar stools available as well as the faux leather dining chairs, all offered in tan or grey – we weren’t at all surprised to see this at the top of the list.

Dulwich Reclaimed Wood collection

Bedroom Furniture

The Dulwich reclaimed wood solid bed frame is a classic rustic bed that continues to be the popular choice. Many different styles are available but all feature a solid wooden headboard that has been handcrafted right here in the UK from reclaimed beams, which are often over 100 years old. As well as the Dulwich range our Winchester and Chelwood reclaimed wood collections also proved to be a bedroom essential in your homes. A reclaimed wood table at your bedside was your bedroom furniture piece of choice, adding not just essential storage, but warmth and character than only reclaimed wood can.

Chelwood Reclaimed Wood TV Stand

Living room furniture

Along with the ever-popular industrial dining table from the Standford collection many of you have decided to opt for an industrial look in the living room too. Our wooden sideboard from the Standford Industrial collection as well as the industrial coffee table have been popular choices throughout the year. Industrial furniture is so versatile – it can blend into any interior scheme and can be softened to create a warm inviting living space. A modern country scheme has also proved desirable this year, with our Chelwood reclaimed wood TV unit being one of our best selling living room furniture picks this year.

We’ve brought you are best sellers, now take a look at what our most read blogs of 2021 were. If you missed them, see our inspiration and ideas to discover some great tips and advice.

Our top 10 blogs in 2021 voted by you!

our top 10 blogs of 2021 as voted for by you

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

Our top 10 most read blogs

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

Credit: @av.home

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

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

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

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

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

Credit: Little Greene Paint Company

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

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

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

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

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

New Farnham – mango wood furniture with a difference

With all our new collections of sustainable mango wood furniture, it is really hard to settle on a favourite! But, if you like a bit of bling in your living and dining space then this has to be ‘the one’.

What is so wonderful about the Farnham mango wood furniture collection?

First and foremost this collection is crafted from solid mango wood – a sustainable wood that much like reclaimed wood furniture, is eco-friendly and kinder to the environment. What’s more, mango wood is actually a hardwood, like oak and mahogany, except it is fast-growing and readily available due to it being a byproduct of mango fruit farms.

Secondly, the Farnham Sustainable Mango Wood collection is absolutely gorgeous! If you are looking to create a luxurious look in your living and dining space by using on-trend rich and dark colours then this collection will bring in tonnes of glamour and brightness thanks to the brass detail that is both a stunning and unique feature of the collection.

For the dining space, you have a solid mango wood dining table – the tabletop of this has been left as solid natural mango wood that allows the beauty of the wood grain and natural undulations of the wood to shine through. It is finished in a dark honey colour making it look warm and inviting to diners. Rich blue velvet dining chairs look stunning alongside it with the blue complementing the sleek brass table legs effortlessly.

Sensational storage solutions – hidden golden gems

Hidden storage comes in the form of the wide mango wood sideboard which proudly boasts a contemporary design that pops out of the cupboard doors (one double cupboard and one single). The geometric hexagonal design is etched with brass and set within the wood to give the range a decadent finish and enhance sleek gold coloured legs. Another hidden gem is the highboard cabinet, a wonderful piece with four cupboard doors and brass handles in the centre that set-off the unique brass detailing in the wood – the perfect drinks cabinet perhaps?

You can continue the Midas look into your living space as well. The mango wood coffee table top features the same eye-catching geometric wood and brass patterning and for additional storage, you have a handy solid wood shelf below it. And don’t forget to include the wood side table in your living room – stand a contemporary lamp on this at the end of your sofa or pull it out for guests to use when you need a little bit of extra space.

The mango wood TV unit does not disappoint either – with two open shelves there’s plenty of room for the TV box and consoles. There’s a cupboard for hidden storage, a perfect spot for all the controllers and other TV paraphernalia when not in use.

And finally somewhere to put all those books and decorative items you like on display. For a contemporary look, the wooden bookshelf has some open shelves and some with a back all brought together on a stylish slim gold coloured frame… actually, you may not even want to put things on some of the shelves of the wooden display cabinet as they will obscure the beauty of the piece itself!

Find out more about Farnham Sustainable Mango Wood collection here or read about mango wood furniture and why it’s the sustainable choice for your home in our Mango Wood – how suitable is it for furniture blog.

Create a warm rustic living room with the Ringwood

mango wood coffee table next to dark brown leather sofa

A living room should be a cosy family room – somewhere to relax and unwind in front of the TV, play cards and board games with your favourite people, a place to quietly read a book as well as a social space to sit with friends over a morning coffee or before dinner cocktails.

You also want your living room to reflect your personality and style so this is why we have many different types of rustic furniture collections for you to choose from – the modern look comes from the Canford mango wood furniture collection, whereas if you like the look of industrial furniture then you can choose from the Standford reclaimed wood furniture collection or for rustic furniture then the new Ringwood living room furniture collection simply has to grab your attention.

The Ringwood collection is skillfully crafted from gorgeous honey-coloured, sustainable mango wood. It is produced in a way to make the most of the gorgeous wood grain that mango wood is renowned for, just what you need to create a warm rustic living room.

Just about every living room has a coffee table and we love the beautiful simplicity and clean lines of the Ringwood rustic coffee table where the gorgeous mango wood does all the talking. However, if you need to add some practical storage space in your living room (and who doesn’t?) then the storage coffee table with its slide open top and two drawers has to be your first choice. For extra occasional coffee tables then consider the wooden nest of tables always handy to have when visitors call!

For those times when you just want a little atmospheric dim lighting in your living room then make sure you have a lamp next to the Ringwood lamp table next to your favourite relaxing spot – it has a drawer too, handy for your favourite book, reading glasses and to keep remotes in one place.

Bringing your own personality to a living room is essential for a homely living space and the rustic sideboard or rustic console table is the ideal spot to display memorable photos and favoured accessories, again crated from solid mango using traditional carpentry methods to ensure each piece is as unique as it is beautiful.

Being a rich dark honey colour this living room furniture will bring a natural rustic warmth into your room that only real solid wood can – it will complement bolder and brighter colour schemes just as it will a calming neutral colour scheme.

Carry the same rustic scheme into your dining space with the Ringwood Sustainable Mango Wood Furniture for the dining room. Including a wonderful mango wood dining table with solid X-legs and a choice of three matching wooden dining chairs, read more in our Spotlight on the new Ringwood Mango Wood Dining blog here.

Cosy industrial living room TV ideas

Time to cosy up in front the TV

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

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

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

2. Choose an attractive TV stand

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

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

3. Balance out proportions

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

4. Blend TV in with living room

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

How to choose the best seating for your living room

Whether you’ve moved into a new home or just fancy giving your living room a bit of a revamp the type of seating you choose will be one of your biggest decisions, not to mention cost. Living room seating is generally a large expense so you really do want to get it right first time.

Style

This can partly depend on the style of house you own or are purchasing and, of course, your taste. You can by all means choose a very modern leather sofa for a more traditional house – rustic and modern do mix really well, or you may prefer to keep the sofa a classic style and add modern accent armchairs.

A leather Chesterfield sofa looks just as good in a more traditional setting as it looks in the modern living room – it is one of those classic pieces of statement furniture which is well worth the initial investment. You can pair this with a modern armchair which can easily be replaced as fashions or your tastes change.

Photo featuring: Oswald 2 Seater Sofa Vintage Brown Leather

Colour

Now is the time to decide on the colour of your sofa – do you want to stick with neutral sofa that will blend in? Or do you want an accent sofa to make a statement and bring some bright and bold colour into your room? If you are planning on something long term then I would suggest that you go for a neutral option and bring in your accent colours through cushions and throws….things that aren’t too costly to replace when you fancy a change!

Lifestyle

It’s a good idea to consider how you’re going to use your living room and what your seating is going to be subjected to! Take into account if you have pets that you like to have sat with you on the furniture – will they shed fur that will get into the fabric. Do you have young children? Or do you like to throw parties? If you think your sofa will get a lot of use then a durable hard wearing fabric may be is best or easy to care for leather. You could even opt for seating with removable covers that can be easily cleaned. If the sofa is in a secondary living room and will be used occasionally then go for something a little more delicate – the cream York 2 seater fabric Chesterfield sofa below could be just the thing.

Will it fit?

Draw a plan of your living room and see how your new sofa and chairs will fit in, remember to allow plenty of room for walkways and space around your reclaimed wood coffee table and make sure your sofa will not be too far from or too close to your TV – there is lots to take into account. If your room is small you can opt for a coffee table with storage or a wooden chest. You can also have a matching footstool that doubles up as a coffee table by putting a decorative tray on it to stand drinks on. Most importantly you need to be able to get the sofa into the room in the first place – double check if it will fit along any narrow corridors, upstairs or round any tight bends on the way!

If space allows it’s a good idea to have a combination of different types of seating. For example, a large sofa with one armchair or a smaller 2 seater sofa and one or two wingback armchairs.

Whatever you choose you can be assured that reclaimed wood furniture will look amazing with any style seating.

Create a warm and cosy living room for autumn

a rustic living room full of autumn warmth

The living room is one of those places that we like to feel safe, warm and cosy – the rustic style lends itself to this perfectly. Of course, rustic furniture will help set a theme but there are many other little things you can do to bring in a warm and cosy feeling as the nights get longer and colder.

The walls and ceiling

Make the most of any features you may already have in the room. Accentuate ceiling beams with clever lighting. If you have an alcove area by a fireplace then consider a rustic bookcase for your book collection or simply use it for showing off your favourite decorative pieces. Wooden wall cladding is also an option, you can go halfway up the wall all fill the entire walls – natural wood is always a good bet to warm up the room.

The floor

Rugs are the way to go if you want to cosy up a floor! Have a go at layering rugs on a wood or stone floor – not only will this bring in extra insulation but it looks great too. Start off with a large plain floor rug – a natural jute rug is perfect for this and then add one or more smaller rugs over the top. You can also use rugs in this way to zone your room and draw the eye to any features you want to highlight.

The fireplace

A fireplace is undoubtedly one of the most warming and cosy features you can have in a living room – make it a standout feature! If you are lucky enough to have an open fireplace then dress it up – paint the chimney breast a bolder colour or clad it in stone. Stand a basket of logs near it and of course put a rug in front of it – add one or two fabric armchairs to the sides for an instant cosy feel when you enter the room. If you prefer not to have an open fire in your house then consider a wood burner with a glass door and if that doesn’t work for you maybe an electric one will – there are so many choices out there now!

The furniture

Think about rearranging the furniture in your room to make it more cosy by pulling the leather couch up closer to the fireplace. Warm up a tan leather sofa with a selection of scatter cushions and throws, use warm colours like orange, red and burgundy in heavier fabrics like corduroy, tweed, velvet, wool and faux fur. A rustic TV stand, coffee table or wooden sideboard that has been produced from reclaimed wood will bring another homely and earthy element to the room.

The finishing touches

Dim lighting is another quick trick to creating a cosy room. If you don’t have dimmer switches then bring in a floor or table lamp. Fairy lights around pictures or mirrors are soothing and flickering candlelight is also an option. As we are talking about the senses you can also consider scented candles or use a diffuser to bring in a cosy autumnal or winter scent.

What do you add to give your living room a cosy feel for autumn? Leave a comment below and share your ideas.

Organise an end of summer clear out

With autumn (and winter) fast approaching we will soon be switching our wardrobe back to the winter one. Not only that, with the kids at home over the summer holidays clutter will have no doubt accumulated in many other parts of the house! With them back at school it’s the perfect time to have a good sort out and get rid of what you can, ready for spending more relaxed time in your home through autumn and winter. Below are a few ideas of how reclaimed and rustic furniture can help solve your home storage options in three spaces in your home!

Hallway

The hallway can often get cluttered, a place where items are often put down on the way into the home and left there! Of course, this is the first place people see when they come into your home so here’s your chance to make a good first impression. If you don’t have a shoe storage bench then now is the time to get one – it’s also a great place to stash away hats, scarves, gloves and umbrellas when the time comes. If you do have one give it a good sort out – these often get cluttered and really do benefit from a good clear out! You’ll be able to see what you need to purchase ready for winter and you will also know what you have already got, potentially saving you money!

Bedroom

This is the perfect time of year to declutter your wardrobe. Summer clothes that you have not worn this year should now be sold or donated to save cluttering up bedroom storage areas. Sort through your winter clothes as you put them back in your rustic wardrobe, think if you need or want all these items.

A wooden chest at the foot of your bed is perfect for off season clothes storage – as well as spare blankets and duvets. The bedside table is a place where small items often get tucked away – this is a quick job and will make you feel really organised!

Living room

The living room has most likely been used so much more during the summer holidays. No doubt there are still a few items that need to be put away! Take items that don’t belong in there back up to the kid’s bedrooms, have a sort out of coffee table drawers and get rid of any old books the kids have grown out of, review the DVD and music collection and decide if you need to change any decorative pieces in the living room.

A rustic sideboard is a classic piece of living room furniture and will help anyone struggling with living room storage to find a space for everything they need! They also provide you with a perfect opportunity to add an extra display area in your living space – on the surface of a sideboard you can display your favourite pictures, ornaments, houseplant or candlesticks.