living room Archives - Page 5 of 31

Style tips to transform your coffee table

A coffee table is definitely a living room staple! But, it can be so much more than just a place to put the TV remotes and cups of coffee down on. Here we have put together a few ideas to create a perfect centrepiece for your living room.

First decide if your coffee table really matches the style of your room – a chunky sofa with a small elegant coffee table may not be the best combination for your room. Your coffee table should be in proportion with other furniture pieces. If you are going to splash out on a new coffee table try to get the proportions right.

To make the coffee table appear as though it takes up less room you can opt for a round wood coffee table. If you have a long sofa with two chairs opposite them you should choose a rectangular one. If you have a large room then a square coffee table will work with the room best. If you don’t have room for a coffee table then you can choose side tables or a nest of tables, giving your more free space when they are not in use.

Once you have decided what shape and size coffee table would work best in your room you can home-in on the style. A rustic coffee table is perfect for a traditional style farmhouse whereas an industrial coffee table would look as perfect in a loft-style room as it would in a suburban home – to bring in a stylish industrial element. A reclaimed wood coffee table is a beautiful and versatile piece of furniture and will look great in your room whether you have other pieces of reclaimed wood furniture in it or not.

Now let’s have a look at how to make the most of your coffee table and turn it into a stylish centrepiece.

Make it about you – You can add plenty of personal touches to your coffee table if you like to read books display some of your favourites on it, if you and your family enjoy games then have a chess board on it, if flower arranging is your thing then display a vase of flowers.

Less is more – Don’t overload your coffee table, a couple of things on top are all you need to add. If your coffee table has a shelf below don’t be tempted to fill it with books, magazines and other bits and bobs, if you need storage space in your living room add baskets on the shelf to keep things hidden or consider a trunk coffee table or a coffee table with drawers.

Style tips – Use the 4 step guide – 1, place something tall on your table, 2, something quirky, 3, something living like a house plant or flowers and 4, some books. Try to choose different height items, different colours and shapes to keep it looking original and interesting.

Use a tray to keep it looking ordered – If you do have a few little personal things you like to keep close at hand like TV remotes, glasses, a pen, drinks coasters etc. then put them on a tray on your coffee table – this will help consolidate these smaller things into one larger item helping it look less cluttered.

5 ways to balance a long narrow room

A long narrow room can be a bit tricky to furnish so here we have a few simple suggestions to make the space feel more balanced.

1 – Create a walkway

How you do this depends on where the doors are in the room but if you can have a clearly defined path going the length of the room it will allow the energy to flow better. A curved walkway through the room will emphasise the width of the room more rather than a straight one. On the practical side, you don’t want people stubbing their toes on pieces of furniture that’s in the way all the time.

2 – Don’t position all your furniture against the long walls

Do not be tempted to line all your furniture up along the long walls – the best way to create an illusion of width….is to use the width of the room! So you can position a leather couch against one of the long walls and place a chesterfield chair or an accent chair perpendicular to it, to help balance it out.

3 – Create zones

Zoning is a great way to deal with a long narrow room. You can section off areas using floor rugs and reclaimed wood furniture pieces to create the zones. An L-shaped sofa with a rug and rustic coffee table will instantly zone an area, perfect for sitting and chatting. If you place your sofa widthways in the room then you can position a desk at the back to create a small home office area, again you can use a floor rug to zone the space. If your room is a living room / diner then zone one area to be the dining space, using a round dining table will also help with the aesthetics of the room.

4 – Use the height of the room

To make the room seem wider you should use the full height of the room. A rustic bookcase will add a bit of balance in a long narrow space and will draw the eye to the height of the room rather than the narrowness of the room. Create a display on your bookcase of trailing house plants, your favourite decorative pieces and some books. Another way to bring some height to the room is to add an industrial sideboard, the fuss-free minimalist metal frame will give more of a feeling of space. Hang a wall mirror above the sideboard and place some tall table lamps or candlesticks on it.

5 – Bring in circular elements

Circular elements are great to use in long narrow spaces. You should opt for round floor rugs, a round nest of tables, rather than a rectangular coffee table, (this saves space as well) a round dining table in your dining zone. Choose a round pendant light over your dining table, round lamp shades, wall mirrors and artwork, a clock is perfect! All these round elements will pull the eye away from the straight lines of the room.

Easy ways to brighten a dark room

Grey fabric sofa in dark grey living room

A dark room can be a bit of a nightmare to decorate but chances are all of us have that one room in our homes that just always seems a bit dull. In this blog, we will look at some quick and easy ways to bring in some light and brightness! ☀

Dark grey living room with grey fabric sofa

In the dining room

A dining room is generally one of those places that doesn’t get used as much as the kitchen or the living room so a quick fix solution to bring in light, is perfect! In this room we think about the furniture as these will be the main elements in the room – dining table, chairs and sideboard. A rustic wooden dining table is perfect in this room but keep it light. The Dorset furniture range is our top pick – a beautiful reclaimed dining table top finished with a hint of grey sits atop a white painted trestle frame, perfect for keeping things light and bright. This is great paired with the dining benches from the same range or a mix of a bench and light coloured chairs. The white wood sideboard from the range will keep you perfectly organised and clutter-free. To add an extra splash of light, hang a wall mirror over the sideboard and drape some fairy lights over it.

In the living room

This is a room where we do tend to spend a little more time in and in recent years, a dark living room has become quite a trend. However, if a dark room is not for you then you should have a few more tricks up your sleeve to help brighten it up. Let’s start with walls – try to keep them light – crisp white is great, you can add some brightly coloured wall art. Direct your lighting onto the walls and ceiling as this will really help brighten the space. A light coloured floor – for this you can simply add a light coloured rug if you don’t want to replace the whole floor. Keep your window dressings light, and, keep your windows clean, something that is often overlooked but makes a big difference! Ideally, choose light furniture, white painted or gorgeous pale reclaimed wood. The rustic coffee table from the Chelwood Reclaimed Wood range is perfect with its pale wood and its no-fuss design.

Brightening a dark entrance hall

This is a dark space in many homes – hallways don’t often have windows and with a solid door not much light gets in, so this is a place where you may want to bring in some added brightness. A hallway can be a cluttered space with shoes coats, jackets, umbrellas, bags etc. all confined to a relatively small space – a hallway cabinet is a great investment to keep everything hidden away in. If space is limited then a simple rustic console table will give you a little storage space for a few essentials. Again here to lighten the space, keep the decor light and add a mirror over the console table. Dried flowers are making a huge comeback and would give a cheery splash of colour to your hallway.

10 Ways to Create a happy home

We have all been spending a lot of time within our own four walls of late, but now is the time to brighten your home, bring in the summer and make it your happy space once again. Here we look at some quick fixes to help you create a happy home

1. Embrace warming colours – is your colour scheme a bit dull? Do you want to add some bright accents? Lansford Dining Chair Saffron Dining Chairs could be just want you need to place around your rustic dining table to brighten up the space.

2. Fill your home with flowers & plants – these are proven to lift your spirits. Place a houseplant on a rustic sideboard in your dining room or a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the reclaimed wood coffee table in your living room.

3. Get a pet – we are absolutely not suggesting you dash out and get a puppy! Even a goldfish can have a positive health benefit, research suggests watching fish in an aquarium can help lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety.

4. Make your bed extra comfy – cosy up your bedroom with a mattress topper and new pillows. Finish creating a perfect sleeping sanctuary by getting a new bed throw and some new scatter cushions on your solid wood bed. You can use this opportunity to bring in a new colour scheme to your bedroom.

5. Treat yourself to something you love and that makes you smile – if you have a room that is a bit lifeless, dated or you’ve just fallen out of love with it, then have a good clear out and buy just one new piece of statement furniture. An industrial style dining table in your dining space will give you a whole new look and bring your room right up to date.

6. Create a happy entrance – place a decorative bouquet of your favourite flowers on a hallway console table, add some word art or put a photograph on the wall that makes you laugh.

7. Use a few basic Feng Shui practices to encourage positive energy – declutter the entry to your home to allow energy in, keep windows clean, place sofas and beds in a commanding position in the room, keep pathway clear in the home and bring plants in for energy etc.

8. Keep on top of clutter – have regular clear-outs and look where you can improve storage options around your home.

9. Create a happy corner – somewhere where the sun shines at the end or the start of the day or overlooking your favourite part of the garden. Choose a place that’s cosy and cossetting in any room, even on the landing you could add a velvet armchair to this space and take a few minutes out of your day to sit there and enjoy it.

10. Capture all the senses – as well as things in the home you like to look at think about the other senses – use a diffuser to enjoy a smell you love, invest in a good home speaker system to enjoy your favourite tunes. Surround yourself with tactile cushions, blankets and rustic furniture to touch. Taste: make a point of one night every week, one member of your household chooses their favourite meal and you all sit around the dining table to eat together.

How to create an indoor-outdoor space that flows

Outdoor patio with rattan sofa and large glass window

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

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

Wherever you can, choose natural materials

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

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

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

Think about walls inside and out

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

Match planting inside and out

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

5 ways to bring the great outdoors in

Green houseplants in living room with grey fabric sofa

Summer is getting closer and closer and we all want to make the most of being outside, topping up our vitamin D and enjoying the sun whenever possible. But if you don’t have an outdoor space then you really don’t want to feel like you are missing out. Here we have a look at some great ways you can bring the outdoors in.

1. Add plants & trees

Reclaimed wood furniture, such as a reclaimed dining table is a great way to bring wood into your home and just works perfectly with other natural elements like house plants and trees. It may seem a bit extreme at first but, yes, you really can bring a tree into your home! If you have a rustic sideboard then fill the top with greenery – house plants are proven to lift your spirits and reduce stress. Use rustic-looking plant pots in natural materials to give your room a garden feel!

Credit: Prestigious Textiles, Whisp Collection

2. Use natural materials

You should use materials that are found in nature whenever possible like wood, rustic wood, reclaimed wood, stone, wicker and rattan. Pots for your house plants that look like stone or baskets that are produced from wicker are another great choice. If you are lucky enough to have a reclaimed wood coffee table then go for natural granite or wicker drinks coasters. Leather frames look great on wall art and mirrors.

Reclaimed wood coffee table with white painted legs

3. Large windows

If you have the opportunity to change your windows then make them as big as possible. Of course, this is a bigger initial investment but it will be well worth it when you have a whole load of lovely sunshine spilling into your room. You could also look at changing a window for a floor-to-ceiling patio door, if you are in a flat above ground level you can add decorative railings so you can open them wide without the risk of anyone falling. If that’s not an option, keep windows clean and drape sheer fabrics so the outdoors is clearly visible and the sun can still filter in.

4. Choose nature-inspired artwork and accessories

If you wanted to add some wall art you could opt for a print of a tropical plant or forest scene. For cushions, get covers in a natural fabric with botanical scenes and pair with a matching sofa throw, or curtains to hang at the windows.

5. Introduce natural scents

We all like our living space to smell fresh and inviting to achieve this you can use fresh flowers, diffusers and scented candles to give a wonderful nature-rich fragrance. Try a few different aromas depending on your mood and go for gentle smells rather than strong scents that can get overbearing.

Spotlight: Introducing our new Eastwood collection

Rustic dining table with fabric dining chairs and white linen table runner

Our new Eastwood range is here and we couldn’t wait any longer to tell you about it! This gorgeous new range is characterised by the rich oak wood used to craft it and beautiful rustic furniture fittings.

For the dining room

This collection includes the perfect rustic dining table to suit any space from the monastery to the refectory dining table. The tabletops on all of these proudly boast natural markings and undulations which will bring a little history and individuality into your dining space. These tables really do match many styles of dining chair from plush velvet in a bold colour, to a neutral fabric dining chair. If you want a solid wood sideboard to match your dining table then there are two different styles to choose from, either giving you loads more handy storage in your dining space.

For the living room

Sideboards are traditionally found in the dining room – but nowadays we like to see them in the living room too – a whole load of hidden storage for books, children’s toys, your DVD collection and so on. The Eastwood range does not stop there when it comes to living room furniture. Put your favourite display pieces on the rustic oak highboard and match up with a wood coffee table from this range. For something stylish to set the TV on there is the perfect media unit.

Other pieces from the range

The Eastwood range does not end with just these home staples, to add some reclaimed wood warmth in your hallway you can choose the rustic console table – this also looks great in the living room behind a sofa with a lamp!

Quick ways to spruce up your living room

Brown leather sofa with industrial coffee table

With visitors allowed back inside, it’s time to show off your living style. Many of us have already been doing some much-needed re-decorating jobs in our homes but if not, here we have put together some ideas to quickly transform and update your living room ready for guests.

Rearrange the furniture

It’s amazing how moving a chair or large sideboard out of a room can make such a difference to the space you have. You can try your 3 seater leather sofa in some different positions in the room. Maybe you had to bring in a work-from-home-desk and had the kids in there with their toys for the last year or so. Now is the time to sort through what has accumulated and recycle / dispose of it or put it back in the kid’s rooms.

Restyle your bookcase or sideboard

If you have a bookcase in your living room you may have been using it to keep work-related items on – if you’re back in the office you can put these away now. Clear it of old books and add some decorative pieces or houseplants, so you’re turning it more into a display unit. Reclaimed wood shelves are perfect as they bring another element of nature into your living space and we all now know that house plants are a great addition to any room and are proven to be good for your health. If you have a sideboard then get a couple of new decorative pieces to stand on it.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Nordic Reclaimed Wood Sideboard

Repaint the room

We did say this was quick transformations and this is a bit of a bigger job but it’s amazing how painting can freshen a room. With the kids being at home more and as much space as possible being needed then you may not have had the opportunity to decorate over the last year. Now is the time, ready for welcoming guests! You don’t have to do the whole room either – you may just want to paint, or even wallpaper, one feature wall to bring in a new colour scheme.

Buy new cushions, throws and curtains

If you have a neutral leather couch then you can really play with different colour schemes to quickly give your room a fresh new look. Mix fabrics, patterns and colours to add interest, an accent velvet armchair in a contrasting colour is also a lovely feature in a room. The windows are another place where you can change things up a bit – get some new curtains in your colour scheme – or opt for some neutral blinds if you prefer a more minimalist style. The most important thing here though is – clean windows!

Change your rug & bring in some wall art

A floor can get to look a bit worn over the years, whether it is carpet or wood. For a quick fix, you can put a rug down to cover this up. This is also a good idea if you have a new floor to protect areas that are walked on more – again it is a great way to reinforce a new colour scheme.

Home heroes – the benefits of furniture with drawers

Rustic reclaimed wood drawer with ornate black metal handle

We all want an organised, clean, clear and clutter-free home, and of course, the key to achieving this is clever storage that is also easily accessible. So, here we will be looking at rustic furniture that is not only beautiful to look at, but also features handy drawers. Furniture with drawers is a must-have in our books – an unsung hero giving you a place to store and hide items you don’t want on show.

A sideboard with drawers

This is a great place to start – we all know the sideboard with just cupboards, it can be put in the kitchen, dining room or living room. But add some drawers to a large sideboard and you have much more versatile storage opportunities. Drawers are pretty much a must-have on a kitchen sideboard – essential for keeping napkins, serving cutlery and other smaller dining essentials in order.

Photo featuring: Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Coffee Table

A coffee table with drawers

A coffee table is a living room essential but add one with drawers and you have an excellent place for all sorts accessories, such as TV remotes. A coffee table is often a focal point in the room with the sofa and armchairs set around it. It’s a feature your guests will definitely see when they pop round for a morning coffee or evening drinks so make sure it is not cluttered with too many books, coasters and TV remotes. All you need on top of it is an eye-catching centrepiece and the rest can be neatly tucked away in the drawers.

Photo featuring: Farringdon Reclaimed Wood TV Stand

A TV cabinet with drawers

A TV unit is probably the second most important piece of reclaimed wood furniture you will have in your living room. Open shelves are great for consoles and Sky boxes but the TV cabinet holds so much more and you can hide all these bits and bobs away in a drawer. With drawers, you have plenty of hidden storage for all the unsightly media paraphernalia like spare batteries, remote controls/x-box controllers, instruction manuals, books and DVD’s etc. it will keep your rustic TV cabinet looking sleek and stylish rather than cluttered.

Photo featuring: Beam Reclaimed Wood Bedside Table with 2 Drawers

A bedside table with drawers

Essential for a calming bedroom, a bedside unit is the unsung bedroom hero. And if you are looking to replace your unit then please do consider a wooden bedside table with drawers. A place to keep reading glasses, a coaster for your glass of water, your current reading material and so many other things that tend to clutter up bedroom surfaces.