rustic Archives - Page 18 of 45

How a Rustic Bedroom will Help You Reclaim Your Calm

Rustic reclaimed wood bed frame with wooden blanket box and bedside table

Having a sanctuary to retreat to is more important than ever right now and the bedroom is the one room in the home where you can shut the door and find a moment of undisturbed peace. But if you thought calm and zen were plain and minimalist, you’ll be pleased to hear there are other more homely ways to create a pared-back, simplistic zone. The modern rustic bedroom is a cosy escape that brings comfort and tranquillity to our daily life in a natural, pared-back and simplistic way. Want to know how to create this fresh take on the rustic style? Explore our Winchester Reclaimed Wood collection to find out how..

1. The Bed

The choice of bed is without doubt the most important decision in any bedroom and for the rustic bedroom, the quickest way to inject some modern charm is with the Winchester Reclaimed Wood Bed. You’ll be sure to fall in love with the smooth lines and curves of this double wooden bed frame, king size double wooden bed frame or even super king size, as quickly as you’ll want to fall into it (and possibly never want to get out of!). The modern curves fit well with the texture of the old reclaimed wood, which is peppered with natural markings, notches and nail holes, proof of its heritage.

2. The Chest of Drawers

Arguably the next best piece of furniture in the modern rustic bedroom, both in terms of styling the room and the function it provides. The perfect piece to store clothes, sheets and blankets, a large chest of drawers is also a lovely spot to add some personal style to your bedroom. Dress with a table lamp, a plant (Lavender is great as it looks pretty and is known to relax and calm), maybe a framed photo of your loved ones and hang a mirror or piece of artwork on the wall behind. With its elegant curved drawers, the Winchester Reclaimed Wood collection of chest of drawers is fresh, modern and effortlessly rustic, with absolutely no rough around the edges. Go large or go tall with a choice of three sizes.

3. The Wardrobe

A well designed bedroom should always include a double wardrobe and for a calming rustic style, it should be a reclaimed wooden wardrobe. But this large piece of furniture can sometimes be guilty of dominating your modern rustic scheme.

4. The Bedside Table

Believe it or not, bedside tables are one of the first things you notice when you walk into a bedroom. Yes, the bed is an important part, but the right bedside table can balance out the decor in our bedroom. If your modern rustic bedroom is going to become the calming retreat you desire, you’re going to need somewhere to put your relaxing herbal tea, favourite book and reading lamp. We love the three curved drawers and smart pull-out tray feature of the Winchester Reclaimed Wood Nightstand – perfect for lazy Sunday mornings or an afternoon lie down.

5. The Blanket Box

And finally, the finishing touch to a calming modern rustic bedroom is a wooden chest to store your riches, and we can guarantee you will be sure to treasure the Winchester Reclaimed Blanket Chest. Useful for so much more than storing linens, this versatile little gem has been beautifully handcrafted from 100% reclaimed wood and features a curved lid design for a fairy tale treasure chest look.

Dress your rustic bedroom with natural fabrics and a neutral colour palette and it will ooze zen-like calm. What else would you add to make it your natural haven?

At home with Cassie Nicholas, Interior Designer

Congratulations on winning 2019 BBC 2 Interior Design Masters. What did you learn from being on the show?

Thank you! I learnt so much on the show from both the other designers and the judges. One of the main things I discovered is that I am more organised than I think I am. I learnt that meticulous planning and communicating to everyone in the team helps, but also to be able to adapt and change the plans as inevitably nothing ever goes quite as you expect!

What’s your philosophy when it comes to good interior design?

I think interior design is very much entwined with how a space can make you feel, as well as what it looks like. I believe good interior design, especially in your home, can make you happier. Within the home, the process of growing your space and interiors from pieces you find and collect can help to make it really personal. By not being too trend focused, you can create something more timeless and unique.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

Describe your signature style in three words?

Romantic, authentic, timeless.

What tips do you have for bringing sustainable designs into the home

There are so many ways to bring sustainable designs into the home. When I started designing it was not my first thought, but I soon realised sustainable design is just how I think inherently . As well as an interior designer I have been an antiques dealer for the past ten years. I love antique, reclaimed wood furniture and vintage pieces and feel I get so much enjoyment out of the hunt in finding them. It is extremely fun and not only is it much cheaper, but it also means these pieces have had another lease of life. Plus, you are bound to get a more individual home.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

We try and buy a lot of our wood for making furniture or shelving etc. from our local Bristol Wood Recycling project. We love going there, getting drawn in by fabulous pieces of wood and trying to create a project around what we have found.

You’re quoted as saying your style is based around authentic character and imperfect beauty. How do you incorporate that into your designs?

I don’t like things to be too contrived or overly styled and I want most decorative things to have a purpose and feel natural. I aim for each space I create to have a sense of the people that use it, whether it’s a restaurant or a living room, and be authentic to who they are rather than what trends they like. I think this gives spaces more longevity and can grow with the clients. Crisp perfectionism isn’t my thing. I love real age, patina and pieces that show their history.

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?

The kitchen. I work at the kitchen table, love to cook and socialise in here too. It is forever changing and it always reflects our everyday. It is my total haven.

Photo credit: Cassie Nicholas

Name three Modish Living products you are lusting over?

1. I love the classic feel to the Hudson Living Wycombe Dining Chairs. They could work well in so many different style interiors.

2. The Bordour White Woodchip Pendant Lights have a great look and I love that they are made out of waste timber! They are a great way to add texture to a room.

3. Linen is something I use a lot, especially at home. I love the texture it creates and how the colours change subtly when washed and used over time. I am always on the hunt for tablecloths and think they can really transform a space and table, making it feel very comforting, layered and cosy. I’ve got my eye on your Lovely Linen collection.

Do you have any design rules you never break?

No, I have tried my best to not to ever read what the rules are supposed to be, so I can just do things my own way.

Photo credit: Cassie Nichoals

What three things would you take with you to a desert island?

I am very practical, so I know I would want to build something. I think a saw would be useful, loads of seeds to plant some food and a radio, so I can still have some music.

Would you rather go back to age 10 with everything you know now or know everything your future self will learn now?

I think I’d rather know everything my future self will learn now.

Where To Spend & Where To Save with Home Staging

Home staging is an American concept that they have long used to sell properties. In a nutshell, it is about showing your home in its best light, suggesting the lifestyle the buyer could have if they bought your property. It sounds a good idea and simple enough, but spending too much and spending it on the areas can prove a costly mistake. So, what should you be doing to get the best possible price when you sell your home?

1 The kitchen

For many buyers, this is the room that can make or break a house viewing. A kitchen that looks dated and tired is not visually appealing.

The solution is not always to rip out and replace the kitchen, however. Replacing worktops, painting cupboards doors or replacing them, updating the tap and generally decluttering so the work surfaces are clear can make it look far more attractive than it currently is, without too much of an investment.

2 The dining room

Another important area. The dining room lost its popularity for a while with homeowners preferring the more socialable kitchen/diner set-up. However, in recent years its seen a bit of a come back and whilst a tired or dated dining room is not as off-putting as a dated kitchen, there are still some tricks to making it more appealing.

Declutter by getting rid of furniture if needed or putting it in storage so that buyers can see the dimensions of the room. Reclaimed wood furniture is very beautiful but furniture around every edge of the room closes it down.

With your reclaimed wood dining table, add a stunning centrepiece such as a floral display (great for colour and scent too!) and arrange the dining chairs so that the room’s accent is on the important bit – the dining table and the space the room offers.

3 The living room

Like the dining room, you need to place an accent on the dimensions of the space and what potential buyers could do with it if it were their own.

Thin out bookcases and the like so that the range of furniture in the room, from the wooden coffee table to the beautiful sideboard and display units, shine through.

When buyers can feel the space in the room by seeing the edges and the furniture that is in there, it will have the feeling of space and style that they are looking for.

4 The bedroom

Clever home staging is about drawing the buyer’s eye to the points you want them to notice.

Bedroom furniture that has the same style is key as it creates symmetry in the room, but you also want to balance it by clever placement. The large chest of drawers, for example, shouldn’t dominate the room as the reclaimed wood bedframe should draw the eye first – make sure you have the best bed linen for viewing day!

A rug can help draw the eye around the room and with key items such as a wooden blanket box helping to ‘hideaway’ blankets and spare linen, the room will have the feeling of organised space that people want.

5 The spare bedroom

And finally, don’t underplay the spare room by leaving it looking sparse. Make sure that buyers understand this space too. For example, a single bed with sideboard and a wardrobe and a small chest of drawers showcases the room perfectly.

With hallway rugs adding pops of colour and texture, the smallest and cheapest home staging tweaks will make a difference.

Create A Good First Impression – Hallway Focus

Wooden letters spelling home with a red heart for letter o

Spring has arrived! A sign of new life, it is also the time of year that most people who have decided to sell put their property on the market. But before you welcome potential buyers over the threshold, you need to make sure your property is ready – and that means every part of it, including the welcome buyers are given when they enter the hallway. So why is the hallway so important?

When people view a property, they come with a set of criteria, but they also need to fall in love with it. It needs to have ‘the feeling’ they are after and that’s why first impressions matter.

Styling your hallway is key and that means…

Decluttering – thin out the coats, the bags, the boots, the shoes and wrangle the scarves and gloves into a hallway storage bench so that the hallway is tidy. This also helps make it more appealing by giving a sense of space.

Make hallway storage a priority – no matter who buys your property, the hallway is a functional and practical space, something that you need to show. Emphasise its dimensions and functions with storage. There are many different hallway storage ideas, such as a hallway bench to a reclaimed wood hallway cabinet or narrow console table.

Hooks – if there is one storage item that can solve a range of problems in the hallway it is the humble hook. From coat hooks to a wooden shoe rack, the simplest solutions are often the best. BUT, just keep one or two coats per person in the hallway other it can look like a growing mountain of coats and jackets!

Lighting – a warm, soft glow from a table lamp on the hallway table, window ledge or console table is a must. Remember, to create the right impression you want to appeal to all the senses. Lighting helps the space to feel welcoming, as well as being a practical addition.

Gentle scent – a welcoming scent is important too. You can opt for a fresh flower display, ideal for perching on the hallway small console table or you could also light a scented candle (opt for a gentle floral scent). Similarly, diffusers also work well in the hall as their gentle perfume is wafted around as people move through the space. Remember to regularly turn the reeds, so they don’t lose their fragrance.

Mirrors – don’t underestimate the power of the mirror in the hallway. Perfect for reflecting light about, its reflective surface also makes the space feel bigger. But it also has another important role too and that is, ‘anchoring’ hallway furniture in the space available. For example, behind a piece of reclaimed wood furniture in the hallway, such as the console table, a large mirror hung a few inches above its top gives a sense of grandeur to the room but also gives the item a definite place in the order of the room. Try it – you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Alongside practical flooring – a hard floor with a hallway rug for texture and colour is great in this space – if the hallway ticks all the right boxes, the viewing will go from strength to strength.

Sleep with an eco-friendly clean conscience

We are all trying to do more to live a lifestyle that doesn’t impact negatively on the planet now or in the future. This includes the choices we make about the furniture we buy, where it comes from, whether it is sustainable and recyclable when we no longer need it. When it comes to furnishing the bedrooms, there is a growing choice of products that allow us to sleep with a clean eco-friendly conscience.

Eco-friendly mattresses

The pictures of tropical seas blanketed in a floating layer of plastic – from bottles to fishing nets – are truly heartbreaking.

But, plastic can, with vision and the right process, be broken down into material that can be reused in all kinds of applications, including mattresses.

The Seagreen Collection is made from a range of plastic products, such as bottles that fisherman ‘catch’ in the open seas. Made to a high standard, the pocket spring mattress is both comfortable but also at the top end of the recycling game.

The fabric covers and pockets are also sustainable materials that have wicking properties – in other words, you’ll be cool as you sleep, essential for a full night’s rest.

Hand tufted and hand stitched, these mattresses come with an impressive 9-year warranty and a 12-month guarantee.

Eco-friendly throws and blankets

Using the same materials – plastic bottles from our oceans – these throws are ideal for any bedroom. Adding a layer of warmth for chillier nights, the plastic is recycled and, using an environmentally friendly process, it weaved into a beautiful blanket that you’ll use time and again.

Adding texture and detail to the bedroom, these recycled plastic bottle throws are available in three beautiful colours – duck egg, blush and grey.

Reclaimed wood furniture for the bedroom

Hardwood was often used in buildings to add structure and strength as well as detail, and was used in the railways to build tracks. As modern life has evolved and alternative materials created, the wood has been salvaged and repurposed for our homes today. Master craftspeople turn it from an ordinary looking piece of old wood into something truly spectacular.

A heavyset bedframe bursting with personality, there is a uniqueness to each Beam piece that makes it perfect for the bedroom. Mellowing and developing over time, age creates a beautiful patina the older it gets.

Eco-friendly pendant lights and shades

Rattan and wicker bamboo are two similar materials. Rattan is a solid material whilst bamboo is hollow and can be flattened to make long, lithe pieces which can be tied together into a pattern.

When knotted and tied, these strong materials become even stronger, which is why they are used in everything from outdoor furniture to conservatory furniture, and light shades too. But, what makes them high on the eco-friendly stakes is that they are a genuine renewable source as they are naturally fast growing. Also, the manufacturing process of rattan and bamboo is quite simple, meaning it doesn’t require so many chemicals or energy.

Our Fenshaw Mango Wood Storage Bench with its hinge lid provides discreet elegance to a bedroom, not to mention a great place to store bed linen and blankets. Position at the end of your king size wooden bed frame or in the bay of a window and channel that colonial cool vibe. This eco-conscious accessory blends with any style room, from rustic or industrial to a modern farmhouse scheme.

Along with natural bed linen made from sustainably sourced fabrics, you can have a stylish bedroom and sleep comfortably, knowing you have worked with and not against the environment.

The Eco-Friendly Living Room Guide

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

Buy reclaimed wood furniture

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

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

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

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

Natural AND sustainable materials

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

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

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

Use non-VOC paints

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

Opt for recycled materials

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

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

Discover the power of LED bulbs

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

Add houseplants

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

A Modern Easter Dining Table

White hyacinth and card with handwritten Happy Easter

Christmas is a distant memory, but for many of us, it will have been the last time we had a proper celebration. Rectify this by planning an Easter feast and other delights over the long weekend! But this means you’ll need to create a stunning centrepiece – and menu! – to serve around your rustic dining table. We’ve got some great ideas!

1 Embrace the rustic woodland look

Nature so often has the answers and this is true any time of the year, but certainly at Easter. Spring is the season where everything comes back to life after winter and so use this as part of your Easter dining table decoration.

Collect the fallen twigs and when you lightly prune the branches of your trees and shrubs, keep some of them to make a beautiful and rustic display for your rustic dining table. Add small egg-shaped Easter decorations along with synthetic moss to give it an extra colour and texture.

2 Add white accents

We are used to Easter being about pastel shades as well as brighter hues, but if you feel you want a more neutral and minimal style to the table, using white accents will do just that.

From white serving wear to white accessories, such as a white tablecloth, you really can create a truly simplistic and classy looking dining table.

3 Invest in an extendable dining table

Family gatherings are fantastic, but not if someone is perched at the dining table on a wonky stool or your guests don’t have elbow room to enjoy the delicious meal you are serving.

So why let this carry on? Invest in a new table, adding your own Easter touches before your guests arrive. Extendable tables work well in any home – you’ll have the smaller size table for everyday, but extra space for occasions such as an Easter feast – as do round dining tables for being inclusive when you have a larger party to entertain.

As for seating, the best and most versatile dining seating must surely be the dining bench. Opt for a simple wooden dining bench that can double as a handy seat in the hallway or a plush upholstered dining bench, perfect for the industrial dining table.

If the dining bench isn’t doing it for you, then there is no denying just how comfortable fabric dining chairs are. Your guests will linger for hours… exactly what you want!

4 Use spring flowers

Spring is the time that the garden comes alive, but even if yours doesn’t have an abundance of flowers yet, you’ll find a larger selection of blooms at your local florist.

And there is nothing more welcoming to the eye, especially at Easter, than beautiful flowers as a centrepiece for the dining table. Or if you want to be bang on trend, create a display using dried flower options. Dried grasses and wild flowers have made a comeback with interior trendsetters swapping fresh bunches for dried bouquets.

But don’t just limit them to the dining room. Cluster flowers in vases on side tables next to your armchairs or sofa. They also make a wonderful addition to the console table in the hallway too.

Stylish Ways to Decorate your Home for Easter

Coloured mini eggs in white pot on reclaimed wood table

We decorate our homes for Halloween and Christmas, so why not Easter? With the coming of spring, we welcome colour and life back into our lives, so why not celebrate? Here are some tasteful decorating ideas to bring a touch of Easter joy into the home….

Easter tree

Winter brings some wild and windy weather, which means lying in the garden is sure to be a broken branch or two. Before you shred them into your garden waste, collect and trim them to arrange in a large, heavy-duty vase ready to decorate your hallway storage unit or reclaimed wood dining table.

There are many different ways you can decorate your Easter tree. You can buy shaped ornaments for the tree and you can make your own too. Wash the inside of broken eggshells and when dry, paint the outside using specialist craft paints.

Choose pastel colours including a cheerful sunshine yellow. When dry, arrange artistically on your tree.

By creating and decorating your own tree, you can choose the colours that best suit your interior décor and reclaimed wood furniture. But there is no denying that by adding pretty ribbon bows and colourful decorations, the Easter tree will make a fitting addition to any room.

Extend a welcome with an Easter wreath

The hallway is a space that sets the tone for the rest of your home and so an Easter wreath on the front door is a great way to welcome friends and family in. These are available in the shop, but for a more personal touch, you can make your own Easter wreath too.

Easter in a teacup

Using synthetic moss and some well-chosen decorated Easter ‘eggs’ or even mini chocolate eggs, create a simple and pretty botanical themed scene using teacups as the ‘planters’. Think about where you’ll display your crafts before you start. But this lush green display would look great on the living room sideboard, nestled next to your beautiful leather chairs or on a small console table in the hallway – you can then pinch a mini chocolate egg on your way out!

Make a spring statement

If you are unsure about introducing Easter colours into your home, then making a statement that spring has arrived is a great alternative. If your purple lavender isn’t in full bloom, you’ll find the artificial variety a fantastic alternative. As well as creating striking arrangements in vases for your storage shelves, they make a real impact on your reclaimed wood dining table. They’ll also bring a welcome softness to industrial furniture too.

Make paper blooms

You can be as artistic as you like when you make your own paper blooms, and as a family project, they are a great activity to do altogether.

Opt for subtle colours that complement your industrial furniture in the living room or dining room and for the farmhouse styled home, opt for nature’s colours such as pastel greens and yellow. If flowers are a little obvious, make paper birds and hang them from the ceiling for a contemporary spring decoration.

Use a cake stand for an Easter table centrepiece

Again, using a mix of bought items as well as those you can make yourself, using a vintage cake stand as part of your Easter setting on your reclaimed wood dining room is a great idea. Simple ideas are sometimes the best – wrap small boxes finished with ribbon and add painted eggs clustered around the edge. Finish with some gorgeous bright fresh flowers and you have everything you need to make a simple but joyful centrepiece.

Bunting

Nothing says a celebration more than bunting! Use pretty and bright hues to add some colour or if you prefer a more understated style, a pale yellow or white will still add a celebratory ambience to a space.

Why an Industrial Home Office Never Goes Out Of Style

Wooden desk with cup of black copy and notebook

The home office should be a comfortable, productive place to work. Style is, therefore, important. There are many schemes you can choose for your home office furniture, but the industrial style never loses its cool. Functional, practical and hardworking, it is a timeless choice that will last for years to come. Here’s how to give your home office an industrial-chic vibe.

Start with a neutral colour palette

The industrial style has a wonderful neutral backdrop to not detract from the typical industrial features that set this style apart from others. If you don’t have brick or steel work to leave exposed, opt for warmer but barely-there shades of very light cream or off-white. You could also stick with crisp white as this also helps the light in the room.

Choose reclaimed wood furniture

The industrial style is a sublime combination of reclaimed wood with cool steel and exposed brick. And so opting for reclaimed wood home office furniture, such as a reclaimed wood desk is a must. However, this doesn’t always mean a rustic or unrefined finish. It means opting for furniture styled to give it the ‘industrial’ edge that you are looking for. For a beautiful reclaimed wood table to leather office chairs, to storage solutions and display units, there are many options.

Get heavy with the metal

Metal is an important element in any scheme but whilst we are used to it being shiny and reflective, in true industrial furniture style you want matt or black metalwork. From the steel legs for a reclaimed wood industrial desk to an all-metal office table or storage item, the use of metal is a must.

Choose office storage that works for you

It is easy to be lulled into thinking that the storage solutions seen in the glossy pages of magazines and websites will be perfect for your home industrial office. Think through what storage solutions will work for you and then set about finding what suits your working needs best. From wooden storage cabinets to open shelving with baskets and wooden boxes, there are many solutions. But they only work if they work for you.

Play with materials

Brick is the obvious choice for channelling an industrial feel, but if you don’t have a red brick wall to expose, you can opt to showcase other industrial materials. Concrete is not just for car parks. And it doesn’t have to be grey and unfinished. Concrete, providing it is the right mix, can be buffed and smoothed to give it an industrial edge. Or why not cheat with concrete effect wallpaper? Add some wood touches and elegant lighting to warm the space.

Opt for pendant lighting

Lighting is key in any space but has extra importance in your working environment. That doesn’t mean you have to opt for harsh lighting or modern fittings. Choose a minimal pendant light fitting – the large metal bowl shade is ideal – and have them clustered or hanging individually in key areas of your home office, such as over your white desk chair or storage cabinets.

Stylish and functional, you won’t regret choosing the industrial style for your home office.