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The Latest Lighting Trends Lighting up our World

Cluster of bare bulbs hanging from ceiling

Lighting in the home is both a practical element as well as a tool for creating ambience to a space. From the hallway and the living room to the bedroom and beyond, choosing stylish lighting will be top of your list. But what are the current trends? From glass table lamps to natural materials, we take you through the top trends for 2020.

Natural materials are still hot

Last season, we saw the re-emergence of natural materials such as bamboo and wicker. Although many still think of these materials as a throwback to the 70s and only for outdoor furniture, they have proved their worth in terms of stylish pendant lights in recent times. In the coming year, with the emphasis remaining on making better decisions in terms of materials and their impact on the environment, bamboo and wicker will remain stylish options.

Recycled and reclaimed materials

Recycled and reclaimed materials will also remain top of the list when it comes to stylish lighting solutions in the home. Think recycled glass table lamps or wood chip pendant ceiling lights to complement your reclaimed wood furniture.

More refined industrial lighting

The industrial style is never far from the headlines, but as with all interior themes, there are always slight tweaks and changes to bring it up to date. This is true of the industrial style lighting coming our way this season. With a more refined edge, industrial pendant lighting still has its place in the kitchen and dining area. Opt for dining room lighting with a slightly retro feel about it.

Edison style bulbs

If you want to give your lighting a lift but without changing the fitting, you’ll be pleased to know there is a solution and it comes in the shape of Edison-style light bulbs. Mimicking the original light bulb, which was big, round and had a large filament on show, these bulbs make a great addition for kitchen pendant lighting as well as pendant ceiling lights in the hallway and table lamps too.

Mid-century modern lighting

The mid-century style is set to make a comeback in terms of lighting styles. However, this doesn’t mean hunting for a decadent chandelier. Instead, you are looking for pendant lighting that has glamour and the wow factors. Opt for pendant lighting that uses plenty of glass with a minimal fitting. Also, consider those pendant light fittings that are plentiful. In other words, clustered pendant lighting will work in any room.

Smart technology

If you haven’t joined the smart home technology revolution, then now is the time. There is some suggestion that smart lighting can save you money as you can switch off lights in the kitchen, hallway, bedrooms without leaving the comfort of the sofa ….

Better still, you don’t have to ditch your current light fittings. Simply get yourself hooked up with special bulbs and plugs, and your Google or Alexa home bug will guide you through the setup process.

Go with your own style

When all is said and done, lighting trends are only as current and popular if people like them and opt for them in their home. Make a statement – your statement – with lighting solutions that you love.

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!

Make the World a Brighter Place with Ju de Paula

With a passion for colour and a love affair with flowers, interior designer and founder of Blueberry Living & Co, Ju de Paula, is a joy to behold. We spoke with Ju at her technicolor home to talk colour (naturally), pattern and bold designs.

We just love the way you embrace colour and pattern! When did you first discover you had such a bright interior eye?

I was raised in Brazil and grew up surrounded by colour. My mum loved bright colours. Our house was very colourful, so it’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved interiors. I used to create furniture for my Barbie doll house when I was child!

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

Be true to yourself and create a space that reflects who you are. I think interior design is about a feeling. When I work with a client my overall goal is to create a space that makes that person feel good. This can only be achieved by understanding the personality of the person.

You’re from Brazil. How has that influenced your interior style?

My love for strong colours definitely comes from Brazilian roots. We are a colourful nation and embrace colour. We are also blessed with an abundance of sunshine and I love the sun. I always try to add yellow into my designs as, for me, it’s a way of bringing the sunshine in.

What’s the key to getting colour and pattern right?

If there is a colour and pattern you like then go for it, there is no key to getting it wrong if it’s something you love. Decide on how you want the space to feel or what mood you want to create and then choose a colour and combination of colours. Understanding the colour wheel is great for bringing shades together. Pick different tones of the same colour and layer them or contrasting shades, such as blue and green or green and pink can look fantastic together.

We’re as passionate about reclaimed wood as you are about bright interiors. What advice would you give to combine your colourful style with reclaimed wood furniture?

I love mixing aged and reclaimed wood furniture with colour. For me it’s a wonderful combination. Reclaimed wood adds soul and character to a piece, which is how I feel about colour too. If you’re working with a new or modern space, reclaimed wood and colour gives it an instant personality.

Name three Modish Living products you are lusting over and how would you style them?

1. I love the simplicity of the Chelwood Reclaimed Wood Dining Table. It’s all about the beautiful wood. I would style it with some large plants inside jewel coloured crackle glaze pots.

2. I also like the Portobello Oak Console Table. I would style it with a pair of colourful ceramic table lamps, some plants and add a large ottoman upholstered in a floral fabric under it.

3. The Sabrina Curved Velvet Chair in canary yellow is gorgeous! I would style it with a patterned fuchsia cushion and a floor lamp beside it.

How important is sustainability and eco-friendly principles to you and how do you aim to incorporate them into your designs?

I’ve spent my life upcycling, repurposing and reusing old furniture and fabrics, so it comes naturally to me. I believe we should reuse what we already have and change it to fit with the space or room. Sometimes you look at a piece and it just isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it; you can change it. This principle is not only good for design, but the environment too.

What makes you happy?

Simple things make me happy. Like holding a hot cup of tea, eating ice cream on a summer’s day or carrying a bunch of flowers.

Talking of flowers, what’s your favourite flower?

Dahlias! They have such a beautiful shape and I love the different layers and colours.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To see your fears as arrows pointing you in the direction you should go. Many of the good things that have happened to me in my life have been as a result of following this advice. It’s how I got a place on Interior Design Masters. It was a cold February day and I had just launched my new online interior design course. I looked up at the sky to ask the universe to give me a sign to help me get my course in front of people. I picked up my phone and an advert popped up on Instagram asking for interior designers for a new TV show. Now, I’m an introvert and the thought of putting myself out there on TV was frightening, but I didn’t want to be ungrateful. I had asked for direction and been given it, so I had to follow the arrows.

Being on the show opened up so many doors and opportunities for me professionally. I can now do what I love and help more and more people learn how to design homes that make them happy.

If you could be anyone for one day, who would it be?

This is a tricky question! I try not to compare myself with others, so there isn’t really anyone I’d rather be. I quite like me.

What’s your mantra for life?

It’s a quote from Brazilian poet, Mario Quintana – ‘Don’t chase the butterflies, look after your garden and they will come to you!’

See more beautiful images on instagram @blueberrylivingco

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.