urban modern Archives - Page 2 of 3

Is a Oswald sofa the one for you?

There are many items of furniture that boast such a recognisable shape and design, that no matter what style touches it, it is iconic. No matter what you do the Oswald sofa, there is an unstated class and elegance, a nostalgic touch of yesteryear about it.

It has remained an option for consumers for decades and it seems, this is not going to change anytime soon. But we wanted to know what our fans on Houzz and Instagram thought.

We Asked, You Answered

We presented you with two images, one of the Oswald Sofa and the other of the Napier sofa, itself boasting a fairly iconic, modern shape – and we asked: “is the Oswald sofa reappearing in home interiors?”

Faced with a choice of two fantastic sofas, our poll clearly presented our followers with the toughest choice yet. On Houzz, the majority of voters agreed that Oswald was a piece making a comeback but there was a strong showing for Napier, a sofa that can be completely customised with Harris tweed to your exact requirements.

On Instagram, our followers made the opposite choice. The unfussy shape and finish of the Napier Harries tweed sofa pipped the Oswald sofa to take the crown – and by a considerable majority too.

But, are these two sofas so very different? How can we use them in our homes, no matter what our style?

Industrial Style

Some of the comments alluded to the fact that as a modern sofa, the fact that you can customise the Napier sofa was the clear reason why it was favoured. For many of us, this is essential.

In order for it to ‘fit’ perfectly, you can choose your own shade and pattern of tweed or moon wool, and throw in some leather too.

This means that no matter what your style, your sofa can be the standout piece or it will seamlessly meld with the rest of your home.

For example, take the industrial look – a fusion of the raw brick and natural materials, with a slice of the practical and functional – is a growing trend, timeless and classic. The Napier sofa would suit perfectly, wouldn’t it, in leather and plain wool framed by an industrial coffee table, such as the Oldham Coffee Table?

Modern Style

The modern style takes components from other design schemes and combines them to make a practical style, with an understated impact and function to it.

But here’s the thing: drop the leather Oswald sofa into a modern design scheme and hey presto! It looks just as much as home as it did in a stately home.

And so, what now? Choose your shape, choose your fabric and love your sofa for years to come, whether it’s Oswald or Napier.

Our top 3 best coffee shops in London

A recent survey suggested that Britons eat out twice a week and with Eating Out Week celebrating the best of British cuisine from November 18^th onwards, we thought we would take a look at the best coffee shops in London. But rather than just assessing on their menus alone, we thought we would add our own twist – we’ve chosen city-based coffee shops that are using reclaimed wood throughout their establishment. And we think this responsibly sourced backdrop adds beauty and ambience to any space, as well as supporting great menus and delicious drinks.

It was tough, but we whittled it down to three choices. The next time you are in the capital, why not pay these guys a visit?

Lumberjack, 70 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ

Good coffee is more than just about grounding beans and dousing with hot water. Flavour is developed in how the coffee plant is grown and cared for, but also how the community is cared for too. And that’s why Lumberjack’s, with its well-designed reclaimed wood interior, is on our list.

Lumberjack is all about the 3 C’s – coffee, craftsmanship and community, three things that we love too. It is a business that invests in people too, helping young people with employment opportunities whilst honing craftsmanship skills too. Who would have thought that buying a coffee could make such a difference?

Brew92

Brew92 is a specialist roastery and coffee company based in Saudi Arabia but with coffee shops opening in the UK, it is easy to understand the appeal. Liquidesign created the interior space and there is something appealing, not only about the speciality beans and coffees on offer but the mix of reclaimed wood with raw materials too. In effect, this is the industrial style at its best – functional and pragmatic, with brickwork meeting steel, with reclaimed wood softening the edges.

Artisan Coffee

And finally, we have Artisan Coffee who have four popular coffee shops in London – they can be found in Stamford Bridge, Putney, Ealing and East Sheen.

Alongside delicious sweet treats, the ingredients of which are sourced as locally as possible, this coffee ‘chain’ uses a single-source coffee bean that makes a delicious coffee, smooth and mellow, perfect for any time of day. But again, like the other two coffee shops, it is not just about the coffee, it is about the vibe.

As well as selecting playlists for the day, the people of Artisan Coffee also understand the importance of creating the right backdrop – and that flat-pack furniture is just not going to cut it. Enjoy the delights of reclaimed wood and detailed craftsmanship, as you enjoy a smooth and mellow coffee.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

There are amazing coffee shops serving a wide range of teas, coffees and beverages all across the UK, all with a fantastic backdrop of reclaimed wood and other materials. If you know of some, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us what makes their coffee good and why the reclaimed wood and materials are part and parcel of the vibe.

How to bring the coffee shop look to your breakfast bar

For any busy home, the breakfast bar is an ideal addition to the kitchen.

It can be a small piece of informal eating and socialising space that can develop ‘by chance’ with the addition of a stool and a small amount of worktop space. Or, as in most cases, the breakfast bar is a planned addition to the kitchen.

As functional as it is, as you would expect this form of seating is not devoid of style. From the industrial style furniture found in loft-living type spaces to the farmhouse kitchen, there is a style, look and appeal of the breakfast bar that will suit your kitchen.

So how do you turn your breakfast bar into something with a little more elegance and finesse?

Decide on Your Style

The breakfast bar complete with stools or high-backed chair needs to sit well within your current kitchen set up.

The aspect of any breakfast bar that turns it from the ordinary to the extraordinary are the stools that accompany it.

The Industrial Style

Industrial furniture is best suited to the industrial styled kitchen. Defined as where metals meet exposed brick with a hint of rough wood, the industrial look is a great choice. Clean and minimal in appearance, it doesn’t lack warmth.

For the industrial breakfast bar look, consider bar stools with metal legs but opt for upholstered seating. The industrial look barstool, for example, is the ideal choice with the neutral upholstery ‘fitting’ with any kitchen design.

The Farmhouse Look

Characterised by the use of wood, usually in its raw form for the rustic appeal or more refined for the farmhouse look, a pair of tall light oak bar stools fit the bill.

With a myriad of uses, these stools will be in the family home for years.

The Modern Look

The sleekness of the modern kitchen is to be admired, which is why you don’t want the breakfast bar stools to detract from the overall appearance of your kitchen.

These white breakfast bar stools are ideal, with the colour adding freshness to a kitchen as well as being practical to wipe clean sticky finger marks.

Stool or Chair?

You may have always stayed away from installing a breakfast bar assuming that perching for any length of time on a stool would be uncomfortable.

If you don’t want stools, there are a range of high-backed chairs that work well with many breakfast bar styles and user needs.

These rattan bar stools are ideal for morning, lunch and dinner at your coffee bar. Likewise, these upholstered breakfast bar chairs also have a winged side to them that makes them far more supportive to the lower back.

These upholstered bar chairs, complete with neutral shades of fabric, will look great in any kitchen or informal dining area but if you are concerned about the wear and tear in upholstery, then why not add the practicality and the luxury of leather breakfast stools?

A breakfast coffee bar as an informal space is perfect in any home. How will you dress yours?

A stylish desk that will make you love your job

Oldman Reclaimed Wood Orange Desk and Black Chair

Your office, be it at a workplace or at home, should be a reflection of your personality, just as the rest of your home is.

You will no doubt spend just as much time sitting at your desk, creating and innovating, as you do enjoy family and social time, whether it’s a small office desk or a larger piece you choose. So why settle for the ordinary?

Before we begin…

Clearly, when choosing a desk there are several factors you will need to consider. Some desks for home are work platforms suited to some tasks, but not others. You will also need to bear in mind not only function but dimensions too.

If you need a big desk – go for it! – but if the room is small, it will simply swamp it, making moving around your workspace a little difficult.

With function and dimension in mind, take a look at these stylish desks…

Simple and Customisable

Do you thrive on a tidy desk? Do you covet minimalism and no clutter? If so, this fully customisable reclaimed wood desk is THE choice. Stick with the white legs or choose from 52 colours to create a fantastic piece of reclaimed wood furniture, unique to you and your office.

Dual Workspace

Maybe you can spend time on a PC, followed by several hours poring over printed documents and the like.

This means you need a ‘dual action’ desk, and this L-shaped steel framed reclaimed wood desk is the ideal choice if you want a versatile working platform – a corner office desk you can truly spread out on. Still a lover of form, order and minimal clutter, this piece of reclaimed furniture will suit your love of the industrial look too.

A Lover of Detail

Elegant. Graceful. But still, with plenty of versatility and practicality about it, the Barclay reclaimed wood desk is easy on the eye. Great for when your working area is on display to others, there is an understated simplicity about this writing desk that makes her a firm favourite with many of our customers.

With three drawers with three handles on each, she is still a practical addition to your office.

Minimal with Detail

The Trondheim desk is a piece of rustic furniture that has an appeal all of its own. Take note of the gently sloping curves, the slender beauty of the corner legs and the sheer delight of the wood beneath your fingertips.

The cube shelf on the wooden desk is an ideal space to store small items, keeping your working platform clutter free, the basis for unfettered creativity at your desk.

If you like minimalism, with a hint of the modern and a nod to the past, then this is the ideal office desk.

Loft Living Magic

There is something refreshing and youthful about the Urban desk. With it faded painted finish, the drawer space and the expanse of the desk opening to reveal a handy storage space for papers and documents, this desk is ideal for those of us that want to work clutter-free but somehow always seem to accumulate papers and the like…

Romantic Industrial

This stunning black desk appeals to those with a heightened sense of creativity who enjoy the smooth touch of metal and the appeal of the industrial design. The Black Iron office desk is appealing in any workspace.

Make a Statement

Do you enjoy making a style statement? If you enjoy breaking away from the ‘norm’ and love beautiful things, then you will instantly understand the appeal of the Aviator desk… need we say more?

5 of the best dining benches for your urban modern dining

In any functional contemporary home, it is all about striking the right balance between style and practicality. Now with shrinking room sizes, in a room like the dining room, where a lot of us want to fit as many people around the table as possible, it is about finding nifty ways to do this.

The benefits of having a dining table with bench really does come down to the amount of people you can fit around the table. It is easier to squeeze an extra person around the table if you don’t need to contend with so many legs. Also, if you have lots of smaller children in your family, at times like Christmas, a dining bench is great as you may even be able to fit them all on one bench.

But not only are they practical, but a dining bench also looks really luxurious. If you choose a dining bench with a back, it is almost as if you have a sofa in your dining room and will certainly bring some comfort to dinner parties. Alternatively, if you go for simple wooden designs, they will tuck into your table and will create a sleek finish in your space.

If you love modern furniture, the understated style of the Cleo Grey Leather Dining Bench makes it the perfect addition to your home. The bench is designed to accommodate three people with ease and is finished with elegant wooden legs that would pair beautifully with a simple oak dining table. The best thing about this dining bench is that the mix of leather and wood means you can easily blend it with this classic dining chair style for the best of both worlds. The leather dining bench can also be ordered in other leather-like brown to really match your decor scheme.

Leather furniture looks great in any room for a more classic look. The Cleo Grey Faux Leather Corner Dining Table Bench would work to bring a little vintage glamour into an otherwise contemporary room and will bring comfort to the dining table too so you dinner parties can go on for hours.

The simply stunning Cleo Grey Faux Leather Corner Dining Bench offers luxurious dining room seating for midweek meals but is bound to be the centre of attention at any family gathering. The style of the dining bench would look great paired with any modern dining room furniture, with the understated style of curved edges as opposed to arms offering a neater finish.

The Newton Dining Bench is a perfect option for any contemporary home. The shape of the chair is ultra modern, contemporary style and bring a little more personality. The bench would look great with any reclaimed wooden dining table, especially with one with a unique or vintage inspired table leg. Because the bench will span across the entire length of most tables, a trestle style table with just the legs in the middle will work well.

To find the perfect dining bench for your home, take a look at the Modish Living website or get in touch with one of our team members.

Why dream of your perfect armchair? Create it!

bristol leather and harris tweed armchair for living room

Armchairs are the perfect accent chairs in any living room, and their size allows them to be fully versatile. If you have more space, create a reading nook; in a bay window, place two next to each other with a side table and a pretty lamp in the centre; place on either side of your fireplace for a classic, cosy finish; or place one facing your sofas as an accent chair.

Given how versatile they are, you probably want to look for the perfect one for you home so you can get as much enjoyment as you can out of it. At Modish Living, our bespoke design option means you can customize each part of your chair and make it exactly how you want.

When it comes to living room chairs, you have two options – go for a classic design which will work in any colour scheme, or go for a bright colour to add a pop of colour and a real statement.

High back armchairs are great. The Preston Armchair is a true beauty and the perfect fabric chair for your home.

If you are looking for a leather armchair, the classic style of a brown leather armchair, like the Edward Leather Armchair is perfect for any room. The stunning leather gives it a real stylish vibe.

For a different take on leather, go for the extraordinarily special Oswald Armchair Vintage Brown Leather which offers all the elegance and comfort. Wherever you put it, the Oswald Armchair is sure to turn heads.

To find out more about our bespoke design service, get it touch with one of our team members or find the perfect armchair for your home here.

Spend quality time with your children in the garden

With the summer months comes warmer temperatures and hours of glorious sunshine – or so we hope! – and that means getting out in the garden, enjoying the space it has to offer. This becomes all the more enjoyable with the comfort of one of our garden furniture sets.

Spending quality time with the kids in the garden is ideal for the summer months stretching out before you. There are many outdoor activities, from messy play to trampolining, that are suitable. And one great idea is cooking and eating outdoors with your kids.

Eating Outdoors

Eating together as a family brings many benefits. But preparing and cooking together is also a great bonding activity.

It is also a great way to teach kids where their food comes from and encourage them to try new things. Here’s some ideas.

Deconstructed Cheese Burger

Kids love burgers but the same old thing over and over again gets boring. Encourage your children to look at food differently with this deconstructed cheeseburger salad;

Enough burgers per person – grill or oven bake. Or, BBQ them. Whilst they cook, make the salad…

You will need:

Salad leaves – you choose! Watercress adds a peppery note, as do rocket leaves to a salad. Iceberg lettuce is great for any salad base and is light and refreshing. Chop and tear the leaves to create a luscious green bed of leaves.
Salad ingredients – add anything you like from chopped tomatoes to ribbons or carrot and kernels of sweetcorn.
Cheese slices or cubes – add these to your salad

Once the burgers are cooked, chop them into cubes and add to the salad. You can eat cooked burgers cold so you can bake the burgers earlier on in the day and make the salad for lunch or tea.

Pitta sandwiches

Another quick and easy lunch is to make your own sandwiches and enjoy a picnic in the garden.

You will need:

Fresh bread or ring the changes with pitta bread pockets.
Instead of butter, use a light cheese spread and have a range of options for your kids to try.
Grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives… you name it, entice your kids to try it. Include meats and fish, like tuna or smoked mackerel for a zap of flavour.

Alfresco Dining

Eating outdoors is such a wonderful way to enjoy the sunshine, especially with one of our beautiful garden furniture sets. Of course, if you don’t have garden furniture, you can also enjoy a picnic on the grass.

Get your kids to choose their favourite spot in the garden and set up your picnic or garden furniture there.

Bring out a blanket, cutlery and your favourite board games and enjoy an outdoor afternoon.

To encourage more alfresco dining, why not invest in high-quality outdoor seating and garden furniture sets.

It’s important to buy garden furniture that fits the needs of your family but bear in mind the dimensions of the garden too.

A small garden table works well for smaller gardens but also for creating a zoned dining area too.

Bistro garden furniture – available in different colours and seating formats – are ideal for any garden space, perfect for impromptu brunch.

Don’t forget to accessorise the outdoor dining area too. Solar lights are ideal for adding notes of interest (and much safer on an outdoor bistro set than candles!) and some can be incredibly bright too. Or enjoy plants in pots and other garden accessories on the garden ladder shelving.

Explore our full outdoor furniture range and get inspired!

Why allow your dog at the writing desk for Bring Your Dog to Work Day

bring your dog to office day - man working

June 23^rd is ‘Bring your Dog to Work Day’, a fantastic opportunity to introduce Fido to the office. Even if you work from home, having a dog loitering by your home desk bring many benefits alongside an ergonomic and stylish home office.

But if you think that taking your four-legged canine pal to work is just about being trendy, you need to know that there is evidence to suggest that pets in the work place make people happier and healthier.

So how do dogs take the edge off a stressful day at work?

1 They’re stress-reducing

Studies over the years have shown that humans interacting with animals reduce stress. By petting Whiskers the cat or walking Fido, the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin is produced which can cancel out the stress inducing effects of cortisol.

Frankly, spending just a few minutes in between tasks making a fuss of your pet is a great way to lift your mood too.

2 They increase productivity

The modern workplace, including the home office, can mean several hours a day of screen time.

You may be comfy in the best office chair at your modern desk, but health experts warn that breaks away from the screen and varying your physical position is important to maintain physical and emotional health.

A five to 10-minute break every 50 minutes of screen time is not a bad rule to follow, and is likely to be better for you than a 15-minute break every two hours.

With a puppy in the office, you could take a quick spin of the grounds to stretch their legs and your own too – the perfect working partner!

3 They improve bonding

A workplace can be a stressful place, fuelled by tension and unease. Working together with a unified spirit is essential for the culture of your workplace to be attractive to both customers, partners and, when you need it most, new talent to fill vacancies.

There are many thinks you can do to pull people together, from team building exercises to designing the office, complete with reclaimed wood desks and funky comfortable chairs.

But sometimes, you need something more – and that is where your pet dog comes in! There is nothing like a cute pet in the workplace to get people talking. Why not try it?

“What about health and safety?!”

There are of course, health and safety issues to bear in mind. So before you take Fido and hide him away under your contemporary desk at work, you need to consider the following;

Allergies – not everyone can tolerate pet fur, leading to sneezes, swollen eyes and other uncomfortable allergic reactions.
Fear – not everyone loves Fido. As hurtful as this may be, not everyone finds the eyes of your dog soppy or the dribbling cute. Some work colleagues could be scared witless of your daft puppy.
Dog-friendly amenities – it sounds great but, it may just not be feasible to have your dog running in and out of your small office desk and chair.

But with a few basic things taken care of, and agreement from colleagues, your dog could soon be enjoying your work too!

Complete your modern living room furniture with a luxurious rug

There are many benefits to using a rug in any room. No matter what style you go for, from the uber-modern minimalist look to the farmhouse living room, there is a rug for every style.
But why bother with a rug? Will it really help your room look better and does it really ‘go’ with modern living room furniture?

Lift the ‘Look’ of the Room
You have everything in place. Everything just as you want it. You have taken hours of research to find the contemporary furniture that creates the modern living room that is stylish and functional. But is there something missing? A rug can lift the look of a room. One way is by injecting a vein of colour that is eye-catching, but without starkness. This Atlantic blue striped rug is just one of many solutions.

Supports a key piece
There is a need for a rug to have the right dimensions, as much as there is for it to fit the space in terms of style, colour and appeal.
You may have selected an item of furniture, such as a black leather sofa as the focal point, the shining star that instantly attracts attention. You need to support this piece, whether it is a reclaimed wood coffee table with considerable age, a beautiful living room sideboard or a contemporary sofa that is simply delightful.
Wool rugs can support a piece. Match the colour of the rug and its style with that of the piece you want to support. A great colour for bringing out wood tones or contrast with the coolness of a marble coffee table is red, like this red patchwork rug.

Emphasise the space
The right size rug brings the room together. But it also needs to be the perfect colour.
This grey rug, for example, would look well in a space where the overall colour scheme if neutral but warm.

Create a focal point
The rug is an important addition in many living rooms because it is the focal point.
In order for any design scheme to be successful, there needs to be a reference point for the eye. Also known as a focal point, the rug is ideal because you can attract attention to it with shape, but with colour too.
Design and pattern can help it stand out too. The deep red of this rug, along with the emphasising grey swirls of colour is an ideal example of texture being added to a room with a red and grey rug.

Add Warmth
When interior designers talk about ‘adding warmth’, they are talking of adding texture to a space. The different textures of fabrics and materials stop a space being ‘flat’ and cold to the eye.
To add warmth, choose sumptuous fabrics and with rugs, this means a looser pile so that it caresses the toes.
The mix of chenille cotton and wool in a rug is luxury for the feet, ideal for adding warmth to your living room.

Adds a Twist
There is something delightful about adding a little cheekiness to a space, an item, a colour or a shape that is not expected.
Whimsical without being childish, a rug can add a sense of something extra to a space. As well as pattern, there is colour to play with.
This rug, with understate copper tones, would come alive in a space in front of a brown or black leather sofa.

Not Just for the Fireside
A rug was, and still is, commonly used to protect the floor in front of an open fire. But it is not just for the fireside.
With the right size, pattern and colour, it can be the platform that emphasises a piece such as a wood table or the beauty of a leather Chesterfield sofa.
Or it can be a piece of art work in itself…