Adding an aesthetic boost to the dining room

Adding an aesthetic boost to the dining room

For those that have a dining room, it can sometimes prove tricky when it comes to decorating it. Outside of the table and the chairs, there often isn’t much in the way of furniture to help complete a look and, as a result, it can feel like it can be more difficult to give it a strong aesthetic. However, the good news is that this isn’t the case. Here, we’re going to look at how you can spruce up your dining space with little effort.

Choose your table carefully

The table is going to be the piece of furniture that dominates the most space in the room and is naturally to where the attention is going to be drawn. To that end, you want to make sure that it has great impact. You can create an attractive, warm, natural feeling to the room by choosing a real wood table, allowing the rich colour and grain to add interest and texture to a room that may otherwise be a little plain.

Match it to your kitchen

In the minds of many, the dining room is simply an extension of the kitchen, even if there’s a wall and door between them. One way you can a little style is by removing this boundary between them. Even if you don’t however, you can match your kitchen’s look, by utilising the same colours and floor finish to create a pleasing sense of continuity.

Dining table centrepiece

Put your best on display

Do you have a lovely set of fine china or dinnerware? There’s a way to use them to create a beautiful display – even when you’re not setting the table. With the help of a sideboard you’ll love, you can put that crockery out on display. This is an especially good idea if you own a collection of decorative or illustrated plates that can act as a vignette in a part of the room.

Use the wall as your focal point

Sometimes there isn’t a lot to look at when you’re sitting at a dining table as you may not want to create clutter on the table. To that end, one of the simplest solutions is to make better use of your walls. A little splash of paint can work, but if you want to really draw the eye, you should consider a striking piece of wall art for the dining room.

Some flowers can go a long way

As previously mentioned, you don’t want to clutter the dining table; however, a centrepiece could be a welcome addition. Create a tabletop focal point using gorgeous houseplants, flowers and candles. It adds a touch of colour, scent and nature to the room. Also, a centrepiece won’t overcrowd the table when it’s spread with plates, glasses and cutlery during mealtimes.

The tips above are just some examples of how you can bring a little extra punch to your dining room. Do some digging and you’ll find plenty on your own, too.

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Home décor trends that won’t go out of style

Home décor trends that won't go out of style

Everyone likes to feel that they’re being on trend with their interior décor choices. However, it’s often the most ‘in vogue’ looks that are the ones to go out of fashion the quickest. You don’t want to spend tons of money on a gimmicky ‘improvement’ that makes your home look outdated in a couple of years. Below we’ll outline some of the home décor trends that, if followed, are guaranteed to stand the test of time and save you money on house sale costs should you ever want to do so.

Gallery wall of artworks

Wall finishes

The majority of home-owners and decorators can recount woeful tales of attempting to scrape 1960s wood-chip wallpaper off of walls & ceilings. The stuff sticks to surfaces like limpets stick to rocks! We’re not knocking all wallpaper – there are some beautiful and elegant ones from which to choose… but do so carefully. Some motifs are elegant and truly enhance an interior for the long term. Arts & Crafts pioneer William Morris, for example, designed many patterns back in the 19th century that don’t look out of place in the 21st.

People often knock magnolia emulsion paint, but it’s been popular for decades for a reason. It’s the enduring background colour. Paint a room in a neutral colour such as off white and it becomes the perfect foundation on which to build and layer your decoration. A gallery wall of paintings or mirrors or other flat-lay collection of items works best on a plain, vanilla backdrop.

White California louvred shutters on a window

Window dressing

Windows and their decorative treatment have a huge effect on an area. Revamping your tired windows and window dressings will transform and rejuvenate a space – internally and also looking back into the room from the outside. Replace fussy swag & tail curtains with something stylish such as window shutters.

California Shutters provides shutters to suit any type of home and interior décor style. Shutters can be made-to-measure, so will fit awkward shaped and sized windows. They’re available in a variety of top-quality materials such as hardwood or PVC, the latter being perfect for use in bathrooms and other damp environments.

You can choose from a full-service shutter installation or, if you’re a DIY natural, they provide guides and videos to walk home-owners through each step; including measuring windows, the ordering process and tips on installation.

Buttoned leather sofa

Furniture

If you’re in the market to renew your living room suite, stick to classic shapes in neutral tones. For instance, a brown leather chesterfield is timeless and practical. As a bonus, it’s very pet friendly in that it’s easy to clean and a bit of scuffing and marking only adds to its character. If you prefer fabric seats, opt for ones that are removable and machine washable. You won’t go far wrong with a plain, heavy-weight cotton; if you want an injection of bright colour or pattern, accessorise it with a throw and tonal cushions.

Real wood floor

Flooring

Carpet on the bathroom floor – who ever thought that was a good idea? If you want to inject some colour into a scheme, then there are some great options in vinyl and rubber. Real hardwood floorboards is always going to be a winner; hard-wearing, practical and attractive. They can be used in any room in the house, from kitchen to lounge, cloakroom to hallway. If you need it to be warmer of softer underfoot – for instance in a bedroom – simply put down plush mats or area rugs. If you do want to use carpet (but please, not in the bathroom) go for plain rather than patterned. The latter may be much better at concealing dirt and stains, but eventually it will really date a room.

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The delicate art of interior zoning

The delicate art of interior zoning

Due in large part to the fact that our homes have been host to work, play and everything between over the past two years, an interior trend labelled ‘zoning’ has risen very quickly up the ranks to become a designer essential. As its name suggests, this is a relatively simple design focus that prioritises the segmentation of either rooms or open-plan set-ups to better ensure attractive functionality. That all sounds great, but how exactly can you make interior zoning work for you when you’re next designing a space with these modern requirements in mind?

Under-stairs home office

# 1 – Develop clearly defined spaces

Zoning is all about defining spaces, making this, in itself, a logical first step for better enabling the management and oversight of your interiors. The modern, multi-functionality of most rooms especially requires a clear understanding of what you need from each space and how you can more clearly separate those functions. Let’s say, for instance, your spare room is doubling up as your office – the spilling over of office equipment/documents onto your side tables and guest bed will quickly unravel your interiors and the usage of this room in general. By comparison, a zoned approach that ensures all office paraphernalia remains on one clearly defined wall, enabling multi-functionality to operate harmoniously, ensuring that you get more from this space and saving you from having to scramble to get the room sorted out every time a guest overnights.

Room dividing bookcase

# 2 – Implement semi-partitions

Setting clear spaces in your mind can be a huge help for getting started, but visible partitions are perhaps the most effective and attractive way to bring zoning to life. Semi-partitions as seen most commonly in restaurants and offices are perhaps the most practical option here and can include features like low-cut kitchen islands, carefully designed gas fireplaces or even straightforward, well-placed bookshelves. The ability of these partitions to segment living spaces (e.g. no more dirty pots & pans on show in the living room!) can prove especially beneficial with open-plan living, making it far easier to draw design distinctions between connection and privacy.

Open-plan kitchen lighting

# 3 – Segment lighting circuits

Zoning most often refers to interior choices on the ground, but lighting also deserves a mention when it comes to open plan set-ups. Individual circuits that allow you to light each zone in turn are especially imperative for creating a more segmented living space that enables comfortable, appealing functionality wherever you need it without drawing attention to zones that you’re not using at the time. This is especially important in small spaces such as open-plan kitchen set-ups, where placing seating and cooking areas on separate circuits can create the impression of space, while easily hiding mess that will detract from eating ambience and vice versa.

Zoning is only set to become more popular over coming years as our homes continue to become more multifunctional spaces. Make sure that you’re at the forefront of this trend by taking these steps to perfect the art of interior zoning in no time.

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Get their look: Rustic gallery galley kitchen

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by @susiebluesrooms

We discovered this beautiful house on Instagram this week. Every room is delightful; decorated completely to our taste, with just the right balance of understated renovation, decoration, furniture, fixtures and accessories. It’s how we’d like our little rustic cottage to look… but it’s on a much larger scale.

We love the entire home; however, it’s the galley kitchen that is our favourite space of all. The kitchen and dining area are situated in a galleried space with a sloping, beamed ceiling. There are roof lights, dual-aspect windows and glazed interior door that allow in wonderful natural light from all directions.

Like ours, this galley kitchen is completely freestanding; the counter-tops, drawers, cupboards and other storage are all ‘unfitted’. There are a few lovely old shop & haberdashery counters with base cupboard space and/or drawers, a large glazed storage cupboard that sits on an even larger bank of painted drawers, a repurposed Victorian workbench and a metal vintage industrial set of pigeonholes. Oh, and one of the finest antique plate racks we’ve ever clapped eyes on! Acres & acres of storage space and they all come together harmoniously.

Get their look

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Vintage wooden board/peel
Vintage wooden board/peel
Vintage Moira Pottery stoneware storage containers
Vintage Moira Pottery stoneware storage containers
White rustic dinner plates
White rustic dinner plates
Smeg Classic Opera range cooker
Smeg Classic Opera range cooker
Antique pine plate rack
Antique pine plate rack
Antique pine housekeeper’s cupboard
Antique pine housekeeper’s cupboard
Green vintage industrial enamel ceiling pendant light shade
Green vintage industrial enamel ceiling pendant light shade
Vintage wooden board/peel
Vintage wooden board/peel
Vintage Moira Pottery stoneware storage containers
Vintage Moira Pottery stoneware storage containers
White rustic dinner plates
White rustic dinner plates
Smeg Classic Opera range cooker
Smeg Classic Opera range cooker
Antique pine plate rack
Antique pine plate rack
Antique pine housekeeper’s cupboard
Antique pine housekeeper’s cupboard
Green vintage industrial enamel ceiling pendant light shade
Green vintage industrial enamel ceiling pendant light shade