katie.lacy@letsgetcoffee.co.uk, Author at Modish Living

Beautiful oak dining tables to suit all budgets

A quality oak dining table and bench set will give you years of service. Chic and elegant, it will remain the star of the dining room for as long as you want it but when your budget is tight, you may need to revise your plans! We showcase four of our oak dining tables at different price points proving that there is the right table out there at the right price.

Top end investment

Consider the decades that an oak table will last, the one-off investment will certainly reward you.

The Hoxton dining table comes in four sizes but there is something beautifully grand and timeless about this piece that makes it a firm favourite with many customers.

The lightness of the oak is perfect for the Scandinavian style dining room, although it would also fit perfectly in any style or when your tastes change – traditional, farmhouse and modern included.

The versatility of the table is not to be understated. You can see it here, styled by our customer and looking stunning with upholstered dining chairs. It would also work with a functional dining bench too and of course, leather or faux leather dining chairs shouldn’t be forgotten.

Two choices of an oak table at the mid-range price point

In the mid-range price point we have two beautiful but fairly distinct oak dining tables;

Square oak table

The Mitcham square industrial dining table with its ‘spider leg’ framework is one of those pieces that will never regret buying.

Perfect in the smaller dining room, open plan Scandinavian living room or in the kitchen diner, there is something satisfying about the square oak table top with the metal framework beneath. Team with equally delightful leather dining chairs and similarly styled dining room furniture for symmetrical appeal.

Extendable dining table

Again, it is a purchase at the mid-price point of your budget that you won’t regret investing in. the Hudson Wycombe extendable dining table will see you through many dinner parties, Christmas dinners, birthday means and will grow and shrink as needed with your family and activities. If you truly love the Scandinavian furniture and style, then you will be hard pushed to leave this behind in our studio.

Fantastic value without compromising on quality

Affordability is the name of the game when it comes to this beautiful oak dining table, also from the Hudson range and perfect for those who have a keen eye for the warmth and functionality of the Scandinavian style.

Quality is no less, however, and so when you pack your family and friends around this 6 seater dining table, you won’t be disappointed by its performance nor style – nor the many, many years of service it will give you.

Again, when practicality is the priority, team it with the matching dining bench but when style and comfort take over, this oak dining table will seat equally as comfortable in the company of upholstered dining chairs.

We understand that for all our customers, the price is a consideration but we also know that quality and buying products made from sustainable materials and managed resources are equally as important.

How to add charming farmhouse style to the living room

The ‘farmhouse’ decor style is perfect for decorating living rooms – full of character, cosy and warming, it perfectly combines classic shapes and tones with imperfections (often associated with the highly contemporary industrial style) for a surprisingly stylish overall appearance.

Originally, farmhouses were decorated with whatever was practical. That means whilst style is important, nothing should be too delicate or showy – it’s a style which is functional first.

So make sure to think about the items, or farmhouse furniture, that you need to make your living space work for you. Do you need a reclaimed wood coffee table providing space for books and games, for example? Or perhaps something which provides tonnes of storage – like a sideboard?

With farmhouses traditionally being practical, consisting of whatever could be found, matchy-matchy style isn’t really something which is associated with farmhouse style – in fact, that’s part of the charm. Opting for furniture which looks great together but doesn’t necessarily perfectly coordinate is exactly the look you should aim for with farmhouse style.

For example, the wooden table top on this farmhouse coffee table looks wonderfully chic paired with this light wooden ladder, whilst not matching exactly. Speaking of adding a wooden ladder – they are fantastic decorative pieces for a farmhouse living room, reminiscent of the traditional orchard ladder which may have been used to pick apples, whilst doubling up as a space to pop cosy blankets.

Beyond functionality, think about how you can add texture to your living room. A large beige rug is great for many reasons.

In open plan spaces, a floor rug will section out your room to create a cosier feel in your living room. But it also adds interest and a pop of colour or texture – perfect against the sometimes harsh-looking wooden floors.

Fabric armchairs are also great. This simple grey studded armchair offers timeless style with a highly contemporary twist which you’ll love for years to come. Pair with something slightly different to maintain the imperfectly-perfect style of farmhouse style like a fabric and leather Chesterfield sofa.

And what about your walls and flooring? There are plenty of options, depending on how much inspiration you wish to take from farmhouse decor. However, a popular trend at the moment is painting floorboards bright wight. White floorboards create a great contrast against wooden furniture and also really help to brighten up a space and keep it feeling airy.

Have you got any reclaimed wood furniture pieces already in your living room which would be absolutely perfect for creating a farmhouse inspired space?

Practical styling tips for your beautiful reclaimed TV stand

Love it or hate it, there are times when the TV pulls the family together. From watching the latest must-view box set to enjoying a blockbuster film, there is no need for the TV to be bland and dull. In fact, with these reclaimed wood TV storage units, you have options for bringing yet more sublime beauty to a room.

Rustic drama

Characterised by the less refine working of the wood, there is a rawness to rustic reclaimed furniture pieces that we find attractive. But when overdone, it can look coarse. As a result, sliding in elegant pieces allows the star pieces to shine. The rustic charm of this TV unit is not lost against the elegance of the beautiful cream, buttoned sofa.

And so let’s begin our journey through our three favourite TV stands with the rustic style and this excellent example of a reclaimed wood TV storage unit from the Kensington Collection. Simple but with a definite rustic edge, the Kensington reclaimed wood coffee table is the perfect match.

Add refinement and elegance with a cream buttoned velvet sofa with its curves and sumptuousness. Pull the whole look together with the Louis de Poortere Salt and Pepper rug, complete with a faded traditional design.

Effortless with a hint of the dramatic, this rustic styled set will be perfect for any home.

Industrial delight

If there is one style that is perfect for every home, it must surely be the heady combination of materials, finishes and colours that make up the industrial look. If you don’t want the TV to be the dominant addition in the living room, the thing to do is to offset its size and impact with the furniture. In other words, people notice the beauty of this industrial TV stand and the piece surrounding it, rather than the tech.

The sparsity brings a certain appeal and for the TV unit, this slimline TV storage unit is ideal for anyone seeking industrial furniture delight. Again, emphasis harmony in the space by using an industrial coffee table to create an interaction between one piece and another. Ring the changes, however, to stop the matchy-matchy look by using a different shape. The nest of round coffee tables is perfect, don’t you think?

The comfort of the brown leather sofa is highlighted by the beauty of the faded beige rug underfoot.

Contemporary chic

Combining elements of contemporary with traditions gives a warm finish to the living room. The slight rustic edge to this two-drawer reclaimed wood TV unit is ideal for when you have smaller items you want to hide away. Drawer space is handy, after all, for stopping the remote from wandering down the back of the sofa…

Maintain the warm tones of the wood with the Chesterfield brown leather sofa complete with matching leather coffee-table-cum-footstool.

Patterned rugs bring a welcome infusion of colour. The cooler blue tones in the rug are the perfect foil against the warm tones introduced thus far.

Reclaimed wood furniture in any guise is a sheer delight but we think when used as the tech-centre in a room, it takes on even more beauty. Do you agree?

How to beautifully style sideboards with wine storage

They are the perfect addition at any time of the year but the sideboard with wine storage comes into its own during the festive, party season. Just how can you style this must-have reclaimed furniture piece so that it shimmers through all seasons?

In the dining room

A recent addition to our range is the Kensal Collection, a collection we chose for its modern, Scandinavian appeal that offers so much. The sideboard is a common feature in the dining room – makes perfect sense to us! – and so Kensal sideboard with wine rack looks perfect alongside the console table from the same range.

Balance the symmetry in the dining room with an extending dining table from the same range. Use industrial style dining chairs to add a hint of the unexpected – these wire-framed back chairs, with leather seating is just one example. Or, you can add more than a note of decadence with upholstered chairs if you feel you want to add both a different texture.

The dining room rug is an essential piece, the platform on which everything is held aloft and we know that the drama of the mineral black rug from the Lois de Poortere collection is more than perfect.

In the living room

Whenever we look at reclaimed wood furniture and other pieces, we exam just how versatile a piece they are – not every piece should be pigeon-holed – in other words, a sideboard with wine storage isn’t just for the dining room.

It has all the elegance you would expect of a piece for the living room and with the many practical elements of this large sideboard with wine rack, again from our new-in Kensal Collection, you can see why is it ideal for the living room.

As well as a rack for wine, there is a cupboard for spirits and mixers complemented by a drawer for other items that really don’t need to be on display.

We have paired this sideboard with the patchwork blue rug, a colour that we love with a brown leather armchair. The oversized metal wall clock is the ideal accessory that is neither lost not over the top.

In the open plan living room

In an open space, you have more options when it comes not just to size but the detailing too. In effect, you can go for more and it still looks understated in the space. Of course, the sideboard with wine rack, like this large sideboard with cupboard and drawer space, can also be used as an item for zoning the space.

The reclaimed wood coffee table on wheels is also ideal in a larger space because again, the chunky metal frame and its generous dimensions won’t swamp the room. Against the beautiful sideboard, there is a connection rather than a competition of ‘who is best’?

The note of change in this scheme is the addition of a grey sofa – you may have been expecting brown leather – but we think the neutrality of the grey allows all the pieces to stand out, a factor that is aided by the grey rug.

Get ready for holiday season with a beautiful drinks cabinet

The festive season is on the doorstep and that means one thing – Christmas parties! We love a get together with family and friends but we love hosting them more. And that means sorting out the drinks cabinet ready for the planned parties and the ad hoc ‘one for the read’ parties that we are bound to have in the coming weeks.

Don’t have a drinks cabinet? Then this is why you really need to take a look at making this your must-have purchased this holiday season.

1 Great for entertaining

If you enjoy hosting parties as we do, then a fully stocked drinks cabinet will make your life so much easier when it comes to the planning and hosting of a festive get-together.

Not sure what to stock your mini-bar with? We have some great tips;

Start small… – and that means making sure you have the basics in place including a good range of mixers, as well as the main spirits and drinks people tend to ask for.
Simple is better than… – having all those drink bottles lined up and no idea how to mix the cocktails that people are asking for.
Don’t forget… – the dressy bits like the glace cherries and the slices of lemon, all of which can be placed in dishes and popped in your drinks display cabinet before the party starts.
Invest in… – a range of glasses that will be perfect for the cocktails you are about to serve as well as the G&Ts heading your guests way.

2 Fits right in

You may have visions of a drinks cabinet being a large piece of furniture without any real style or character.

Of course, if you are placing the drinks cabinet in the dining room, you will want to look great but not outshine the reclaimed wood dining table with leather dining chairs that take centre stage, and quite rightly too.

The Bahamas wooden drinks cabinet is a stunner in its own right but perfect for the traditional styled, farmhouse or even rustic-style dining room next to a rustic dining table. It may be called a ‘drinks cabinet’ but what we love about this is the fact that when the holiday season is over, you can turn it into a dining room sideboard.

3 Great in the living room

The drinks cabinet also makes the perfect addition to the living room – but if you have a stupendous hallway, it makes a great addition there too, the perfect transition point between the living room and kitchen (where all great parties happen!).

But again, if you are worried about it not being the style you want, you need to take a look at the versatility of some of our pieces.

This beautiful oak display drinks cabinet is, frankly, a sheer delight for the industrial or even the rustic living room.

Imagine this beautiful piece with chevron inlaid detailing, alongside your leather armchair and other reclaimed furniture in the living room? Adding detailing without imposing, it is one of the best examples of a drinks cabinet on the market today.

Is a drinks cabinet something you have considered for the upcoming holiday season?

Useful tips on how to choose the right dining chairs

Hoxton Oak Dining Table and Fabric Dining Chairs

These days there are so many dining chairs on the market that you’d be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed by the thought of shopping to find the perfect dining room chairs to match your new reclaimed wood dining table. But thankfully as with all home decor there is no right or wrong answer!

Here are a few of our favourite handy hints and tricks to find the perfect wooden dining chairs or fabric dining chairs to match your preferences.

Perhaps rather obvious, but the most important factor is whether it will fit in your home! In a small kitchen/diner, dramatic, oversized dining chairs may be overwhelming. In order to ensure whether your dining chairs will fit in your dining room, consider the widest dimensions of the item and checking it will comfortably fit in your space. You can use masking tape on newspaper to map out the area; this will give you a really good idea whether there is still plenty of space to walk around the furniture.

Don’t forget when it comes to buying the dining room furniture you also need to make sure there is plenty of space to be able to pull out dining chairs. 90 cm is the recommended allowance here.

But when it comes buying dining chairs, there is something else you need to consider too – whether they will fit under your fabulous farmhouse dining table! You have probably noticed, whether that be as a result of shopping for dining room furniture (or possibly uncomfortable dining experiences) that not all dining tables are made equal – some table tops sit much higher than others. The rule of thumb is to allow 30.5 cm between the seat of your chair and your tabletop.

If you recently bought a new farmhouse style table, have a quick look at it. Consider not only how you will be using the table, but also the table top thickness, whether there is a framing underneath the table top, and where the legs are positioned – for example, is there a table leg at each end which limits your options.

You might also want to think about how many people you can comfortably fit around your dining table. Make sure to measure your chairs at the widest point, and allow each guest 60 to 75 cm of space. Don’t forget to make room for the arms of your dining chair if you’ve opted for style with arms (roughly 15cm).

Beyond ensuring your dining chair actually fits in your dining room you also need to make sure the look fits.

If you prefer a rather minimalist style, perhaps suiting that glossy kitchen you’ve just had installed, keep the style of your dining chair fairly similar to the table – you may even be able to find dining chairs in the same range. Opt for wooden dining chairs in a similar colour to your dining table for a calming, coordinated look which is effortless chic and won’t date.

Leather dining chairs are another popular choice. Perfect for adding drama and a touch of glamour to your dining room, leather dining chairs work beautifully with any dining room table. Certainly if you’ve got a large dining room table, like an 8 seater reclaimed wood dining table, the understated style of leather dining chairs may work rather well.

Alternatively, a small dining room table is sat in the corner of the kitchen can be brought to life with a splash of colour.

Have you got any tips that you think we’ve missed?

Living room to home theatre – in a few easy steps

There are many ways you can the living room but have you thought about turning it into a home theatre? Follow these six steps to creating a home movie cinema right there in your living room…

1 The right home sound and viewing system

From investing in a huge TV to a projector and surround sound, clearly getting the right home movie system is the critical first step. Depending on what system you opt, you could be looking at a budget of £800+.

2 The right room

We are suggesting a movie room in the living room and whilst this may be suitable for most of us, it would be remiss of us to suggest that it is the only room in the house that can accommodate a cinematic feel to it.

Essentially, choose the room that isn’t bathed in sunlight every evening because this is the time you will most likely be watching the latest blockbuster – and sun streaming onto the TV or projector screen is not ideal.

3 Room décor

With your sound system and massive TV on order, you need to create the perfect backdrop. Darker colours on the walls, along with blinds and blackout drapes make for the perfect space to watch the latest release.

You will the way your industrial furniture and darker colours will work surrounded by the latest technology in the living room. But with a lot of tech being so small, you will find that creating a cinema in the living room works with the traditional, reclaimed furniture chic too.

4 The floor

Sound is affected by surfaces that either reflects sound waves or absorbs them. You need a mixture of both.

A hard floor, such as wood, is great for bouncing the surround sound around the living room but if you feel you need some warmth underfoot, a flat weave rug is a great addition. Opt for the biggest you can, using it to sit the leather Chesterfield sofa on to give the room a ‘frame’.

5 Lighting

The ideal situation is to switch the lights off and be swallowed into the action on the big screen. But many of us find this too stark and so soft lighting in the room can help to digest all the colours of the movie you have chosen to watch.

Natural light interferes with the movie screen, so banish that from the room. Opt for dimmable LED lighting around the edges of the room, keeping any light behind you and not around the screen as many photos may show.

Of course, a table lamp on the nest of tables or industrial coffee table with storage next to your leather armchair wouldn’t go amiss for when you need light to find the remote.

6 Seats

The final step – but possibly the most important – is the choice of seating in your newly create living room cinema.

You may like to sit the traditional way on a chair, or curl up under a blanket on the sofa, or opt for a chair where you can dangle your legs over the side – the important thing is this: you get the best possible seating that is the comfiest for you (and in the style you love too!).

Why not send us the photos of your cinema-cum-living-room? We would love to see them!

Top Tips – How To Look After Beautiful Fabric Dining Chairs

Grey Luxe Daisy Upholstered Dining Chairs and Table

Your upholstered dining chairs are things of beauty. You chose them for their colour and for the texture and depth they add to the room. They perfectly complement your reclaimed wood dining table.

And you want them to stay looking pristine next to your reclaimed wood furniture. Over time, with constant use, your upholstered dining chairs can take on a ‘used’ look. But then come the stains and the marks.

Small they may be but they detract from the beauty of the fabric, even if it is just a little and you are the only person that notices them.

Want to know how to keep your velvet dining chairs looking glamorous? Or your upholstered dining chairs looking clean and pristine?

The fabric

It is important to understand that different fabric dining chairs need slightly different treatment.

Velvet dining chairs

Smooth and somewhat decadent to the touch, when you took possession of your velvet dining chairs, your heart probably sang a little bit when you saw your dining room furniture.

And now, you want to keep them looking fantastic – and doing that is easier than you think.

Spills – with the festive season on the doorstep, you may more than a few dinner parties and general get-togethers planned thus, when the inevitable spill happens, you need to spot clean with a water-free solvent. These are usually found in dry cleaners.

Top tip – buy a small amount of cleaner and test it on an unseen patch of the velvet to make sure it is safe to use. If it is, then put it in a handy place such as your sideboard with wine storage so you can grab it when you need to.

Soft bristled brush – a toothbrush with soft bristles is for brushing the nap of the fabric whilst you are gently cleaning it.

Ground in stains need the be treated by a dry clean specialist.

Linen dining chairs

Linen brings a modern edge to the dining room. A woven fabric, it is incredibly durable and easy to keep clean too;

Upholstery shampoo – invest in a good quality, branded upholstery shampoo (perform a spot test, as above, before widespread use) and use this to spot clean spills as they happen but don’t over-saturated the chair or fabric.
Dry cleaning – if needed, slipcovers and cushions can be dry cleaned in some cases but it will lift the colour slightly, leading to slightly different shades.

All upholstered dining chairs

Keeping your upholstered dining chairs in tip-top condition means they are in great shape repel drink and food spills;

Vacuum – but lightly. Use the upholstery tool on your vacuum and give your beautiful dining chairs an occasional vacuum to remove dirt and dust from the fabric. Concentrate on the joins but don’t be too vigorous as you could snag the fabric.
Have a move around – even when you don’t have direct sun pouring in the window, dining room furniture is affected by UV rays. Your upholstered dining chairs are in danger of being sun-bleached if they remain in sunlight for too long so every few weeks in the summer at least, rotate your chairs so no one chair becomes a different shade to the others.
Open the window – air-borne pollutants, like cooking smells, can become trapped in the fabric weave and so throwing open the dining room window and letting stale air out and fresh air in will help them stay smelling sweet just as they look fantastic too!

The not-so-humble breakfast bar table

The breakfast bar table is not one to be shunned or seen as a poor relation, although it can fit in a corner nicely. It can make the best use of space, whether you have acres to play with or a few square metres.

The bar table and chairs works in any kitchen. and there are several styles to choose from…

Rustic industrial chic

The rustic industrial style is a pleasing fusion between metal frames and reclaimed wood table top as seen is this breakfast bar table from the Standford collection.

The faux leather bar stools make the ideal addition, maintaining the rustic industrial charm.

There is no need for the kitchen bar table to devoid of character, simply because it is both functional and practical. In fact, the surrounding pieces can lend itself to making the space a fantastic place to eat and snack, as well as sit and enjoy the company of a guest or two.

Keep accessories light and simple, the perfect foil to the darker metal frames that come not just with the kitchen bar table and stools.

Using pieces from the same range allows for effortless symmetry but you still need an extra layer of texture to bring it all together. And what is better than traditional rugs, perfect for sitting alongside the reclaimed wood furniture with an industrial style that we have used so far.

We have opted for a blue rug, a fantastic patchwork design with a denim blue inlay that we love against the industrial rustic backdrop.

You can maintain this simple yet stylish look with this elegant light oak shelf ladder, simply perfect for slotting into any farmhouse kitchen. It marries perfectly against the bar table and stools set.

We have maintained the light, airy feel to the whole look with yet another choice from our traditional rugs range. This time, we have opted to add drama with the traditional patterned pale black rug. There is an assuredness to black that means it effortlessly slots into place, perfect for sitting alongside the white frame bar table and the bare oak shelving unit.

Is a bar table and chairs something that would sit well in your kitchen?