Author: Ann Little

Springtime Interior Refresh

Spring is a season of renewal and rejuvenation, making it the perfect season to refresh your home’s interior design. With warmer weather and longer days, it’s the ideal time to create a space that feels light, airy, and welcoming. Whether you’re looking to make small changes or overhaul your entire home, there are plenty of ways to update your décor for the season.

  1. Bring in Fresh Flowers and Greenery

One of the simplest ways to refresh your home for spring is to bring in fresh flowers and greenery. Not only do plants add colour and life to your space, but they also purify the air and provide a sense of calm. Faux greenery is also a great addition to your home.

Arrangements from RTfact are an investment there’s no doubt about it but they have a stunning range of authentic faux flora. Make this beautiful relaxed natural arrangement centre stage on your dining table for high-end impact with an informal feel.

  1. Lighten Up Your Colour Palette

Spring is all about lightness and brightness, so consider lightening up your colour palette to reflect the season. Swap out heavy curtains for sheer ones that allow natural light to filter in, and opt for pastel or neutral colours that evoke a sense of calm and serenity. You can also add pops of bright colours to add interest and energy to your space. The Pom Tassel curtains from Anthropologie are light and airy and the trim detail makes them extra special.

  • Incorporate Natural Light

Take advantage of the longer days and warmer weather by incorporating natural light into your interior design. Open up your windows and let the sunshine in! You can also add mirrors or reflective surfaces to your space to accentuate the natural light and create a brighter, more open feel. By embracing natural light, you’ll not only enhance your home’s aesthetic, but you’ll also boost your mood and energy levels.

Add maximum light and beautiful curves to your home with this affordable oversized mirror from Daals.

  • Refresh Your Bedding and Linens

Spring is a great time to refresh your bedding and linens, as the warmer weather calls for lighter fabrics and brighter colours. Swap out your heavier bedding for a lightweight duvet, and choose linens in light, breezy fabrics like linen or cotton. You can add interest with patterned or textured pillows and throws.

Washed linen gives a lovely soft relaxed feel and the natural fibres will keep you cool, perfect for summer nights and this is a great choice from La Redoute.

  • Play with Patterns

Mix and match different patterns and textures to create a playful and inviting space. This can include anything from floral prints to geometric shapes to stripes and checks.

Remember to follow us on Facebook for more interior design hints and tips.

Falling Back in Love with Your Home

We’re in the middle of what could be considered the coldest, bleakest time of the year. The excitement of Christmas has faded, and the spring seems quite a way off, and this often means everything around us can just feel a little tired and shabby. If you’re looking around your home thinking you’re a bit fed up with it and would like to perk it up, then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Re-arrange

Experiment with moving and repositioning some of your furniture. Try different pieces in different areas and even in different rooms for an easy and cost free way to reinvigorate the space. Typically, odd numbered groupings with different heights feel the best and opt for balance rather than symmetry when dressing longer pieces of furniture.

The same applies to accessories; grouping them in different ways can give a totally new feel and look.

Edit

Nothing makes you feel more cleansed and ready for a new season than a good edit! Invest in good transparent storage boxes for things you want to keep and be ruthless with the rest! Clearing your surfaces, and even unseen spaces like drawers and cupboards will make you feel refreshed and organised and help give your home a new lease of life!

Up the Oxygen Levels

Add some real plants into your home! We love faux plants and there is such a beautiful variety to choose from, however a scattering of the ‘real deal’ in sunny and light areas will bring a lovely natural and fresh feeling and with a little love should last for years.

If you’re not naturally green-fingered, click here for helpful advice on how to keep your new plants alive.

Invest in a Lovely Aroma

Home interiors aren’t all about the aesthetics, there can be something for every sense. Spend some time picking out some scents that make you happy and introduce them to your home with diffusers, candles and room sprays. Walking into a home that smells just the way you want it to a great way to give your mood a little lift and help you feel more at home.  

We love… these gorgeous candles from Chloe Jade Home, they have a lovely scent as well as looking the part.

Deep Clean

This is a great time of year for a deep clean. Make sure the windows are sparkling and the skirting boards aren’t covered in dust is another great way to make your home feel its best and inspire you to keep everything looking perfect! If you’re moving furniture, clean the exposed areas before anything is replaced for a thorough job.

Storage Options

Clearing the clutter from your home will have an instant effect, but storage can often be restricted. Make use of storage choices like these trunks available on Amazon. They are pretty and practical, and will keep the clutter under control.

Repaint

Choose a fresh bold colour for one of your rooms. It can be daunting thinking about painting all the walls a dark or vibrant colour; maybe your worried about the room feeling dark or the commitment to something completely different is a little scary. Instead of all 4 walls, paint just the ceiling, or only the strip above the picture rail. Both of these executions can really lift and refresh a room and help you feel excited about it again whilst keeping a light and airy feel!

For more interior design tips and ideas remember to follow us on Facebook.

Interior Design for Selling Your Home

As we see a new year in, it’s definitely the time for new years resolutions, and for many that means big changes like moving home. Moving home is said to be one of the most stressful things that you can do in life. So, if you can make it easier it is definitely worth doing!

Finding your new home is only part of it, you need to sell your existing home in order to make that move. So how do you go about getting your home ready for selling?

Declutter

Firstly, and most obviously, have a massive tidy and declutter. You will need to do this when you move, after all you won’t want to pay movers to pack and transport things you don’t need. Be strict with yourself; go through your items and consider whether you genuinely use or want it, and if not get rid of it. After a good clear out you can see exactly what you are dealing with.

Take Photos

We suggest taking some photos of your rooms yourself so you can get familiar with what angles look good and how things are looking in the photos. One thing we have learnt as Interior Designers is that when it comes to shooting a room, something that looks good in situ doesn’t always show up to its best in images, and sometimes angles that don’t look that strong in real life look amazing in photos. It’s worth getting to know what is working for you so you can direct and support the estate agent photographer when they arrive.

Review

Once you have tidied and de-cluttered, have a look at the room through the photos you have taken and you will be able to see what is missing. Is your interior neutral and in need of some contrast to avoid appearing too bland in photos? In this scenario you could add some plumped up contrasting cushions, some real or faux greenery or replace tired light fittings with some up-to-date lighting choices to show that your home is refreshed and updated.

The Little Botanical Plant Shelfie Set from John Lewis is perfect for easily adding a little something to a room and the Ashcraft scatter cushions from Wayfair come in a range of colours to suit many a room.

Purchasing your updated items will be a great investment in getting the best price for your current home, and you can take them with you when you leave!

If your home is already full of colour and pattern you might want to dial back a bit for sale. Again, looking at the images you have taken on your phone will highlight this to you. Do you need to refine the colour palette or patterns to ensure they are not too distracting for a potential buyer?

Look over the photos for any paintwork that needs touching up, and tape up any loose wires so they are not visible in photos

Up-to-date and considered decor will give buyers the impression you have been maintaining your home and that it is in good condition throughout.

Storage

Storage will always be key so now is a good time to invest in attractive storage trunks, chests and boxes that can store all the little things we leave out on the surface day to day allowing you to show your home to its absolute best potential. We like these metal storage trunks from Vonhaus that are attractive as well as functional.

Kids’ rooms don’t have to be perfect but it’s important the buyer can see how they might use the room; decluttering and storage are particularly important in these areas.

Light

Make sure you get as much light into the home as possible. For the initial photos and daylight viewings, draw back curtains and blinds to their maximum and open doors to ensure you don’t get left with dark corridors. If you have viewings in the evening or on a grey day, make sure that you turn lights on and use table lamps to get that light effect.

Floor Space

Unless you have a super large open space, floor space will be key. Put away anything that doesn’t need to be on the floor; think waste bins, magazine or newspaper storage and laundry baskets. While you may need these day-to-day, moving them out of the way will give a much better impression to prospective buyers. If you have any overly bulky items that take up a lot of floor space like a solid ottoman or side table consider replacing them with something slimmer in profile and on high legs so that buyers can see the full floor space. A great example of this effect working is with the Chesterfield Modern Footstool from SLF24.

Estate Agents

Finally, when you are choosing an agent consider the quality of the photographs and make that part of your choice as it really does make a difference; grainy images and bad angles will put off potential buyers.  

For interior design hints and tips remember to follow us on Facebook.

Festive Interior Design Ideas

When it comes to Christmas decorations, we go big at Interiors at 58 HQ. We love Christmas and plan a theme each year. For 2022 we have gone with black, white and gold and we would like to inspire you. You’ll be seeing photos of our decorations on our Facebook page, but for now, here are some ideas for you to put together your own theme.

Start as you mean to go on with this beautiful white snowy and glittering faux wreath from Layered Lounge. Hang it on your front door to be the first thing that anyone sees when they visit you or choose an inside spot instead.

We love adding a touch of gold to our designs, and Christmas is no different. The Madam Stoltz metal tree decorations from Smallable are small and beautifully formed, these go perfectly with Temptation Gifts’ black baubles with gold stars.

Rockett St George always comes up trumps, and this year is no different! Their gold Christmas tree candles look great on a mantle piece or as part of a table display. If it’s real candlelight you’re using, the brass-coated mistletoe candle holders from RoyalDesign.co.uk add some extra luxury.

The white hanging branch decoration is a real statement piece and the gold crane print bauble is simply beautiful.

If you like to have an advent scene as part of your decorations, why not go for something a little bit different? We love this advent centrepiece from Ivy Line.

This garland from JD Williams is simple yet effective. Use it to decorate your mantle, staircase or doorway.

Remember that the dining table can make a fabulous focal point, but it’s so often forgotten. We’re bringing you table decoration ideas this month, follow us on Facebook to see the tips.

We’d like to wish you all a fabulous Christmas and a happy new year. We’ll see you in 2023.

Getting Warm and Cosy This Winter

The cold weather might have taken a little longer to hit us, but it has certainly arrived now, and we want to help you keep cosy. When we think of winter, we think – open fires, warm blankets and plush accessories for our interiors. With energy prices rising, there has certainly been no better time to warm up our homes without turning the central heating up. Here are some of our favourites:

We think that a cosy night in is about snuggling up, warm and cosy. Boucle fabric is a soft and textured fabric that makes the Moderna armchair from Dwell is the perfect place to start.

A hot water bottle is a definite must when it comes to winter warmth. Pop it in your bed to get toasty ready for bedtime, or cuddle up with one on the sofa in the evening. We love this one from Loaf that comes in a range of colours.

If you use a beautiful electric throw like this one from Lakeland you can keep the heating down in other areas of the home where you are likely to be moving around and put this on when you are ready to sit down and relax!   

We recommend that there are some areas where you need to invest when it comes to interiors. Choosing a quality item that will do a job well is worth the investment. An example of this is cashmere – it is expensive but fantastic at keeping the heat in. These gorgeous cashmere throws from Cotswold will last for years looked after properly and could even double as a lovely scarf!

Draughty windows and doors can cause havoc in the winter when you’re trying to keep the heat in. Thick curtains can work wonders for stopping heat escape from windows, and in summer will work to keep your rooms cool too. When it comes to doors, you can keep the draughts out with this lovely sheepskin excluder from the White Company. Made from hard-wearing New Zealand sheepskin, this is both good-looking and practical.

When you are heating your house, make sure that everything is working efficiently. If you have inefficient and dated radiators, you can improve the heat output and upgrade the look with a beautiful antique bronze new radiator – a definite win! Our top pick is this radiator from bestheating.com.

There is so much choice when it comes to winter-warming accessories that you will find something that will suit your home and your budget.

Head over to our Facebook page to see more interior ideas.

A Quick Home Refresh in Time for Christmas

We’re heading towards Christmas and many of us will soon be thinking about the Christmas decorations. Before you put those up, why not have a quick interiors refresh? Using accessories and easy additions you can quickly refresh the décor of your homes well in time for your Christmas guests.

Add Greenery

Adding plants immediately freshens a space. If you are using real plants then there are other benefits as well:

  • They make you feel calmer, reducing stress levels
  • They improve the quality of the air through a natural filtering process
  • Plants help you stay focused, and improve mood, productivity and creativity
  • Plants can help you fight colds by increasing the humidity – perfect for this time of year!

At this time of year you get a seasonal selection to choose from, so even before your Christmas decorations go up you’ll be feeling festive. We love the Advent Wreath and Candle Table decoration from lights4fun. Christmassy, but it also doubles up as a candle holder to use year round.

We are incredibly lucky to have Nelly Mosa on our doorstep on Castle Road in Bedford. Fay has a great wealth of knowledge, and if you are nervous about what real plants to choose and how to care for them she will be able to help you out. Click here to see some favourites that we’ve used in a recent project.

Soft Furnishings

The easiest way to get a real feeling of change in the room is to add a statement rug, this one from La Redoute has a lovely flat weave that will be practical during the wetter months and can be easily rolled up and stored when you are ready for a change

Updating curtains, cushions and throws will instantly give your room a different feel, and at this time of year help your décor transition from summer colours through to autumn and winter.

Quick Kitchen Fix

Over Christmas you could well find yourself spending a lot of time in the kitchen, whether that’s cooking a Christmas dinner, or creating Christmas cocktails for party guests. If you fancy a change, now’s the time to do it.

Paint or replace the cupboard and door fronts for a big change, or for something small yet effective, update the cupboard and drawer handles. This is quick easy and effective but will refresh the overall effect.

Upcycle Existing Furniture

You might think you’re ready to consign some of your furniture to the recycling centre, but if you still like it but feel it just doesn’t quite think, look at upcycling alternatives. Options include repainting, re-upholstering or repairing and re-purposing. This maybe a DIY project you want to take on, but if not there are experts who can help you create the perfect piece.

Feature Dining Table

Your dining table is an opportunity to make a statement. It will change between seasons, but it can be a focus piece all year round. We’re in time for a Halloween display now, and soon we’ll be thinking about the Christmas display for your table.

Remember to follow us on Facebook for more interior design ideas.

Interior Design is Not Just for Adults!

So summer’s (sadly) over and the children have gone back to school,  and they need their bedrooms to be both a sanctuary and a workspace, so how do we achieve the perfect multi-purpose space?

Creating areas and zones, in any room, is the key to a successful multi-purpose room. Each function has its own space, cleverly separated yet tied together with, for example, complementary shades keeping the room feeling whole, while having defined areas.

One way to separate different areas of a room is by using a room divider. There is a huge range available, and these can be used in any room in your home to great effect.

The freestanding wood panel from Wayfair is a stylish and flexible piece that will subtly create those zones. While the Panamara teak room divider from Maisons du Monde will visually distinguish different spaces, maybe forming a hidden corner in the living room where you can work from home, or defining a dressing area in your bedroom.

If you want something different, try a hanging divider. We love this one from Etsy which is not only functional, but it doubles up as a statement piece and talking point.

One thing that children, whatever age, need in their room is a desk or dressing table; somewhere to use to either work or play or even both! There is a wide variety of desks available; something to suit every room, budget and taste. Here are a couple of our favourites:

Petite Amelie have this gorgeous desk that works as a dressing table too. Its minimalist Scandinavian design can fit in with every child’s room.

The Adil desk from La Redoute is a versatile, retro design. It is on trend and budget friendly, and your chair and accessories will make it unique to you. Ideal for a growing child’s room.

Beds can offer flexibility and can be the ultimate piece of furniture when it comes to multi-purpose rooms. There are some great options for children’s room for functional and fun bedtimes.

A high sleeper bed like the Warwick High Sleeper from Aspace makes the most of the floor space below the bed with storage and a desk. Alternatively you can go for the a high sleeper with a futon for an additional bed. The Warwick range includes matching items like the Pedestal Desk if you want a theme throughout the room.

For smaller children, the Una Sleep Station from Noa and Nani has everything they need!

For all families great storage is the key to keeping on top of clutter and creating a calming space, however it doesn’t need to be boring and there is lots of choice when it comes to fun and funky things that your kids will love, and help keep them tidy.

We love these storage units:

Top tips

  • If you keep the décor simple and neutral colours it can be easily updated as your children get older
  • Get your kids involved at the design stage so they can express themselves with the choices.
  • The addition of accessories will reflect their current preferences and life stage
  • Use keepsakes and photos of them in the room to make it truly personal.

Remember to follow us on Facebook for more interior design ideas.

Giving Interior Design an International Twist

Many of us are making up for lost time and jetting off to far-flung destinations. And once you’ve been on your dream holiday, what better way to remember it than to use it to add influences to your home décor. Your holiday souvenirs can be your inspiration!

Be inspired by international interior design:

French Influence

Look for pieces that have a relaxed feel and a subtle colour palette and mix them with classic and modern designs for a modern take on a French interior.

The Rocca Painted Drawers from Oka are both practical and elegant, and fit into the French style as well as fitting into compact spaces.

The Hinako Chair, also from Oka, also fits well with style. Natural looking materials are always a good choice, and you can add variety or refresh the look easily by changing the removable seat cushions or adding a throw for colour.

Gilt mirrors are typical of French interior design. If you are keen on adding one to your home, there are some incredible original pieces that you can source that will give a more authentic look and feel to a French scheme, try eBay for bargains or Jasper Jacks have a great range at an excellent price point!

Chinese Influence

Oriental décor is reminiscent of the country’s ancient history and culture, and can make a real statement when used in your home. We love using gold in our interior design which adds luxury and opulence to a room and oriental style wallpaper and furniture bring in those gorgeous gold accents.

Rattan is a lightweight and versatile material that is popular and available at various price points right now and it works perfectly paired with ebony wood to add a flavour of oriental design to your interior. The Bayuban Chest of Drawers from Oka nod to the style used in South Asian countries and demonstrates perfectly how these materials work together.

We love this modern take on a classic Chinese buffer cabinet from Tides! If you are looking for a real statement piece, look no further!

Ceramic stools are an affordable and useful way to introduce some Chinese influenced pieces into your home, these gold stools from La Redoute are super stylish and make perfect side tables or look stunning in pairs under a console table.

Moroccan Influence 

Moroccan style can be exotic, elegant, luxurious and dramatic.  It’s all about an opulent look, focussing on colours, fabrics and patterns. You will often see arches, geometric designs and decorative tilework with this influence.

These stunning tiles from Claybrook come in various marble finishes and are perfect for adding a lux yet bohemian feel to your kitchen or bathroom.

The Berber rug has been a style staple in many homes over recent years and is rapidly turning into a design classic, add one to your scheme for instant texture and impact! There is something to suit every budget like the Carina Berber rug from Dunelm.

Bring back memories from a special holiday and frame your own prints, a group of 3, 4 or 6 together will maximise the impact, or if you prefer order a beautiful set ready-made! We love this set of 6 Moroccan prints from Etsy.

You don’t need to have been abroad to be inspired – the UK has some beautiful places to inspire too. Of course, if you’re unable to get away to foreign climes, bring them to you instead.

For more ideas and inspiration like and follow us on Facebook.

Colour and Interior Design

There has been extensive research on colours and the effects that they can have on you. All colours will have an effect on you, mentally or physically, and when it comes to interior design we match the room’s purpose with the most the most appropriate colours to achieve this.

Colour psychologist Angela Wright developed the Colour Affect Systems, and she has reported that all colours have their positive and negative points, and we harness what’s necessary. With 11 colours defined, plus the addition of different hues of each colour, the colour choice can be overwhelming.

When it comes to interior design, we can help you with your colour choice. We will look at what you want from the space, what will its function be and how you want to feel when you’re in the room? These will be different answers depending on the room, for example you are likely to want to feel relaxed in your bedroom but focussed in your work area.

To give you an idea of how colours can affect you, here are a few points from the Colour Affect System:

Blue is a colour linked to your mind. It can be soothing or relaxing, making it the perfect choice for a bedroom, but stronger tones of blue will enhance your thoughts and concentration meaning that it can also work well in an office or work area. As it is so versatile it also makes for a great choice in a living area. We chose a blue sofa and chair for this living room, echoing the blue tones in the accessories and artwork. Blue and white make for a peaceful and tranquil room, ideal for relaxing after a busy day:

Pink can affect us physically being a tint of red, but it soothes where red stimulates. Psychologically it is a powerful colour and it is nurturing and physically soothing. Pairing vibrant, clashing colours together is full of impact and energy, perfect for a teenager’s bedroom. We used a vibrant Moroccan chair with bright, striped wallpaper to get this effect.

Green is the colour of balance promoting harmony, refreshment and peace. This is again another versatile colour, and choosing the right tone it can be used to affect in bedrooms and living rooms. We love this splash of green in the floral pattern of these breakfast stools:

White can sometimes be forgotten when it comes to colour, but it plays just as an important part as every other colour. White is clean, pure and simple, resonating efficiency. Too much white can be off-putting, but used in the right spaces with accent colours brought in it can work in any space, any room. When you use white in different textures and shades it won’t overwhelm a room, and works nicely in a hallway like this:

Remember to follow us on Facebook for more interior design inspiration.

Bring the Outdoors In

This is a hot trend at the moment, and we don’t want you to miss out. Here are some ways that you can bring the outdoors in and create a beautiful space in any home whatever your budget.

Real vs Faux

When you’re thinking about plants and foliage you can opt for either faux or real, both have their advantages.

Faux

There is a huge range of faux plants and foliage to choose from. For the best outcome get the most realistic looking plants you can find, they don’t have to be super expensive with shops like Dunelm and Homesense stocking a large variety. Where possible we’d recommend looking at the plants in situ so that you can select the best ones more easily.

When you’re choosing the plant disregard the pot it is in, that can be changed to suit your tastes and theme. Go for a large pot for a high-end look – slip the existing pot into the new one and fill around the edges with moss or small decorative stones like these stone available from Amazon. By spending a little more over all you achieve a lux look for much less than if you had purchased something equivalent from a high-end store, plus it can be exactly as you want it to be!

For the most authentic look, choose faux plants that would survive in the area where you would place them if they were real, for example in a hot garden room or conservatory you could choose something more tropical whereas in a shady hallway something like a fern would be more appropriate.

These are some of our favourites available in Dunelm at the moment*. You can mix and match these to suit what you want.

Real

If you are choosing real potted plants some of the same tips apply. Choose your pots independently from the plants. You can either put the pot directly in or re-pot the plant while making sure that the plant container is the style you want. We’d recommend choosing something hardy that doesn’t require too much watering if you are after something lower maintenance.

For a statement look, you may be tempted by a living wall or a green wall which is a self-sufficient vertical garden attached to a wall. Although these can look incredible, they are typically hard to pull off particularly on a budget so we would recommend considering getting professional help and either get the real thing with beautiful organic planting or finding a specialist to help you create an authentic looking faux one suitable for the location.

For a versatile and budget-friendly way to add greenery to a wall we would suggest contemporary hanging planters such as these metal plant hangers from Amazon. They bring life and colour to the wall but in a more subtle, affordable and ultimately changeable way      

Tips

  • Use natural fibres, textures and patterns
  • Floral wall patterns and rugs can be used for the botanical element
  • Use natural, earthy colours
  • Use decoration elements that are found in nature, for example, shells
  • Make use of natural light
  • Introduce scents from outdoors using scented candles and diffusers.

Follow us on Facebook for more interior design inspiration and help.

*Links to our featured products:

London Black Framed Planter

Artificial Bonsai Tree in Pot

Ceramic Curves Planter Silver

Trailing Plant in Ceramic Pot

Artificial Fern in Black Pot

Green Plant in Black Pot