Tag: Interior Design

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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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*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

Seasonal Ideas for Interior Design

Interior design trends change throughout the course of a year, taking inspiration from the seasons and while you may be influenced by a summer or winter colour palette, you can also add updates throughout the year.

At Interiors at 58, we believe in ensuring each of your key pieces of furniture is the best quality available for your budget as these are an investment for your home, and these won’t change. You can however add accents and accessories to transform a space easily. If there is something that you love, simply store it while you’re not using it in a décor scheme, and bring it out again when you’re ready. Although we follow interior design trends, we whole-heartedly believe that you should love your interior, on trend or not.

Here are some spring trends that you can introduce to your house for a quick refresh.

Biophilia

Choose a plant or foliage that you like, match with a pot or container that fits in with your colour scheme, and that’s as easy as it can be. If you’re not green-fingered, you could choose faux foliage instead.

Our top tip when it comes to faux foliage, is to purchase the plant and not worry about the pot as typically they are quite basic.  Re-pot the whole plant, pot and all, into a new container and fill with decorative stones for a higher end and more special look

Next have a lovely range of artificial plants, like this palm plant. The variety of pots and stands that come with the plants are great too, and you certainly won’t need to re-pot these.

Statement Florals

With the trend for statement floral wallpapers there is a wide choice. Make a feature wall but try to blend the wall with the rest of the room by using one of the shades within the paper for paint for the rest of the room – for example a blush pink flower or green leaf within the paper could be picked out and used as a paint colour for the whole room. If you want to make the look a truly summer only feature look for removable wallpaper.

Ellie Cashman Designs have some gorgeous floral wallpaper, with a range of designs, colours and finishes.

Florals are more versatile than you might think, and this floor lamp from notonthehightstreet.com is a wonderful statement piece. Pair it with floral decoration, or add some luxury to a plainer room, either way, it will look stunning.

Garden Rooms

With summer just around the corner, remember your outside space. Interior design works in your garden too, and you can create a cheerful, uplifting garden space to relax in now that the evenings are getting longer.

Our top picks below can be used both indoors and out, giving you the flexibility to add a summery feel in the garden or in your home. You certainly won’t want to be hiding these away during the colder months when you can use them all year round.

Snuggle up with a book and cuppa in the Indoor Outdoor Hanging Chair from Cox and Cox. Add the Malaysian Palm Outdoor cushion from Dunelm for a splash of colour while the beautiful Nkuku hurricane lamp creates ambience indoors or out. Perfect for enjoying the summer!

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

Make the Most of Your Space

Spring is the time for cleaning, clearing and rearranging. With the clocks going forward and the days getting longer, we often look around our houses for something to change or update. But where do you start? When it is your own home, it can be difficult to be objective, and you don’t always have the knowledge of what is available. It is at this point that engaging an interior designer can be helpful.

As interior designers, we work with a variety of clients. It may be the complete refurbishment of a house, designing a commercial space, updating one room or even just advising on where to source one particular item.

How can an Interior Designer help you?

Save you time

You may have ideas that you’d like to incorporate into your home, but we will help you plan the best layout for you and your needs, save you time by sourcing the very best options for you to choose from and create a variety of mood boards to help you visualise the room and make the best decisions for you. We will design, plan and shop. You can involve us as much or as little as you like, saving you the time exactly where you need it.

Save you money

Our hourly rates mean that you have the flexibility to use us in the areas you need it most, you are not tied into paying for whole room designs, or complicated fee structures and our clients find this works extremely well for them. In sourcing the perfect pieces for you we will save you costly mistakes and ensure everything goes together beautifully. We have a wealth of knowledge of interiors and furniture retailers and will often instantly know retailers and pieces that you will love that are making great products at fantastic value! We will compare the prices and pass on trade discounts of up to 50%. We have no vested interest in you purchasing from any retailers and our clients feel secure that our recommendations are all made with your best interests at heart. We will take into account how your lifestyle may change, recommending pieces that will be flexible and can be updated if necessary to suit your needs.

Creative Ideas

We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we understand interiors and the options that are available to you. We can bring unique and clever ideas to your home, solving layout and storage problems. We know how to make the most of tricky spaces and where we can add secret storage and are full of tips and hints that can cost next to nothing, but make a huge difference to your home!

We know our stuff

Through our experience of transforming homes and commercial spaces, we have built up contacts, knowledge, techniques and collaborations. This means that we are in the perfect position to speak with the right retailer. We work with a variety of trades and will often involve them in the projects we work on.

We love what we do

We know that you want to achieve a stunning finish, but you may not enjoy the laborious process of researching, planning and executing the transformation. That’s where we can help as we do! We will work tirelessly for you and with you to ensure you get your dream home!

If you want a fabulous home, but need inspiration and help achieving it, contact Interiors at 58. Remember to follow us on Facebook for more interior design ideas.

Creating a Space for You

Hybrid working seems to be here to stay, and that means a lot of us are both working and relaxing at home. Whilst there is a certain amount of convenience with this, where can you then go to truly disconnect from your day at work? You may have a separate office or office space, but you deserve to have a place to unwind without a constant reminder of the daily grind and chores. Let us show you how you can create a safe haven in your bedroom; somewhere to escape the day and wind down.

Create a Sanctuary in Your Bedroom

We recommend that you invest in your bedding as this is the perfect opportunity to bring some luxury into your bedroom. Choose a colour to complement the colour scheme, or to create a feature, and choose the fabric type you prefer; silk bedding can help keep you cool at night or go for luxuriously soft cotton instead.

Sallie loves both the Dorma range from Dunelm or the White company, both offer great quality without breaking the bank, and as the price is reasonable you can afford to refresh it when you feel the colours have faded a little to ensure the overall look is sharp and crisp. This is the Dorma Meadow Breeze cotton duvet cover set from Dunelm; a calming blue for a good night’s sleep.

Along with the perfect bedding, choose your mattress wisely as a good mattress is crucial for a good night’s sleep and in achieving good back health.

Keep your bedroom clear of clutter

You will no doubt find a bed and wardrobe in every bedroom, and there often isn’t much space left for additional storage so daily detritus can often clutter the room. This is where clever storage solutions save the day. Make the most of the space and have tucked away places to hide your technology too if you can’t bear to leave it at the door.

This pretty storage ottoman from Oliver Bonas would work perfectly at the end of the bed or under a window and provide excellent storage for blankets, pillows and anything you want to tuck away.

If you have a wide bedroom, don’t just opt for small typical sized bedside tables, maximise storage and fill the space visually with a lovely chest of drawers that work well aesthetically and practically with lots of extra drawers to keep things neat – and therefore restful! This reasonably priced chest of drawers from Furniture123 gives you additional storage, and its sage colour makes a statement.

Repaint and Relax

Hues of blue and green are known to be calming colours that promote relaxation, so they are the ideal choice for a bedroom’s colour scheme. If you want to make a bigger impact you could repaint your bedroom, or have a feature wall.

The Chiswick Grove Silver wallpaper from Closs & Hamblyn is much more beautiful in the flesh, with a subtle iridescence and it is charming for a restful classic bedroom, or for something stronger and more graphic.

Sallie loves this stunning green geometric paper from wallpaperdirect.com. If you don’t want it all over, make a chic feature wall by painting the rest of the room in one of the green or ivory tones, so that it blends beautifully into the space.

If you don’t fancy decorating, artwork works well too, like this calming sea green abstract painting from Etsy, there will be something for everyone’s taste.

Hints and Tips

  • If you want a quick injection of the colour, you can easily change accessories and soft furnishings
  • Thick curtains or blackout blinds will help you get a good night’s sleep
  • A relaxing scented candle, a fragrance such as lavender, will add to a tranquil bedroom
  • Keep technology out of the bedroom or hidden away at the very least.

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This Year’s Interior Design Trends

We love seeing what the new interior trends are. Typically, there are changes with each season, and of course with a new year there are new ideas popping up. While you may love what you see in interior design magazines, you may struggle to apply it to your home, and be overwhelmed with the choices that you have. We are going to look at some key trends, and how you can use them in your home.

The Use of Green

Green is the colour of nature, and is extremely versatile. After months of being trapped in our own homes, we are appreciating the power of colour and nature to revitalise us and our homes. We do need to make sure that the colours are balanced within the home; it may mean that you wish to introduce green accessories or create a statement wall in tones of green.

It’s aways important to get the shades that tone well together. Where possible ask for samples to match the correct colour and use the same supplier for items that will be placed in the same room. The moss green armchair from Cult Furniture can be complemented by the moss green stool in the same tone.

Ensure that you also consider the tone of green that might be right for your home or style. A bright emerald green can be perfect for a hit of vibrant colour in a contemporary home or to add contrast to a period home, or try a moss green for a more timeless and elegant feel that will be suited to more classic interiors. There is a wealth of choice, as you can see from a snap shot of Dulux’s range of greens for 2022:

Creating Your Own Bespoke Interior

We know that rooms come in all shapes and sizes and to make the most of the space, we would always recommend having pieces that are made to fit the space perfectly. A high-end design has furniture that fits the space and is situated perfectly, avoiding messy gaps and wasted space. Having furniture made to measure will enhance the space both visually and practically.

At Interiors at 58 we have a range of suppliers that we use, and having bespoke furniture doesn’t need to be more expensive than buying the equivalent items ‘off the shelf’.

We often use these gorgeous benches from Angel and Boho. They are available in a multitude of fabrics, with a wide variety of leg colours and button options, they also come in bespoke lengths and are perfect for many occasions such as bedrooms benches and dining benches.

Sculptural and curved furniture

If you are keen on a minimal aesthetic and like to keep lines simple and accessories to a minimum this trend is for you. Pieces that have a sculptural quality to them make an instant statement in the room and will be the perfect complement to a piece of treasured artwork. This style combines practicality with a visual impact, and whatever your budget there is a piece perfect for you!  

Follow us on Facebook for more ways to bring the latest interior design trends into your home and contact us if you would like help refreshing your home.  

The Perfect Winter Accessories

It might be December, but it’s not all about Christmas. We’re sure that you’re thinking about your Christmas decorations, and many of you will have them up, but this right now we’re looking at accessories for the winter season that will last beyond 25th December. You might even be inspired to gift these items!

The weather has turned, and you will be wanting to snuggle down and keep warm. What better way than to spoil yourself or a loved one with this hot water bottle cover set from Cos Stores. Crafted from traceable cashmere it really is a touch of luxury, and it makes a lovely gift.

If you want to invest in high quality key pieces of furniture, we love the Levico Chaise Snuggle chair and the Timothy Oulton Yeti chair from Barker and Stonehouse that are timeless and iconic pieces of design to invest in. Perfect for winter evenings.

A throw is the ultimate winter accessory; stylish and warm. We love this Cashmere Blend Throw from John Lewis and can picture it working with the chaise. Use it on a bed or have it ready to grab when you’re chilly. Use cushions to complement the look; Nordic House supply these gorgeous luxury sheepskin cushion covers and will help you get cosy and comfy.

Take some time to relax this winter. The lighting in your home plays an important part in creating the ambiance that you’re looking for. Keeping the lighting low is perfect for a relaxed evening with friends or family, and this timeless table lamp from Heals does just the job.

The Winter Signature Candle from The White Company will make a wonderful Christmas present, although you’ll want to use it yourself! We sometimes forget that fragrances really bring a season to life, but the combination of cinnamon, clove and orange will definitely give you that winter smell. Candles also create a soft ambient mood. Whether indoors or outdoors these hurricane lanterns from nkuku allow you to perfect your scene. Add a pillar candle to complete the look.

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