It's a classic design but with a modern feel, and the Union Flag design is pretty cool - I bet Noel Gallagher wishes he could have had one of these back in the Supernova Heights days. If you go looking at furniture online there's a lot of stuff like this that really is a bit different. Think I'd like to see a Welsh flag sofa at some point too.
It's been cold the past few nights, ain't it? Bleedin' Baltic guvner. There is little that contemporary living room design can do to help you stay warm - that's the job of the plumber, the cavity wall insulation people, etc.
But there are at least ways to make a room have a sense of warmth. Big rugs, thick curtains, soft lighting. Winter's not really the time for ultraminimalism - you don't want the room looking like the inside of an igloo.
For that extra warm touch you can even buy a DVD that makes your TV emulate a fireplace.
It's always difficult to choose actual pictures to hang on a wall. For instance I like a lot of Damien Hirst and Van Gogh skull paintings, but that's not the kind of thing that lights up a room with its cheeriness.
Every week it's the same. You buy the lottery ticket, and rather than it being the ticket to riches, it's really just a ticket to a few dreams about what you'd do with the riches, until of course the wrong numbers emerge from the machine.
In terms of how a lottery win would affect my living room, I think the first things would be a) a massive television - one of those ones you see in the shop that looks about the size of half a wall then b) a large sofa, or more accurately - large sofas, and finally c) some tropical fish.
Other essentials would be:
A Lebowski style persian rug (the more expensive the better)
Some LED lights to make the place look more space age.
And I think that's about it. Maybe a modern art picture on the wall (not the wall that the tv's on, obvs, but the adjacent wall)
Some people are a bit snobby when it comes to cheap furniture. But the amount spent on stuff isn't really the most important thing - it's how it looks and how long you want it to last.
Some pieces might cost literally thousands and be worth every penny, especially if it's a durable handed down through the generations type of item like a dining room table or a sideboard. But items like that are few in the modern house.
I think the thing is to be yourself and to strike a balance between the ephemeral and the not so ephemeral. I say there's nothing wrong with putting a £5 lamp onto a £650 table.
With so much choice these days though, it's a wonder we don't get bored of anything after a few weeks. If I was a designer I think I'd be working on pieces of furniture that change by themselves. Hmm, maybe not designer then, but scientist? It's only a matter of time...
There's more than one word for that oblong three seater relaxation station in your living room. In much the same manner as the "tomayto/ tomato' song, each of these words is perfectly acceptable, but one's got to be more correct than the others, right?
Well, using some detective skills (sorry, search engine skills) I've been able to make the following elementary observations:
Settee - refers originally to a bench, later came to be the term for a small sofa. Presumably the old-fashioned type with the twirly legs and hardly any padding, like what you'd see in a stately home.
Couch - generic North American term for sofa. In the UK, the term refers specifically to a chaise-longue type sofa, meant for lying down on [the word couch derives from the French word for 'bed']
Sofa - so far, so good. Sofa is the catch-all term that describes the types of furniture above, but is probably the most widely used term in the UK for your settee/couch/ whatever it's called.
Anyway, nomenclature aside, it's probably a good time to start thinkin about investing in a new leather sofa since VAT is going to rise to an eye-watering 20% come 2011.
The title for this post comes from the Todd Rundgren song of the same name. (Check it out - it's a great song).
Anyway, in a break from this blog's traditional subject matter, I want to talk to you to today about lighting. Most of us just make do with a couple of wall lights or maybe (at a push) an overhead light in our living space, powered by a standard 40- or 60-watt bayonet cap bulb, throwing an unflattering light over everything including ourselves.
Not being a fan of harsh light, I some time ago began to seek more ambient lighting options. bright light has its place, of course (the noon sky on a clear day, Boots The Chemists, the dentist's table) but for a relaxing evening at home, nothing beats soft light from the right sources. By 'the right sources' I mean whatever suits in situ - you can have a lot of fun trying out various options, most of them not too expensive. Wall lights, uplighters, standard lamps, even candles can be placed strategically in order to get the feel of light you want. (Be mega careful with candles though for obvious reasons of fire safety!).
My preferred volume of light is low, with directional lights for reading. You can even get standalone uplighters with a built-in directional light - both types of light in one unit. And with the advent of good quality low energy and long life bulbs, the days of low energy meaning watery light source are now thankfully over.
One new type of light that has begun to appear lately is the multicoloured LED lighting strip. As integral lighting goes, it's very slightly offbeat, and definitely worth investigation. Still a bit on the pricey side, but worth it for the effect you get.
Save for a few choice programmes, i have to say i don't watch a whole bunch of telly these days. Those that I will admit to watching are:
Newsnight Top Gear Question Time re-runs of The Sweeney Masterchef
And that's about it. So my concern isn't so much 'what's on television?' so much as 'what's the television on?' as in, 'where does the television get put?'. That's actually more of a pressing concern these days than it used to be, what with the giant size of most modern televisions compared with the models of yesteryear, when even a 28" CRT was considered a monster telly. I mean, these days, that's doubled in size - check out this amazing new widescreen cinema ratio television
So, you need something safe and secure for your television. Also it needs to be a unit that you feel matches the set and your surroundings. (NB don't just attach TV to the wall, it makes the room look like a school classroom) For a modern vibe, there's plenty of choice available at your local leather furniture store and online. All you need now is something to watch. Or a new DVD box set!
Later on this year London's 100% Design event will be taking place at Earls Court. This is sure to be the place to find all the newest ideas in all the facets of design and interior design.
There will be many top designers exhibiting their ideas and wares, from quality furniture design to innovations in fixtures and fittings, wallcoverings everything.
The Exhibition runs from the 23rd to the 26th of September in central London and will be the only place to mingle, network [even schmooze] in order to find what will be the next big thing in design.
In many ways the coffee table [and sometimes what you put on it] can be the centre of your whole living room. Often the most comfortable sofas and recliners all face on to the coffee table.
If you want to be sure that the coffee table in your home is enhancing your environment then you will have to compare and contrast many of the different styles that are available, taking into consideration your current [and perhaps future] furniture as well as the other existing decor.
A common policy [because it is so stylish] is the glass topped coffee table as seen in homes across the land.
My own favourits are those with the smoked glass and steel edged finish as it gives a certain modern vibe in my opinion I like this one by Milan.
But if your house has more of the old fashioned feel then you may have to go for something more along the lines of oak, or at least some wood effect.
In any case it is your choice, but remember to choose carefully!
Do you remember the time as a youngster when you used to build a den in the bedroom with the covers so no one could find you? Well don't worry adults because heres your very on to take you back to your childhood days!
Let me know what you think of this fantastic looking bed and wither you would ever stick this in your room? Probably more of a guys bed since guys are known to be big kids anyway, or maybe you just like the style of it?
With the World Cup just around the corner the thoughts of a vast swathe of the population are turning to making their living rooms are comfortable as possible for the big event. That, of course means thinking about furniture....... so with this in mind here are our four furniture choices for the World Cup 2010 living room!
A leather sofa recliner - This has to be first on the list - it is essential to be as comfortable as possible when watching matches - however, as this piece of furniture may be subjected to a variety of stains and alot of jumping up and down on it also needs to be durable - something like this is what we would go for......
Big coffee table for crisps and sweets and drinks - a crucial part of the big match experience is the consumption of various snakck and drinks that probably aren't all that good for you! To do this your going to have to have a nice big table with plenty of space to cram all this stuff onto- how about this, simple but effective example?.....
A nice big TV stand - of course, you should by now have an HD Widescreen TV to watch all the action on, a nice stand is required to hold this - the most crucial item, in the room. This IKEA stand should do the trick.
Some beanbags for your mates to lounge on - we wouldn't spend fortunes here!
There we go that's our choices....which items of furniture would you consider to be crucial to the World Cup experience? Let us know.....and enjoy the tournament when it comes round!
Yes, as quirky as that may seem - this is exactly what Greg Lynn FORM has done with his. The results are very interesting as you can see from this video....
If there’s one thing I hate in life its shopping! Doesn’t matter what it’s for I hate having to walk around shops on a Saturday afternoon with half the country doing the same thing. It’s my idea of hell!
Thankfully most company’s now have online shopping available so when I decided to get a new bed furniture retailers were at the top of my list. It’s as easy as that I didn’t even have to leave the comfort of my home.
That’s me sorted out the new bed has been ordered at a cracking price of under £350 which I thought was a total bargain. I reckon if I had to go out shopping for this I would have gave in before I got to the furniture shop! As you can see there’s a picture of it at the top of the post let me know what you think of it.
Sometimes it can pay to be bold, this is as true in real life as it is in your living areas. To conjure up a striking atmosphere in your living room, not for you are the pastel shades and natural tones, but the contrasting colours of black, red & white.
These colours have always been used in the past to add a level of drama to any background, sometimes to intimidate, and at other times just to demonstrate power. But the fact is that it has always been striking.
Not that we could ever compare a living room with examples from history, the fact is that these three colours go well together to convey without words something that tugs at the very soul of the human being.
If you want to try this in your home, before buying a brand new black or read leather sofa, start with the other accesories. These can be found easily in most of the online furniture retail websites that are out there. Why not give it a try?
Sometimes the emphasis in the choice of sofa is overly about the design, however this is to overlook the choice of fabric, which can be crucial in whether or not a room has the right 'feel' to it or not.
Things have moved apace since the 1970s and flock wallpaper, the contemporary living room is judged as severely as high street fashion. "Keeping up with the jones'" means exactly that in today's world.
Although colour is often rated above the choice of fabric, when deciding upon the fabric, a luxurious leather sofa, can transform the entire vibe of a room. From the normal into the elegant. From the bland into the exotic.
Remember this when considering how your living looks and what that will say to your house guests, the next time your friends pop round.
Sometimes you don't have to go overboard when making over your living room, you just need a bit of thought. I don't mean a fresh coat of paint nor do I mean shifting the existing furniture. But there are lots of other things that you can do besides.
Candles in alcoves set off the contrast between the furniture and the wall spaces in a way that gets you part of the way there. But there are other things....
Stenciling - This is an easy way to decorate a rather bland background, but you have to be sure that the few designs you make are what you want, otherwise you might as well try.....
Grafitto - given a bad name by it's modern counterpart Grafitti, grafitto comes from the Italian word for scratched, and it involves painting a wall twice, then removing some of the upper layer in order to show the contrast between the tones. This is a good bit more difficult but it is far more pleasing upon the eye if done well.
Lastly, think about the curtains, I do prefer to have blinds, in the midwinter they can be completely closed, yet I seem to think they let in more sun in summer. Perhaps it's just in my mind.
I know that one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing the sofa for your living room will be personal taste [never mind the price]. But there are other things that you must take into consideration.
About the most important of these factors is size: let's face it if you have a rather small living room, then a massive four seater sofa is going to cramp everything out pushing things up against the walls just so you are able to get around. The inverse is also true, if you have a large living space a small sofa will look completely out of place, lost amongst the myriad other pieces of furniture needed to make your room livable.
Another guide in choosing the appropriate sofa furniture for your house is the material/texture of the sofa. Many people like leather sofas no matter the decor, others need something much more comfortable in order to relax. There are no hard and fast rules, but there is a basic rule that certain types of textiles go better with some wallpapers, carpets, furniture than others.
And finally never forget the colour, we all have different tastes in colours, I like black [okay that's not technically a colour but...], but perhaps if I was to get everything in my house black, it would not only be monotonous [literally], but it would bore me half way to madness, and I might start losing other black things that I like everywhere. Remember "red and green should never be seen", or something like that.
Some designers would have it that you buy their ideas for your living room. They believe that because they had a theme in their heads, and because they are paid to design, you should accept their theme.
But isn't the way you feel in your own living room far more important the holistic dreams of some person with their head in the clouds. That is why sometimes it is better to pick the individual peices of furniture on their own merits and put them together the way you like it, even if it is just to enjoy the deliberate juxtaposition.
And besides if you by the entire designer range, it would probably cost a fortune, when you could trawl your way round the furniture shops built out of town, of course you could just buy your furniture online.
In order to keep your mind free I have decided to omit my usual collection of images.
Recently when I was out shopping I decided it was time to get some garden furniture in place for the summer. You make think it’s a bit early but there are some good deals on right now and it saves going back up in the summer when the shops are packed and more than likely sold out of the tables and chairs set that you’re after.
You can’t beat a warm summers day sitting out the back door and add a tables and chairs set to that and you’re on to a winner. Prices weren’t too bad with most starting from about £50 upwards for a decent set. After a half a day or so I decided to go with a fantastic wooden set which I got for around £60 (pictured left).
If you have a spare 5 minutes and have had any experience with this kind of tables and chairs I would be interested on what you think of it or if you know of a better bargain out there worth discussing. So feel free to leave a comment or two.
There’s probably a lot of the older generation out there wondering what a “lazy boy” is and to set the record straight no it isn’t your kid or grandson. The “lazy boy” is every guy and probably most woman’s dream. A leather reclining chair built solely for comfort.
The lazy boy is quite an expensive piece of furniture with prices usually around £1000 but if you ever go intoa shop and try out one I think you will strongly agree that its defiantly worth your hard earned cash. Not only are they extremely comfortable but they also look the part.
Available in all types of colour there is also a lot of different gadgets that come with the lazy boy. With release buttons at the side to fire your legs up into the air for a relaxing night in front of the T.V but the head rest can also go back the way so you can lie down fully. Also the arm rests can lift up to reveal hidden departments where you can hide the remote when you’re watching the football and the misses is trying to turn it over.
Any furniture store you visit will definitely have the lazy boy in stock with the likes of DFS, Reid’s Furniture, Harvey’s and many more well known for selling the lazy boy. So if you haven’t already or have been thinking about buying the lazy boy, what are you waiting for? Get down to the stores and start shopping.
There are always people who value their space. Quite often the place to look is Japan. The Japanese have been doing minimalism since their culture started.
From the traditional white walls with well hidden cupboards to the now famous futon, which can be easily put away to create more space throughout the day.
In the west, the size and shape of the modern city centre apartment has not been quite comparable, until recently, to those of Tokyo and Yokohama, where overcrowding made the available floor size reduce dramatically after the 1950s.
Without taking anything from the Japanese style, I don't think the British Market is ready for "out and out" minimalism, so what is needed is something in between. Something with all the embellishments of a modern household, but with the possibility of making the space uncluttered.
Seating can be comfortable without being too large and immovable, and light colours make a room seem more bright and airy.
This is the new decade so we ought not go back to the old days, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from the past.
Contrast can have a striking effect in your living room. But it doesn't have to be as stark a contrast as Black/White. Why not try a dark brown against several shades of cream.
Lately there has been a 'thing' for metallic effect in furniture design, but it is certainly not for everyone. And to go down a more natural look to your furniture doesn't mean a move away from straight edges. Modern finishing on even the most natural wooden tables gives the effect of a contemporary living space.
This is my new blog where follow all the trends coming up in this new decade for furniture design, and concepts in layout for your living spaces.
We look at everything from retakes on classical design, to everything that is modern and forward thinking. We also know that these days modern living spaces are no longer as "one-size-fits-all" as it once was. Nowadays we settle back in converted loft areas, in studio apartments, we have even seen renovated churches turned into residences. Therefore we need furniture design to complement the spaces we choose to entertain friends and family. From corner-sofas in place of the classical long sofa for the bijou apartment, to dining tables which with a few small adjustments can accommodate any extra dinner guest you might choose to invite.
Remember to bookmark this site as we will be regularly updating this site, to keep YOU informed on all the new ideas in the world of design.
