The Green Familia » Decor & Interiors

Guest Post: Living Room Design Ideas – How to Make Small Spaces Work

Brenda — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:04:20 +0000

Many homes can offer you limited space for the living room. This is an important area in the home and provides a place where the family can come together to relax and socialise. It is important to design small spaces effectively so that you feel comfortable and can enjoy your surroundings.

Fortunately there are many ways in which you can maximise the space in your living rooms. This can help you to create dynamic rooms that look great and work well as sociable living areas.

1. Open up Spaces with Mirrors

Mirrors are a wonderful way to brighten up rooms and create an illusion of space. By positioning mirrors opposite windows you can make the most of the natural light in your living rooms. This is ideal if your room tends to be a bit dark and gloomy during the day.

The great thing about mirrors is that they really do work to open up rooms and make them feel more spacious. They don’t cost very much money either and you can buy a great range of mirrors in home stores. This can includes large mirrors to go over the fireplace or smaller mirrors to hang in alcove spaces.

2. Limited Colour Palettes

Too many strong colours in a small room can be overwhelming. This can make rooms feel more cramped than they really are. When you are decorating small living spaces it can be a good idea to choose a limited neutral colour palette. By using a light, plain colour for the large areas (carpets, walls and seating) you can create a feeling of more space.

You can always then brighten up the room a bit by choosing colourful drapes, paintings and cushions. A colourful rug can also be a great way of creating an accent in your rooms and this can be placed under your coffee table in the centre of the room.

3. Scale Down Furnishings

Try not to cram too much furniture into small living rooms. This can make the room look smaller and feel very cramped. You do need to measure the space you have available before you go out shopping for any furniture. Avoid wide sofas that have oversized arms and padding. Opting for something more streamlined can help to conserve space.

Choose narrow cabinets that can be pushed back against the wall for some additional storage and display space. Magazine racks can be tucked out of the way to keep papers organised. Nesting table sets are also very useful space savers.

4. Open Shelving

Open shelving creates a modern feel to rooms and also provides a way to display your books and ornaments. This can help you to create an organised, uncluttered feel to small spaces. If you have alcoves this open shelving can be a great way to make the most of these recessed spaces.

There are many different styles of shelving available. Wooden shelving is very traditional and can complement traditional homes. Glass shelves are also a good choice to help maximise on the feeling of space and suit contemporary homes.

This guest post was written by Hannah Ward who writes for the TH Services Blog on all aspects relating to home improvements and DIY.

Blanket Boxes at Myakka

erica — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:55:30 +0000

I’m always drawn to pretty or unusual boxes and chests when browsing in antique or home furnishings shops. It can be difficult though to find reasonably priced items that combine quality with ethical concerns. So I was very pleased to stumble across Myakka with their ranges of furniture from a single fair trade supplier in India.

This Hathi Blanket Box has a lovely design with good proportions and a sweet elephant motif. It’s made from solid sheesham hardwood(Indian rosewood). Mounted on neat bun feet, this chest has a traditional metal latch and a hinged lid with a retaining chain for easy access. It measures 85 x 45 x 46 cm and is priced at £229.

If you’re after a simpler look, how about these Thaket Blanket Boxes. Again these boxes are made from sheesham hardwood, but come with chunky plinths and sturdy ironwork hinges. These fair trade blanket boxes are capable of providing good amounts of storage with 2 sizes available. Prices start at £99 and there’s a reduced price available when you buy two.

Hearts for your Valentine

erica — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:41 +0000

Valentine’s Day will soon be upon us and it’s worth organising your gifts now. Hearts are the traditional symbol of love and there are some beautifully designed items out there that would make welcome gifts.

This Silver & Recycled Aluminium “Fronds” Heart from Anna Clifton Jewellery caught my eye. It’s hand-made with a sterling silver frame which encases a recycled aluminum heart. To make the pendant, each piece of recycled aluminium is individually heat treated and cut from a recycled drinks can. The design is then scribed on by hand and set into resin. This seals in the design, making it colour fast and protecting it from knocks and scratches. You can choose between 16″ and 18″ sterling silver snake chains. It’s normally priced at £49.99, but it’s currently available for just £44.99.

This Hanging Heart makes a lovely gift. It’s quite large, measuring approx 20cm x 20cm,and it would look fabulous hung on a wardrobe door or on the bed frame. It could take it’s place amongst scatter cushions on your bed or sofa. It comes with 5 filling options: unfragranced, 3 choices of long-lasting aroma beads or traditional dried home-grown lavender. The ribbon loop is stitched in place and decorated with two large wooden buttons. It’s priced at £6.50 each.

Tiles for your Home

erica — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:00:56 +0000

At this time of year you might be thinking about home improvement projects for the coming 12 months. Kitchen and bathroom are top of my wishlist and they may need to remain there, but that hasn’t stopped me window shopping. Susie Watson Designs have some lovely tiles that are a little bit different from the usual plain white bathroom or kitchen tiles. They’re all hand made and hand decorated too.

This Blackberry Tile is very sweet and would look fab in a country style kitchen. As well as this design, there’s a strawberry design available too. I think either would look lovely as part of a splashback or even in combination with each other or some of their complementary ivory tiles. The patterned tiles are priced at £6.50 each, whilst the plain ones are £3.50. All the tiles measure 10cm square. The tiles are handmade in Sri Lanka and you can see details of the pottery where they are made on the Susie Watson Designs’ website.

If you’re after a seaside theme for your bathroom then this Star Tile might suit you. There are other designs available too as alternatives or alongside this star tile. There’s a super cute heart one (also available in red) and a flower design too. Pale blue tiles and tiles with just the corner pattern are also obtainable. Again the patterned tiles are priced at £6.50 each.

Reclaimed Furniture from Idyll Home

erica — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:23 +0000

I recently discovered Idyll Home who search out some very stylish, ethical and environmentally friendly products. They have some wonderful furniture made from reclaimed wood.

The simplicity of this side table is really appealing. Made from reclaimed old elm wood (after all new elm wood is a rarity these days) and an iron base, these tables should be strong and sturdy. Knots and cracks of the wood add warmth and character to the plain design. They’d make perfect side tables for the living room or bedside tables for your bedroom. They measure 50cm x 50cm x 50cm and are priced at £175.

Another favourite is this rather quirky and unusual government chair. It has a vintage utilitarian look that would look the part in either a period home or a modern setting. Each chair is slightly different in design as they are all unique items, made from old reclaimed teak. They’d look good as a statement piece, in your study or in a group of dining chairs. The price is £189 each.

Eco Calendars

erica — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:00:28 +0000

The start of a new year usually means the start of a new calendar and a chance to get organised for the year ahead. It’s great that there are some calendars now available that are kind to the environment too.

The 2012 WWT Eco Calendar is a carbon neutral 13 month calendar featuring some stunning WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) images. It’s printed in the UK on FSC certified paper using vegetable based inks and alcohol-free printing, plus it’s 100% recyclable . Coming in a compostable bag printed with compostable logo, the packaging is environmentally friendly too. It’s priced at £9.99 and you’ll be helping a good cause too.

This

This Environmental Art Calendar is beautifully illustrated and celebrates environmental art and would look fabulous on your wall. It measures 30cm x 30cm and is made from recycled materials. It’s normally priced at £9.95, but it’s currently available for £5.95.

Dupenny

Brenda — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Oh my….if you have not yet visited the Dupenny website then you must now! Gorgeous wallpaper made from abstract designs will surely have you planning a bir of redecorating this winter.

Their inks are sustainable and they use only the highest quality FSC certified non-woven paper made from 100% cellulose fibres and sourced from managed forests.

They are also able to screen-print our 3m panels if you prefer. If you have a specific requirement please get in touch and ask them about bespoke designs and commissions.

*Please note there is a charge for samples. This money is refundable on all orders over £100.

My husband particularly likes the 1920′s Glamour Wallpaper. Which costs £75 for a 3 metre panel.

In Hot Water

erica — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:00:24 +0000

A hot water bottle with a cover keeps you cosy and warm at night without a risk of burning. I’m a fan of this stylish Hand knitted Hottie from Swings and Other Pretty Things. The cover is hand knitted from undyed, unbleached wool and the bottle itself is recyclable. I love the chunky, rustic look and the smart grey colour. It’s priced at £39.

Another option is this Recycled Wool Hot Water Bottle Cover from Nigel’s Eco Store. This bottle is made by People Tree and is sure to help you stay warm and cosy. Made from a mixture of recycled yarns in Nepal by hand, so each hot water bottle cover is a one off piece. It comes in cream with a chunky cable knit pattern and is priced at £18.37.

Carol Atkinson Textiles have this charming Heart Motif Hot Water Bottle. The cover is knitted in chunky, reclaimed and recycled yarns with a cute appliqué heart motif. They come in a range of colours and you can specify the main colour (either plain or striped) and the heart colour that you want, so you can choose a hot water bottle cover that suits you. They’re priced at £25.

Colourful Duvet Covers

erica — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:13 +0000

I’ve been looking around for some new duvet covers, but I’ve been a bit frustrated by the range available in environmentally friendly fabrics. All too often it’s a choice between white and cream plain covers and I prefer more colour and pattern.

So I was pleasantly surprised by the range of prints available from The Organic Farm Shop. There’s a range of colours and patterns available from stripes and checks or densely patterned floral designs. You can choose the design and size you require from single to super king. Prices start at £48 and you can also buy matching pillowcases, plus single and double bedspreads. The fabric is block printed by skilled craftsmen and made up into the bedding items in Rajasthan. Each duvet cover closes with a zip.

Draught Excluders – Keeping out the Cold

erica — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:00:17 +0000

The combination of having recently moved house to an older Edwardian property and the onset of chillier weather has made me want to wage war on draughts. There’s a range of products available from the effective to the decorative.

I love the look of these retro Snake Draught Excluders. They’re made from vintage fabric and are about 90cm long. Their buckwheat husk filling has been chosen as it’s heavier and more flexible, so creating a better seal between the door and the snake. You can choose from a range of fabric designs and they’re priced at £19.99.

A purely functional and cheaper option is the Insulating Door Draught Excluder. It slides onto the bottom of your door and moves with it, so you’ll not need to move it out of the way when you open the door. It’s suitable for both carpeted and smooth floor surfaces and comes in black or white. It’s priced at £7.99.

Another decorative option is the Red Spotty Dog Draught Excluder from New Internationalist. It’s a very cute spotty sausage dog design and he’s made in India to fair trade standards. He measures 80cm long and he’s stuffed with polyfibre, plastic and sand. He’s priced at a very reasonable £12.