Kitchen Cool

A kitchen / dining space that combines warehouse chic and safari style with magnetic results.  We'd like to hang out here! Quite unusual to have a zebra rug (oval shaped no less), provencal style chairs, off beat art and city slick pendant lighting all thrown together in a kitchen area.  But the white walls and cabinets provide a crisp backdrop to these cheeky and eclectic references and the colour family remains consistent throughout. 

• Notice how the overall whiteness and colour splashes are balanced by the natural tones in the chairs, floor and rug. 
• Pendant lights over a dining table helps define a space, add workspace and meal time lighting of course but also direct our gaze upwards increasing the sense of loftiness in a room.
• Don't be afraid to re-purpose and re-home.  The ladder in the kitchen looks great, is unusual and yet very practical for reaching hard to find items.  If you have the ceiling height, try adding a long, painted ladder to your kitchen for extra style points.
• Add the unexpected and give your space the edge. Here, the strangely attractive clown art makes a talking point and adds an extra dimension.

Want to recreate? 
Eco Chic has some suggestions:  check out our Chandeliers and Pendants for dining style; our Valmont dining table would look fab in such a space; browse through our Art section for inspiration and our Rugs offer many funky options for kitchens and beyond.

Art of Living

 

Rooms that are inviting and yet still lived in are an enviable combination. This room manages to be city chic, family friendly, arty bohemian and casual cool all rolled into one.

 

The furniture pieces are all individual yet work together. This always gives a homely yet stylish feel. The pieces reference each other in tonality, however, which is important - otherwise everything can get too jumbled and messy.

Notice how neutral everything is; it is the art, the books and the flowers that give the colourfully carefree and intellectually inviting impression.

 

Like the look? Eco Chic has some suggestions: our Lily sofa is squashy and comfy and comes in any fabric you want; the Lewis upholstered ottoman works beautifully as a coffee table too; a Herringbone rug looks similar to this one; check out our Art offerings for an offbeat statement piece to add life to your living space.

Sharing Babette Hayes Styling Secrets

 We thought we'd share the practical and creative advice of designer and stylist Babette Hayes - and add a few inspirational photos to get you going!

1.     Creating zones is important so that there are defined areas for seating, TV viewing, activities, eating which have passage ways in between. So grouping is important – group the seating with coffee table, side table, lamps. Avoid matching it all so there is a sense of the unexpected. Then allow for walk through passages leading to another zone.  

 

2.     Hanging artworks, interesting objects with care, together rather than scattered – avoid hanging one picture in the middle of each wall. Collect interesting posters, images, children’s drawings, blow up family photos, frame them, group them on one or two walls in the living room, turn a corridor wall into a gallery, create a large colourful notice board on which to pin favourite photos, postcards, drawings etc.

 

  3.     In a house that’s well lived in, chaos can reign – so make sure there is one room that is tidy, organised and feels good to be in so that you have your favourite things to look at and enjoy. Here peace will reign and you will benefit. The entry point into a home is important – have a bench for shoes and boots to go under, a place for umbrellas and school bags, a box or basket in which to throw all the odd bits to keep them in one place. Keeping things in their own space – a row of hooks creates a sense of organisation, an awareness of the environment you live in.

 

 



Curiosity Chic

A history lesson or a trip down memory lane?  Neither, it’s an elegant space showcasing refined taste combined with a collector’s eye. 

Gathering together a collection is one thing, but displaying disparate items in attractive and cohesive style is a different challenge altogether.

We see shells, coral, fish and compasses. Lots of books.  Antique busts. The home of an intrepid explorer, an avid sailor or perhaps just an armchair traveller?

This corner is full of stuff, there’s plenty going on, but it actually comes across as a serene place to take a moment and savour life.  That’s because the varied elements share essential features that blend and complement each other, thus creating a pleasing, yet stimulating, experience for the eye.

The soft grey of the panelled walls provides a pleasingly neutral back drop. The pale parquet floor has detail but does not distract.  The strong black lines of the cabinet are repeated in the upholstery of the armchair, adding depth and structure.

Pale and interesting, the objects on display differ in size and scale – a very important feature. The shells wouldn’t be half as effective if they were half the size!  Slight shots of colour prevent things from becoming too bland; coral and lilac are always good options for adding uplift.

The romance of good old fashioned books will never be replaced by a Kindle, and their ability to add instant gravitas to a space can’t be underestimated.  Keep your books, gather more and most of all – read them!

Try Dulux Nolita for this shade of grey paint; our Polo armchair would work well in this space; check out our Caesar busts; try the Santa Barbara bookshelf for curiosity storage with style.

Woodland Wonder

 

 

Everyone loves this picture!  It simply expresses a feeling of freedom and spontaneity without artifice or design, something we all seek. 

The outdoor setting, the twinkling fairy lights, the casual table arrangement all speak of a happy event and a pressure free celebration.  This setting works so well because natural elements have been respected yet enhanced with more luxe elements – it wouldn’t be so chic if the plates were paper and the table cloth plastic.

To recreate this charming look try a clean, crisp white sheet for a table cloth, or select from our Crellini linens.  We have Lumberjack stump stools and tables which look fabulous for casual dining. The Cape Cod dining chair is wonderful in wicker.  Our Spice Trail throws and cushions will add a dash of colour. And as an alternative to fairly lights you could try a chandelier featuring battery operated real wax Flameless candles which will add magical illumination without blowing out at the slightest breath of wind.

Shelf Life

 

There's little in the world of storage that is as useful as shelving.  Perfect for books, ornaments, filing, music, nik naks, the addition of a few baskets or boxes practically turns shelves into cupboards.  Shelves are not too easy to put up though, even for seasoned handy men, what with getting angles and alignments straight etc., so we liked these ideas from housetohome.co.uk for making the most of shelving that comes in the form of book cases or shelf units. 

 

Place three open shelf units flush to the wall to create the look of built-in storage that doesn't dominate the room - and requires no DIY.

 

How to choose the right unit

 

* Allow 3cm to 5cm space above books so you can easily pull them out.

* For accessibility, go for units no higher than 21cm, with the top shelf at 180cm.

* Shelves should be 30cm wide to fit larger books and 20cm for paperbacks, CDs and DVDs. Leave 25cm to 30cm between each shelf.

* Hardback books are heavy, so need sturdy shelves. Slim shelves are only suitable for lighter paperbacks and ornaments.

Stylist's tip

 

Keep the wall colour light to contrast with dark shelving and provide a backdrop for ornaments.

 

Eco Chic's shelving is intended to be used as feature shelving, thus not ideal for this kind of treatment.  We do, however, have some lovely baskets and boxes that can add storage and individuality to any shelf or unit. 

 

 



Manly Swagger

 

 

What a great room!  A big show off of a room, but nonetheless a very successful boast.  It is instant Hollywood courtesy of Mr. Redford of course, but the other elements in the setting are equally as 'A' list.

 

We love the combination of tan leather with indigo blue and polished nickel - if the sofa had been black leather the overall look would have been quite different, sombre, downbeat almost. 

 

There's just enough symmetry in the room to create a pleasing effect but not so much as would make it rigid. 

 

And the carefully wrought balances are offset by irregularities such as accent chairs upholstered in denim; the shiny surfaces are juxtaposed with rustic textures like the driftwood item on the coffee table.

 

You can't go wrong with a dark wall coupled with a pale floor - and here the use of an enormous, pale area rug adds extra luxury.

 

Our Broadway sofa can be made in any leather, including tan.  Try the Manhattan coffee and side tables for a shiny statement pieces.  Two Istanbul table lamps would pack a punch in this room.  And you can always buy a pair of Aviator sunglasses and talk your favourite human into posing for the camera.....