Features: Feature
Quick Shop: Stylish plates
Ensure your meals look as good as they taste with our pick of stylish dinnerware.
Whether you’re enjoying a full meal at dinner time, or just sneaking a biscuit or two with your elevenses, food always seems to taste better when served on a gorgeous plate.
The Marimekko Kompotti Round Plate features funky fruit and veg in retro shades, while the Miss Blackbirdy – White Flower Plate (designed by Merel Boers) looks oh so dainty with its pretty floral design, yet is safe in both the dishwasher and microwave.
Clockwise from top left: Kartell Yellow Jelly Plate from Heal’s, £66; Pasha Plate from OKA, £14; Marimekko Kompotti Round Plate from Heal’s, £20; Avoca – Button Side Plate – 8" from Amara Living, £10; Iittala Sarjaton Flat Plate from John Lewis, £15; Miss Blackbirdy – White Flower Plate – 26.5cm from Amara Living, £9.95.
Quick Shop: Coat Stands
Find the perfect hallway home for your winter coats with our pick of the best coat stands.
Almost the whole country has seen snow this week.
My son and I have spent the last few days making a snowman (otherwise known as a snowflump), enjoying sledding races, and having great fun pelting my hubby with snowballs.
All of which have required us to be wrapped up in warm coats, together with woolly hats, scarves and gloves.
To ensure they are not all taken off afterwards and simply dumped on the hall floor means having plenty of coat storage. And here at Furnish we have plenty of coat racks and stands to choose from.
Here is a selection of our favourite coat stands (with coat racks to follow next week).
Clockwise from top left: Loll Tower Coat Stand from Found Home Store, £475; Barley Twist Dark Bronze Coat Stand from Artisanti, £142; Peg Coat Stand Black by Tom Dixon from Heal’s, £350; Iowa Coat Rack from Fashion for Home, £229; Magis Paradise Tree Coat Stand from Found Home Store, £415; Covo Latva Coat Rack from Occa Home, £287.
Quick Shop: Nesting tables
Find the perfect home for your cuppa with this selection of stylish nesting tables.
We always seem to have a problem when guests come round and I’ve welcomed them with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee, in that we don’t have enough space for their cups and saucers. They either get put on the floor (and then knocked over) or rested on a chair arm (and then knocked off).
Always practical, being popped away when not required, nesting tables are a useful addition to any living space.
I particularly like the Mirrored Nest Of Tables Corinne from Out There Interiors for lightening and brightening the smallest of rooms, and the Nest of 3 tables from Habitat which manages to do so whilst also adding a lovely hit of colour.
Clockwise from top left: Traditional Nest Of Tables from The Orchard, £88.50; Nest of 3 tables from Habitat, £70; Toko Mango Nest of 3 Tables from Verty furniture, £99; Heal’s Discovers Twist Nest of Tables from Heal’s, £795; Mirrored Nest Of Tables Corinne from Out There Interiors, £215; Retro Curve Oak Nest Of Cube Tables from Alexander and Pearl, £425.
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Quick Shop: Dining Chairs
Bring style and personality to your dining room with our pick of the best dining chairs.
Whether you have a large, separate formal dining room used only for special occasions, or a small table tucked away in the kitchen for wolfing down your breakfast, finding the right style of chair is essential to make your eating space work for you.
We have a huge selection of dining chairs here at Furnish, including the decadent Moooi Smoke Dining Chair from Occa Home, which undergoes a unique wood burning process to achieve its unusual and gorgeous finish, and the Sasha dining chair from Tom Schneider, a stunning chair available in a wide choice of wood finishes and fabric.
Clockwise from top left: Iconic Metal Dining Chair from Out There Interiors, £155; Sasha dining chair from Tom Schneider, £310.25 – £450.50; Velvet Oval purple back dining chair from Lover’s lounge, £190; Retro circles dining chair red from Dwell, £69; Moooi Smoke Dining Chair from Occa Home, £1,157; Paparazzi Grey Velvet Crystal Buttoned Dining Chair from Alexander and Pearl, £320 for a pair.
Quick Shop: Footstools
Put your feet up in comfort with our pick of the best footstools.
Footstools (and ottomans and pouffes) are so very useful.
In addition to being used simply as footstools, they also double up brilliantly as low tables, as extra seating and, in some cases, they provide additional storage.
The vibrant colours of the fabric in the Designers Guild Moyka Pink/Turquoise Stripe Bean Drum from Heal’s are particularly gorgeous, making it my favourite.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something to give your home a touch of bling, the Moroccan Silver Leather Pouffe is a shining example.
(Clockwise from top) Heal’s Designers Guild Moyka Pink/Turquoise Stripe Bean Drum from Heal’s, £160, Branagh Large Ottoman, Pearl Grey from Made.com, £299, Bohemia Home Moroccan Faux Leather Pouffe, Silver from Bohemia Design, £95, Klippan Multi Coloured Twist Pouf from Interior Addict, £101.15, Country Cottage Footstool in Home Sweet Home design from Fields of Blue, £29.95, Donna Wilson Henry Zig Zag Pouffe from John Lewis, £235.
Shop the Trend: Union Jacks
Give your home a truly British feel with some of our best Union Jack buys.
While the Diamond Jubilee celebrations may have been and gone, the eyes of the world will continue to gaze upon our humble shores this summer. This gives you the perfect excuse to do a bit more flag waving and inject some Union Jack style into your home.
To celebrate in style, why not deck out your home in this fabulous vintage style Union Jack Bunting from Great Little Trading Company. And no dining room will be complete this summer without the Boutique Union Jack Dining Chair from Alexander and Pearl.
As for where to store all your flag waving paraphernalia? Well, in this set of Union Jack Trunks from John Lewis of course.
(Clockwise from top) Boutique Union Jack Dining Chair from Alexander and Pearl, £150, Union Jack Trunks from John Lewis, £99, Vintage Union Jack cushion cover from Lover’s lounge, £12.99, Union Jack Bunting from Great Little Trading Company, £28, Jan Constantine Union Jack Large Jug from Heal’s, £31, Lounge Lizard Union Jack 4 Drawer Chest of Drawers from The Pole House, £275.
Quick Shop: Floral Cushions
Follow the floral fashion trend with our selection of bright and beautiful cushions.
The main fashion trend this spring has undoubtedly been floral prints, and they have been impossible to miss all over the catwalk and throughout the high street.
Floral styles work equally well in the home, adding both colour and vibrancy to your interior, and cushions are an easy way to incorporate this look into your living room.
Furnish has a multitude of styles to choose from. If you are looking for something funky and bright, the Klippan Flower Power Cushion from Interior Addict is spot on. Or, for something a little more elegant, the Floral Mimosa Cushion from Puji is just perfect.
(Clockwise from top) Floral Print Cushion from Dwell, £34.95, Floral Mimosa Cushion from Puji, £29, Green Flowers Cushion from Caroline McGrath, £17.50, Klippan Flower Power Cushion from Interior Addict, £23.99, Pip Studio Birds in Paradise Blue Round Cushion from Heal’s, £25, Designers Guild Sagrada Cushion from John Lewis, £35.
Quick Shop: Magazine Racks
Say Hello! to our pick of the best magazine racks.
No matter what it is you’re into, whether it’s home interiors, cars, fashion, celebrity gossip or something a tad more obscure, there are magazines to satisfy your interest.
And, if you’re anything like me, they will be scattered all round your home.
Here at Furnish we have a wide selection of stylish magazine racks, all ideal for keeping your mags under control and allowing you to wave goodbye to clutter. These include the curvy Legnoart Ebony Wood Magazine Holder from Gifts with Style or, for something a bit quirkier, the Cowhide Magazine Holder from London Cows.
(Clockwise from top) Cowhide Magazine Holder – Mag 01 from London Cows, £79, Wirehouse Magazine Rack from Lifestyle Bazaar, £39.95, Legnoart Ebony Wood Magazine Holder from Gifts with Style, £84.95, Driade Omero Magazine Holder from A White Room, £223, News Magazine Rack from Dutch by Design, £12.50, Panama Folding Magazine Rack from Alexander and Pearl, £150.
Quick Shop: Espresso Cups
Enjoy a perfect caffeine hit with our pick of the best espresso cups.
When you need a quick pick-me-up there are few things better than a small hot cup of strong coffee. We have a great selection of espresso cups allowing you to serve your shot in style.
From the simple but beautiful Pair of Menu Espresso Cups from Gifts with Style to the romantic Guzzini Love Espresso Cups from Red Candy we have designs to suit every taste and mood.
There are even espresso cups to make you smile while your coffee wakes you up, such as the Moustache Espresso cup from Lifestyle Bazaar or the Set of Scrabble Espresso Cups-C,A,F,E from Graham & Green.
(Clockwise from top) Set of Scrabble Espresso Cups-C,A,F,E from Graham & Green, £24.95, Pair of Menu Espresso Cups from Gifts with Style, £24.95, Moustache Espresso cup from Lifestyle Bazaar, £16.95, Entomo Espresso cup & saucer from Lifestyle Bazaar, £65, Guzzini Love Espresso Cups with Saucers from Red Candy, £29.70, LSA Zanzi Espresso Cup & Saucer from Occa Home, £9.50.
Quick Shop: Herb Pots
Get green fingered this spring with our pick of the best herb pots.
With the dull and rainy weather evident, there’s no better time for some indoor gardening using the best herb pots to plant your produce.
The Herdy Herb Pot from Heal’s looks cute on the worktop and makes planting herbs fun, even for little ones! While the Orla Kiely Herb Pot from Bloomsbury would look stylish inside or outside, filled with coriander or basil.
(Clockwise from top) Large Herb Pot from Garden Trading, £9, Herdy Herb Pot from Heal’s, £23, 3 Herb Pots on a Tray from Garden Trading, £18, Orla Kiely Herb Pot from Bloomsbury, £27.95, Herb from Garden Beet, £28, Herb Pot Selfwatering Dark 13cm from 95% Danish, £38.
Colour Fix: Yellow
Bring some spring sunshine into your home with our pick of yellow furnishings.
Give your home a touch of mellow yellow with these gorgeous accessories which are perfect for bringing spring inside.
The Small Glass Vase in Yellow from The Contemporary Home is a great accessory for any room in the house and will look fab holding daffodils and contrasting tulips. While the Guzzini Yellow Bread Bin from Gifts With Style will bring a zing of bright, lemon yellow to your kitchen.
(Clockwise from top) Small Glass Vase in Yellow from The Contemporary Home, £6.99, Yellow Round Sea Tray from Caroline Mcgrath, £29.95, Guzzini Yellow Bread Bin from Gifts With Style, £37.95, Ferm Living Bird Leaves Printed Silk Cushion Yellow from Heal’s, £84, Retro Yellow Armchair from Lover’s lounge, £399.99, Orla Kiely Small Salad Bowl from Graham & Green, £25.
Quick Shop: Lampshades
Add that wow factor to your home with a stylish lampshade
Trying to perfect lighting in a room can be tedious. But if you’re looking for that finishing touch to add some style to your home then investing in a trendy lampshade can be a great solution.
Ranging from beautifully intricate to cool and ecletic, you are sure to find the right style for you.
Why not opt for the gorgeous Traditional Lampshade Cluster Light from Rockett St George?
Colourful and stylish, it’s sure to be the talking point of any room. Or add a touch of romance to your bedroom with the White Leafy Pendant Lampshade from The Contemporary Home. Whatever you choose, you can guarantee your lighting will be far from dull.
Sillhouette Chandelier Lampshade (black), £45, from Duffy London, Orla Kiely Tulip Print Drum Lampshade Olive, £88, from Heal’s, Innermost Marble Felt Pendant Shade, £175, from Found Home Store, Moooi Random Black Pendant Lampshade, £432, from Occa Home, White Leafy Pendant Lampshade, £23.99, from The Contemporary Home, Traditional Lampshade Cluster Light – 9 Lamp Shades, £275, from Rockett St George.
Quick Shop: Coloured Furniture
Brighten up your home with some coloured furniture.
Why restrict colour in your home to accessories when you can experiment with colourful furniture? Here at Furnish, we’ve picked the best, brightly coloured furniture that is sure to make a bold impression in your home.
The Gaga Pink Console Table from The French Bedroom Company, is great for injecting some feminine fun into any room. Or maybe you fancy a pop of colour in your living room, with this 2010 Flow Sofa by Kay + Stemmer from Heal’s. Whatever you choose, your home is sure to be bright and welcoming with these vivid furnishings.
(Clockwise from top) 2010 Flow sofa by Kay + Stemmer, from Heal’s £2595, Georgia yellow cardboard sideboard, from Fashion for Home £149, Eames style daw chair, green, from Zazous £79.99, Toddler bedside table – jolly red, from Great Little Trading Company £36, Armstrong sofa, from Lockwood Design £1900, Gaga pink console table, from The French Bedroom Company £445-£495.
Quick Shop: Chaise Longue
Luxuriate and relax in style this winter with a sleek and trendy Chaise Longue
As the winter is approaching in all its cold misery, we all look for home comforts to get cosy and relax in and what better way then to indulge this season in a luxuriously comforting Chaise Longue.
Cosy up in the lavishly chic Deauville Velvet Silver Chaise Longue, with its soft velvet texture, it will make the coldest of homes toasty. Or if your looking for a real style statement to brighten up your home, opt for the gorgeously contemporary Lime/Pink Stripe Chaise, with its unusual curvaceous shape and rich tonal stripes it’s guaranteed to bring effortless style to your home.
Ritz Lime/Pink Stripe Chaise, £1,404, from The Pole House, Deauville Velvet Silver Chaise Lounge, £425, from The Lover’s Lounge, Eichholtz Chaise Lounge Grey Linen, £1,140.50, from Occa Home, Carmen White Chaise Lounge, £1,959, from Fashion For Home, Corbusier Cow Hide Chaise Lounge, £1,215, from The Pole House, Stone Striped Chaise Lounge, £1,103, from Sweetpea and Willow.
Shop The Trend: Animal Prints
Take a walk on the wild side this season with the sassy trend of Animal Print
Ranging from leopard print footstools to cow hide magazine racks, the ever-growing stylish trend of animal print is guaranteed to bring a splash of glamour and animalistic playfulness to the most polished of homes.
This sassy trend work well by adding small key pieces into a space to allow a great mix of texture and warmth. The Union Jack Square Leopard Print Cushion proves a perfect statement piece and will add a splash of classy glamour to any home. Or if your looking to fully embrace the saucy trend, opting for large oversized pieces such as the Tricolour Cowhide rug will work perfectly on any flooring, to create depth and warmth within your home.
Leopard Print Footstool, £445, from London Cows, Zebra Throw, £185.50, from Occa Home, Jan Constantine Union Jack Square Leopard Print, £82, from Occa Home, Tricolour Cowhide, £295, from The French Bedroom Company, Cowhide Magazine Holder, £79, from London Cows, Flora Cow Skin Coffee Table, £395, from Graham & Green.
Quick Shop: Umbrella Stands
Store your umbrella in style this autumn in a trendy, chic umbrella stand
With the temperamental weather upon us, there is an easy solution to store your umbrellas and keep the entrance to your house looking proud, welcoming and most vitally – de cluttered!
Using an umbrella stand is a wonderfully stylish way to free up space and can make for a great style piece within your home. Whether your look is daring and bold or clean and simple, there are many styles to suit all homes and to suit a whole host of umbrellas!
Magis Goccia Umbrella Stand, £82.80, from A White Room, Ratton Square Umbrella Stand, £70, from The Holding Company, Kartell Gino Umbrella Stand Transparent Red, £84, from Heal’s, Lack Atico Umbrella Stand, £125, from John Lewis, Union Jack Umbrella Stand, £69, from Sweetpea and Willow, Classico Umbrella Stand, £64, from Metal Design Furniture.
Quick Shop: Waste paper bins
Be good to the environment and recycle your paper with a stylish waste paper bin.
The waste paper bin is generally seen as a very basic accessory and one of life’s necessities, however that doesn’t mean it needs to look basic.
Furnish has a great selection of waste paper bins in all colours, shapes and sizes, so you’re sure to find something that suits your style.
The Faux book library waste paper bin from Pavilion Broadway is great for the bookworms and those with traditional taste.
But if you’re looking for something a little more funky, the Essy red bin bin paper bin from Red Candy is great for adding a splash of colour.
So try a bin that’s a little different than your usual, wicker cheapie and go for something that doesn’t have to be hidden away.
(Clockwise from Top) Essey red bin bin paper bin, from Red Candy £42, Wire waste paper bin, from Summerill & Bishop £23.50, Faux book library waste paper bin, from Pavilion Broadway £85, Sanganeeri wastepaper bin, from OKA £49, Crown wastepaper bin, from OKA £49, Recycled newspaper wastepaper bin, from John Lewis £10.
Quick Shop: Funky Kettles
Complete your kitchen surfaces with an eternally useful, funky kettle.
Arguably the most useful appliance, the kettle serves the needs of all caffeine addicts for their morning fix and has done for years. But despite being a traditional kitchen accessory, there’s no need for designs to be outdated.
So with the help of Furnish, there’s plenty of deigns for you to choose from, ranging from super modern to cool and retro. For an iconic, Art Deco finish to your worktop, the Prestige 54314 traditional kettle from John Lewis is a great way of injecting some real vintage character into your kitchen.
If you fancy something a little more futuristic, the Bugatti black Vera kettle from Gifts with Style is fantastic for complementing a gadget-clad, high-tech kitchen.
So celebrate one of the greatest kitchen inventions by investing in a super funky kettle, to boil for a brew in style.
(Clockwise from Top) Bosch Styline kettle range, from Heal’s £72, Revival electric water kettle, from Red Candy £68, Alessi hob top kettle – Pito, from Utility £239.40, Alessi hot it kettle, from A White room £86, Prestige 54314 traditional kettle, from John Lewis £69.95, Bugatti black Vera kettle, from Gifts With Style £185.
How to create the perfect home office
keep your home office professional yet fun with our pick of office essentials
With more of us achieving the luxury of being able to work from home, your office should be somewhere stylish and practical to conduct your hard grafting. Keeping a professional feel to the room will allow you to stay motivated when the deadlines loom.
However, making your own office attractive and comfortable will make that Monday morning wake-up call a little less daunting.
The Desk
Undoubtedly the most important component of a study is the desk. With so much choice, it can be difficult to find one right for your needs. However you can’t go wrong with a desk that has plenty of storage space such as the Opus Large Desk from Love Furniture. With a spacious top, drawers and a cupboard to fit any large folders, it’s perfect choice for anyone working from home.
The Chair
A good chair is important too and when you’re sitting for what seems hours at a time, choosing a comfy one is essential. Colour-wise, you can’t go wrong with black; it oozes style and sophistication and is perfect for any home office. Add a leather finish and you’re on to a winning seat, such as the Eames EA119 high back ribbed office chair, from Lover’s Lounge. The comfortable, high back is definitely a powerful feature, keeping you inspired on even the most miserable of days, plus it’s fully adjustable so will help keep back pain at bay.
The Storage
Creating attractive, storage space in an office is relatively easy if you have the right furnishings. If you want to include a feature of the industrial office inside at home, one option is the 6 Door industrial locker unit from Rose & Grey. With its eye-catching design and edgy, metal finish, it’s fabulous for creating interest in the office, and perfect for stashing away all your clutter.
For a personal touch, how about pinning pictures of your loved ones inside the doors for a real back to school, vintage look.
The Decor
The office may be a place of work, but that doesn’t mean it has to be lifeless. Keeping your office colour scheme relaxed is key for a tranquil place to work and getting things done, so neutral tones jazzed up with some feature wallpaper is a good idea.
Forget the typical, dreary office colours like scuffed white and mucky grey and go green with the Sunlight Through Leaves wallpaper from Ella Doran. Combined with a grassy green rug such as the Sethos Green Rug from Fashion4Home, you’ll feel a little closer to nature and less restricted by those four walls.
Lighting
The lighting in your office is certainly something to ponder about. Dim lighting will only make your day seem far longer, plus you might have to pull out the reading glasses. While bright, call-centre style lighting will make you feel stuck in a box. So meeting in the middle with some warm, soft lighting will make you feel at ease in your surroundings along with any tasks that lay ahead of you.
The Wild Horn lamp, from Sweetpea and Willow had a neutral, rustic shade that will expel calm lighting and with its unique design of animal horns, will make a bold statement in any office.
Finish your main light off with a cool designed shade, like the Satellight World lampshade, from Duffy London, to keep you inspired.
Accessories
Pen/pencil holders are great placed on the desk to ensure you’ll never been digging in the bottom of the drawer again. The Pencil Sharpener Desk Tidy from Utility keeps your stationary super safe.
Another useful accessory to have is a calendar to keep you informed of any important business meetings. If you fancy something a little more permanent, the Appointment Perpetual Calendar by Philippi from Pelican Pear is a good choice.
Organisation is paramount to a tidy office, so having somewhere to stash all your important paperwork is certainly useful. The Metal Desk Tidy from Graham & Green will keep all your bills and statements ordered.
So, now you’ve sorted all that out, it’s time for the hard graft to begin. Good luck!
Quick Shop: Bar Stools
Stylish and funky, create instant impact in your home with a colourful bar stool
Break the mould within your home with one of these ultra chic bar stools. Perfect for creating an eating area within your kitchen or as a quick fix style update for your bar, these quirky stools will add an instant splash of colour to your space.
Whether you’re looking to splash out in red retro funkiness or make a statement with modern elegance, they’re sure to impress. Who says they only needn’t belong in a cocktail bar?
(Clockwise from left) Aly Alluminium Adjustable Bar Stool, £159, from Love Your Home For Less, BE362 Bar Stool, £87, from The Pole House, KNOLL Bertoia Bar Stool With Seat & Back Pad, from Utility, Arper Babar Stool With Backrest, £438, from A White Room, Stokey Walnut Bar Stool, £145, from Alexander & Pearl, Lucido Bar Stool Range, £375, from Heal’s.
