Designer Insights

My advice for a well styled living room is to adopt the “high-low” methodology that all good fashionistas employ with what they wear. Invest a lot in some good classic pieces and mix them with some cheaper items. Look for inexpensive buys and bargains when it comes to on-trend decor which you know will make you're room look very current, but will definitely be out of vogue in a year or two. Throw cushions in a seasonal colour is the perfect cheap thrill. But there are certain pieces in a well styled living room that you can feel comfortable investing in because they are classically chic, and stand the test of time. These pieces never go out of fashion and suit any style home.

Here is a list of 5 items that will never go out of style

1. Decorative Over-The-Mantel Mirror

An oversized mirror above your fire place has been a classic design element for eons. Mirrors make rooms appear lighter, brighter and bigger. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with metallic, because you are avoiding colours that can date. If you have a traditional or classic home or are partial to an eclectic design repertoire, a ornate french looking mirror will fit the bill. For the more modern home, keep to the metallics but look for a simpler frame.

2. Plantation Shutters

Plantations Shutters are an elegant window dressing that is always in fashion and gives a room an immediate sense of polish. While a certain fabric or style of drapes will date, a white plantation shutter is as fashionable now as it was in 50 years ago. What’s more they suit a myriad of design styles being the perfect window treatment for a contemporary home, a traditional home, a country cottage, or a beach house. The crisp, clean lines, and white colour always adds a breezy feel to a room and yet gives more warmth than stark looking roller blinds.

3. Persian Rugs

The intricate, centuries old, patterns and classic colours of reds, blues, creams, and beiges make the Persian rug an undeniable classic that will never date. What’s more it is these colours and patterns that allow the Persian rug to bring warmth to the room. They make the traditional home look more cozy and take the cold edge of an uber modern interior. I believe that a Persian rug looks at home in any style of room. It always has and always will. It’s a big investment
for a good Persian rug, but well worth the splurge.

4. Leather Club Chair

An undeniable favourite of all the men-folk, the leather club chair evokes feelings of old school "members only" clubs. The more vintage and worn looking, the better. Leather club chairs seem to tell a story as you wonder where it has been and what it has seen, and I think that it is the imagined history that makes them so appealing. Although they are the ultimate masculine piece they are just as at home in a feminine room. Throw a floral or pink cushion on and it is guaranteed to look wonderful in a pretty room.

5. Stripes

Different patterns definitely come in and out of vogue. We love patterns and they are a perfect way to show a particular personality in a room. Think of white room with white furniture and then add orange chevron cushions. Get the look? Now add floral cushions instead. And we have another feel. What about green plaid? Yet another style. Patterns can change the look of a room in an instant, but stick to keeping 'on-trend' patterns to inexpensive cushions or throws as opposed to an expensive floor rug, drapes, or upholstery. When it comes to the more expensive items if you stay with stripes in classic colours or neutrals it will be sure to make your house look current no matter the year.

The industrial design trend that has long been reserved for lofts and the more masculine condo spaces has now well and truly penetrated mainstream urban design.

With it’s focus on raw materials, clean lines and simple shapes, this look can easily be incorporated into any home without expensive refurbishments and can also be easily integrated within more feminine style areas to create a unique juxtaposition of designs.  We’ve put together a few simple ideas to help get you started!

Image courtesy of Architecture DHD

Texture

Texture will predominantly come from the materials you use. Industrial chic relies heavily on raw materials such as steel, iron, reclaimed wood, glass, brick etc.  One of the easiest ways of adding texture is to contrast materials with pre-existing elements of your home. For example; if you have pre-existing brick walls, look into directly contrasting it with raw timbers and metals.

Lighting

Repurpose old lamps and industrial lights that you can find from thrift stores and antique shops to cover or add to your existing fixtures to add to the industrial of a room through simple changes.

Colour

Industrial chic relies heavily on neutral colour schemes to augment the natural and raw materials being used throughout. Avoid bold colours and stick to sandy beiges, ivory, black, greys and white.

Furniture

When considering furniture, one of the most effective methods to create a cohesive space without over-use of material, is to juxtapose wood with metal. Try using a repurposed wooden pallet as coffee table with metal end tables. Mixing and matching contrasting pieces will help bring the space together without risking the room becoming boring.

Image courtesy of The Old Painted Cottage

Image courtesy of Jude Interior Designs

Window Furnishings

Whilst open window spaces are a clear favourite for many people decorating in an industrial chic trend, it is not always the most practical solution in high-sun areas or houses that lack natural privacy. Shutters are a great way to give you the best of both worlds.  Timber shutters that have a dark stain can give you both an ideal texture and colour combination, or alternatively, aluminium shutters can also be used; painted black or done in a dark-timber look-alike finish.