How to Incorporate Metals in Interior Design

Industrial chic has been taking the interior design world by storm over the last few years. This style comeback has meant that features that were previously looked down upon, like exposed bricks walls or iron beams, have now become all the rage. This has also spawned a new interest in incorporating metals and metallic colours into other kinds of styles in the home.

Chrome

Chrome is probably the most popular kind of metal that we’ve been seeing recently. While it was once exclusively the domain of the bathroom, it has since made its way into the rest of the home too. It’s shiny, metallic surfaces are now being used in light fixtures or as the legs of chairs, tables and other furnishings. While nickel is more expensive, and arguably has a less extreme-looking finish, chrome is one of the more cost-effective solutions to furnishing your home that remains popular with those looking for a clean and futuristic look.

Copper

Materials like copper, gold, and brass went out of fashion after their heyday in the 1980s, with many younger designers feeling that they looked old-fashioned or even ostentatious by modern standards. This kind of retro aesthetic is returning, though, and this year Dulex named Copper Blush as the colour of the year. Copper lamps like those found here make for a great standout item in a room, particularly when used to bring a shot of colour into an otherwise neutral space. Another benefit of the material is that its alloys are 100% recyclable, making it perfect for those looking to incorporate eco-friendly materials into their home and lifestyle.

Steel

Finally, steel is perhaps the material most associated with the resurgence of industrial design. There are many different types of steel, each varying in their carbon content, but typically most interior designers stick with the stainless variety. It’s often used in a similar manner to chrome, as an accent to furnishings or as stairway railings, but it’s when it’s used on a larger scale that it’s most striking, like as the main property in coating an entire ceiling or wall. Like chrome, it has a reflective finish that draws the eye, but the duller colour and texture it has better reflects the industrial setting it originates from.

While the industrial style may not be everyone's cup of tea, you may be surprised about how versatile some of the materials can be. Try experimenting with different looks in your own home to see which one works best for you.


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Stylish Lighting Tips to Modernise Your Home

Lighting plays an often under-appreciated role in interior design. In fact, how you feel in a space is often derived by the amount of natural light it receives. Similarly, a room can even feel larger when the right tricks are implemented. In order to create a room that combines the best aspects of modern interior design, you’ll need to understand the role lighting plays in the home. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding the Basics of Lighting

Before you start decorating your home, it’s important to learn the basics. There are three main types of lighting that you should be aware of: ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. Ambient lighting refers to the main source of light in a room, typically using overhead fixtures like pendant or recessed lighting. Task lighting is designed to help you with certain tasks, like a bedside lamp that enables you to read at night. Finally, the role of accent lighting is to highlight a specific object or feature of a room.

How You Can Use It

LED lighting is becoming more popular as a cost-effective alternative to traditional bulbs. As well as saving you money, it’s also much more practical when designing certain parts of the home. When designers want to illuminate a wardrobe or bathroom vanity area in a stylish fashion, they’re using a row of small, recessed LED bulbs because they last much longer.

Image Source - Pinterest

Similarly, installing small lights along the steps of your stairway can help to create a contemporary, sleek design. These are available in a large variety of shapes, sizes, and colours so you can easily create match it with the look of the rest of the room. Not only does this look great, it could also help to prevent accidents late at night.

When decorating a young child’s bedroom, Christmas or fairy lights are a great alternative to a night light. They’re also flexible enough that they can be incorporated into a more mature, modern design as they grow up. LED lighting also has a number of safety benefits that’s perfect for a child’s room. Take a look here for all the details you'll need, but the main benefits are that it’s cool to the touch and shatter resistant.

How do you use lighting to create the kind of look you want in your home? Let me know about some of your tricks in the comments below.

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Accessories You Need For Winter

Now that Christmas is most definitely on its way, it’s time to think about stocking up those winter wardrobes. It’s the perfect time of year to dig out your favourite cozy cardigans and snazzy tights, perfect for mixing and matching with jeans for daytime, or warming up an LBD in the evening. We’ve already seen the trends this season for 1970s throwbacks in swishy dresses and androgynous silhouettes with long duster coats, capes, and trenches. These are the essentials you’ll need for the winter.

  

Hats

The perfect way to accessorize the fur coats and trenches in this season is with a stylish woollen hat. A knitted beanie adds a campus cutie vibe to a duffel coat and jeans, especially fairisle designs; while embellished riders’ caps add an extra sparkle to a black jumpsuit on a night out. Wide-brimmed wool or felt hats will keep you nice and toasty while remaining easy to pair with any style of coat, especially in keeping with this season’s key colours of mauve, camel, and black. For a stand-out effect, choose a colour to contrast with your hair - a camel hat for dark hair, and vice versa.

Scarves

After the skinny scarf enjoyed a long-awaited revival last season, it’s time to embrace the humble scarf in its original, snuggly form. Wide, wool tartan scarves perfectly complement wool coats or fur, as well as adding a soft grunge edge to the leather trousers and skirts on trend this winter. For a snuggly casual outfit, pair a thick knitted scarf with a raincoat. Size is the most important matter when adding a scarf to an outfit - for an on trend, androgynous silhouette, the ‘boyfriend,’ or oversized scarf is the way to go. You’ll feel as cozy out on your coffee run as you do snuggled in a blanket at home.

Footwear

Sadly it’s time to tidy away all the strappy heels from the summer. Fortunately, this season’s selection of boots have something for everyone, from chunky biker flats to 1960s go-go wedges. Chelsea boots, as with last year, are making a triumphant return, offering a perfect compromise between punky buckles, height, and comfort. Look out for different textures, which can add an extra element to an otherwise monochrome outfit, with snake, crocodile, and leopard skin fabrics dominating the market. For fashionistas looking to add some flair to an office dress code, both patent, matte, and suede loafers are ideal as either flats or heels. Sporty gals will love the return of 90s leisurewear, from skates to retro-inspired trainers (perfect for winter morning jogs).

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Lanolips 101 Fruities Multipurpose Balm

Now the clocks have gone back, for me Winter is pretty much looming and that means ensuring my skin is properly looked after, especially my lips. So in comes Lanolips 101 Fruities into my handbag and they haven't left since!

Not just designed to be used on the lips, these little beauties can be used on extremely dry skin patches, cuticles, small cuts and bites!  How? Well they contain what is called a healing, hydrating, wondrous multipurpose 101 Ointment, which has won many awards!  Add to that, each balm has added Vitamin E and a glorious fruit extract specifically chosen for its own unique properties, benefits and of course pleasure.

I have three different varieties with Strawberry, Peach and Apple and given the size of the tube (10g), so they are handy to carry around.

Strawberry Usually strawberries are associated with love & romance, but this powerful little fruit’s main ingredient is alpha-hydroxy acids which helps us slough off dead cells so that new, healthy skin is revealed. Enriched with 100% natural Strawberry and Vitamin E.

Apple

This is my favourite scent of the three and it smells just delightful. Apple is an acidic, rich and full of vitamins.  It is also full of antioxidents which act as a natural protector from harmful pollutants.  Also enriched with 100% Apple and Vitamin E.

Peach

The peach kernal oil is really light and instantly absorbs as soon as it comes into contact with the skin.  Using a combination of vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, it leaves the skin feeling incredibly moisturised, fresh smelling and hydrated.  Again it is also enriched with 100% natural peach and Vitamin E.

The texture of these balms is quite thick, but once it comes into contact with the skin, it becomes really pliable and absorbs with gentle massaging.  It isn't sticky or tacky to the touch and when I use it on my lips, it makes a great base coat before adding lipstick, perfect for ensuring nothing sticks to any dry skin that might be looming.

Each of these balms are also enriched with Medical Grade Lanonlin which often confuses people. Lanolin is a natural product of the wool industry. It is a substance extracted from the fleece once it has been removed from an unharmed sheep once the sheep have been shorn. It’s vegetarian-friendly. Lanolin is no more cruel to animals than drinking milk, using beeswax, eating honey or even wearing wool. The oils found within lanolin are also extremely similar to those oils we secrete from within our own skin. Within Lanolips the Lanolin is hypoallergenic and can hold over 200% of its own weight of water, acting as a moisture reservoir to help maintain the hydration of the skin.

These balms retail at £7.99 each and can be found via a stockist right here.