Chic, no fuss: Kitchen

A gorgeous black and white bathroom renovation done by RELM Interiors. This space was quite a small space to work with so we had to configure the bathroom so that it was functional yet appealing.

What better time than now to indulge your lounge or kitchen in a beautiful, cosy refresh ready for the Christmas madness. Make it ready for holiday hosting with a fresh new coat of paint on the walls and cupboards, install some modern striking lights or cosy up the sofas with some new blankets and cushions. Set the mood with some warm orange lighting, lots of candles and a real fire.

Keeping the office fresh and bright with white walls and lots of natural light provides the office with good energy and a vibrance that is key to a healthy space. Injecting snippets of the outside world through greenery and bold office plants, instantly injects a more grounded atmosphere and assists towards providing a calmer, more serene space for work. Simple but cosy seating areas such as wooden benches built into areas of the office creates a slightly less corporate atmosphere as well as an area to relax. Using colourful cushions with prints/patterns can also be a simple way of displaying pops of colour or artwork within the room.

Bathroom tiles; inspired by the Bauhaus movement of the 1920’s/30’s – these tiles are reminiscent of the modernist and simple style the Bauhaus were pioneers in. This effective way of tiling the bathroom can be done from floor to ceiling on every wall – in true Bauhaus style – or could be featured on one wall, or as a thin line around the whole room.

Giving your kitchen a whole new refresh and fresh new feel doesn’t have to mean you have to go to extreme effort. Starting small, such as with a fresh new coat of paint on the cabinets can transform the room instantly – using a colour such as dark grey can give an old fashioned kitchen a high end, modern feel. Renewing items of furniture that stand out to you as key features within the room can also add fresh interest. Changing the island chairs to something that contrasts with the kitchen interior e.g. a bright coloured set of chairs within an all white kitchen, would add a new area of focus. Alternatively if you feel as if your kitchen needs to be more coherent, then buying some chairs that match completely to a key colours in the kitchen, such as the black and white marble of the worktops could also make your kitchen seem more inviting. Lighting is also key to a fresh looking kitchen. If it’s a modern feel you’re after then why not fit a contemporary, minimal glass shade to the bulb – a simple and elegant way of modernizing the kitchen.

Colours to calm the mind and bring you back to nature. Being around nature, outside is proven to make make us feel happier and decrease negative feelings. Obviously the nature of our lives means that most of us spend the majority of our time in doors. Therefore bringing these colours that surround us outside into our bedroom/living room/bathroom can help to stimulate these same feelings. Soft greens and soft dark/pale blues combined with soft creams/white/greys are a really nice way of still using colour but in a subtle way.

Whatever the size of your home finding new ways of storage is always useful. Nobody wants to constantly stack boxes in the middle of the hallway, providing more clutter so its great to find ways of storing household objects that doesn’t have to take up masses of extra space or intrude on the layout/design of the room. By extending the wall out slightly in order to make room for a few rows and columns of shelves does not add clutter to the room and takes up minimal space. If you don’t like the contents of the shelves to be completely on show in a communal room then adding handleless doors are a great way to make them blend into the wall. (See ‘Bespoke Shelves’ under Commercial Projects section). Finding space like this in a family home is relatively easy when you think of all the objects you have already that can be incorporated into storage. Take the television for example - extending the wall out to level with the television screen, not only creates a built in tv stand but also makes room for rows of shelves. If you prefer a more sustainable approach take this idea of using a palette against the wall (or attached/hung up to save more space) as storage for tall objects such as brooms or brushes. A simple way of restoring a small amount of order.

When planning and designing your bathroom, choosing the colours is a good place to start. Using soft and natural colours such as soft greys, whites and off whites contributes to providing a serene and peaceful space. Using colours that have connotations with nature such as dark brown and mahogany and combining them with the softer shades often adds more depth and character to the room.

Victorian architecture and design is still a huge influence for many a London home. Its elegance and luxurious impact makes its style a popular choice. The classic Victorian iron gate fencing and checkered floor tiles (commonly used in hallways and exterior paths), is a timeless edition to the front of any already classic town house. The elegant curves of the gate contrast with the geometric tiles on the path adding depth to the outside of the home.