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29 Beautiful brown living room ideas that you’ll love

Rich, warm, organic and sophisticated - brown is a fab living room colour. Check out these beautiful brown living room ideas!

I’ll be honest with you. When I first heard the words brown living room I secretly thought “yuck”. But boy, was I mistaken! Brown is actually the perfect colour for a living room. Whether as a base or in your accents, the colour brown injects warmth and cosiness to your space, and an authentic sense of connection with nature. A relaxed, organic vibe is so easy to achieve too, since so many raw materials are naturally in brown tones, from timber to textiles to leather to stone. Here, I’ve gathered 29 beautiful brown living room ideas that have shown me that brown is actually a wonderfully rich colour to decorate with—and will create a timeless, sophisticated and elegant vibe for your living room.

1. The classic brown leather couch

A buttery soft tan leather sofa is the classic way to make brown the dominant colour of your living room. It will stand out against a light, coastal colour palette, such as very pale grey walls and whitewashed wooden floorboards. Again, mixing in organic materials like timber furniture and ceramic ornaments gives a very soothing effect. Modern black lighting and black-and-white artwork can add a little drama.

brown-living-room-leather-sofa — Source: Photo by Stephanie Harvey on Unsplash

2. Warm timbers

The abundant use of timber creates an overall warm and cosy brown living room. Enhance the warmth with burnt orange accents over layers of brown tones such as stone flooring or a tan woven rug.

3. Rustic textures

Just like plentiful timber, natural materials like stone, brick and terracotta will infuse your living room with warm brown tones. For a Mediterranean-inspired brown living room, feature a tiled terracotta floor and load up on lovely textured decor. Adding a shimmer of metals or a pop of sunny yellow can keep all the brown from looking drab.

4. Brown velvet sofa

Dark timber floorboards combine beautifully with a chocolate brown sofa and look amazing in a white aesthetic apartment. A lovely alternative sofa material to leather is soft and snuggly velvet. To show yourself off to perfection, think about getting an expert in sofa cleaning to give it a refresh.

5. Latte colours

An easy way to create a base of brown for your living room is to line the walls with lovely pale timber custom shelving. Opt for an idiosyncratic arrangement of shelves in a latte-toned natural timber and fill it with ceramics and curios. Add a plush designer chair in the same tone to tie it all together.

brown-living-room-tan-tones — Source: Photo by Max Vakhtbovych from Pexels

6. Wooden wall panelling

Wooden wall panelling has been repopularised after a long absence from interiors. It’s a fantastic way to generate warmth and cosiness in your living room, and because brown goes with just about every other colour, it’s easy to decorate around. It’s also perfect for generating vintage vibes.

7. Mushroom tones

A brown living room doesn’t have to be saturated in classic chocolate or tan tones—consider also more unusual brown tones such as a subtle mushroom hue. And if you have a lot of expanses of pale brown tones, then contrast the flatness with lots of lovely texture, whether a parquetry floor, a stone fireplace, a velvet ottoman or vintage Kilim rug, or maybe just a delicate metallic bar cart.

8. Mid-century Modern vibes

There’s something about floor to ceiling wood panelling that screams MCM. You can enhance the flavours with a vintage sideboard, an earthy mix of textures in materials like pottery, wool and bronze, and perhaps a replica Saarinen Womb chair. Then add in some teal accents, as teal and browns go beautifully together. Will we ever tire of Mid-century Modern? I honestly don’t think so. It’s just too timeless, and always refined and elegant.

brown-iving-room-wooden-floors — Source: Photo by Beazy on Unsplash

9. Brown and red living room

A red and brown living room is another option for designing a brown living room, with red tones amplifying the warmth of brown timber and a camel leather sofa. Perfect for a simple, contemporary living room. You can add impact with statement lights and a row of lush plants.

10. Brown velour sofa

Fabrics like velvet and velour bring instant Boho vibes, so they’re popular brown sofa living room ideas if you are going for a Boho look. And they’re so comfy! Add in warmth with pinkish tones such as rose gold light fittings or other decorative elements (you can find more rose gold styling ideas here.)

11. Pops of green

Interior designers often combine shades of brown and green because these colours are naturally harmonious. A green and brown living room is simple to achieve—opt for a brown sofa, brown timber furniture, warm metallics and then add in mossy greens in your soft furnishings or vases and other décor. A large statement potplant brings it all together.

brown-living-room-warm — Source: Photo by Rachel Claire from Pexels

12. Brown and whites

If you want the focus to fall on your gorgeous brown leather sofa, keeping the walls white is a good idea. Keep décor minimal and add warmth with tactile elements like woven stools or a shaggy rug.

Keep your sofa always looking top-notch with regular leather cleaning or if you’re needing some fixes, leather furniture repairs will give you more years out of it.

13. Brown blue and patterned

For a space with farmhouse vibes, consider pairing a tan leather sofa with a range of blue soft furnishings, and set it all against stark white shiplap walls. A gorgeous patterned blue rug can tie it all together. Go for an array of ginghams, floral and denim for that modern farmhouse look. (Why not also check out our article on farmhouse bedrooms? Or, if you love lots of white with blue accents, you might prefer a Hampton’s style bedroom.)

14. Brown and gold

If you love a living room that is infused with glam, try mixing a classic camel leather sofa with a selection of golden elements, such as an antique mirror frame and standing lamp. Add in black furniture for some contemporary moodiness and decorate with lavish bunches of flowers—et voila! A sophisticated, romantic and luxurious looking living room.

15. Brown and green

Timber and cane are a classic combo for a relaxed, organic, Boho vibe for your living room. Adding green helps reflect the natural world around us and it just always goes with brown. Choose olive green décor, Balinese cane chairs, lots of houseplants, and why not repurpose something like a carved African drum stool to act as a side table?

brown-living-room-browns-and-greens — Source: Photo by Michael Oxendine on Unsplash

16. Timber beams

Another way to introduce rich brown is to have rustic wooden beams overhead. Bring the Scandi vibes by featuring lighter, golden brown tones in the furniture, combined with lovely creams, whites and greys. For more Scandi inspo, you might also like to take a look at our article on Scandinavian bedrooms.

17. Brown and blacks

For a moody and mysterious aesthetic, brown and black sepia tones make a lovely mix. For a sophisticated look, pair smoky brown paintwork with a black or dark brown sideboard, a camel leather sofa, modern artwork, glass vases and woven lampshades. Find a painter to transform your living room aesthetic!

brown-living-room-brown-tones — Source: Photo by Jean-Philippe Delberghe on Unsplash

18. Warm up with brick

Create a rugged and rustic brown living room with warm chestnut tones thanks to a brick feature wall and dramatic overhead timber beams. Having a lot of wood and brick in a space can feel heavy, so opt for sheer curtains to flood the room with light. The perfect coloured sofa for a living room with lots of warm wood and brick? Consider a bright peacock blue.

19. Brown with deep reds or purples

A classic Boho flavoured living room featuring a brown leather sofa looks amazing with décor in jewel tones like reds and purples. An intricate Persian rug is ideal to bring in these colours. Add a vintage mirror, simple monochrome cushions and some greenery for that jungalow touch. And contrast it all with a crisp white wall.

20. Soft brown cane

Have a set of vintage cane armchairs or a cane sofa? Amp up the golden brown haze with gold-toned décor or a dash of daffodil yellow in the sofa cushions. Add timber shelving and ideally, have beautiful polished wooden floors!

If you love decorating with yellow, you might also like to check out our blog on yellow bedrooms for more inspo.

brown-living-room-brown-accents — Source: Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

21. Terracotta colours

Another gorgeous option for warm brown tones is terracotta hues. A simple colour palette of soft grey, bright white and earthy browns is calming and brings Mediterranean vibes galore. Don’t want to overload your living room space with heavy, solid slabs of brown? Consider just a slimline shelving system which will add just a light touch of brown to your walls.

22. Modern greyscale

If you’re looking for brown and grey living room ideas for a contemporary living room, consider a greyscale colour scheme with a few brown accents for warmth, such as cognac-hued downlights. Dove grey and deep, dark brown tones are a match made in heaven!

Why not have an expert in downlight installation come and sort out your lighting plan for you?

23. Naturals

Go for natural tones like burnt umber, chocolate or coffee colours. You can achieve this with organic décor like rustic benches or stools and patterned sofa cushions.

24. Brown and blue

Bold cornflower blue looks gorgeous against deep brown timbers like walnut or mahogany. When going with rich, saturated colours, it’s pleasing to add some understated black and white décor elements, too. If you want to change up your wall colour, you can find someone local to handle your painting needs.

brown-living-room-chocolate-tones — Source: Photo by Xie Yujie Nick on Unsplash

25. Tan and white

Another colour scheme that always seems to work is soft, light brown with lots of white. The soft brown provides the perfect warm backdrop for fresh whites. Want to liven up a simple living room space? Add a Moroccan rug for pattern and colour.

If you love all things Moroccan, make sure to also check out our blog on Moroccan bedrooms.

brown-living-room-timber-touches — Source: Photo by Josh Hemsley on Unsplash

26. Blue and brown living room ideas

Rich chocolate brown tones mix well with deep navy, so a blue and brown living room is yet another tried and true colour combo. It can generate vintage vibes which you can enhance with vintage décor, like an unusual wine cabinet or an Art Deco side table.

Love Art Deco? Be inspired by our blog on Art Deco bedrooms.

27. Tonal wood panelling

A wood-panelled brown living room definitely has vintage vibes, but you can bring it firmly into the contemporary era by mixing up the timbers to create tonal variety. Adding punches of black will modernise the look as well. Another modern-day trick is to have one wall left crisp white, for contrast and to alleviate all the visual heaviness of the panelling.

28. Maximalist brown

If you love maximalism then go for floor-to-wall-to-ceiling shades of brown – more is more. Add a smattering of metallics and flashes of white and green for freshness. Don’t forget to layer in the texture – ideally a mix of antiques, curios, and artworks.

29. Range of timbers

Using lots of different timbers is a great way to create a richly textured brown living room. And mixing timbers and metals creates a wonderfully layered space with plenty of visual interest.

So have I convinced you that a brown living room is genuinely something to lust after? Let me know your thoughts on brown living rooms in the comments! For me, the hunt is now on in earnest for a vintage brown leather sofa, not only because a brand new one is a little out of my price range, but because I’m impatient to achieve the lovely worn-in look!

Now, if you’re buying a new piece of living room furniture that needs assembling, don’t forget it’s easy to find someone who can put together your sofa, sofa bed or daybed, and any new tables you have that need assembling. Absolutely no need to give yourself a headache doing it all yourself! And if you need an old sofa removed first, there’s also a Tasker for that.

37 heavenly home bar ideas

Raise the bar for your very own happy hour with our high-class home bar ideas

Considered installing a home bar during lockdowns? You’re not alone. After all, staying home is the new going out as we go through this pandemic. Home bars have certainly had their moment in the sun in recent times. But their convenience and vibe means that there’s lots to love about making your home bar permanent. Let’s take a look at the latest in home bar ideas.

It might be an entire in-house home bar that emulates the real thing. Or perhaps you’ve decided to convert a butler’s pantry to a convenient drinks mixing station. There are plenty of home bar ideas for setting up a bar at home. Even if you don’t have a lot of space to spare, styling up a simple bar cabinet or bar cart will add some hedonistic flair to your home.

Make your home feel post-pandemic party ready. All you need is cabinets or shelving dedicated to holding spirits and liqueurs and showing off sparkling glassware and bar tools. Go for a complete wet bar with a sink or have a simple dry bar. When it comes to home bar ideas, you can go as fancy or as casual as you like–just make sure your bar is well stocked!

1. Colour in cognac tones

If you just want to set up a little dry bar in your living room, you can really do a lot to spruce up a plain set of shelves. The trick is to use a colour palette that references the translucent warm tones of spirits. Then add subtle back lighting and metallic pops to give it a fancier vibe. Don’t want to tile in this area? Try a strip of faux tile hanging wallpaper instead.

2. Make it feel zesty

You can build a whole wet bar, with its sink and prep area for mixing drinks, and hide it all behind bi-folds in your kitchen. If you stick to white, you always play with the colour scheme with your glassware–citrus hues feel summery and inviting.

home-bar-gin — Source: Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash

3. Show off with shelving

Your home bar can be as large or small as you like, even if it’s just a display of bottles housed in wall-mounted shelving. Going vertical is a great way to use all your wall space—a very contemporary look is glass, pipe and birch plywood floating shelving.

4. Mount it on the wall

If you lack floorspace, another wall-mounted option is a drinks cabinet with glass doors. These will help prevent dust gathering on your glassware. Choose something with gorgeous craftsmanship and functionality. And look for adjustable shelves for a custom fit for your bottles. Here’s a gorgeous home bar built right into the wall.

home-bar-in-wall — Source: Photo by Kam Idris on Unsplash

5. Bring the holiday feels

Lots of people love dark, moody colours for a home bar, but you can also choose to go for coastal brights to evoke a resort bar. I love the design of the bar at Australian restaurant Sisterhood in Hobart, which is inspired by the décor of Tulum, Mexico.

Light, fresh and summery, the bar has a gorgeous layering of natural fibres and soft pastel green. There’s pale teal handmade tiles, rattan and bentwood furniture, tropical print wallpaper and hanging plants. If you love overhead storage, you could get someone to assemble a similar shelf.

6. Use your vertical space

Overhead shelving in a kitchen means your bar can serve double duty as a breakfast bar. And keeping all the goods up above is a nice way to separate the functions.

7. Make it cool

Love the look of a moody, eclectic little speakeasy? You might go for something like leopard wallpaper, a statement lamp and upholstered leather armchairs. It all comes together to create an intimate, cosy effect.

home-bar-cosy-lounge — Source: Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett on Unsplash

8. Use mirrors and metals

Lots of bar equipment is shiny metal—your shakers, jiggers, muddlers, spoons and strainers. And of course glassware is naturally reflective too. Amplify the glitz and glamour of all the metal and glass by adding mirror to the mix. This will visually double everything and make your bar look even more well-stocked than it is.

9. Set up a full bar

Have enough space for a full bar? You can set your home bar up to also house a coffee bar. A multipurpose home bar is always a great idea. Keeping the décor light and cheerful will help prevent it looking like it’s exclusively for night-time entertaining.

10. Have magic lighting

With a home bar, you want to keep it somewhat aligned to your home’s decorating style. However, paradoxically you also want to make it feel like you’re not at home. The trick is to give it slightly over the top, higher end finishes that bring a sense of luxury, for example with your lighting. Installing a series of pendants gives a space that authentic bar flavour.

11. Turn your sunroom into a bar

Why not turn your sunroom or conservatory space into a home bar? It’s actually the perfect place for a home bar, enabling you or your guests to relax and enjoy al fresco style drinks with a garden view. Since it’s a separate space, you can be bold with your décor and styling—it’s ideal for experimenting with tiles or wallpaper.

12. Have a wet bar

Committing a wall to a home bar? Spend the time figuring out what you need and where you want to put it, so that function is built into your design as much a style is. It might be you need a mix of display shelving for glassware, drawers and cabinets and floating shelves for barware. You might want to add wine storage and a mini fridge. An expansive counter is always ideal, and who doesn’t want a sink with cool faucet? But you don’t need a huge amount of room, you can set up a wet bar in a fairly limited wall space.

13. Steal from hospitality

To get an authentic flavour, I’m a big fan of borrowing from commercial bar design and seeing what you can incorporate on a smaller scale at home. For instance, there’s a few things to steal from the Parisian La Riviera restaurant’s bar. I love the streamlined, tiered overhead shelving holding potplants and barware. It also features a curved rattan bar counter and lots of relaxing, muted earthy tones.

14. Install a wine fridge

If you can’t plumb your designated home bar space to add a sink and make a wet bar, you can still add luxe elements to your dry bar. A beer or wine fridge is de rigeur, whether it’s built-in or as a standalone mini-fridge. Get a hand putting together your cabinet.

15. Fill a niche

The location of your home bar, if not in a dedicated room, should be in an easy to access, central and sociable spot, such as in a recessed niche in your living room. It won’t take up any floor space and you can design it so it has a door to tuck everything neatly away when not in use.

home-bar-tray — Source: Photo by Vinicius “amnx” Amano on Unsplash

16. Travel to the tropics

It doesn’t take much to recreate a tropical bar at home. Take cues from Cara and Poppy Delevingne’s Los Angeles home. It’s fitted out with all kinds of décor that suggests cooling down in a heatwave. Their custom bar features dramatic inlaid shelving, vintage rattan barstools, palm frond and banana leaf wallpaper. Then it’s luxed up with smatterings of green velvet, gold finishes and emerald lacquer.

17. Go for high end finishes

If plumbing is possible in your chosen space, a wet bar can fit into the tiniest wall niche. The beauty of having a home bar in a small space means you can afford to splurge with glam finishes, like a section of marble or a beautiful faucet. Take style inspo from luxury hotel mini bars!

18. Go the mile with tile

Tile is perfect for home bars, as it’s so easy to clean. And mosaic tile has such a hypnotic effect. If you have a busy tile pattern, have delicate, ephemeral bar stools to allow the tile design to dominate.

19. Home bar ideas – have a surprise bar

On the outside it’s just a simple cupboard. But a hideaway drinks cabinet can have a dramatic reveal on the inside. Like a powder room, a home bar is a small enough space to turn into a ‘jewel box’ that’s more intense and dramatic than the rest of your home. Whether it’s with neon paint or gold leaf wallpaper, or interesting lighting, your home bar space should have personality. But—that personality can be tucked away with a hideaway home bar.

20. Make it tiny but stylish

A small home bar can still be a place to show off, not only your bottles and glassware but luxe finishes, like an interesting bit of tile work. Little details can really glam up your bar too, such as a statement copper cocktail mixer or champagne bucket.

21. Give an industrial feel

For a home bar with plenty of genuine bar vibes, install a bar island with under-counter lighting, industrial style lighting and whitewashed brick wall. Then add backlit open shelving to display the good stuff. Cool touch: a light-up sign personalising your bar with its own name.

22. Have fun with colour

The materials in your home bar should be highly durable, as they’ll need to handle use. Bar countertops have to deal with things like lime juice or red wine spills. So your best bet is a hard stone surface (something like quartzite rather than marble or limestone).

When it comes to other surfaces, such as your under-counter area or walls, tiles are a way to introduce bold colour, whether you love a matte or gloss look.

23. Add velvet

Give your home bar the appropriate amount of glitz and glamour. Think opulent wallpaper, a gold trim counter or exaggerated lighting. Velvet bar stools or upholstered bench seating add to the sense of luxury and make it all the more alluring for your home-barflies.

home-bar-bench-seating — Source: Photo by Mariana Fernandes on Unsplash

24. Light it up

Adding lighting to your shelving will give your home bar a commercial feel as well as making the space seem larger. And it works especially well with mirrored or tiled splashbacks. Even when you only have a dry bar, a splashback is practical for a space devoted to mixing up drinks, because things inevitably get messy.

25. Add edgy angles

A modern home can have a uniquely designed home bar with plenty of wine storage in a zigzag pattern for extra visual interest. Whether it’s a wine vault or rack, adding wine storage is essential for the wine connoisseurs!

26. Use luxe finishes

An accent material can help you create a real drama moment in your cocktail bar. It may be tile, fabric, mirror, marble or something else that’s textured. Covering your inset recessed panel in your shelving can make your home bar look ultra-glam.

27. Style it with plants

Love the casual coastal, Boho charm of a beachside bar? Emulate it in your own home bar using lots of timber, natural fibres and a palette of lush greens and sand tones. Add some gorgeous houseplants—and a bit of neon never goes astray in a home bar!

home-bar-hang-greenery — Source: Photo by Mark Tryapichnikov on Unsplash

28. Have a tiny wet bar

Fit-out a home bar with just a tiny slice of your wall space, such as with a marble countertop on a simple timber sideboard and a basic black floating shelf. Just add statement downlights.

29. Go for an organic look

If you love the modern organic interior style, fill your home bar with natural elements as well as sophisticated and upmarket ones. Having plenty of organic curves and colours gives that sense of connection to nature. But contrast it with refined elegance in your furniture design. And whatever size of your home bar, adding dramatic lighting like a series of pendants can really lift it into something special.

30. Accent it with a mirror

If you prefer just a scaled-down version of a full home bar, a moveable bar cart is the way to go. Not only is it a cinch to style up because it’s so small, a rolling cart can be a display for other décor or trinkets as well as your bottles and glassware. A nice living room spot for your bar cart is below an accent mirror to draw attention to it.

31. Dress it with flowers

Have fun styling up your bar cart to reflect your personality and home décor style. Adding fresh flowers to your bar cart always looks gorgeous too.

home-bar-DIY-pallet — Source: Photo by angela pham on Unsplash

32. Go wild

It will always be relaxing to look at happy, verdant plants at home. So if you want a tranquil aesthetic for your drinks zone then go for a proliferation of plants. Pop them in terracotta and surround them withwith classic spirits and liqueurs, like Cointreau and vodka. Et voila! Rustic French and instaworthy.

33. Paint it pastel

Pastels are guaranteed to make you feel happy, and that’s the whole vibe you want for happy hour, am I right? How about a mint bar cabinet bursting at the seams with bottles and topped with a vase and some artwork. The result is casually coastal Boho.

home-bar-trolley — Source: Photo by Kolya Korzh on Unsplash

34. Keep it casual with cane

If you like a beachy luxe look, invest in a gorgeous bar cart in organic fibres rather than metals. It could simply be an inexpensive department store bar cart or you could scour the flea markets to find a lovely vintage cane or rattan one. Then just add a couple of small sculptural plants and make it modern with a neon sign.

35. Give it mid-century elegance

Another option for home bar ideas is to have a dedicated drinks cabinet. Preferably, go for something a little dramatic or retro to give it those Mad Men vibes. How about a statement mid-century Italian piece with walnut veneer and brass legs? Tip: pick cabinets that have handy adjustable glass shelving on the inside.

36. Go for a conversation piece

Make your bar cart a showstopper and talking point with a unique design. You can hire a carpenter to bring something bespoke to life.

When there’s a bar, there can be a lot of little bits and pieces to do, so some help with general labour wouldn’t go astray as well.

37. Make it temporary

Don’t have much space? Go for a fold-up tray or perch your bottles on a side table when entertaining. The best side tables to transform into a serving station are those that have a touch of vintage class to them. But then again, if you prefer something organic and coastal, you might just load up a beautiful tree stump. When it comes to home bar ideas, the only real rule is to please yourself.

So that’s a wrap on my cut of the best home bar ideas out there right now. Which is your favourite style of home bar? Drop a comment below!

23 Clever loft storage ideas

Planning a loft conversion? Then you'll know it's ALL about the storage. Find your perfect solution with our loft storage ideas!

Loft spaces can be difficult to decorate since they’re “atypical volumes”. This means they’re usually oddly shaped, with slanted ceilings, sloped walls, awkward layouts, obstructions like beams, and hampered by a lack of light. As such, they’re definitely challenging spaces to decorate. But that’s where our loft storage ideas come in!

No matter what the purpose of your loft conversion will be—maybe it’s going to be a new bedroom, spa bathroom or home office?–it’s a given that you’ll need to figure out storage solutions. Even if you prefer a really uncluttered, minimalist aesthetic, you still won’t want to be traipsing upstairs with your necessary belongings all the time. Instead, it’s smarter to work in clever concealed storage solutions.

The inherent design challenges of working with a loft conversion space can be overcome with clever design and planning to allow your new living space to be packed with practical storage. Start with a complete loft clearout to create a blank slate, so you can best assess what storage you will need for your newly repurposed loft space.

From easy DIY jobs to bespoke, made-to-measure custom cabinetry, our loft storage ideas span a range of budgets, and there’s sure to be a dream loft storage solution in here for you… Let’s get started.

1. Between Velux window storage

Many loft conversions feature large windows (often just generally referred to by the proprietary name Velux, a very popular window-producing company). These flood the space with light, and the eave spaces between the windows are ideal for fitting out with shelving.

2. Rows of drawers

Another popular choice for a loft conversion is to create a walk-in dressing room. Although, at first, it might seem tricky to figure out how to hang and store clothes in the angular, awkward spaces of a loft, you’d be surprised by how much people can actually fit into their loft dressing rooms. The key is to install a range of storage solutions of varying heights—often, rows of drawers are a neat addition to an under eave space.

loft-storage-neat — Source: Photo by Beazy on Unsplash

3. Hinged loft storage compartments

Closed storage will give a streamlined look. For closed loft storage ideas, as well as a variety of sizes of drawers, you might consider hinged, drop-down cabinet doors that can function as another practical surface space.

4. Loft dressing room storage

Another option for a loft dressing room is to go with more conventional storage elements but put an emphasis on beautiful, luxe, high quality materials. For example, gorgeous timbers and marble flooring. That’s the great thing about fitting out a small loft. You can afford to splurge a little on the materials since you won’t be using huge amounts of them.

5. Dormer built-in storage

Building storage into a loft space can often mean simply lining a wall with cube shelving or similar. This often works well with a dormer loft living space, with its box-like shape that affords more linear arrangements. You might set up a bookshelf around the window. If you’re handy you could come up with something yourself. But it’s also easy to find someone to design and put together some custom shelving for you.

loft-storage-white — Source: Photo by immo RENOVATION on Unsplash

6. Walk-in wardrobe storage

At the other end of the scale from DIY are the artisans and experts who create custom loft storage ideas for loft spaces. The beauty of bespoke, of course, is that you can have your storage loft space fitted out exactly how you want. You might like a mix of storage options, including shelves, drawers, and hanging space, as well as mirror doors and display shelving for your precious accessories.

loft-storage-full-dressing-room — Source: Photo by Victoria Borodinova from Pexels

7. Low bookcase on the landing

If your loft has a landing, lining the landing with low shelving is a practical way to make full use of every inch of space. To reduce visual clutter go for simple timbers and a peaceful neutral palette.

8. Tiny loft wardrobe space

If your loft space contains any ugly, imposing wardrobes or other shelving, you probably want to pull them out and start fresh. Choosing simple, streamlined storage options.

loft-storage-concealed-clutter — Source: Photo by Pickawood on Unsplash

9. Bookcase divider

Room dividers of all kinds can be used on a loft landing and used to store books or display collectables. Rather than something solid, choosing an open divider will keep the light and air flowing through space. And, possibly stating the obvious here, but if it is adjacent to a staircase, make sure it’s strongly affixed rather than something less permanent that could tip.

10. Eaves shoe storage idea

A smaller loft space is perfect for converting into more wardrobe space, even if it’s only a gap big enough to house shoes. But if you have a substantial shoe collection, the narrow sloped gaps in the eaves can be maximised with custom shelving to store it all. Even a basic row of cube storage would probably suffice, too—it just wouldn’t give you that seamless edge. But hey, that’s more wardrobe storage potential in itself, perhaps for belts?

11. Loft kids playroom storage

The littlies can often take advantage of a low-ceiling loft to use as a playroom. Adding shelving to a straight loft wall is a great idea for housing a book collection or toys, but it has to be securely attached to the wall for obvious safety reasons. Baskets are a neat way of storing toys, and a rug will make it extra cosy.

loft-storage-studio — Source: Photo by Sema Martin on Unsplash

12. Loft walk-in wardrobe

For a master dressing room with more than enough wardrobe space for a couple, install a series of shallow drawers to provide ample storage and create useful counter space. With loft conversions, it’s all about the drawers as well as the shelving. Shallow, deep, low–all kinds of drawers find their ultimate function in a loft space. Make them in gorgeous timber and have them visibly stand out. Or blend them in harmoniously, for example, with sliding doors painted to match your loft wall colour.

13. Under Velux storage

It can be a challenge to work out the best layout and configuration with a small loft, but fitting your storage under the eaves is often a very functional design choice. For example, install a bank of cabinets under Velux windows. Again, keeping everything white ensures the small space feels larger.

14. Book nook shelving

Awkward spaces have always lent themselves perfectly to book nooks, and a section of your loft space may be ideal for this purpose too. Fitting in some custom bookcase shelving, a daybed, and a selection of novels, and adding great downlights, will turn the space into your favourite nesting spot.

15. Vintage furniture

If you love the modern farmhouse look, you can kit out your loft conversion in upcycled, reclaimed, heritage pieces for storage purposes, too, rather than having more modern shelving and cabinets. Add in some industrial lighting and make a feature of any exposed beams to complete the look!

16. Angled shelving

The slopes of loft walls themselves can hold specifically designed stepped shelves. These are simply attached to the wall with brackets. You can find them at IKEA and you can get someone who specialises in IKEA assembly to put it together for you.

17. Loads of storage

Having furniture custom-made is the ideal solution for a loft conversion to ensure every last inch of spare space has been utilised and to work with the unique requirements of a loft. For example, when it comes to cabinets in lofts, it’s often a good idea to opt for sliding doors instead of ones that swing outwards.

loft-storage-mix — Source: Photo by Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. on Unsplash

18. Kids loft bedroom storage

When you fit out a kids’ loft space, whether a bedroom or a dedicated playroom, there’ll be a major need for storage. Purpose-built children’s storage systems are popular choices, being adjustable to children’s heights and enabling plenty of design freedom. If your loft also has Velux windows, you’ll need to consider all the safety challenges and precautions (you don’t want the kids dangling out!).

19. Pull out wardrobes

A loft space intended to be used as a dressing room needs loads of natural light through loft windows or skylights. Make your loft dressing room functional with a series of windows and a row of pull-out wardrobes on wheels tucked into the slope. An all-white or pale neutral aesthetic ensures it looks super clean.

loft-storage-on-wheels — Source: Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

20. Open clothing racks

If you don’t want the expense or permanency of a built-in wardrobe or custom shelving, consider installing racks. You can suspend a rack in any corner or wasted space under your slopes, and some varieties also have a base where you can store shoes and accessories.

loft-storage-hangers — Source: Photo by Lexy Lammerink on Unsplash

21. Muted colours

Want to depart from the usual whites and neutrals? Consider unusual muted tones, like a matte seafoam or latte. Or, opt for a darker décor scheme. Lofts are often preferred in light, bright colour palettes to maximise illumination, but if you have a darker palette, Velux windows will still ensure there’s plenty of light. And you can always install downlights. Another trick is to marry darker walls with lighter coloured timbers and metallic accents to bounce the light around.

loft-storage-hero-item — Source: Photo by Nathan Oakley on Unsplash

22. Lined with wallpaper

Because of their size, loft spaces can often take advantage of their ‘jewel box’ nature—in design, jewel boxes are those spaces that are small but richly layered with visual interest. If you have an open closet in your tiny loft, go ahead and make it a burst of dynamism and drama. Consider lining your closet with gorgeous wallpaper and use brightly-hued hangers.

23. Track shelving

Simple floating shelving on a metal track system will give your loft space a touch of industrial chic as well as being very practical.

So that’s a wrap on my selection of loft storage ideas. With a loft conversion, it’s all about thinking laterally, and using up floor-to-ceiling space as fully as you can. Then, as long as you choose simple, pleasing materials and colours, your loft can be a blissfully uncluttered and serene space, whatever you are going to use it for.

Let me know in the comments if any of my loft storage ideas were useful to you! I’ve got a few new loft ideas myself—now I just need a loft!

25 Awesome gaming room ideas for all gamers (of all ages!)

From vibrant neon lights to clean and minimalist designs, these awesome gaming room ideas will help you create a gaming setup that's both stylish and inviting.

Do you have a gamer in your home? Perhaps that gamer is you? And perhaps you’ve been looking for some ideas on how to put together the dream gaming setup. Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve scoured the net for you and have found 25 modern gaming room ideas that achieve a pleasing fusion of technology and style.

25 gaming room ideas to level up your gaming set up

Many gaming rooms appear to be a sea of neon, which my teenager tells me is actually just what gamers like. But the gaming set up therefore may not ‘fit’ with your home’s overall decorating style.

However, it is possible to set up a gaming space that isn’t a complete eyesore. Whether you’re looking for dedicated gaming bedroom ideas or need to incorporate your gaming setup into a shared living space, we’ll provide you with ideas that are inviting and attractive for all users, not just the resident gamers.

1. Show the neon love

For many gamers it’s all about the RGB (we’re talking all those hyper-coloured, flashing neon gaming elements). Gamers love a room full of neon light as it makes their gaming experience that much more immersive.

gaming-room-neon — Source: Photo by Chuck Fortner on Unsplash

Immersion is the psychological phenomenon that occurs when a gamer’s consciousness temporarily expands into a different state. It’s similar to hypnosis or lucid dreaming (now you know why your child finds it so hard to register you screaming ‘DINNER!”).

From LED light strips to Nanoleaf lighting panels, having lots of light sources may make your energy bill rise. But it’s guaranteed to amplify that immersive experience that gamers crave.

And for a truly immersive gaming room, multiple monitors can’t be beat. In addition to lighting and monitors, don’t forget to consider other gaming room accessories like gaming chairs, cable management solutions, gaming headsets, LED gaming mouse pads, and gaming-themed wall art to complete your setup.

2. Give it a white backdrop

The majority of gaming tech is still black these days, though gaming PCs do often come with glass walls that let you watch it all fire up in RGB when in use. A mix of black and neon that’s so prevalent in gaming setups. So whitewashing the rest of your gaming room or bedroom is a good way to make everything pop while also keeping things feeling spacious and clean.

3. Light up the shelving

Light features are common to many gaming rooms, and to truly show off the lighting, keeping the rest of the room fairly neutral works well. Sleek lighting effects are great for giving a futuristic vibe.

4. Make it monochrome

For a more mature gamer, a simple monochrome setup with a beanchair and ottoman looks nice and chill. A simple entertainment unit can suffice to hold the tech. Then just add an array of interior plants to refresh the space and stops things feeling too clinical.

gaming-room-monochrome — Source: Photo by mintelsdotcom on Unsplash

5. Add custom shelving

Many gaming rooms double as a place to display collectibles so having plenty of storage built into the space is important. There’s also lots of room for all the physical paraphernalia of gaming—games, extra controllers and consoles, and so on. Adding downlights in custom shelving is both useful and helps highlight favourite collectibles.

6. Go for grey tones

For a cool gaming space opt for furniture in grey tones and calming warm grey wall colour. Greyscale gaming rooms can have a cool industrial vibe. Add silver storage baskets under your table for added reflectivity.

7. Have loads of storage

Storage is important for gaming rooms because they can so easily fill up with tech clutter. Use a combination of types of cabinets and shelves so there’s plenty of room for display and storage. Keeping cords neatly hidden is another must for a well-designed gaming room.

8. Go for warm nature tones

Browns and beiges can be very calming as a base for a gaming room. Adding timber and woven baskets is a nice contrast to the hard metals and plastics that are an inevitable part of gaming.

gaming-room-neutrals — Source: Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

9. Add graphics to the walls

As mentioned, decorating the walls of your gaming room is one way to add instant personality to what can sometimes look like a generic school computer room. Don’t want to tie yourself to particular gaming characters? Another option is to introduce a graphic pattern with some wallpaper, like a 3D effect.

gaming room graphic walls — Source: ELLA DON via Unsplash

10. Go wireless

Who wants a crazy mess of cables in their gaming room? Far better to conceal the wires behind cabinets, and choose wireless controllers and devices where you can. Need help setting up your gaming PCs in the most aesthetically pleasing and practical way including taking care of cabling? Find an expert in PC assembly.

11. Matte black

When it comes to small gaming room ideas, if you are working with a limited space a trick is to go for a monochrome colour palette. This will have the effect of streamlining everything and making it appear less cluttered.

12. Pick the perfect chair

Just like an office chair, a gaming chair needs to be ergonomically designed for long periods of sitting. Some of the adult gaming chairs on the market look more like they belong in a spaceship. But even IKEA make gaming chairs so you can indulge a Scandi aesthetic in your gaming room too.

13. Add non-gaming related wall art

Even though your space is designed to be used for gaming, perhaps you prefer a more subtle gaming room setup. In that case, you might like to leave gaming references off the walls and replace them with soothing, completely unrelated wall art. Artwork and plants in macrame hangers can help create a peaceful ambience for your gaming room too.

gaming-room-gallery-wall — Source: Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash

14. Trim the table

Small gaming room ideas typically involve clever space optimisation as the technology usually takes up a fair bit of space on its own. For example, you can easily save space by having a narrow desk, as a large expanse is not really needed when playing computer games.

15. Add plants and lights

If you would like to take some of the focus away from your electronics, adding cascading plants to an overhead shelf will create a tranquil aesthetic. And lighting doesn’t have to be all about the LED strips. Some kind of atmospheric lighting will also help with the ambience, even if it’s just a sprinkling of fairy lights.

gaming-room-potplants — Source: Photo by Aviv Rachmadian on Unsplash

16. Style it up

Again, for your more anti-tech gaming station, style it with lush plants and add in rustic timber. Even a mid-century style office chair, to give a sense of maturity and elegance. This is a great idea if your gaming space doubles as a home office, too.

17. Keep it natural

Have younger gamers, who are still happy playing educational games on a laptop? Or perhaps you just don’t love a lot of flickering neon all around you. A timber desk and stool keep the gamer more grounded and connected to nature. And the aesthetic works well if the laptop station is intended to blend into a more organic décor style.

gaming-room-timber — Source: Photo by Howard Bouchevereau on Unsplash

18. Make your living room high-tech

A contemporary living room with lots of modern technology can perform well as a gaming room too. Much of the equipment can be shared between traditional media use and gaming. Big screens can double as gaming monitors and surround sound speaker systems can pump out audio for whatever device or console you wish to use. A comfy modular sofa is perfect for social gaming sessions.

19. Add some alternative play options

Give players a chance to get up and stretch their legs with a game of pool or table tennis. Combining your computer or video gaming room with traditional family games means the whole family can get together to play. This may be preferable rather than have your X-Box players off playing solo in their rooms. A mix of L-shaped floor chairs and bean bags (don’t forget one for Fido) ensures the space is super comfy.

20. Confine it to one wall

Gaming rooms need storage space, that’s a given. But rather than clutter up all the walls, why not store everything in one floor-to-ceiling cabinet or set of bookshelves? Games, consoles, controllers and other gaming essentials can all be easily retrieved from open shelving, and easily returned. Consider custom shelving to ensure you have the exact configuration for your needs.

gaming-room-minimal — Source: Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash

21. Keep it neat

Hide all your gaming consoles and equipment in an entertainment unit. You could even conceal your screen in a cabinet for a truly minimal living room gaming setup. At the very least, having it wall-mounted means it will be less obtrusive and take up no floor or furniture space.

And choosing a gaming chair that complements your existing living room furniture will help it blend in. Especially if you pick one that could pass for an ordinary armchair when not being used for game playing.

gaming-room-white-wall — Source: Photo by Andre Tan on Unsplash

22. Go for industrial chic

A gaming room doesn’t have to look like a “gaming room”. It could also simply be styled in your favourite decorating style.

For example, if you love a rustic industrial look, then decorate with plenty of timber and metal. Add some industrial-style light fittings, expose timber beams or brickwork, or render a concrete wall.

As long as you have the tech you need, and somewhere comfy to sit, it doesn’t have to conform to anyone else’s idea of a gamer setup.

23. Make it a media room

When your living room will also serve as a combined media and gaming room, apart from a large screen you’ll also need to find permanent spots for the gaming consoles and all their peripherals.

You can build a surround sound system into the wall, while cables and devices can be concealed within custom cabinetry. Find an expert to help configure the best arrangement for your home theatre or media room.

24. Set up multiple stations

If you have gamers of different ages, they probably all want to play different games. And if you prefer they don’t play games in their bedrooms, setting up a dedicated gaming zone is the way to go. The solution is to house them all in the same space but with their own, individual gaming stations. These could have their own consoles, screens, headphones, and individual sofa chairs.

25. Keep it casual

For a more relaxed living room gaming setup, a pale neutral colour scheme gives everything a fresh, clean backdrop. A backlit screen adds drama to the gaming experience and when there’s no screens on, the room can revert back to being a general, cosy living space. An oversized, super comfy sofa is a must!

That’s a wrap!

So there you have 25 gaming room ideas that span a range of aesthetic styles, from the flashy, high tech gaming suites to the simpler, almost anti-tech tech spaces.

Don’t forget, once you’ve got your gaming room setup figured out, you can always find someone to help you with the assembly. Whether that’s your desk, chair, or perhaps some reimagined office furniture.

So which of these gaming room ideas appeal to you the most? Drop me a comment below!

5 quirky ideas for decorating your baby’s nursery

Looking for quirky nursery design ideas? Here's 5.

Traditional pastel-coloured baby nurseries are a thing of the past.

In the days of Pinterest and Instagram, there are a plethora of more quirky nursery design options to choose from. And you don’t have to break the bank as a lot of these are DIY. Just hire painters and decorators in London for when you need a helping hand.

Here’s a list of ideas to kick off your baby’s room design, perfect for all the design-conscious parents:

1. Hoop art

Source: Pinterest – molliemakes.com

Let’s start with a DIY one.

Embroidery hoop art is a project that can easily bring pretty patterns and personality to your baby’s nursery wall.

All you need is:

Wooden embroidery hoops (easily available online or at a craft store)
Scraps of fabric
Scissors
Paint for the hoops (optional)

Start by painting the hoops if you don’t want to leave them plain wood. Once dry, loosen outer hoop and place your fabric on top of inner hoop. Stretch and tighten, and trim any excess fabric from the back. Hang in an arrangement or solo.

2. Wall mural

Source: Pinterest – apartmentapothecary.com

If you’re ready to get truly creative for the sake of making your baby’s room unique – consider a nursery wall mural.

Nursery murals are a relatively affordable way to create a whimsical vibe and backdrop for the rest of the decor in your room. They usually make such a statement that not much else is needed.

If you’re not sure of your mural-making skills, there are plenty of creative painter and decorators in London who can help.

3. Tropical vibes

Source: Pinterest – ovobloom.com

With tropical print being one of the top home decor trends in 2018, why should your nursery miss out on the leafy vibes?

A tropical nursery is a great gender neutral baby’s room design choice. It doesn’t have to be bold and full of green – opt for light neutral colours contrasted with deeper shades of wood and occasional splashes of colour. Perfect for an on-trend chilled vibe.

Add some indoor plants so your baby can breathe in cleaner air as they slumber.

4. DIY mobiles

Source: Pinterest – molliemakes.com

It’s the last thing your baby will see before they snooze at night, and the first thing they catch sight of when they wake. So why bore them with a generic plastic store-bought version? A homemade mobile is fairly easy to make and adds that personal touch to your baby’s nursery.

Pinterest has loads of great examples – ranging from the easy and breezy to more challenging for those with DIY skills.

The pom-pom mobile is a good place to start.

5. Hot air balloons

Source: Pinterest – nurseryproject.com

A hot air balloon theme is a cool and quirky decor idea that can help spark your child’s sense of adventure from a young age.

Etsy is full of lots of adorable nursery items that fall under this theme, including hot air balloon mobiles, wallpaper, and light shades.

If you don’t want to go all out with a full on themed nursery, add a touch of it with DIY hot air balloon paper lanterns. Here’s how:

What you need:

Paper lanterns of any size or colour
Paint + brush
Small basket
Scissors, string, glue gun
Toothpicks

Start by painting the lanterns with colours of your choosing. Once dry, glue four pieces of sting inside (along the paint line). Cut any basket handles and place a thin line of glue on the inside.

Press the other end of the string pieces into the glue on the basket and press it down using a toothpick (glue gun can be hot!)

And voila, a beautifully hand-painted hot air balloon. Create a cluster for a lovely decor centrepiece for your baby’s nursery.

Bring your idea to life – find trusted and local painter decorators with Airtasker.

Tips to feel at home in student accommodation

Easy ways to love where you live.

Chances are your uni halls or student house will be somewhere between ‘a bit basic’ and ‘what’s that smell?’. If things switch on and off when they’re supposed to, a lack of loveliness isn’t a deal breaker – yet you don’t need tons of cash or creativity to feel at home.

There are limits to what you’re allowed to do to student accommodation, so keep it simple. Think clean, clear and colourful, and you’ll be cosy in no time.

Need help bringing your DIY-design dreams to life? Find trusted and local handymen on Airtasker.

1. Avoid clutter

Treat packing for uni like applying fake tan: it’s easier to top up than deal with the excess. That doesn’t mean going fully minimalist – just pack with transport and storage in mind.

Plastic crates with lids are great for moving day, and double as storage if you’re short of drawers or shelves
Check what’s included in the rent: you may not need to buy a desk lamp, cutlery or other basics.
Sharing? Try to co-ordinate who brings common gadgets. No house needs more than one kettle (and your electricity bill will thank you).

2. Keep it clean

Keeping stuff spotless means fewer smells, slugs, bugs or mice. It’s also far nicer for studying, sleeping or having mates round.

This is where those plastic crates are twice as nice: if don’t do your dishes or hang clothes up straight away, stick them in a box and pop the lid on until you’re ready to deal with them. Keeping your mess contained goes a long way to defusing arguments with flatmates, too …

3. Grow pleasing things

Fruit, veg and flowers can thrive in almost any kind of container, from boots to birdcages. You can grow lots of plants from seed for pennies, they brighten the place, plus you can munch the edible stuff later on. If you’ve ever binned uneaten salad, or don’t want to pay supermarket prices for fresh veg, make-do gardening is worth a go!

4. Get hands-on

Before buying brand new, check gumtree, freecycle and local noticeboards to find furniture and furnishings for free, cheap or swaps. Even a quick scrub and polish can get these into decent condition, though you can go as far as you like. Selling rescued furniture when you move (or as a side business) can bring in a bit of profit, too.

Alternatively, have a wander through YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest for arts, crafts and life hacks. It’s hard to feel like it’s a chore when you’re making your own candles or turning plastic cups into phone speakers.

5. If it’s your fault, fix it

Most things that go wrong in a student house are likely to come under the landlord’s watch – so make sure they stick to the bargain.

However, if you break, smash or scratch your landlord’s gear take action early (or you could end up with a dent in your deposit instead):

A small tester pot of paint can cover up minor wall issues – but only if you know the exact shade to use
Plaster filler can fix damage from nails and pins, but it’s best to avoid the issue altogether: check what kind of fixings are allowed and, if in doubt, stick with a pin board
Don’t just replace furniture or fittings and hope your landlord doesn’t clock it. Flag it up and agree what you’ll take care of.

—

Giving your rented accommodation some TLC doesn’t make for a nicer home – it makes it more likely you’ll get your deposit back in full, plus it shows you’re a keeper when it’s time to renew the lease.

10 Instagram accounts to follow if you love minimalist interior design

To inspire that mammoth decluttering session.

Instagram is hardly short of simple-yet-chic interior design inspiration.

And it’s easy to get obsessed. Minimalist design accounts are somehow soothing to scroll through, and they offer a bit of escapism from your own clutter (we’re looking at you, heap-of-clothes-sitting-unsorted-on-chair-for-months).

There are now scores of accounts with sumptuous feeds featuring clean lines and monochromatic palettes.

To save you endlessly scrolling through a plethora of white brick feeds, we’ve scoured through and rounded up 10 of the best minimalist design accounts below:

1. Katerina Dima

Oslo-based architect and photographer Katerina Dima is the creative eye behind this popular minimalist Instagram account.

Expect a regular stream of calming colours and chic clutter-free nooks and crannies.

2. Hannah in the house

Scandinavians are pros at the minimalist style of decor, as evidenced by Copenhagen-based Hannah Trickett in this account and her beautiful interior blog Hannah in the House.

Enjoy a stream of striking Nordic-style design posts with neutral colours and artistic furniture pieces. This account is low-key yet still clearly displays Hannay’s eye for chic minimalism.

3. Le Petit Fika

Charlotte’s passion for Nordic design shines through in this stunning feed of snaps of her drool-worthy London home.

Watch out for occasional appearances from Claude the kitten.

4. Elisabeth Heier

With a blend of muted tones and luxurious touches, this account by Oslo-based interior stylist Elisabeth Heier is a pretty serene place for pure escapism on Instagram.

And if you’re looking for minimalist home decor tips, Elisabeth also has an inspiring blog that’s worth checking out.

5. Grey and Scout

Expect close ups of cute and sparsely decorated spaces with a splash of green from Liz Bachman, who also has a lifestyle brand that you can shop from at Grey and Scout.

And the frequent baby and puppy appearances don’t hurt either.

6. Anja Willemsen

Follow if you want a stream of pics capturing a variety of light, bright, and airy spaces. This account definitely has summery vibes and the feel-good factor.

Want a helping hand (or eye) to turn your own space into a minimalist haven? Find home decor help on Airtasker.

7. Studio McGee

Okay, so this one’s not as sparse as most of the others on this list. But it’s a good one to follow if you like a slightly minimalist look with an added touch of warmth and homeliness.

8. Cereal Mag

The Instagram channel for London travel mag CEREAL offers a feed of artsy photos of some of the most uber minimalist interiors from around the world. Expect a daily dose of edgy and artistic style inspiration.

Perfect to inspire those on a quest for a more minimal lifestyle.

9. The Style and Living

A great follow if you’re into a style of home decor that’s sparse but still modern and perhaps not as white. This account is a great curation of stylish hotel-esque minimalist spaces.

Screenshot your favourite snaps to show any home decor help you hire.

10. My Scandinavian Home

Lovers of Scandi design, this is a must follow.

This account will seriously tempt you to renovate every single room of your own home. Expect a delicious concoction of simple and rustic minimalism with a splash of botanical vibes.

The founder, Niki Brantkmark, also runs a blog called My Scandinavian Home.

Planning a renovation? Find trusted and local painter decorators on Airtasker.

9 DIY Instagram accounts you should be following

For some seriously drool-worthy inspiration.

Home renovation and DIY inspiration is everywhere on Instagram.

If you’re about embark on some DIY work of your own, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of envy inducing craft skills and home transformations on display.

Keep your feed stream lined by following a more curated selection. Here are the 9 DIY accounts you need in your life for a daily dose of inspo:

1. PSimadethis

Started in 2009 by DIY queen Erica Domesek, this popular lifestyle brand covers everything from fashion to beauty to home decor.

From the looks of it, Erica knows how to make pretty much anything by hand. And she even sells DIY kits if you don’t feel like foraging for supplies.

2. The House that Lars Built

Designer Brittany Jepsen curates this fun feed full of cute craft ideas and lots of bright colours.

Prepare to get the urge to turn seriously artsy.

3. Sugar & Cloth

Packed with DIY tutorials, and design and decor suggestions, Ashley Rose’s Sugar & Cloth Instagram account will keep your feed full of gorgeous shots. She also has a blog with lots of great DIY help and content.

Oh, and the pics of her super cute baby don’t hurt.

4. Elsie + Emma A Beautiful Mess

If you’re looking for DIY inspiration to cover any budget, check out this account started by sisters Elsie and Emma.

This is one you could easily spend a long and lazy afternoon perusing through.

Screenshot ideas you love as you scroll, and find DIY help to bring them to life.

5. Emily Henderson

Emily Henderson has a long and impressive list of stylish credentials, and you can see why with just one look at this stream of gorgeous interior design focussed content.

You should be able to find enough inspo here to want to renovate every room of your house.

6. Kelly Mindell

Covering everything from quirky crafts to stunning home renovations, Kelly Mindell’s Insta account will add a dose of fun to your daily feed.

7. Jenni Radosevich

If you’re currently renovating your home (or considering it), look no further for some seriously stylish DIY inspiration.

Jenni Radosevich’s Instagram stories are great for easy to follow DIY tutorials, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to fall in love with every nook and cranny of her home.

8. Kate Watson-Smyth

Kate Watson-Smyth is one of the most influential figures in the UK interior decor scene. Soak up some of her fabulous sense of design by following this account and checking out her regularly updated blog.

There’s a fairly massive archive of DIY content and home decor news to keep you occupied and inspired.

9. Helen Powell

Lovers of simple and chic decor, take note. Helen Powell AKA the Design Hunter has all the minimalist inspiration you need to transform your home into a stylish Scandi nirvana of your very own.

It’s calming to even just scroll through.

Need some help with your next DIY project? Connect with trusted and local handymen with Airtasker.

5 stylish ideas for decorating your bedroom

Get your slumber in an impeccably styled space.

Apparently, one third of our lives is spent in bed, sleeping or attempting to sleep. And that doesn’t even include the additional time we now spend in there, thanks to Netflix.

All the more reason why your bedroom should be a feast for the eyes and a treat for the senses.

Here are 5 decor ideas to help you turn your bedroom into a stylish sanctuary:

1. Create a DIY headboard

Source: Pinterest – houseandgarden.co.uk

Sounds complex, but it’s really doable. For those of you with a flat bed, a DIY headboard is a great way to make a statement using the blank wall behind your bed.

Pinterest is home to a plethora of crafty ideas, or you could attempt some of the below:

Paint the lower half of the wall above your bed for an instant (low cost) headboard. A steady hand is required, or you could seek help from paintewr and decorators in London.
Hang a textile, such as a cool rug or a textured wall hanging.
Get seriously creative and paint the actual headboard itself.
Build yourself a wooden headboard with shelving for functional style.

2. Dress your bed

Source: Pinterest – society19.com

Your bed is the focal piece in your room, so turn it into a statement by improving your bed dressing game.

Not only will it add instant hotel-esque plushness, it also amps up the cosy factor.

Sure, you’ll have to spend a little more time making it everyday, but it’ll be worth it for the vision.

Remember, layering is key. And don’t hold back with the cushions.

3. Add some green

Source: Pinterest – elladunlop.com

Indoor plants can be low-maintenance, mood boosting, and add a dose of style. Don’t be afraid to bring some green into your bedroom space.

Whether you put them on the bedside table, windowsill, or even create a shelf of cascading plants above your bed, plants add a splash of colour and loveliness to your room.

And hey, you’ll be breathing in cleaner air every night as you snooze.

4. Go monochrome

Source: Pinterest – oh.eight.oh.nine

The absence of colour can make just as much of a style statement. Blend whites and lights with black to create a bedroom with instant glam factor. You could choose a geometric wallpaper and pair it with crisp white bed linen.

Add a pop of colour here and there with a plant or a cushion or two.

Need an extra hand transforming your bedroom into a stylish haven? There are plenty of painters and decorators in London to help bring your creative vision to life.

5. Statement wallpaper

Source: Pinterest – muralwallpapers.co.uk

Inject some drama into your bedroom space with statement wallpaper to create one feature wall.

Renting? Or just not ready to make a wallpaper commitment? You can also get removable wallpaper that you can peel and stick with ease. If you’d like to know how much does wallpaper removal cost, visit our updated wallpaper removal cost guide.

You’ve got the idea; now bring it to life with the help of trusted and local painter decorators on Airtasker.

5 tips for decorating a small flat

Cosy flat-dwellers, no need to let your design dreams die.

Let’s face it, it’s not unheard of to have a small flat in London. With house prices continuing to rise and steep city rents, it can take a while to cobble together the money for more square footage. But does that mean you need to forget all your design and decor dreams?

We say no.

Sure, you need to be a little more clever about how you decorate, but that’s where we come in.

Even if your place makes Harry Potter’s cupboard look palatial, with a little help from the many skilful painters and decorators in London, you can learn to make the most of every precious inch of your home.

Oh but first, you need to declutter and organise

Let’s start with the obvious but painful truth. With a small flat, you won’t have space for everything.

You need to purge what you don’t need and organise what you do. Here are a couple of organisation hacks that work well for small spaces:

Get creative with storage solutions. Install drawers under your bed and consider vertical storage (more on that below).
Put away some of your seasonal clothing into storage. You can find plenty of cost-effective temporary storage options in London.

Now that you have a bit more space to play with, check out our 5 small flat decor tips below to get those design juices flowing:

Paint the walls white

Ever wonder why you feel scorching hot in a black tee? Darker colours tend to absorb light and heat. Now white, on the other hand, reflects all colours. Paint your walls and ceilings a beautiful white to lighten and brighten up your space.

White has the glorious ability to visually expand rooms and make them feel more spacious, and it’s also the perfect blank canvas to decorate on.

It doesn’t all have to be a white vacuum though – add splashes of bold and bright colours with your textiles and furnishings.

Need a hand with your wall painting? Find painters and decorators in London who’d love to help.

Invest in some vertical storage

See, the thing about vertical storage is, not only is it great at utilising the vertical space in your home, it’s also ideal for organisation purposes and to decorate on.

Use floor-to-ceiling shelves to display your favourite books, plants and ornaments while leaving floor space free.

Decorate your home in a light colour palette

As mentioned above, darker colours tend to absorb light. They also tend to feel a little overwhelming in a small space.

Use lighter colours to help give your home a more airy feel.

If you’re looking up to open up a small room, try the age-old trick of adding a mirror (or several). Always works a treat.

Multi-tasking furniture

Furniture takes space. And when you’re limited on space, each item of furniture in your home needs to work its very hardest.

Dual purpose furniture is officially a thing, so if you have a small flat, it’s time to get involved.

Make use of that precious wall space

Not saying that you need to adorn every spare iota of your wall space, but you’d be advised to look into wall mounted shelving. It’s a good way to introduce some style and storage into smaller spaces without taking up any valuable floor space.

Similarly, when considering lighting options for your cosy abode, it’s best to use your walls and ceilings to light up the place rather than bulky floor lamps.

Need a hand with decorating your flat? Find rated and trusted painter decorators in London with Airtasker

Top 10 interior design accounts to follow 2018

Got a thing for pretty interiors? Here's who to look out for.

Interior design bloggers and renovating services have a very noble goal. They inspire, hold our hand through big changes, and even keep us within budget.

They’re life’s good guys.

With that in mind – here are the sites, accounts and blogs you have to follow if you’re after some perfectly Instagrammable home decor inspiration.

1. Fabric of my life

Manchester-based Kate takes a holistic approach to interiors. She writes about choosing a kitchen island, as well as how to factor your wellbeing into a home redesign.

She’s had a guided tour of every Instagrammable spot in Manchester. Her aversion to capital letters might be off-putting for some and liberating for others.

Click immediately if you have Scandi taste on a millennial budget.

2. 2 lovely gays

Browse the catalogue of professional interior designers Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead, and you’ll see well-balanced colours, playful wall art, and the most Pinterest-able metallics.

Cluroe and Whitehead’s blog is very visual, but each project gets a detailed write-up too if you want to know more about the execution.

Click immediately if you’re bored of reaching for the Magnolia one-coat gloss.

3. Love Chic Living

Jen Stanbrook has won rafts of awards for her unintimidating design blog. Broken down room by room, and accessory by accessory, Jen’s posts are all about detail.

As a bonus, she also offers Pinterest coaching and consultancy. And quite rightly – her blog has attracted over 1 million hits to date.

Click immediately if you’re overwhelmed by big design projects.

4. The Modern House

Not quite an interior design blog, more like the most upmarket estate agency you’ve ever seen. The Modern House lists some of the most beautifully designed houses in the South of England.

The team proudly “only sell houses that (they) love.” On the website are digital galleries of country retreats, London townhouses, and open-plan loft apartments.

Click immediately if you’re staring hopelessly at paint charts and need help getting started.

5. Pentreath & Hall

Attached to a ‘goods and furnishings’ retailer, the Pentreath & Hall blog is “a destination for those seeking beautiful, unusual, and decorative things for their home”.

Ben Pentreath fills it with travelogues, architectural details, and thoroughly English gardens.

Click immediately if you’re still working on your mood board before you contact painting services in London.

6. Melanie Lissack Interiors

Professional designer Melanie breaks her blog up into small details, major ‘before and afters’, exteriors, and seasonal features. She’s incredibly inventive when it comes to taking on small, impactful DIY projects too.

One of her most recent revelations is turning a pretty standard IKEA Billy bookcase into something unrecognisable for under £300.

Click immediately if you’re looking for an excuse to go to B&Q.

If you dread the thought of putting together flat-pack furniture, ask an Airtasker to do it for you. Find assembly services in London now.

Source: Melanie Lissack Interiors

7. Mad about the house

Journalist Kate Watson-Smyth takes us on a tour of some of the most enviable living spaces in the UK. Her own house was featured on Houzz in 2015.

One of the most striking rooms is her wall-to-wall library and reading room. The magenta fireplace deserves a shoutout too.

Click immediately if you’re ready for a bold redesign and need interior design inspiration.

8. Dear Designer

Featuring mood boards, storage ideas, and lighting details – Dear Designer is the creation of Carole King.

Like many interior bloggers, Carole’s own home is well worth coveting. She takes the reader through each section, revealing the gradual changes, and the motivation behind every choice.

Click immediately if you want to give your newly built home more character.

9. Bright.Bazaar

Will Taylor believes “beige is boring”, so he created Bright Bazaar to encourage readers to introduce colour into their home. A Londoner now based in the US, he travels all over the world, documenting how other countries use colour.

Ten years after starting his blog, Will has now launched a line of nautical, brightly coloured furniture and interior accessories.

Click immediately if you need some guidance before you splash Aquamarine all over the place.

10. Little Big Bell

If bold and bright colours mixed with post-modern design is your thing, there’s only one place for you – and that’s Geraldine Tan’s Little Big Bell. Fusing modern stylings with practicable furniture and cool artwork, this unique blog promises plenty of creative home decor inspiration.

If you don’t believe us, just ask one of the blog’s more than 219k (at the time of writing) Instagram followers.

Click immediately if you’re bored with bland and want to inject some personality into your home.

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Grab those fabric swatches and start cutting out photos from World of Interiors. These bloggers can offer a world of inspiration for everyone – whether you’ve just moved into a bare, new flat, or you’re renovating for the third or fourth time.

Need help with your next interior project? Find professional painter decorators and home design services with Airtasker.

5 home decor trends for 2018

Deck out your home with the latest interior design trends of 2018.

Keen to spruce up your space but not sure where to start? Find some serious home interiors inspiration using this list of what’s hot this year.

…and if you’re not ready for a complete design overhaul, you could start by incorporating a few elements from each for a quick refresh:

1. Marble

Pinterest has gone crazy for marble this year. Green marble, in particular, has been trending on the platform. It’s easy to understand the obsession with marble. There’s just something about it that injects instant opulent vibes into any room. And it feels cool and luxurious to the touch.

It’s not just marble itself, you can also find swathes of fabrics and textiles with marble prints and patterns. Which makes this trend a little easier to afford and adopt. Scout out bed linen and wallpapers with a sumptuous marble effect finish to easily include this trend into your home.

Want to incorporate some quirky additions into your home but don’t have the skills (or time) to complete the task yourself? No sweat – just hire a handyman via Airtasker to help sort the job at hand.

2. Dark woods

Looking to update your furniture in 2018? Expect to see lots of dark oak and deep mahogany if you go furniture hunting this year. Dark wooden furniture pieces are great for adding gravitas and that much-desired luxurious feel into any home. They also look pretty great against some of the tropical prints that are everywhere this year. (More on that later).

If you’re not ready to splurge on expensive wooden pieces, remember, dark wooden furniture was in style ‘back in the day’ too. Check out your local second-hand furniture shop for some surprisingly impressive ‘pre-loved’ finds.

3. Earthy tones

Earthy colours such as clay and terracotta are having a major moment in the interior design world in 2018. Let’s face it, we all crave a little more nature in our lives. And this trend is all about creating a natural and outdoorsy feel throughout the interiors of our homes.

There’s no need to go all out by painting all your walls terracotta. You can subtly incorporate this trend into your home by adding splashes of these colours using rugs or cushions.

4. Tropical prints

Inspired by the fashion runway, the tropical print trend has made its way to the world of interior design. Add a summery feel to your home by adding in dark leafy prints and gorgeous bright colours. A tropical cushion cover or a framed jungle print is a quick and easy way to include this interior design trend in your home decor.

Liven up your home with a tropical vibe by getting yourself a low maintenance house plant.

5. Recycled Materials

With many of us now consciously trying to make more sustainable shopping choices, this trend carries into the interior design world as well. In 2018, more people than ever are gravitating towards furnishings and fabrics made of recycled materials.

Many designers have caught on to this trend and are becoming quite creative with producing unusual pieces using recycled goods. If you want to be stylish but still environmentally friendly in your decor choices, you’ll now be able to find plenty of recycled options to choose from.

Need to hire a handyman to help make your home decor dreams come true? Find trusted and rated professionals on Airtasker.

Which is the best outdoor furniture for you?

Relax and enjoy your garden with the right furniture for your outdoor space.

Summer is right around the corner, and what better way to enjoy your garden than with some new outdoor furniture? You have an abundance of options with garden furniture, including size, materials, heights and functionality. To help you choose, we’ve broken down the different outdoor furniture types and some additional tips to think about.

Lounge sets vs. dining sets

Are you the more formal or informal hosts? Will you still eat inside or have a full sit down dinner outside? These are some of the questions to ask yourself because while it’s nice to have an outdoor dining set, it might be better to just have a lounge set.

This way you can use it when you relax with the Sunday paper and a cuppa, and also for informal pre-dinner drinks before you head inside to sit for mains during a dinner party.

These sets will normally be delivered as flatpacks, but you can help the time fly by, by getting an Airtasker to help with the furniture assembly.

Outdoor daybeds

Daybeds are great for limited space in pool areas or chill-out zones in smaller backyards. There are a few types that you can get depending on your styling e.g. cabana style, pod sofas or canopy daybeds.

Coordinated furniture sets

If you have a large backyard with various areas to furnish, it’s really important that your garden flows. By getting a matching outdoor garden set, you can achieve this very easily.

What about the material?

By now you have a pretty good idea about which type of furniture is going to work for you, but what about the style and material? Here’s a little bit of inspiration below:

Wicker

Timber

Wrought iron

Stainless steel

Can you DIY?

Absolutely! There is lots of outdoor furniture inspiration around and it’s amazing what you can do with a few pallets and a sewing machine. To turn your outdoor furniture dream into a reality, find a skilled handyman to help you out.

Got any more outdoor furniture tips? Let us know in the comments below!