The versatility of white furniture

One of the big attractions of white furniture has to be its versatility. Use white to create a timeless, neutral backdrop and then let your own colourful personality shine through!

The room pictured right is a great example of just how to do this. The blank canvas of white painted walls and white flooring provides the simplest of backdrops. The stripey blue floor covering adds interest; especially when combined with the dark denim look sofa. The window coverings are kept light and white with just a hint of blue accent colour to keep the room tied together.

An elegant handcarved white mirror hing on the wall, and sophisticated white wing backed armchairs give the room a more mature, grown up style.

The simple white Newport Coffee Table works really well as a sleek centrepiece providing useful space for books, coffee cups and a pretty floral decoration.

Despite the use of what is essentially a really quite dark accent colour, the white base of the room ensures the overall feeling of the interior is one of light airy brightness.

As your taste and mood may alter and you decide to revamp your room, just a few simple tweaks will ensure a complete transformation with very little additional outlay. Change the sofa colour with the addition of a throw and new cushions; change the colour of your rug and perhaps alter the window dressings. A change of pictures on the walls and lampshades – and if you like a new arrangement of your furniture – and the same basic white room will take on a whole new personality.

Snow at Highdown by John Wilson

Whilst all is so clean and white outside, why not take the inspiration to create a crisp white interior inside your home?

Taking inspiration from the natural world can be so easy. Paint your walls brilliant white to create your own snowy backdrop. Add in simple white furniture such as a white kitchen dresser to provide you with the storage you require, along with the perfect place to display your treasured possessions.

If you are looking to transform a bedroom into a clean crisp space combine a simple white wardrobe and white chest of drawers with natural coloured soft furnishings such as shades of greens and browns. Bring in fresh flowers to add freshness and life.

White isn’t just for winter; a white interior can be adapted to change with the seasons. The reflected light will change throughout the year; the warm ambiance of candlelight reflecting off a white wall in the winter gives way to the brilliant sunshine bouncing off the wall in the summer months. With the right soft furnishings and accessories, a white interior can transform from a cosy welcoming winter wonderland so a fresh summer room.

Thanks to local photographer John Wilson for the use of his photograph.

Recreate your holiday home

As the nights are drawing in and warm lazy days spent by the coast seem to be a distant memory, why not reinvent your interior to create the feel of your very own holiday home all year round?

Our new Provence Range conjures up images of the boardwalk in the sunshine, reminding me of beautifully textured driftwood, faded grey by the warm summer sun. The Provence Coffee Table and Provence Side Table feature stunning grey oak tops and magazine shelves, combined with beautifully hand carved white Provencal style legs.

The Provence Sideboard is perfect for a welcoming hallway – imagine the combination of the driftwood style oak and hand carved legs standing on white painted floorboards with simple white painted walls behind.

A selection of lanterns add to the atmosphere of a room, bouncing the warm candlelight all around, flickering bright against simple white walls. Shutter Lanterns are great to add a touch of New England Style to a room, whilst maintaining a warm and cosy atmosphere.

White Augusta Mirror

I have recently purchased a new three bedroom apartment from Berkeley Homes, overlooking the sea in West Sussex. I have to say that in my search for a new build apartment, I was struck by the quality and attention to detail of Berkeley Homes. For example the apartment benefits from high quality sound insulation (very important when there are two children running around!), superior double glazing, and an extremely efficient boiler with under floor heating. I have an en-suite shower room with a very well designed walk in shower, plus a separate bathroom, where again the quality of the bath, basin, toilet and taps are second to none. There is a beautifully fitted kitchen with a white stone work top and high quality stainless steel electrical appliances.

Before moving in I painted the apartment white throughout and installed wooden flooring in the living room and kitchen which I painted brilliant white. The rest of the apartment is fitted with off white pure wool carpet. Then I was ready to go, and really enjoyed picking pieces of our furniture to complement the interior.

Furnishing the Apartment

In the living room I have two Chelsea 2.5 Seater Sofas, covered in white fabric and two Newport Coffee Tables. I have chosen the beautifully hand carved Augusta Mirror to bounce the light around the room, and whilst the interior of the flat is very contemporary in design the exterior of the building is very Art Deco, and the elaborate design of the Augusta Mirror really echoes this contrast. In the dining area I have a New England Oak Dining Table with white legs, and Newport White Dining Chairs with white seat pads. I have to say that it has created a brilliant space for living and working in as I quite often do a lot of my creative processes at home.
As there are three bedrooms, my son who is only six came up with a brilliant idea. He said to me “Dad… if we both sleep in the single bedroom, and you design a set of bunk beds, then we can use the other spare room as our playroom!” “Brilliant!” I said to him, and so I designed a New England Bunk Bed for them, which they have in their bedroom along with a Manhattan Chest of Drawers and a Manhattan Bedside Table. In their playroom we have a 2.5 seater Chelsea Sofa and Armchair, and New England Coffee Table and Side Table, and their television and DVD player sits on a New England Television Cabinet.

We are all now very settled in our new home, very much enjoying apartment living by the sea.

White New England Style Interior

At New England Lifestyle we all agree that our white furniture is the perfect base for a home. You can then add your own bold, accent colours – or subtle pastel shades as you wish with the addition of soft furnishings, accessories and lighting. Each room can be follow a different theme, but at the same time the white base will create a feeling of space and light which will flow from room to room.

By choosing classic white furniture, walls and floors that will stand the test of time, you will be able to change the look of your home in the future at little expense. With our sale due to finish very soon now is the perfect time to take advantage of our current offers, and to give your home the classic fresh white treatment.

West Wittering Beach

Originally uploaded by New England Lifestyle

Holidays by the sea conjure up images of idylic living, fresh and clean sunlight interiors. Think white wooden floorboards, fresh painted walls and clean bright furnishings.

For the bedroom, our Manhattan Range of white painted bedroom furniture immediately makes me think of being by the seaside in the summer. The tongue and groove detailing, clean lines, and fresh white finish reminds me of a holiday time, of fun times spent splashing around in the sea under the warm sun.

For the seating area or conservatory, the Hampton Coffee Table with its planked top is a must, combined with a couple of comfortable white seats in which to just relax and enjoy the ambiance.

Whether the walls are simply painted in fresh white, or cladded with white painted tongue and groove panels, our wall flag can make it seem as though you are on the other side of the world.

Original Image:

merry christmas to all – white version

With Christmas less than a week away, here in West Sussex we are gazing out over the beautiful snow covered South Downs and wondering if, this year, we will have a white Christmas???

The Christmas tree has been put up and dressed, the white living space is brought to life with a lush green tree decorated in white and silver baubles. Beautifully wrapped presents are piled under the tree, having been shaken by the children to try and guess what is inside… “You must wait until Christmas Day!” we cry!

There will soon be a roaring log fire lit in the white living room. The stockings are ready to hang from the mantle piece on Christmas Eve, and we are all ready for a beautiful white Christmas. Sipping champagne on Christmas morning whilst the children run around playing with their new toys, perhaps building a snowman and throwing snowballs whilst the turkey cooks and the dinner is prepared… Sounds perfect!

New England Lifestyle would like to wish everybody a very Happy Chritsmas – and maybe, just maybe, this year it will all be white and bright!!!

As the Christmas TV Guides hit the shops, many of us are keen to see what films we will be treated to this year. What will be the Christmas Day Blockbuster movie?! When will the old favourties be shown?!

It is the time of year when we are most likely to treat ourselves to a brand new television, and that may also include a stylish new television stand.

Our white tv cabinet is just the ticket! Measuring 105cm across, it is the perfect size to hold your new television. If you have treated yourself to HD this Christmas, then your Sky HD box will sit perfectly in the pull down compartment, and can be hidden away when not in use. Your DVD player will sit in the same compartment, and your DVDs can be tidied away in the two useful drawers below.

Our white television unit has tongue and groove detail to front, top and sides. All of our New England style white furniture is designed to be mixed and matched, to ensure you obtain your own personal white interior. Visit our West Sussex Showroom to view our television cabinet, alongside coffee tables, bookcases, mirrors and dressers – any white living room furniture you may require.

Our White Coffee Table, with its shapely legs fits in beautifully with the look. Its strong styling enables it to create a stong centrepiece in any living room.

The article continues to feature a bright dining room with white dining table and chairs, and white console table.  Sophie recommends giving definition to a white on white scheme by using a strong shade on a feature wall. Continuing the Eastern inspiried theme, she chose a deep plum for the feature wall, and repeated the colour in the accessories. White painted floorboards keep the room looking fresh and simple and crystal vases help break up and distribute light.

Storage problem solved

“I have a two bedroom flat and started working from home recently. I wanted to keep a spare bedroom but needed it to double up as an office. I found a computer cabinet from New England Lifestyle that has solved all my problems. Not only does it house my ugly computer and printer but it looks great as a piece of furniture when I close the doors. You would never know that I’d been using the room as an office and I’ve still retained a lovely spare bedroom.

I love the look of the cabinet with its brilliant white satin finish and tongue and groove detail. So much so, I’ve now created a New England style room by buying the Manhattan Headboard and Manhattan bedsides tables. My spare room is now a relaxing bedroom but also a calming place to work”.

Entertaining in style

“We recently decorated our dining room and put tongue and grove on the walls which we’ve painted white. We were lucky enough to discover we had original oak floor boards so decided we’d like an oak dining room table. We love entertaining and wanted the flexibility of how many we could seat at any one time. The obvious solution was an extending table but we couldn’t find one that we liked anywhere until I discovered the New England Lifestyle dining range. Your new extending Westhope Dining Table with matching chairs is perfect!  Its simple design makes it easy for us to add one or two leaves when we have large numbers for dinner and the light oak looks great with the floor boards and white tongue and grove walls.

The New England Style is definitely one I’d recommend. It is so easy to recreate – white walls and wooden flooring – it couldn’t be simpler. We’ve now added a white dresser from New England Lifestyle which completes the look beautifully”.

Transformation New England Style

“We moved house last year and had the luxury of redecorating before we moved in. There wasn’t a huge amount to do but the house felt quite dark and uninviting. On your recommendation, we painted everything white – the walls, the doors, even the red brick fireplace and what a difference it made. After a visit to your showroom in Sussex we completely furnished the whole house with New England Lifestyle furniture and the transformation was amazing. We didn’t even change the carpet, but by just painting everything white and adding New England style furniture has made a huge difference.

The house now feels light and peaceful and even on a rainy winters day it feels bright, fresh and clean.  We cannot thank you enough for your inspired design ideas and your New England furniture”.