Furniture & Interior Design Ideas - New England Lifestyle Blog » white interiors

Dressers to complement your White Interior

Tasha — Sun, 01 May 2011 08:05:36 +0000

If you are looking for the perfect storage solution to complement your White Interior, then your search is over because New England Lifestyle’s selection of Dressers have something for everyone!

The New Hampshire Dresser complements a White Interior and provides plenty of storage

Ideal for Dining Rooms, Living Rooms, Hallways or Kitchens, white dressers will complement your white interior whilst creating a light and versatile space for storage.

The bestselling New Hampshire Dresser comprises eight drawers and four cupboards with internal shelves, plus it has a built in wine rack for your wine selection. The Dresser Base is also available separately and can be easily utilised as a large white sideboard.

The New Hampshire Small Dresser has a width of just 109cm which is great if you have alcoves or if you wanted to fit it either side of a chimney breast, the perfect solution if you wanted a smaller alternative for the space you have.

The Shaker Style Rhode Island Dresser is also available in a smaller size, and with the dressers two display cabinets and shelving at the top providing its classic design it easily manages to look stylish in your home.

The Rhode Island Dresser is available in two sizes, in white or with an oak top

The Rhode Island Dresser is also available with a solid oak top, as is the New England Dresser and the Burlington Dresser. All of these Dresser bases are also all available to order separately, which gives you the flexibility to have a matching sideboard in the room.

Dressers here at New England Lifestyle are all finished in a Pure Brilliant White water-based paint which enhances the light and brightens any room. By designing a white interior you are creating a freshness and giving the room an impression of being a bigger space.

Our furniture showroom in West Sussex designed to show you how a white interior can enhance your home and if your come and visit us you will see it really is all about white! You can see for yourselves the high quality finish of our stunning Dressers and decide which Dresser is the right one for your home.

White on White

Judy — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:49:58 +0000

Interior Design Books at New England Lifestyle

One of New England Lifestyle’s new interior design books called ‘White on White’ written by Stephanie Hoppen, shows how to create elegant rooms using verious shades of white. White being the colour for all seasons and a colour that never dates.

White furnishings and home accessories have many contrasts which can change with all the different filters of light coming from outside throughout the day. In this book, Stephanie Hoppen uses her design expertise to create beautiful rooms complimented by many of the different shades of white.

White transforms the size and character of a room and can also be a very warm colour, imagine firelight flickering on a white wall, whereas dark colours will just absorb the light and can reduce the scale of a room considerably.

Basically the book demonstrates that no matter what your personal style is, white can work for everyone. Classic, timeless, easily adapted to the changing fashion, it is far from bland or boring.

The use of white furniture compliments various textiles and fabrics which can be used more freely without being trapped by colour. When using various shades of white its best to combine shades that come from the same colour family, i.e. chalky, muted, neutrals, creamy and cool. Painting walls, ceilings and woodwork all the same shade of white will make them recede into the background creating an ideal showcase for your white furniture.

Come and visit the New England Lifestyle showroom based in Ford, West Sussex and see how we can transform your home into a place of calm and beauty.

Living with Light – Interior Design Inspiration

Charlie — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:45:31 +0000

Living with Light by Gail Abbott

Our new selection of interior design books includes ‘Living with Light’ by Gail Abbott, with stunning photography by Mark Scott. Described as “The perfect companion for anyone wanting to give their home a light and spacious feel” Living with Light guides you in how to decorate the Scandinavian way, using subtle colours, textures and accessories to maximise light.

Light is a highly valued quality in Scandinavia where crisp clear summer days give way to long dark winter days with only low and short-lived periods of natural light. Homes are designed to maximise every shaft of light that enters; making the best use of simple white walls, white bleached floors and minimal window dressings.

The first chapter entitled ‘Light on White’ focuses on a look seen throughout Scandinavia – a look that has developed to maximise every bit of natural light. Rooms featured in this chapter include a bedroom in a Victorian terraced house in London, furnished with simple white bedroom furniture against bright white walls. Living spaces feature white sofas, white wooden floorboards and simple muslin window dressings.

Taking inspiration from nature is a big feature of Scandinavian Style – the Scandinavians love of nature is legendary!!! Many city dwellers escape the stresses of everyday life by heading out to the lakes and mountains of the countryside.

Textures play a big part in the Scandinavian interior design style; serving to add variety and interest to a white interior. Whether paint effects as used in traditionally Swedish country farmhouses, or wooden textured panels, or simply white tonal variations, an all white room is in no way boring!

We think ‘Living with Light’ is an inspirational book whether your home is a cosy cottage, city apartment, or English Country Home.

For more information about home stylist and writer Gail Abbott, visit her website at www.gailabbott.co.uk.

To view more stunning photographic images by lifestyle photographer Mark Scott, visit his website at www.markscottphotography.co.uk

English Summer Style Interior Design

Charlie — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:25:49 +0000

White Lincoln Chair - image from Ideal Home Magazine

White is such a versatile colour to choose when decorating a room. Create your white base, and then choose your accent shade to personalise your look.

Seasonal shades of green add a fresh feel to a room, helping to bring the outdoors in. Keep rooms fresh with a vibrant mix of pistachio, jade, fennel, lime and crisp, clean whites. Subtle tones of green will create a fresh and relaxing scheme.

White painted furniture combined with natural toned accessories help to create an elegant English Summer look. A white upholstered chair combined with white bedroom furniture immediately begins to soften a room, creating an environment that is very natural and easy to live with.

Spend a little time choosing your throws, cushions and window dressings to ensure your choice of colour shades harmonise well. Add floral details in simple pictures and fresh flowers, or perhaps a modern floral curtain fabric. Pick a colour detail from your curtain fabric to echo in the other soft furnishings, blending muted greens with delicate florals.

Look for interesting textures in throws and cushions for a cosy feel, and group candles to create a warming atmosphere. Add seasonal touches throughout the year such as a vase of lush green foliage, or vase of freshly cut sweet peas to keep your room seasonal and fresh.

Make a Dramatic Impact with White

Nick Burrin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 07:35:55 +0000

South Downs farm near Arundel

Photograph by Donnie Ray via flickr

Here at New England Lifestyle we are very excited about Spring! Spring is a time of new beginnings! If you are looking to freshen your home and re-decorate, we urge you to make a dramatic impact with white. The simplicity of an all white scheme will give your room a sophisticated, clean, fresh and airy feel. The power of this timeless colour will create a calm and serene atmosphere. White is such a flexible colour, other colours can be added in if completely white is not to your taste.

Once the decorating is nearing completion your attention will be turning to furniture. You may be concerned that if you choose our white New England furniture it will be swallowed by your white base, but this is not so! The light in your room will play off your whites and create a depth you probably never knew white could have. Your whites will appear to take on different shades with a layering of light that filters through the room captivating the power and simplicity of white.

If you can come and visit us at our showroom in Sussex, all of our white furniture is on display for you to view at your leisure. Take time to really appreciate how whites really do work together, and enjoy the views of the Sussex Downs from our windows. Visit us on a Saturday and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and a cake while you browse!

Interior design schemes to inspire you

Charlie — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 07:11:58 +0000

If you are working from home, it is often the case that distractions come all too easily. What better way to stay focused than with a calm white home office interior?

A white interior design scheme can provide the tranquil, calm environment you need to inspire you. White interiors really do create an air of calmness; a white work space can provide a neat, luxurious haven.

Choose white office furniture such as a white desk, white bookcase and solid white chair. Paint the walls in brilliant white paint, and add light coloured floors – perhaps white painted floorboards with a soft, thick rug. Soften the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows using soft white voiles, teamed with off white curtains for when the darkness falls.

Ensure you have a beautiful vase filled with fresh flowers to warm your heart, and hang a favourite painting or photograph within eyeshot of your desk. Now sit back and let the inspiration come to you.

White on White

Nick Burrin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:54:17 +0000

White on white, Stephanie Hoppen

I love flicking through books on various aspects of design, from which I have gained much inspiration for the way I live my life.

One of my favourite books is White on white by Stephanie Hoppen.

The cover note begins with the words

“White is the color for all seasons, and it never goes out of style. Rest your tired soul in a cool summer beach room, revel in the sumptuousness of an orange-white living room steeped in autumn elegance, or welcome winter with a classic gold-and-white table setting.”

The idea of white being a colour for all seasons is so true, and the book is beautifully arranged beginning with ideas for spring, and following through into summer, autumn and then winter.

This book is different – whilst it is packed with interior style, it does not just focus on the white furnishings and room sets. Summer eating features images of crisp white meringues, and plates of sushi set for a floor level feast; whilst autumn is evoked with images of white custard squashes and a large glass bowl overflowing with juicy white currants.

An Easter table is dressed with white flowers including white anemones, lily of the valley and a mini forest of “Paper white” narcissi, whilst matt white eggs sit on clumps of Helxine soleirolii. Stephanie suggests suitable fabrics to protect yourself from the dazzling white summer sun, showing ideas for dressing your windows with simple cottons, canvas and muslins. Everything is covered from the white bath to the white comfort and white winter sparkle.

This really is a book for all seasons; the perfect picture of white for all year round.

White furniture for small spaces

Charlie — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 07:25:55 +0000

If you are limited for space in your home and are looking to renew your furniture, white furniture is well worth considering. White furniture can brighten up a dark corner. If your room feels cramped it will help to create the impression of space, helping to reflect light around your room and to create a calming ambiance.

New Hampshire Bookcase

For maximum impact, paint your walls white and your white furniture will attract the eye without taking over the whole room.

If your walls are white, a large white dresser or white bookcase will appear to blend into the walls, and a colourful rug on the floor will increase the illusion of floorspace. Give the room shape and warmth with the addition of accessories, such as a vibrant vase or selection of candles displayed on the shelves of your bookcase or dresser. Choose side tables rather than a coffee table to help keep your room open and uncluttered.

A white mirror placed opposite the window will bounce the fresh natural light around the room, helping each day to feel fresh and new.

Living with White

Charlie — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:19:26 +0000

Many consider white to be a safe or boring choice for interiors, but here at New England Lifestyle we are not alone in thinking it’s a great starting point for any scheme.

Author of recently published “Living with White” Stylist and white devotee Gail Abbott is passionate about the advantages of using white.

“Pure, fresh and peaceful, a white room can be used as a stylish backdrop to many different types of interior,” she enthuses.

“It’s guaranteed not to go out of fashion, and never looks dated.”

Gail, who visited beautiful white interiors around the world during her research for new book Living With White, believes: “White can be used to make dark rooms look spacious and airy. Dark wooden floors, white painted furniture, the natural textures of a thatched roof, or the aged surface of reclaimed teak – all these can be teamed with white.”

Modern homes that rely on clean lines have long celebrated white.

“With a white base it’s easy to enliven the scheme with flashes of vivid colour, or contrast it with black for a fashionable monochrome effect. White is brilliant blank canvas, but a room does need to be dressed otherwise it can be a blank, featureless space,” Gail adds.

“Consider pairing two different shades of white, add texture in furniture and furnishings, and discreet touches of colour or one vivid coloured feature wall and colour.”

At New England Lifestyle we love white interiors, and are big fans of Gail’s new book, full of tantalizing images and ideas.

White Painted Wooden Flooring

Nick Burrin — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:00:39 +0000

Some recent visitors to our Yapton Showroom instantly fell in love with our white painted wooden flooring. “Wow!” They exclaimed, “this is exactly what we have been looking for!”

It emerged they had recently purchased a 3 bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking the sea in West Sussex. The Interior Design was very nearly complete; the only element they were stuck on was the flooring. So when they asked for my assistance, how could I refuse?!!

Their apartment is fairly contemporary in design, and it was important to ensure the flooring complimented the scheme.

I suggested that they bought the timber locally from Covers Timber & Builders Merchants. After much discussion, we settled on 14cm wide tongue and grooved flooring. I asked the salesman at Covers whether it would be possible to bevel the edge of each plank, to give a little groove. He informed me that they had a sawmill as part of their timber operation, which meant it wasn’t a problem which was great news! When the flooring was laid, the grooves ensured that the planks did not just appear pushed together, but had a slightly contemporary feel.

For white painted floors, the very best floor paint to use is Bradite two part PC76 & TP33. This is a two part paint which dries white, and stays white. There is no oil in this paint – if you were to use an oil based paint, after a time the oil will come to the surface and change the appearance of the paint to a slightly creamy colour, as you may have noticed if you have used brilliant white gloss on the woodwork in your house.

The finished results look absolutely fantastic. The flooring was laid in both the hallway and sitting room, and the spacious rooms look even larger than they already are. The rooms are bright, crisp and timeless.