Furniture & Interior Design Ideas - New England Lifestyle Blog » white_bookcase

Choosing a Bookcase

Steph — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:33:44 +0000

Bookcases are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, so before buying a bookcase, spend a little time considering just what will work for you.

First, think about where your bookcase is going to be placed.

Bookcases can be a useful tool to maximise wasted space by using a shorter style under stairs and in hallways. Wider models are perfect in a longer hallway, stretching down the room.

If you are thinking of slotting a bookcase into an alcove, carefully measure your available width – remembering to take into account and skirting boards, power points and heating pipes.

Now think about what you will be storing on your bookcase.

If you are planning to only store books, count how many books you have to ensure you have enough shelves.

Check the height of your tallest books to ensure they will fit, or are you planning a couple of shelves where you can lie them down and use your books as a design?

If you are looking to display photographs, vases and candles, again consider the height of your shelves.

Consider using storage baskets to keep your items organised.

Bedroom Furniture Design

Nick Burrin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:41:07 +0000

When I’d finished my New England Style house on the beach in Elmer, West Sussex I went out to go and look for suitable furniture. As I have always created white interiors, I decided I wanted to buy all white furniture and accessories. Having visited the usual suspects such as Laura Ashley, Heals, Habitat, Conran and John Lewis I discovered that no one really produced a comprehensive white range of furniture.

And so I decided to draw my first piece of furniture. In my design I created a bedside table with just one drawer and an open shelf below. I have always really liked the effect of tongue and groove as it gives a real seaside feel to furniture, so I designed the bedside table with a tongue and grooved top and sides. This piece is now known as the Manhattan Bedside Table – and over the next few weeks the range slowly evolved with the Chest of Drawers, Wardrobe and Blanket Box.

A year or so later, New England Lifestyle was born as a company. I had a dream one night that I was standing in a very large warehouse, full of furniture as far as I could see. This vision gave me the idea that we should always keep our furniture in stock for delivery as quickly as possible, as most of the furniture companies I visited in the beginning had a 6-14 week lead time.

Since then, I have found that many of my designs have come through necessity. When my children were born, so was the Maine Range beginning with the Sleigh Bed, child’s size wardrobe (known as the Maine Wardrobe), Maine Bedside Table, the tall white chest of drawers and white bookcase.

It is great fun and very rewarding to see my drawings brought to life in the 120 or so items – both furniture and accessories – we now sell.

Creating a New England Style Home Office

Steph — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:06:27 +0000

We were contacted by email this week by a writer working on a piece for Period Living Magazine, requesting images of work areas.

We have a selection of white furniture to help create a calming home office environment. The solid New Hampshire Desk is an attractive white desk with enclosed back and sides, complete with keyboard pull out tray and three useful storage drawers. Team it with the tall New Hampshire White Bookcase or New Hampshire White Cabinet and all your books and folders can be accommodated.

If a large work area rather than space for a computer is your priority, the Maine Desk is a large white table desk with one large storage drawer is for you. Teamed with the shaker style Maine Bookcase it is a perfect solution where the second bedroom or guest bedroom doubles as the home office space.

For the bookworms amongst you, the stylish Westport Bookcase is the perfect choice; a white double bookcase able to hold numerous books with two drawers for all those bits and pieces a home office attracts.

Complete the look with the Captain Smith Table Lamp, an adjustible desk lamp with antique nickel finish; a Newport white dining chair with tie-on seat pad, and your New England Style Home Office is complete.

It doesn’t all have to be white!

Steph — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:56:12 +0000

Since joining New England Lifestyle last year I can honestly say I have been converted to the world of white furniture. It is true that it creates a calming environment, is fresh and revitalising.

When I moved into my new home recently I chose to mix the white furniture with existing pieces I already had. All the walls were painted white to create a blank canvas. In my bedroom I have hung a white mirror over an oak chest of drawers; next to my oak framed bed is a white bedside table. I am still saving up for the white Manhattan Double Wardobe which will stand next to an oak storage box. I love the overall effect, the light bounces cheerfully off the white surfaces whilst the warm oak gives a welcoming homely feel.

My living room is the next project – the white bookcase and white mirror already sit alongside the oak fireplace. The next addition will be a white desk… and maybe a white dining chair to go with it?! Maybe time to speak nicely to the boss!!!