It's a cover-up

Top tip: How to introduce wood into your home

Architect and designer, Frank Lloyd Wright, famed for his innovative approach and legacy, put it perfectly when he said "The best friend on Earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources on the Earth." Amen to that! We love wood.

Photo c/o Livingetc

Wood can add warmth and texture to a room. It can make it more inviting and give it greater depth. Plus, wood is very on-trend right now, especially eco-friendly, responsibly sourced and repurposed wood. 

Here are some top tips on ways to introduce some of that great natural resource effectively to your home:

Photos c/o Livingetc and M&S

Wood furniture: One of the simplest and probably the most obvious ways to introduce wood into your home is with wooden furniture. They give a room a natural, neutral scheme that can be altered in different ways using color. Different types of woods can be mixed and matched, just stick to pieces of similar scale and size for cohesion.

Use wood at your windows: Shutters aren't as expensive now that many DIY stores offer their own versions and swapping curtains for shutters can often help a room feel more streamline and spacious. If you are looking for an intimate feel, choose a dark finish. Go for a lighter or whitewashed wood to lighten and brighten a room.

Flooring: The range of choice for wood floors is endless. Engineered wood is real wood flooring without the problems associated with solid wood, like movement, cracks and imperfections. Some feel nothing says floors like solid wood though! One of the more expensive of the solid wood flooring options is parquet (right) but you get what you pay for and parquet will give a room an extremely stylish look whether your scheme is contemporary or traditional. If you go with a dark wood, a sheen finish will reflect light around the room which will help it feel brighter (although marks show more easily).

Use tongue-and-groove on the walls: If you have a room that lacks character or has uneven or imperfect walls, it can be completely transformed with tongue and groove paneling. As the tongue and groove can be painted, stained or varnished, it's easily updated and changed as you redecorate. Fix the panels vertically to make the room feel taller.

Veneer sheets: You can buy sheets of wood veneer that can be fixed to the walls then stained or varnished. These will give the look of solid wood at a fraction of the cost. And if you think whole room paneling is too much, use a few single sheets in alcoves or as headboard panels for a stunning effect.

Wood accessories: Large wood accessories can tick off both form and function boxes. As a room divider, a bookshelf makes a statement without sacrificing on practicality. Even in smaller rooms, such as bathrooms, accessories in wood can range from the statement pieces, like a bath right down to smaller accessories such as toothbrush holders or mirror frames, which add warmth and texture. You can even use wood instead of tiles for an exclusive spa finish!

Photo c/o Ikea

A wood kitchen: By sticking to a plain design, wood in the kitchen can be timeless. Updates can be as simple as a change of handles. If you want to go for a less co-ordinated look, mix the wood with other material as in the photo above.

Get creative: A feature has been created in this room by filling the fireplace with cut logs. What a great solution for adding a splash of texture to a room (don't want to think about the dust and spiders though)!

Credit and photos (unless otherwise stated): Channel4

Thank you for liking us

While Bemz customer service recently got a gold star from Swedish customer and blogger Annso, I was given one by Jon Buscall for our Facebook page. Yea! (Are you a fan yet? If not, just click on the FB fan button there in the left column.)

Thank you also goes out to Poppytalk, one of Sara's fave blogs, for loving our new Lisa Bengtsson collection.

What do you think of this (very pink!) room created by Ssevilay on Polivore?

 

Bring spring indoors - change your chairs

With the days growing longer, there's a sense of rejuvenation in the air. If you want to grab at this feeling with both hands and wrap yourself up in it, bring a little of spring into your home. One of the easiest ways to make a dramatic difference without pushing the boat out financially is by changing chair covers.

The really great thing about chair covers is that you can buy all the different fabrics you liked. There's no rule saying all the chairs need to be covered in the same fabric. And since we were just working on reducing our fear of using pattern, this is the perfect opportunity to give some of the ideas presented in my earlier post, Who's afraid of big bold pattern, into practice. Mix it up a bit - and still maintain the look you are after.

Mixing solids of different colors gives a dramatic and sophisticated impact, especially when using the more traditional colors like black and white. If you are looking for something more springlike, there are loads of greens (Light Olive Green, Moss Green, Daiquiri Green and Bamboo Green), blues (Pale Turquoise, Light Denim Blue, Teal Blue, Eggshell and  Deep Navy) and pinks (Dusty Rose and Candy Pink) to choose from.

When pairing solid colors with patterns, choose from a similar color palette to ensure harmony... For example, say you like the new Baronessa - Pink by Lisa Bengtsson and want to pair it with some solids: it can easily be matched up with either Dusty Rose or Candy Pink together with Crimson Red to highlight the girliness of it; or tone it down with Light Olive Green or Bamboo mixed with Moss Green and paired with either Light Denim Blue or Eggshell. You can even throw in one completely contrasting cover, like Plum to shake things up!

Unite a mix of bold patterns by using one chic color.

Don't shy away from using pattern if that's what you like. Ensure you've got a similar base color throughout and you will find cohesion. For example, I quite fancy doing my dining-room chairs (Henrik) in the various black and white patterned Marimekko fabrics from Bemz plus Josephine - Graphite Grey and New Baroque- Jet Black. Each chair will be unique and have the designer stamp without making the room look too contrived. And to add a playful edge, I may do the chairs at the head and foot in Fandango - Red. Pop!

Which chair model do you have? Bemz makes covers for the Henriksdal chair (with long-, short- or mid-length skirt, with or without pleats); the Henriksdal barstool; the Henrik and Nils chairs; the Nils stool; and, the recently launched Harry chair. Combine that with over 120 fabrics and there's combination in there for everyone. More inspirational pictures available here.

Phones: New tech or retro?

So many things on my wish-list for my home were put on hold until we had space for them. But now that we've moved from rented accommodation to our own house, I can start ticking some of these wish-list items off, finances allowing, bien sur.

One item that I have been pining for is a vintage phone. It's only an accessory but it really helps put a personal stamp on a place I feel.

We need a new phone: our cordless number is neither attractive nor terribly functional. Many of the digits stick and the batteries die if you put it on loudspeaker.

 

I love phones as there are so many possibilities and now that retro, vintage and reconditioned phones are 'readily' available, I can shop to my heart's desire.

But just how retro would you go?

If you could choose, which would you buy?

Photos c/o Pedlars and PMC Telecom

Mysinge chilling out in Germany

Pia of Germany sent in these pictures of her home to us. She recovered her Mysinge sofa in Prisma Stripe- Moss Green and I must say, it looks fantastic. Pia writes:

All great, great stuff, a perfect fit. The delivery was faster than promised.

Thank you very much for sharing your home with us Pia! If you have pictures of your home you would like to show off, send them along to me and maybe you'll find your living-room here for all to see, just like these people. You can also post it on our Facebook page.

Design-It-Yourself: headboard for your bed

After coming across the Ikea Grimen bed frame re-upholstered in Lisa Bengtsson's Mademoiselle Blue linen, (where it was implied that a staple gun was all you needed for the job!), I remembered a post I came across a while ago on A Penny Saved. Blogger Britt walked her readers through how to upholster the head- and footboards. The results were impressive:

Britt wanted to brighten their bed up so decided to add fabric detailing. These shots are the before-and-after pictures, giving you an appreciation for the transformation. How did she get from A to B?

For this project you will need:
- crafting paper
- scissors
- 1/8" thick plywood
- saw
- batting
- fabric
- staple gun
- velcro

First trace the arches of the inserts of the head- and footboards onto craft paper (apparently as straightforward as the crayon rubbings we used to do in school!) and cut them out.

Cut the 1/8" plywood to size using the craft paper pattern.

Upholster the custom-sized plywood pieces with some batting and staple the fabric of your choice on.

Use 3M velcro strips to attach your newly upholstered head- and footboards to the bed. Voila! What a transformation! This particular project cost Britt a staggering $27.

Upholstering the head- and footboards not only gives the bed a whole new look which in turn transforms the feel of the room, but this particular method also leaves the opportunity to transform it again with new fabrics, should your decorating scheme change, or to even go back to the original wood head- and footboards. Fantastic job Britt! Thank you very much for sharing.

Credit, photos and idea: Britt from A Penny Saved

Who's afraid of big bold pattern?

Pattern is a tough one, especially in interiors. It's hard to picture how they'll work together on a grand scale. And judging from the most popular covers sold at Bemz, I'd say many of us feel this way. In the April issue of my fave interior mag, Livingetc, there was a piece on how to decorate with pattern; how to mix it, blend it and make it work in your home while still maintaining a clean, sophisticated look and a modern vibe.

Stick to one color: Unite a mix of bold patterns by using one chic color which can be offset by accessories, balanced with natural textiles and calmed with paintwork.

NB That's a Grimen bed frame from Ikea upholstered in Lisa Bengtsson's Mademoiselle Blue linen. Wow!

Patchwork: Add a new dimension to a sleek, minimal-shaped sofa by mixing and matching fabrics on it. Ensure you've got a base color throughout and you will find cohesion.

Splash out: Similar principle Ivo-Iry applied to her reading corner on a larger scale, use your favorite wallpaper to cover a panel of ply to introduce a movable, easy-to-change pop of pattern into an otherwise plain room scheme.

Playful hint: For those of you still shying away from pattern, here's a baby-step solution for introducing it in a subtle way; Make a feature of your light switch (below) by installing a clear panel on top of any decorative paper.

Cut out chic: Patterns don't have to be printed, they can also be cut-out adding shape and dimension to the look. You can pick out a favorite pattern and magnify it elsewhere, such as the bespoke screen (above, left) that echos the curtain fabric.

Muted mix: Create harmony with opposing patterns such as these cute polka dots paired with this lavish floral. It works as they share a similar neutral base color.

Modern Stencil: Update a plain cabinet with a smart stencil. You can even add that little bit extra by stenciling the same image on the inside using opposite colors.

Credit: photography James Merrell; styling Melanie Molesworth; c/o Livingetc April 2010

   

Thanks for the shout out

Maria Celin of Swedish Expressen likes our new Inspiration Store and even posted about our recent campaign, while The Cultivated Home are thankful for the opportunity to make their space their own with new slipcovers from Bemz. We were also feeling the love from City Girls World, Life as a Martha Wannabe, and stricktionary's posterous. Thank you all very much for the support!

Josef Frank says personalization is key

Saw this quote on Trendey and thought it'd be a nice way to end the week:

There's nothing wrong with mixing old and new, with combining different furniture styles, colors and patterns. Anything that is in your taste will automatically fuse to form an entire relaxing environment. A home does not need to be planned down to the smallest detail or contrived; it should be an amalgamation of the things that its owner loves and feels at home with.

- Josef Frank

Amen! Do you have a favorite quote?

Sophia's 20 minute make-over

Sophia of the USA recently received her new Bemz covers and was so pleased with the results that she posted them on her blog. She also wrote to us:

Hello Bemz! We received our covers last night and they're wonderful! Just wanted to share what they looked like in our house. I'm already tempted to buy more, it's addictive!

This is before the change. They have an Ekeskog sofa with a Gustavian Flowers Black cover from Bemz and a Ektorp chair and a Bromma ottoman/footstool in Ikea covers. Sophia still loves this cover but was looking for something that wouldn't require frequent washing (i.e., not white!). Here's what she said:

...the Ekeskog couch already has on a Bemz cover that we absolutely love (white/black cover). It's about 2 years old, we've washed it several times and it still looks new and the fit is amazing! We always wanted to buy more covers.

Step one: The Chair now has a Crimson Red cover while the ottoman is transformed with Urban Tapestry- Jet Black. 

Chair and Ottoman with new Bemz covers...love the print on the ottoman!

Now for the sofa...

The Ekeskog goes Jet Black and looks pretty sophisticated. All that in 20 minutes! Sophia writes:

New black Bemz cover for the couch...something we don't have to wash as often. By 9:20 pm we were enjoying our "new" family room, there are 2 more new covers to try on, but we were exhausted.

That was very impressive and the room now looks completely different! Fantastic! Well done Sophia and thank you for sharing.

You too can share photos of your home with others by sending them along to me at blog[at]bemz[dot]com or by posting them on our Facebook page.