White interior design

This season we want our homes to look elegant and pared back.  Imagine a white washed room with an open  French window and a white linen curtain gently blowing in the summer breeze.  White is and always will be the ultimate interior design chic, but how many of us are brave enough to pull it off?

Let’s be clear, if you have kids and/or pets perhaps you should forget the white theme, but if your home is purely a grown-up retreat your white home should be manageable.

One of the great things about white is that it is a colour with lots of different shades and tones and so you are sure to find the right white for you. From brilliant white to ivory, from cream to vanilla and dozens more, white is never boring. However, you do need to be aware of the undertone in your white paint – also consider the natural light in your room, it will impact on how the colour looks on the wall.

Once you have your white shade sorted you will need to introduce some colour to the space – a totally white room will simply look cold and clinical.  So where should you add that all important colour?

White sofas and chairs will always look good, but sometimes protecting them with throws and cushions is a good way to introduce a dash of colour. Opt for lots of different textures, faux fur cushions, cable knit throws and perhaps a Floakati rug on the floor.

These shaggy rugs are graded by the weight of the wool (in grams) per square meter and we have different grades ranging from 1,500g to 3,000g. The more wool present in a rug, the heavier it is and the heavier it is, the higher the grade.

When it comes to adding colour, think about the undertones in your white – if your white has warm, sandy undertones, then use a neutral shade such as gold or light brown. If you have a brilliant white, then your colours can be bolder – red, blue or yellow. Find a colour wheel to help you decide whether you want to contrast or complement your white.  Remember the 60:30:10 rule – 60% being your main colour, in this case white, 30% are your main furnishings and 10% is the pop of colour.

Deciding on your main furniture pieces will depend on the mood you want to achieve. If you want warm and cosy, linen covered sofas, warm wood and shaggy rugs are perfect. If you want something more modern and industrial use metallic and hard clean lines in your furniture and a bright rug.

A rug will always anchor the room and so if you don’t want white, think about that 10% and choose a colour that will add character and interest. An Indian Kelimwould be a great rug in your white room – there are so many vivid colours in the rug that you can select one of them for the other 30% of your furniture.

Are you brave enough to embrace white?  

Nautical but nice interior design

It’s the holiday season – and whether we holiday at home or abroad there is something very special about being by the coast.  The blue sea, cloudless sky, golden sands and just the thrill of relaxing from the usual routine of life are all part of the holiday experience.

Perhaps that’s why we do all we can to try and recreate that holiday feeling back at home and why the nautical interior design theme remains a classic that never seems to go out of style.  While many people may associate a nautical theme for the bathroom, in fact, you can enjoy the nautical but nice design style in pretty much any room in the house and what better time to think about adding some summer vibes?

The traditional nautical elements are ships, anchors and sea creatures – however, perhaps these are best left to the bathroom, unless you live by the coast of course, in which case they do work in all rooms.  However, for the FrithRugs nautical inspired home, we are looking for elegance that is inspired by the beach without being too obvious.

This can be achieved by lots of white on the floor, on the walls and at the windows.  Furniture should ideally be shades of pale wood with textiles in shades of blue – of course!  As the nautical theme is taking its inspiration from the ocean or from the coast itself, if blue is not your colour, shades of light green, gold or even terracotta will also work.

Try to include lots of natural textures in your room too – such as hessian, wicker, reclaimed wood and rope – but if you want your room to look good all year around, don’t go for the obvious props as you could be in danger of making your room too clichéd. So, by all means go for the classic blue and white stripe but use it very sparingly. Fill glass jars and vases with interesting objects you may find on a beach, pebbles, starfish, dried seaweed and of course sand. Display mis-matching china or vintage enamelware and if you can find recycled objects that look like they may have been washed up on a beach – that’s great.

This is a look for people who like a pared down home – after all, going on holiday often means escaping the trappings of modern life – think New England Shaker or Scandi.

In terms of flooring let’s assume you have a hard floor, possibly white floorboards – while this will make your room feel light and spacious, without warmth and colour it can also make it feel cold and so you will need a rug that adds warmth and of course, complements your seaside theme.

How about this exclusive Ella Claire Indian Rug design, it is quite modern and so isn't too obviously nautical and simply gives a nod to the idea. 

Alternatively, another Ella Claire exclusive is this blue wave design - if this doesn't say seaside we don't know what does!

Or, if you prefer to let your other nautical accessories do the talking, this plain blue rug may be all you need.

Browse our incredible rug collection online, you can browse by colour and if you blue is not yours, we have plenty of other coastal and seaside colours you may prefer. 

Happy holidays!

NEW PLAITED RUGS WILL ADD TEXTURE TO YOUR NEUTRAL ROOM

While FrithRugs will always champion colour, we are also very fond of neutrals – and there are many great reasons to opt for a neutral colour scheme in your interior design. In fact, if you do have colourful accessories such as artwork or lamps, having a lovely neutral backdrop really helps show off the coloured accessories to their best – otherwise they may get lost in room that has too much colour.

What do interior designers describe as neutral colours?  It can vary from lights shades such cream and white to darker neutrals such as brown or charcoal. When working with lighter neutrals, don’t be fooled into thinking they are all the same, they will have subtle undertones – just look at how many shades of white there in in the paint aisle!  Even white, may have an undertone of blue or pink.

Neutral colours help to put the focus on other colours or serve to tone down colours that might otherwise be overpowering on their own. To some extent, blacks, browns, tans, golds, and beige are considered warm. Cooler colours, on the other side, are white, ivory, silver, and grey.

One important element of any interior design scheme is texture and that’s why we think you will love our latest collection of exclusive neutral rugs. Our new plaited rug collection offers beautiful handwoven rugs in shades of cream and grey and it’s the plaited texture of the rug design that adds interest and a hint of luxury. Textiles with different textures will add warmth and also make your room look professionally dressed – so once you have selected your plaited rug, add more texture with throws and cushions. 

Now we may be biased but we also believe that when it comes to getting the perfect balance in a room, the rug is the most important anchor. The right rug will create a great impression – eyes are drawn to it because it usually is the focal point of the floor as it takes up so much of the floor space.  And, your FrithRugs platted rug will also allow your other features to shine – especially those with a touch of colour.

The great thing about a neutral interior is that is timeless.  It will never go out of fashion and you will never get tired of it.  We have all slavishly followed interior design trends and painted a feature wall in a bold colour – red or orange, but after a while, red may have gone out of fashion or, you may just fancy a change.  Using neutrals means that the only thing you will have to change are the pops of colour you have in the aforementioned accessories. 

Neutrals are also really flexible, other colours and shades work really well with them but neutrals themselves also complement each other, different shades of grey, different shades of cream or taupe – they have a calming influence which makes them a great choice for any room in the house. They also work well with any design style – from traditional in a period home, to ultra-contemporary in a new apartment – you just can’t go wrong.

These stunning 100% wool rugs are also sustainable and hard wearing.  They are available in eight neutral shades and are offered in numerous sizes starting from £299 for a 1.53 x 0.91m rug.