Thursday, June 13, 2013

GUEST POST: Five Ways to Incorporate European Culture into Your Interior Design


Five Ways to Incorporate European Culture into Your Interior Design

Europe is a vast space that’s full of contrasting and interesting cultures. And luckily for design buffs, there are many ways that you can bring a taste of Europe into your living space. If you’ve been lacking in inspiration, it could be the ideal way to bring a breath of fresh air into your home.

Here, we take a look at five ways to incorporate European culture into your interior design.

Create a pretty mosaic wall feature

Mosaic walls bring a Mediterranean feel into your home, and are surprisingly easy to create. Part of their beauty is that you can make them yourself, adding a touch of your own imagination to your space. All you’ll need is a selection of porcelain or quartz tiles and some grouting materials. If you have a big family, consider getting everyone involved in the mosaic. There are no rules, and everyone can put their own stamp on the home.

Look out for wrought iron furniture

When you take a walk around a typical Spanish villa, you’ll find plenty of simple wrought iron furniture that brings a rustic and simple feel to the living space. If you have an area of the home that you need new furniture for, consider taking this approach. Balanced with some warm colours on the walls, you could have a Spanish inspired room without too much fuss.

Keep it minimalistic

If you’re looking for something unique and out of the ordinary, you might want to lean towards Swedish influences. Known for their simple designs and clean finishes, Swedish inspired décor is affordable and easy to implement. Think of minimalism, no clutter, large pieces of furniture, lots of glass and basic, non-complex artwork adorning your walls.

Bring a pizza oven into your kitchen

You’d be hard pushed to find a pizza better than you would in Italy, though with a few tweaks in your kitchen, you could have your very own taste of Europe with as little fuss as possible. Reaching super high temperatures that are required for the perfect base, pizza ovens could transform your kitchen space as well as your culinary repertoire.

Make use of outdoor space

There is no pleasure simpler or greater than enjoying a few drinks and nibbles with friends on a warm summer evening. So why not create your very own luxury outdoor living space? With some patio tiling, a barbecue, and some beautiful flower features, you’ll almost feel like you’re sipping your wine from somewhere much more Mediterranean.

Will you be putting any of these ideas into action? Which one is your favourite?


This article was brought to you by Ruth Richards on behalf of Tons of Tiles. ToT provides high quality porcelain, glass, and brick tiles for those who are looking to improve their living space.

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Thank you Agnes for this great post!

I have added a few pics from the website of Tons of Tiles because they are offering quite some unusual tiles which may be of interest:

 From the "Museum" range:  "Banksy" inspired tiles

From the "Museum" range:  "Bookcase" inspired tiles

 From the "Museum" range:  "Newspaper" inspired tiles

 "From Spanish Designer Tile Company Peronda - Wood Effect tiles"

 From the "Moroccan" collection

From the "Moroccan" collection

"Parisian Chic" Decor Mix Wall Tile
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Monday, June 10, 2013

Wrought Iron Beds and other Metal Furniture

I don't know why but wrought iron beds and other iron furniture always emanate a hint of romance no matter which design. Maybe it is the seeming fragility of the material that evokes this impression. Or maybe because most wrought iron beds are dressed with romantic materials such as lots of pillows, ruches, sheers and silky textiles etc.

Wrought iron furniture never seems to disappear entirely from the sonar of interior design despite any trends. And I know that quite a lot of people share this love for romantic furniture - therefore I did a little research and this is a collection of various styles I found. Maybe it gives you some inspirational thoughts if you are in the middle of decorating or re-furnishing your home.

A completely unusual free form is this lovely bed:

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Another very stylish and more classical form is this metal bed:

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The next bed is kept in a much more simple victorian style design but nevertheless elegant:

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A much more romantic version is this iron bed:

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The next example is a wrought iron daybed. Very simple in its design but with the right decoration a very sweet alternative to the classical chaiselongue or settée:

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Who would not love the next example - the embodiment of a romantic bed, transferred from a different time right out of the history of old Victorian homes?

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A very delicate version of an iron bed is the following example. It looks so fragile that one cannot imagine sleeping in a bed such as this one without collapsing...

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Unfortunately I could not find a better photo of the following iron bed. This design is unusual and truly  artistic. As a completely free and asymetric form it is reminiscent of a sculpture:

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And how stylish is this Italian canopy bed? You simply have to love it:

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Now the following example for a wrought iron bed is quite a different caliber. Grafted and gilded it has been transformed into a luxury bed ready to be used by a princess...

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In addition to above iron bed what about this one from a Moroccan palace:

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Imagine you have a bedroom and then a jewel such as this one. It would be THE eyecatcher and the pride of your home:

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This is a bed design that could be the main piece of a goth inspired room. Imagine dark walls, clad in deep purple velvets with lots of precious decorative objects carefully placed in the room, on the bed itself heavy silk blankets and cushions, all black and purple and ruby red and then this bed frame - perfect!

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The decoration of the following celtic style bed may not be to its best advantage but the frame is gorgeous. Oh what could you do with it in a goth style room with the appropriate lush colours such as deep purple and dark reds and tons of velvet and silks...

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Now who says that only beds can be made and designed in wrought iron? The palette of furniture is endless and the designs are innumerable.

Doesn't this sink look gorgeous? I would love to have one and additionally some matching mirror and other small iron furniture for the bathroom...

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And what about this beautiful little coffee table?

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Another beautiful example is the next one. As you can see it can be more than just garden furniture...


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And how sweet would look this little bench in a lovely sunroom? Surrounded by tropical palms and ferns it could become a wonderful dreamy place:

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 And last but not least - pets are dearly loved family members. So why should a dog or cat not have their own romantic bed such as this one? Don't they deserve some stylish furniture also?

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Hope you loved this collection of wrought iron examples. I think I have to do another post on ornamental iron - there are so many beautiful designs one cannot cover just in one post...

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