Jo Lee
A New Season, A New Beginning
A New Season, A New Beginning
A new year almost always signals new beginnings - but also a welcome return to the simpler pleasures and a much needed slower calmer pace of living.
With the dark days and chilly evenings of winter still upon us, but with the distant promise of the brighter warmer days of spring beginning to be realised, now is the time to enrich your home with warm hues, ambient lighting and natural materials. Snug and cosy is the key. By utilising a pared back palette of natural materials and calm colours in your home, it will set a warm and effortless tone, and with it will create a warm and cocoon-like atmosphere for you to relax and unwind.
A carefully curated collection of textiles for your own home in neutral earthy tones and natural materials will weave seamlessly and effortlessly into your interior. Juxtapose different materials, and incorporate a variety of textures and fabrics into your home. Weathered wood furniture, leather chairs and hemp rugs, together with plump velvet cushions, soft blankets and sumptuous sheepskin throws will enrich your space and breathe calm tranquility and harmony into your home. There really is nothing quite like curling up on the sofa against a pile of soft cushions, wrapped up in a cocoon of a soft blanket, with a mug of hot cocoa.
Invest wisely in clever storage solutions. Storage solutions are key!
Elevate your space with unique antique trunks and blanket boxes to store away your textiles and magazines. Not only will this give you precious storage space, it will offer you originality whilst at the same time doubling up as a stunning and unique coffee table.
Or choose to elevate your environment with an elegantly crafted cabinet or sideboard. Not only perfect for displaying your treasured objects and cherished memories, they are also the perfect storage solution for keeping clutter in check!
Discover the perfect one for your home from our unique collection of antique and reclaimed cupboards and cabinets and create space and a sense of calm.
Look to brighter days...
It's not all doom and gloom though - embrace the dark days and evenings! Use home accessories to bring light into your home. Reflect the outdoors inside with an antique mirror. It will bring both borrowed light and create a much yearned for illusion of space in your home. Choose objects with iridescent finishes to light up dark corners. Glass tea lights will glimmer with light and hope, and a carefully positioned mercury glass vase will reflect the light perfectly.
And while we're waiting impatiently to venture outdoors into our gardens - why not bring a little of the outside inside? Add some seasonal foliage to vases. Fill rustic planters with colourful bulbs.
Or add a touch of seasonal colour to your walls with our botanical inspired prints.
However you choose the spend the end of this winter season, we hope this has inspired you to look forward to new beginnings and embrace the new year with all its coming opportunity.
For The Love Of Reclaimed Wood
For the love of Reclaimed Wood
Nowadays, making carefully considered ethical choices when it comes to furnishing our homes is more important than ever. Less haste will ultimately mean less waste, and choosing more sustainable environmentally friendly reclaimed and salvaged furniture rather than mass-produced high street throwaway pieces will result in happier homes and a happier planet.
Opting for reclaimed furniture crafted from repurposed and recycled timbers - roof beams, floorboards, doors, windows and joists - will bring character to any and every interior scheme. From the most minimalist modern apartment through to classic country or rustic homes, reclaimed wood furniture will bring an individuality and uniqueness that off-the-peg furniture simply can’t achieve. Choose our reclaimed pine refectory table for your kitchen, or one of our tree stump side tables or window mirrors for your sitting room for a unique aesthetic statement.
But why choose reclaimed?
Not only will weathered wood add character and originality to your home, reclaimed furniture brings a new lease of life to recycled wood. It has a beauty and character that mass-produced furniture lacks and will add warmth and texture to any room. Reclaimed wood feels more homely, more natural and more attractive - it has stood the test of time and is stronger and more durable. Offering a rustic finish that is sympathetic to day-to-day wear and tear, it is ultimately very easy to care for and repair should the need arise! It is simply the perfect answer for modern family living. From reclaimed dining tables to rustic stools and benches, Home Barn offers peace of mind with timeless styles that will last for years to come.
Complementary to all interiors with a simple pared-back appeal, furniture crafted from rustic weathered wood is often beautiful and unique. Suitable for all types of interiors, it is easy to blend with rustic home accessories and unique vintage and antique finds.
Simply add an antique urn to a display on a console table. Or pop a vintage wooden dough bowl or rustic breadboard on your kitchen counter. However you choose to style the furniture in your home, we hope this blog has elevated your love of reclaimed and salvaged wood and inspired you to create a rustic space that is as stylish as it is ethical.
How To Shop Vintage: For Everyday, For Now And Forever
How To Shop Vintage: For Everyday, For Now And Forever
Shopping for antiques and unique vintage finds can feel like an overwhelming task for the uninitiated. But for many people these days, turning to antiques and vintage items, rather than mass produced homewares, is the key to furnishing their homes. Antiques last longer, are better value, better for the planet, and are the perfect way to reflect individuality and personal style.
Whether you're a seasoned shopper, or a curious beginner, a good place to start is to prioritise what you need and be focused. Try not to start off by looking for everything at once. The likelihood is that you'll probably come home with nothing - or worse, something that you don't love and you don't need. Allow your interior to evolve organically and gradually. Take your time. Think about what you need. Add investment pieces that will not only give you pleasure but will encourage your personal style to develop and last through the years. Choose wisely. Take time to seek out well made beautiful heirloom pieces that will inspire you to create your perfect home. Be patient - you will be less likely to make costly mistakes.
But what makes the perfect piece?
At Home Barn we thrive on all things antique, rustic and reclaimed. We combine rustic living with a modern twist, and blend modern antiques with our rustic homewares. By blending modern trends with precious inherited pieces, your home will become a space that carries beautifully through the years. And mixing the old with the new will create a seamless and harmonious interior. Combine contemporary neutral furnishings with vintage accessories, antique furniture and textured elements and your home will exude calm, comfort and originality.
Fill your home with antique finds, unique pieces that are something special and you'll keep forever, and your home will become a space that reflects your originality and personality. By choosing pieces that exist in harmony together, you will create a balanced and beautifully unified home. Focus your attention on a few signature pieces. Pieces that fit seamlessly into your interior and will work hard for you for years to come. Buy less, but better.
Shop with conscience. Choose reclaimed furniture constructed from salvaged wood and you’ll be helping look after the environment too. ​​By investing in carefully considered, well-made key pieces for your home, you will in turn be taking a more sustainable approach to decorating your home. Consider the planet and repurpose! Use our dough bowls as unique fruit bowls. Our reclaimed antique ceramic pots could be a toothbrush holder. Old French jars would make wonderful storage in your larder. The list is endless!
By choosing wisely, and by spending time to search for the perfect piece, you will be investing in beautiful objects that our future generations will also love and appreciate.
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How To Choose Your Dream Dining Table
Often the centrepiece of the room, the role of the dining table has evolved with the times. A dining table is more than just a piece of furniture. It's not just a place to eat. It’s a place to work, a place to study, and a place to come together with family and friends to just sit, relax and chat. Your daily home life will revolve around it and, ultimately, it will become the heart of your home. And a place for memories to be made.
Your dining table is without doubt the most important piece of furniture in your home. So whether it’s a rustic kitchen table for your growing family or a reclaimed wood refectory table for entertaining large gatherings, choosing the right one for you is important. Dining tables are an investment. An investment that will most likely stay with you for many years to come.
So what makes a good dining table? And more importantly, the right dining table for you?
Whether you choose a rustic kitchen table for relaxed family eating, or a large table for more formal dining, it’s important to invest in pieces that are solid, well-made and will stand the test of time. Choose a piece that has timeless style rather than giving into trends, and you’ll find a table that you’ll love for years to come.Â
At Home Barn we love the warmth and welcoming appeal of a rustic handcrafted wooden table - easy to clean and maintain, they are perfect for the practicalities of everyday life whilst still maintaining a chic and welcoming aesthetic. Rustic wooden dining tables are hard-wearing and practical and provide longevity for your home. Shop with conscience and choose a reclaimed dining table constructed from salvaged wood and you’ll be looking after the environment too.Â
Weathered wood tables are perfect for family life, adding warmth and texture to a room. They offer a rustic finish that is sympathetic to day-to-day wear and tear, and are ultimately very easy to repair should the need arise!
Shape is a big consideration - and large rectangular dining tables are a very popular choice. Perfect for dinner parties and entertaining, refectory tables work well in most spaces, especially dedicated dining areas, and will become the focal point of your room. Generously proportioned with a comfortable classic shape, they will give your guests elbow room and space to relax.
And what about seating? Why not match your table with a rustic wooden bench and add some inviting sheepskins to create a wonderfully welcoming space. Or pull up a few painted wooden chairs for a more classic and traditional style for those inevitable extra guests!Â
A word of warning though….they may never want to leave!