A well-positioned mirror can work wonders for a room, transforming it into a bright and open space. To help you on your interior design journey, we’ve compiled some of our favourite ways to style mirrors in your home.
Make an entrance
A contemporary mirror in your hallway will make the entrance feel light and airy as soon as you walk in. It also provides the perfect place to pause before you leave the house.
Position your chosen mirror above a slim console table, or place a floor-length mirror at the end of the corridor to elongate the room. Now, thanks to the Heal’s Designed By You collection, you can step into the shoes of designer and create the perfect mirror for you.
Find out more here.
Brighten up the room
Struggling to bring natural light into a dark space? A carefully positioned mirror could be just what you need. Use a leaning mirror to capture the sun at the right angle and bounce light back into the room.
Alternatively, affix a mirror to the wall opposite the window to reflect light back into your space. Paired with warm lighting and delicate curtains, your home will be feeling brighter in no time at all.
The illusion of space
When positioned well, mirrors can be used to open up a room and as such make it feel larger and create the illusion of space. By affixing a large mirror above the mantelpiece or sofa you can elongate the room and make it seem larger than it is on paper.
It also lends an opulent finish to the room. Opt for contemporary designs or a more traditional flourish, as we’ve shown here with the Classic Overmantle Mirror.
Additional storage
Whether it’s in your bathroom, dressing space or bedroom, a mirror is a clever way to conceal additional storage. For example, the Brunel Lean Mirror boasts a small shelf for shoe storage and a hanging rail for clothes. In addition to providing some much-needed storage, these designs provide a practical place to get ready and brighten the room.
Artistic statement
Creating a statement piece of wall art doesn’t stop with prints, posters and frames. A decorative mirror such as this one from Homka will add an extra level of intrigue to your room. Sophisticated splashes of colour, integrated lighting and architectural shapes all present playful options depending on your space.
One of our favourite ways to style decorative mirrors is to arrange different finishes in a cluster on the wall. The added bonus of decorative mirrors is that they also bring light and the illusion of space into a room.
What’s the best way to clean a mirror?
Smudged fingerprints and specks of dust are less than desirable when it comes to mirrors. Luckily, it’s an easy thing to fix using items you’ll already have in your house. If there are more stubborn marks, start off by tackling them using a cotton pad and some rubbing alcohol.
Next, use your glass cleaner of choice and a microfiber cloth to clean the mirror, moving from top to bottom. Whilst this advice will be suitable for many mirrors in your home, always check its individual care instructions first.
Shop Mirrors
[ INSPIRATION ]
Tips & advice
As one of the biggest trends year in, year out, velvet is a must-have addition to your décor. The luxurious fabric is suited to minimalist, mid-century abodes and contemporary apartments alike.
The cotton-based fabric is incredibly versatile but boasts an upmarket edge. By selecting the right silhouette, statement piece or accent, a touch of velvet can overhaul your space.
Statement velvet sofa
A sofa is a staple of your living space, and a textured velvet sofa will provide a striking centrepiece for years to come. As with the Richmond Velvet Sofa shown, opting for jewel-like colours will add a touch of opulence to your space. If you’re looking to enliven a muted colour palette, a vibrant yellow or green sofa will add a splash of colour. In contrast, if a neutral, pared-back colour scheme suits you, then select from natural shades of grey, cream or tan.
With various sizes, shapes and colours available, you will find the perfect velvet sofa in the Heal’s collection. Pair with a coordinating velvet footstool or ottoman for a finishing flourish.
Textural accessories
Looking to invest in something a little smaller than a sofa? A colourful cushion will keep you up to date with the latest trend without overhauling your entire décor. Furthermore, it creates a clever contrast with other fabrics and materials in your home. This simple and effective technique will provide an instant update to your space.
We recommend using velvet to create pops of colour, like this ochre cushion paired with a grey easy chair. However, you could also use softer, neutral hues to blend perfectly with the rest of your décor.
A velvet twist on a classic
Whether it’s the living room, dining space or office, a velvet chair is versatile enough to be used throughout the home. For example, a velvet accent chair by the fire will create a comfortable centrepiece for a room. Similarly, upholstered dining chairs in a formal eating area provide a comfortable seat for dinner guests.
Choose from upholstered classics, like this mint Platner Lounge Chair from Knoll, or create a personalised Designed By You armchair.
Velvet headboard
The addition of a statement velvet headboard will create a truly inviting bedroom. You can even create your own bed thanks to the Heal’s Designed By You collection. Here you’ll be able to choose from a series of headboards, divan bases and feet to create the ultimate bed.
Complete your bed with a supreme mattress, cushion cluster and crisp bed linen and you’ll be ready to catch forty winks.
Bold bedroom accents
There’s nothing more luxurious than a velvet quilt to create a warming a cosy ambience in your bedroom. The key is selecting the right colour for your space. To create a calming ambience, choose lighter, more natural hues. For a more vibrant interior décor, select from jewel tones such as plum, midnight blue or ochre.
Complete the scene with Egyptian-cotton bed linen, a mattress fit for a king and deluxe down pillows.
How do you clean velvet?
Despite being plagued with the misconception that it’s high maintenance, velvet is actually a remarkably robust fabric. To get the most out of your velvet furniture or accessories, we recommend gently vacuuming it weekly to remove dust.
If you spill anything, the most important thing to remember is to not clean it with water or rub it. Instead, simply blot the spillage with a highly absorbent cloth without putting too much pressure on the fabric. Read more about maintaining your velvet in our specialised care guide.
Shop Velvet Sofas
Shop Velvet Headboards
When it comes to redecorating your house, it can be a struggle to maintain a balance between on style trends and timeless classics. This can be even more important if you are looking to sell your house in the near future.
With the general uncertainty in the housing market showing no signs of disappearing, any small change could make a huge difference to the likelihood that your house will sell. To investigate this further, Heal’s looked into what exactly the British public are looking for in their home design when they are on the hunt for a new house.
Choosing a style that will last
One of the most difficult decisions has to be choosing a style that will last. Something that will stand the test of time and live through emerging trends. By analysing Google Search trend data, we were able to track the popularity of some of the most sought-after décor trends from the past decade.
Using this information, we determined which trends have come and stayed and which have very much gone! From the data above, it’s very apparent that the most popular trends like shabby chic, Bohemian and the currently popular Scandanavian-style, dip in and out of fashion. Following this, Heal’s asked the British public what they look for in décor when hunting for a new home.
Decisions, decisions…
From a survey of 1,000 UK residents, Heal’s found that currently the most desired décor for Brits is the clean-cut, Scandinavian-style, with a whopping 33% of people choosing this as their most preferred look.
This trend was closely followed by a traditional style (17%) and art deco (16%). Surprisingly (or perhaps not) the Scandanavian-style décor style came out on top for both men and women.
If you’re looking at putting your house on the market and live in the Belfast, Cardiff or Glasgow areas, now is the time to upgrade your décor so it oozes Scandi vibes! The least popular décor for us Brits was the once very popular shabby chic (3%).
Think blank canvas over cluttered and bold
With so many variations in what people are looking for in their next home, it’s clear from our research that it’s important to ensure your home is presented in the best way possible in order for it to sell.
Over a quarter of Brits struggle to visualise how a room will look with different décor and furniture, with 25% of people unable to visualise other potential styles and over a third (36%) only finding it moderately easy.
Our study showed that almost double the number of women than men found visualising different styles extremely easy, with 37% of men saying they find it very difficult to visualise a room in a completely different style to theirs.
Aurore Martial, Founder of Domus Venues confirmed that neutral tones are the best way forward when preparing a home for a sale, but that doesn’t mean you need to depersonalise your home.
“When looking to sell I’d say yes, go for neutral tones, but by all means avoid the staged furniture look! Staged flats all look the same with grey furniture, grey walls, exposed bulbs in line, and totally lack personality.”
What are people actually looking for?
Your furniture choices are extremely important when it comes to presenting your home if you’re ready to sell. Our survey data showed a clear selection of items and elements to embrace, and those to stay well away from. Think real wood floors (92%), oversized mirrors for creating the impression of more natural light (64%) and built-in wardrobes and storage (64%), ideal if people don’t want to bring these bulky items with them when they move.
The major décor faux pas to avoid are definitely those retro 70’s fluffy toilet seat covers (100%), wording written on the walls, for example the ‘live laugh love’ stickers (83%) and taxidermy (80%)!
With taste changing from person to person, Aurore Martial offers the below advice on how to style your home, to ensure your purchases last as well as making your home look appealing to potential buyers.
“Focus on great furniture, a mix of design classics and statement pieces - because these will stay with you for a long time! Pick something you like, in a harmonious palette. Something that can move with you from place to place, or something that will look good with a different background colour.”
It’s safe to say that if you’re looking to sell your home, the British people want to see a clean-cut, Scandinavian vibe that they can imagine themselves living in when they come for a viewing. Think neutral tones with small touches of personality such as houseplants and impressive pieces of artwork, and your house is bound to be snapped up in no time.
Pantone has announced its 2019 Colour of the Year as Living Coral, a bright and uplifting pink-orange hue symbolising “our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits.” The choice feels incredibly apt - in a year that promises uncertainty, both politically and economically, it’s only natural that we look to other areas to bring us something more positive.
Having analysed ‘macro-influences’ over the past year, Living Coral is a surprisingly cheerful choice, perhaps suggesting an uncertain world is finding comfort in bold, confident colours.
Pantone say that Living Coral is also a response to the increasingly prominent digital landscape that we find ourselves in and represents our desire to seek “authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy.” The colour represents colours found in nature and the digital sphere, highlighting the human desire to connect both online and offline.
Living Coral is an orange-pink hue with a golden undertone. Image Source: Pantone As Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Colour Institute, explains “Colour is an equalising lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral.
With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanising and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial PANTONE Living Coral hit a responsive chord.”
The colour also shines a light on the importance of our coral reefs in providing shelter and nourishment for much of our sea life, something that is threatened by global warming and our changing ecosystem. The term ‘Living Coral’ is a stark contrast to the large amounts of dead and bleached coral found in our oceans.
Following on from last year’s Ultra Violet, Living Coral is described as “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.” The colour is predicted to dominate the design world over the coming year, in everything from clothing to homeware.
The Monroe Bed coming to Heal's in Spring 2019.
Whether you use it within your home accessories or as a statement colour for your bed, Living Coral is a perfect accent colour for offsetting cooler grey and blue tones. Our Monroe bed, launching later this year, will be available in a coral linen, perfect for those wanting to inject a pop of colour to their bedrooms. Effortlessly mixing generous proportions with feminine, sweeping lines, the warm tone is the perfect colour to highlight its winged headboard.
Alternatively, for a more understated look, opt for smaller items of furniture or home accessories to bring coral into your home. Take a look at our Living Coral inspired picks below:
The idea that small spaces are destined to be cramped and uncomfortable is wrong – a small space can be every bit as elegant and stylish as a large one. It’s all down to how you lay out, furnish and accessorise the room. With the right tips, styling your small space doesn’t have to be a dreaded and difficult process; it can be a fun and rewarding challenge.
Good design is always important, but it’s crucial when space is at a premium. Tiny details make a big difference in small rooms, so each element needs to be carefully selected. There’s no room for unnecessary furniture or artwork that’s not quite right.
You need to love and use everything you put in a small space. Whether you’re looking for inspiration to style your small living room, bedroom or dining room, let our comprehensive guide help you decorate your space. -
Small Living Room Ideas
Make your living room work better for you with space-enhancing and multi-functional furniture.
Furniture
When considering sofas for a small home, a luxury loveseat is a great option. With a generous chair for two to share, a modern loveseat is ideal for snuggling on cosy nights. You have enough room for your partner or extra space to stretch out if you’re by yourself.
For another great sofa choice, explore our Brunel range, available in two, four and corner seater options. This compact and functional sofa is perfect for city dwellers who need a comfy place to relax but might be short on space. Inspired by both Mid-Century Modern and Industrial styles, it complements most design aesthetics.
The Brunel has a detachable footstool meaning it can be styled as either a left or right-handed chaise You don’t have to sacrifice having a coffee table in a small living room. Go for a round coffee table around which you can easily place other pieces, a nest of tables that neatly layer underneath one another or a glass coffee table to give an airy, spacious feel to the room.
Use cleverly designed wall mounting or freestanding shelves to maximise your storage space. These pieces are ideal for displaying decorative knick-knacks, ceramics, framed photos and books.
Accessories
For a small living space, use abstract artwork and rugs as a focal point to distract the eye. Be sure to keep it minimalist – you don’t want to overcrowd the space and make it feel even smaller. Using white, light grey and other pale colour schemes lets light bounce off the walls, creating the illusion of a larger space. Introduce a pop of colour with plush cushions in vibrant colours and prints.
This Purlin rug creates the illusion of a longer space thanks to its graphic line pattern. Tall lighting and a bright colour scheme create a feeling of height and space. Styled here with the neatly proportioned Wallis sofa.
Let plants add depth to your small living room; they help to fool the eye into thinking there’s more to the room than there actually is. Well-placed greenery brings a bit of the outdoors into your home.
Styling tip: keep seating close together to create an intimate and cosy atmosphere.
Small Bedroom Ideas
Turn your snug room into a dreamy retreat with smart bedroom furniture and accessories.
Furniture
Proportion matters a lot in a small space. When choosing a bed to suit your small bedroom, make sure you choose the right size. Going for too large a bed will throw off the room’s sense of balance and may come at the sacrifice of bedside tables.
Skip the headboard; it will only make your bedroom appear more cramped. Instead, opt for plenty of layers and cushions to make your bed feel more inviting. Look to multi-functional sofa beds as an alternative to regular beds, especially in guest bedrooms.
The Buri sofa bed has pocket sprung base providing a soft platform on which to sit and sleep For bedside tables, round ones offer a bit more space, while square ones line up perfectly against the bed’s form – it’s up to your style preference.
More important is the table’s base. Go for a piece that’s not bulky or box-like, but rather a single drawer unit on slim legs to create a sense of air flowing through. You can also skip a bedside table entirely and instead put a chair next to your bed. It doubles as extra seating if you have guests and a place to put the books and magazines you’re reading. This works best if you have ceiling or wall-mounted lighting.
For a similar look, take a look at this black wall lamp by Gubi. A wall mounted light frees up valuable bedside table space. If you can’t squeeze a wardrobe into your small bedroom, use a sturdy clothes rail instead. Or a bed with built-in storage in the form of drawers neatly tucked into the frame.
Accessories
Add full-length mirrors either on the floor or against the wall to make a small bedroom feel larger. Simple and space-saving bedroom lighting will serve you well; a pendant light or wall sconce free up valuable floor and table space. For a chic bedroom look, place a neutral toned fur rug and soft cushions or throws to finish off the room with a dose of cosiness.
The Push Floor Standing mirror has hidden storage behind it. Styled here with pieces from the Morten collection.
Styling tip: set your bed against the window to save on wall space. The window and curtains also create a focal point and make the room feel sunnier and airier.
Small Dining Room Ideas
With a few good décor ideas, you can make the most of your limited dining space – whether it’s an actual room or just a little nook.
Furniture
Use one of our round dining tables to enhance both your dining experience and dining space. Circular tables are great for socialising, so they’re an excellent option if you entertain frequently. A light wood finish or glass will help to keep your space feeling open.
This circular table by ercol has space saving flexibility of drop leaves on either side when the table is not in use Choose space-saving dining room stools or ones that are stackable – they take up less space but still provide the extra seating you need to host larger groups.
Accessories
While you might want to be restrained when it comes to furnishing and accessorising in a small dining room, you can let loose with your tableware. Don’t hold back – add bold colours and patterns as much as you can. This is your chance to make a statement at your next dinner party or perk up a weeknight takeaway. Hang a designer pendant light or chandelier over your dining table to elevate your small space with a sense of grandeur.
The Dakara range is rich with colour and features an eye catching reactive glaze design.
Styling tip: keep your space multi-purpose – your dining table can double as a desk when you’re working from home.
It can be a challenge to find well designed, high-quality furniture without the huge price tag. To make things easier we’re turning our attention to the Heal’s designs that balance quality and cost, proving you don’t have to spend a fortune to own a piece of designer furniture.
Our Morten and Brunel ranges offer exceptional value and while they are different in style, they are equal in quality. Both are the creations of two talented furniture designers; Brunel was the brainchild of the award-winning Rob Scarlett while Morten was designed by John Jenkins, a celebrated furniture designer who worked at Heal’s as a buyer for many years.
To showcase these two beautiful ranges we invited two pros in the art of styling – Kate Watson-Smyth and Tiffany Grant-Riley - to reimagine the front windows of our Tottenham Court Road store using pieces from either collection. What resulted were two very different rooms sets that were true to their interior styles.
Tiff's Morten space
Tiff is drawn towards the minimal, often taking inspiration from Scandinavian homes. She embraces the slow living lifestyle which writes about on her blog, Curate and Display, and is drawn towards a simple aesthetic often pairing muted colours against a shot of black. The Morten range was a natural fit as its light oak and clean lines are unmistakably Nordic in style.
Tiff started by painting her backdrop with a light blue shade which she has on the skirting boards of her children’s rooms in her own home. The pale blue immediately created a light, airy feel which complemented the whitewashed oak of the Morten collection.
Layered with textures and throws, she created a cosy and inviting bedroom space completed by two Fabian pendant lights that draw the eye upwards towards a feature wall of layered pages she ripped out from books.
The Morten chest of drawers displayed some carefully considered touches like luxury hand wash by Tom Dixon and the Jewel vase by Louise Roe while a wooden platter by Nkuku was chosen to mirror the materials of the collection. Her space seamlessly transitions into a stylish dining area that incorporates the new Morten dining table and bench.
Styled with pieces from Nkuku and Menu, the table is given its finish touch with the Olson Glass Dome Pendant that hangs elegantly above. Watch her space come to life here:
Kate's Brunel Apartment
Kate Watson-Smyth is an interiors journalist that has been contributing to the national newspapers for the last twenty years. Her blog, Mad About The House, has won numerous awards thanks to its inspiring and insightful content, acting as a sourcebook for modern living.
A firm believer in the idea that a home should tell a story, Kate describes her style as Urban Glamour with natural wood and touches of metal never far from her styling. Kate opted for the industrial-style Brunel collection which combines solid oak and powder coated steel legs in each design.
Kate used Brunel to create a chic and comfortable apartment space with the dining table dividing sleeping from sitting. She decided to add various shades of pink to unite the scheme across each room and used a mix of rugs, cushions and accessories to bring the space to life.
Her dining area reflected today’s need for small spaces to be multifunctional – a typewriter sits next to a selection of tableware giving the impression that someone may have just popped away to make a cup of tea before they sit back down to work.
She used two of the Brunel Lean To Shelves in her living room space to display an array of homeware, making sure to keep things minimal to highlight the beauty of the design. The Brunel Lean To Shelves is great for renters in particular as they don't need to be screwed into the walls and can easily be taken apart and moved.
In the bedroom, she offset her grey bedding with colourful scatter cushions, a wool throw and a patterned lampshade by Scion which echoes a similar scheme in her living room.
Discover more
-
Behind The Design
-
Trends & Lifestyle
-
At Heal's
