When renovating a home, it can be difficult at times to see how everything will piece together in amongst the dust and destruction. But when you start to see your vision come to life, well, there’s no better feeling.
Interiors influencer Liv Likosso (@renovating_cheznous) and her partner Rob collaborated with designer Nicola Meighan from the Heal’s Interior Planning Service, to bring their scandi rustic dining room to life. We caught up with Nicola and Liv to find out all about the design process, the key pieces and how to get the look of this calm yet captivating set up.
Nicola, let’s start at the very beginning. We’d love to get some design expert insight. How do you approach a full room design? What’s your process?
N: There are many different processes depending on each project. For this one, it was important that the look and feel of it complimented the living room and kitchen as they are run off each other being open plan.
Secondly, how Liv and Rob wanted to use this space. For them, it was a relaxed dining room where they could enjoy a space with family and friends. There was lots of natural light in the room, so I wanted to make sure it didn’t lose that. From here, I was able to create mood boards to show the look and feel of the room, followed by floor plans and a selection of fabrics, and finishes that work with each piece based on our intended style moving forward.
Liv, Tell us about your renovation story. When did it start and how have you found the process so far?
L: We purchased our London flat over a year ago, it took us a while to initially start renovating as we had to sort out planning permission etc. Renovating our flat has been an experience I’m sure we will never forget. It’s an ex-council flat which had not been touched since the 80s. There have been times where it’s been incredibly overwhelming but also very rewarding when we look back to see how far we’ve come.
I’m still in denial sometimes, I find it hard to believe it’s still the same flat as we had to completely gut the place to get it to the stage it’s in now. We’ve also been doing the majority of things on our own, we’ve saved a lot of money this way and we’ve also learnt so much on the job, now we are already talking about another renovation project (I know we must be crazy!)
How would you describe your style? And how have you found the balance between your style and your partners?
L: I always struggle to describe my style, I tend to just go with the flow. If I was to try and describe it I would probably say my style is a mix of contemporary, boho and Scandi rustic, I say rustic because I do like to add antique pieces here and there while taking a minimalistic approach.
Rob style is more quirky, he really likes dark colours, original features and I think our styles work perfectly together, I think we have definitely found the perfect balance in both our styles which is very evident in our dining room, we were able to add a mixture of dark colours and textures without the room looking overwhelming (while keeping a modern, airy feel)
Nicola, how did you find the balance between the two different styles?
N: It was very simple actually. I took the pieces that Liv and Rob loved and used them as a base point to add complimentary pieces. I made a conscious decision to mix different textures, shapes and finishes that would balance it out and add softness to the room.
And Liv, how did you find it when working with our IPS team? Is there anything in particular that you found helpful when designing your space?
L: The experience was amazing; Nicola really took her time to hear us out. The exchange of mood boards I found was really helpful when designing our space. She sent us three mood boards and we were able to nail it down to one which was so useful. Nicola turned our vision into reality and was able to marry both Rob and my vision and style which we initially found hard to do, and I just loved how she always had time for us.
Nicola, were there any key pieces that stood out to you that you knew would be perfect for the space?
N: The wishbone chairs. Visually, they were exactly what was needed around a solid wooden dining table that had a chunky base. The table needed something light to flow otherwise this space would have been very top heavy. The elegance and soft curves were perfect for the Scandinavian feel we wanted to achieve.
How would you describe the finished space?
N: Contemporary craft with a Scandinavian influence.
And Liv, how would you describe the finished space?
L: Exceeded our expectations for sure, it’s everything we wanted and more. Seeing all the products in situ was just the icing on the cake - I couldn’t believe it was our dining room, for ages we’ve been so used to our home being a building site and now it feels and looks really homely.
Now, we know no one likes playing favourites, but if you were to choose what’s your favourite piece?
L: This is a very hard question, please forgive me for picking out two items but it's definitely the Lisbon dining table we got the blonde oiled oak not filled, we have a thing for textures and I feel like it complements the room so well. Another favourite is the handcrafted wooden steam-bent pendant light, we are both really big fans of Tom Raffield, so it's such a privilege to have it in our home.
Finally, Nicola, what advice would you have for someone who is looking to get the look of Liv’s dining room?
N: Don’t overthink the scheme. This look and feel lends itself to a balance of materials and shapes. Stick with a core selection of colours and finishes and use them in the different pieces you need for the room. Working with a neutral palette allows for you to add more shapes and styles without making it look or feel too busy, regardless of the size.
Need a helping hand with designing your space? Our IPS team is here to help!
Click here to follow along with Liv’s renovation journey.
We sat down with some of our favourite influencers to discover their top tips on working from home. Like us, they’re all spending a lot more time at home. So, in collaboration with Paper Collective and Anglepoise, we sent each of them a few gifts to personalise their workspaces. Discover how they styled their gifts and how they work from home below.
Emma @apogee_interiors
“Try and create a work-only space in the home. Be it a study, a small desk in a room or even an arm chair, this allows you to isolate work to one space. If you work from the same sofa you spend the evening watching TV from then there’s no definition. Do anything to try and define your work environment and your home life.”
Marisa @oakappledecor
“As I work from home a lot, over the years I’ve realised the impact my surroundings have on the way I work. For me, having a clean and tidy work space with practical yet beautiful storage is so important. Functional lighting is a must too. A visually pleasing space helps to keep you happy and mentally stimulated; No one wants to work in a messy and boring space do they?!”
Melanie @melanielissackinteriors
“Lighting is important in any situation, but particularly for productivity. On darker days, avoid working under harsh overhead lighting such as spotlights and glaring pendants by adding a task lamp. If you don’t have a desk lamp, borrow a bedside table light or a side light from your living space. An atmospheric lamp will make your workspace feel more cosy, comforting and inviting than working in a stark, bright room.”
Ross & Ian @our1930sfixerupper
“As we’re both working from home during the current UK lockdown, it's important for us that we have our own spaces to work quietly and take a business-as-usual approach to our working day. At the close of play, we put all our work gear back into storage and transform the dining room table back to what it should be so you don't feel like you are living at work 24/7!”
Jess @thestayoverlife
“Write out your to do list the day before. Write the list in chronological order and next to each item on the list write a timeframe and only spend that long on that task. It’s not a race to finish it but it's easier to focus on tasks when you know there are breaks coming.”
Emma @1fiveone
“My tip for working from home is to make whatever corner of your home you’re working from as comfortable as possible. Even if it’s by adding some new cushions or a throw. And lighting is really important, if you’re not by a window make sure you have a nice lamp, this will ensure it’s a more productive space to work from. If you de-clutter the space it will help you focus.”
Jackie @jackie.hoyte
“I find structure and routine essential when working from home and always take a break for lunch. But make sure you get a change of scenery and don’t eat at your desk. Creating a space that’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing is vital to me. I’m lucky that my desk is right next to a window so having a constant source of natural light makes a big difference.”
Emma @the_old_posthouse
"Set those boundaries. Video calls, especially when back to back, are so exhausting! I make sure I block time out in my diary for lunch, 1-2 hour slots for emails and non-working hours. It has helped me have a lot more control over my time!"
Take their lead and update your workspace with a Type 80 Desk Lamp from Anglepoise and a series of wall art from Paper Collective.
We've teamed up with Melissa Hemsley as part of our Heal's SPACES exhibition, a celebration of London's most pioneering women and the spaces in which they create. Melissa is the bestselling author of Eat Happy, a cookbook packed with 120 delicious, flavour-packed recipes that take no more than minutes to make.
In Melissa's second guest post, she's showing us how to make a soothing, easy and restorative Miso Bowl. The perfect Monday night dinner, it's quick and easy to make and will set you up nicely for the week. If you're look for even more home cooking inspiration, find out how to make her Spanish Chickpea and Almond Stew.
Be sure to visit Melissa's recreated kitchen at our Tottenham Court Road store between 11th-22nd September. - Monday Miso Bowl
Ingredients
Serves 4
10g (about 8 tablespoons) seaweed, such as dulse or arame
330g buckwheat noodles
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3cm piece of ginger, finely chopped or grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or to taste)
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
200g shiitake mushrooms, roughly sliced
1.2 litres stock/bone broth or water
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cabbage (400g), shredded Miso
Stir-In 2 tablespoons miso paste (or to taste)
1 tablespoon hot water
Juice of ½ lemon
To Serve Toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds ½ lemon, cut into
4 wedges Sea salt
Method
1. Soak the seaweed (if using) in water according to the packet instructions, then drain, rinse in fresh water and roughly chop before setting aside. Boil the kettle.
2. Fill a saucepan with boiling water and cook the noodles according to the packet instructions until al dente (about 5 minutes instead of the usual 6–8), then drain, rinse with cold water to stop them cooking, and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, melt the oil in a second, larger saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and white parts of the spring onions and fry for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium simmer to cook for 2 minutes and then add the cooked noodles back to the pan to heat through for 1 minute before removing from the heat.
5. While the mushrooms are simmering, fill the original pan with boiling water and lower the eggs into the pan. Simmer over a medium heat for 6½ minutes (for a just-runny yolk), then cool the boiled eggs under cold water, peel and halve.
6. Remove the soup pan from the heat, drop in the shredded cabbage and the soaked seaweed, then mix together the ‘miso stir-in’ in a small bowl and stir through the soup.
7. Divide the soup among four bowls, add the egg halves and top with the remaining chopped spring onions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Sprinkle the egg halves with sea salt and black sesame seeds and serve with a lemon wedge if you wish.
Extracted from Eat Happy by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press, £20) Photography by Issy Croker
Cook and wellness guru Melissa Hemsley is the best selling author behind Eat Happy, a book that celebrates fuss-free, real food that can be made in under thirty minutes. Her passion, love and joy for food is infectious and we are thrilled to be collaborating with Melissa for our forthcoming SPACES exhibition.
Melissa will be constructing her own kitchen - the space that inspires her the most and where she spends much of her time honing her craft. In the first of her guest blogs, Melissa shows us how to whip up a hearty and comforting Spanish Chickpea and Almond Stew. Using store cupboard staples and spinach from the freezer, this Seville-inspired stew comes together in under 20 minutes and is a hit with everyone.
Spanish Chickpea and Almond Stew
Ingredients
Serves 4
3 tablespoons chopped or flaked almonds
1.5 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large red or orange pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large handful of fresh parsley, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100ml stock/bone broth or water (optional)
250g spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
Spices
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Method
1. In a large, deep frying pan, toast the almonds over a medium heat for just under a minute until golden, then set aside. Melt the butter in the hot pan, add the onion and pepper and fry for 6 minutes until starting to soften.
2. Add the garlic, spices and parsley stalks and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning, then add the tomato purée and cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Tip the tinned tomatoes into the pan, turn up the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, to thicken and reduce. Add the chickpeas and cook for another 3 minutes with a lid on. If you want the stew to be more soup-like, add the stock.
4. Turn up the heat, drop in the spinach and cook for 1 minute, covered with the lid, then add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve each bowl with a good drizzle of olive oil and with the parsley leaves and toasted almonds scattered over.
Extracted from Eat Happy by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury Press, £20) Photography by Issy Croker
Bright, light and above all delicious, the Little Plantation’s red cabbage salad recipe with sweet potato wedges is ideal as a quick-fix for mid-week suppers or lunch with friends.
Red cabbage salad with sweet potato wedges
Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Serves: 4 – 6
Ingredients for the sweet potato wedges: Ingredients for the sweet potato wedges: 4 small sweet potatoes (about 700g in total) A pinch of salt A drizzle of vegetable oil (I used rice bran oil)
Ingredients for the red cabbage salad: 1/4 cup of quinoa + 1 cup of water A pinch of salt Small red cabbage 750g handful of nuts (I used almond slices. Omit for a nut-free version) Handful of seeds (I used pumpkin seeds) A good handful of fresh parsley, washed and finely chopped The seeds of 1 large pomegranate or a large handful of dried cranberries Edible flowers for decorating (optional)
Ingredients for the dressing: 3 tbls maple syrup 2 tbls fresh lime juice (1 lime approx.) 2-3 tbls extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
First, make the sweet potato wedges by washing the sweet potatoes, cutting them into discs and boiling them in water with a pinch of salt for about 5-10 minutes or until they are just starting to get a tiny bit soft. Then, pour away the water, drizzle the sweet potato with some vegetable oil, place on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until they start to brown around the edges and are nice and soft on the inside at 200C/400F.
Next, prepare the quinoa by washing the grains and placing the quinoa in a small pot with water and salt. Cook for about 15 minutes or until almost all the water is absorbed and the quinoa opens. Drain away any excess water and set aside. Wash the red cabbage and discard any unsightly external layers.
Then remove the stalky core at the bottom and with a mandolin thinly slice the cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, the nuts (if using), seeds, chopped parsley leaves, pomegranate seeds (or dried fruit) and mix well. Finally, make the dressing by combining the maple syrup, lime juice and oilive oil and mix well.
Pour over the cabbage salad just before serving and garnish with edible flowers (optional). Serve with the sweet potato wedges and enjoy!
Visit the Little Plantation blog for more beautiful, delicious and healthy recipes and why not have a flick through our dining accessories collection to find the perfect dishes to match.
Not so much an interior trend as a way of life, Hygge has invaded British interiors this season with its blend of cosy comforts and Scandi style.
So who better to turn to for a masterclass in all things hyggelig than the author of The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking.
What’s Hygge?
Hygge, or 'hue-ugh' as it’s properly pronounced, originates from the Norwegian word for ‘well-being’ and is an intrinsic part of Danish culture in the colder months (and boy does it get cold up there). As Meik remarks, ‘Hygge is the antidote to the cold winter, the rainy days and the duvet of darkness’ and seeing as Denmark is regularly voted ‘the happiest nation in Europe’ it’s probably time we Brits started to take note.
Turn down the lights
With the days getting shorter, it can be tempting to illuminate every inch of your home. Yet the Danes take a different approach by turning the lights down low. Hit the ‘Hygge sweetspot’ with candles and lower temperature lighting designs, such as filament bulbs or diffused lamps to ‘create soothing pools of light’. Danes burn more candles per person than anywhere else in Europe, so bring them out in force!
Alternatively, Meik suggests to ‘use several smaller contemporary lamps around the room to create a more hyggeligt light than one big lamp set in the ceiling.’
Feather the nest
Roughly translated as a ‘nook’, no Hygge home is complete without a hyggekrog. This is the space where you snuggle up in the evening after a cold commute home or relax on a lazy Sunday.
Cushions, throws and furs are the building blocks for a homely hyggekrog with bay windows providing the perfect place to create your refuge. That isn’t to say you can’t add a bit of hyggelig to your sofa – after all what better place to lay back and watch the latest Scandi TV series.
Bring the outside in
From rugged and rustic furniture to handcrafted accessories, Hygge is all about embracing the beautiful forests and scenery that are intrinsically linked to Scandinavian design. Yet why stop at furnishings? As Meik comments, ‘Any piece of nature you might find is likely to get the hygge greenlight’ with foliage used for decoration on a table top while furs provide a textural element to a bed, chair or even the floor.
Say it with ceramics
The curve on a vase, the spout of a teapot or even the simple pleasure of a warm mug of coffee in your hands, the Danes excel at turning ceramic homewares into an art form. When creating your Hygge home, you can’t go wrong with iconic Scandi ceramics from Kähler and Marimekko.
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