Traditional Home Style

By Audrey Patterson

The Rug Seller Bluebellgrey Kippen Rug

This week’s ‘Home Comforts’ pages are all about traditional looks for your home. Here are more top tips by our home furnishing experts.

Traditional prints and modern spaces

Depending on the size of your space, introducing traditional prints into a room can be done on a large scale, such as your wallpaper or furniture, or smaller scales such as accents and furnishings.

For those looking to cut costs but still wanting large surface areas rocking this trend, try using patterned vinyl stickers on walls, floors or even your fireplace or furniture. Smaller scale ways to bring this trend into your home include incorporating patterned wall prints, lampshades and cushions around the room. Sofa and carpet specialist, ScS

Sofa by SCS

Flooring

Stone provides an authentic traditional look, as well as an exceptionally hardwearing surface that’s easy to keep clean. There are lots of different materials to choose from, including limestone, slate and terracotta. When you’re comparing tiles, finish is important. A tumbled or textured surface will give you good grip underfoot – great for a busy family home and for floors continued through bifold doors, onto a patio.

In terms of colour, even tones create a pristine look, but stones with some veining and colour variation will disguise boot marks and paw prints. Compared different patterns too – random pattern designs will give you a modern rustic feel, whilst square or rectangular tiles will create a more uniform look. And, for extra comfort, consider underfloor heating; stone is the perfect partner! Joss Thomas, Indigenous www.indigenous.co.uk

The Low Down

If you’re laying a stone floor in your kitchen, you’ll need to apply a sealer to protect the surface. Many impregnating sealers are clear, so they won’t alter appearance, but there are also treatments that can be used to enhance the colour of the stone. Before applying, the floor will need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any fixing residues. This will allow the treatment to penetrate into the stone. If you’ve decided on a polished porcelain finish, it will also need to be sealed.

Some tiles are sealed during manufacture, so check with your retailer first. Matt porcelain tiles won’t need sealing but they will benefit from a coat of barrier treatment before installation; this will stop residues becoming trapped in the surface, especially if the tiles have a textured finish. Our porcelain blog is a useful reference source for more information. Richard Osbourne, LTP https://www.ltp-online.co.uk

Made To Measure Furniture

Made-to-measure fitted furniture is ideal for period properties, to make the most of the space and original features often found in bedrooms. Where rooms have a central chimney breast, with a gorgeous feature fireplace, fit floor to ceiling wardrobes in the alcoves to make efficient use of the space. Often period properties have high ceilings and many of our ranges come in super height doors. Alternatively split the doors, to give extra storage. Megan Baker, head of design at www.myfittedbedroom.com

Bedroom by My Fitted Bedroom

Traditional Rugs

A statement rug looks stunning in a period home. Choose something with lots of colour and an artisan, hand-woven appearance. Keep the rest of the scheme quite clean, minimaist and subtle. The rug, as the stand-out piece, brings more traditional style into the room, with accessories and furniture working with the centrepiece to complement it. Add other artisan pieces, such as leather armchairs. Hand crafted wooden side tables work really well. Some of our products are handmade using traditional, time-served hand woven techniques – authenticity is important here.

Traditional doesn’t have to be old-fashioned. The key to a classic look in your interior space is to pick a timeless style which will enhance your room. It can be a traditional pattern or more antique finish – but make sure the modern styling is just that, modern, to achieve contrast.

The juxtaposing of traditional rug styles against a modern minimalistic decor can create a high-end designer look. That’s the great thing about traditional rug designs, they can fit equally well in a modern as well as period home. They can stand the test of time! Daniel Prendergast, Design Director at www.therugseller.co.uk

Rug by The Rug Seller

Bathroom Style

Be bold with brassware. Classic crosshead taps are a mainstay of any self-respecting traditional bathroom, but you don’t just have to opt for chrome. Create a striking and coordinated look with brushed gold shower head, taps and accessories. Then your brassware will really stand out from the crowd.

Take your toilet to a higher level. Some modern toilets are designed to hide away mechanisms in a box or inside the wall, but to really add some style and focus in a traditional bathroom space, go for a toilet with a high-level cistern. With ornate chrome brackets and period detailing, a high-level toilet brings authentic traditional style to any bathroom space.

Treat yourself to a traditional tub. Modern variations of the freestanding bath are all the rage in spas and hotels, but for a truly traditional look, opt for roll-top claw-foot designs to create a feeling of timeless luxury. Team the bath with indulgent brushed gold fixtures and brassware and paint a deep blue bathroom wall for an enhanced period feel.

John Lawless from Big Bathroom Shop