Blue Isle

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris

Blue_Isle_Furniture

Just like William Morris we believe that everything you own should be useful, aesthetically pleasing or ideally both.

At this time of year we stop hibernating; we crawl out from under our thick duvets or warm blankets on our cosy sofas and we look at our homes afresh. We see the clutter, the haphazard corners and the cracking walls that are in need of a lick of paint.

As part of this process we assess our furniture. Why do we still have several old cast offs that we only took in as they were useful at the time (which may well now be over a decade ago)? Other people (not us) have the opposite problem. They obsess over having the most minimalist interiors possible and constantly have the ‘everything must go’ approach. But life gets too hard constantly striving to achieve that blank canvas look. Even minimalists have to compromise, and the compromise is storage. Whether you are a maximalist, minimalist, hoarder or intense clutter-clearer life is easier if you have good storage. We believe the more the better. No-one has ever said “the problem is , my home has just far too much storage space”.

We like to use a mixture of built-in storage . We can’t help you with that, but we can suggest some key aesthetically pleasing pieces.

For that awkward space near your front door

Melbury_Small

For a small space we suggest the Melbury Small; three good sized drawers, excellent for pocket umbrellas, hats, scarves, sunglasses and keys.

Blue_Isle_Melbury_Wide

For a slightly larger space supersize your Melbury with the Melbury Wide (store the same small sundries but just more of them) or the Melbury Console if your issue is finding display storage, the shelf will be perfect for your needs.

If you have a classic hall space choose a console

Blue_Isle_Chiswick_Console

Choose between Chelsea Contemporary shown here , Chiswick Oak and our grand version, the Weathered Oak Classic. This storage type provides plenty of display space on top and that handy shelf. Go for open shelf storage stacking or get a couple of baskets depending on how tidy you are…!

Living room storage

Blue_Isle_Soleil_Drawer_Table

If you are tight on storage space turn every piece of furniture into a storage opportunity. Make sure all side tables have drawers. Our Soleil Drawer table still retains the elegance and openness of a ‘no-drawer’ side table but you still get some storage.

General storage

Blue_Isle_Claude_Weathered_Oak

Get yourself one or more of these storage ninjas- the Claude Weathered Oak and the Melbury Grand are your classic storage solutions. They look equally amazing in a bedroom or a living space and have impressively deep drawers.

No one does sophisticated style like the French, but at Blue Isle we reckon we can give them a run for their money. Whether you want the all-out French bedroom look or to just blend a few French pieces into the room, we have a great selection of options.

Sleep easy

To start off the look, start with the Classic French Bed (below), available in double and king sizes. A solid weathered oak frame teamed with crisp padded linen headboards gives you a rustic French focal point in the room. Layer it up with creamy white linen and soft pastel shades, and you’re good to go. The modern French colour palette might be minimal but you can add definition to the room by trying different patterned and textured fabrics. Together they’ll create a restful retreat.

Store it up

Now you’ve got the bed sorted, add in a few key items of furniture to complete the look. These ‘Melbury’ range of bedside tables mean you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing.

If you have a larger room, with space either side of the bed, the wider weathered oak side table with one drawer and an open shelf (left) can create an attractive bedside feature. Fill the open shelf with books and magazines or woven baskets to maximise on storage. Or if you’ve got a TV in your bedroom, it can double up as a TV stand too. With straight legs and a square shape, this table blends with many different styles if you decide you want to soften the French theme.

Depending on the size of your bedroom, you can then add the Melbury small (right) or wide (below left) chest, both with three drawers. For those with a larger room, the Melbury Grand four drawer oak chest (below right) will be available in autumn 2017. This option has flat drawer fronts and is plain and simple but with that touch of French detail on the legs. Get in touch with us to pre-order. Each chest teams up with the Classic French Bed perfectly. Top them with ornate carved lamps or warming candles to finish off.

Light the way

If you only want to add a hint of French chic to your bedroom, a simple table lamp (far left in our ‘bedroom’ image) or a small side table with cabriole legs could be the way to go. You can’t get more French then the wooden scroll lamp and shade. This small lamp is the ideal match for the Classic French Bed, but is equally a show stopping piece on its own.

Top drawer

But where will you put all those designer Parisian clothes and accessories? One of our Blue Isle ‘signature’ pieces is this chest of drawers , a firm favourite since Blue Isle began and it just so happens to have a very strong French theme to it. Its curved carving on the drawer fronts and thick oak gives it that antique feel.

Put pen to paper

And if you want to go all out, finish off with the Beau Monde (below), a weathered oak writing table and desk with beautifully curved legs – perfect for when you’re handwriting all those love letters. Or add a mirror and you’ve got a dressing table ready to finish off your French boudoir.