- Inspiring interiors
Crafting Inspiring Living Spaces Beyond Kitchens and Bedrooms
When it comes to creating unique living spaces, it’s often easy to focus on the kitchen and bedroom as the main areas of interest. However, there are countless other spaces within our homes that offer us the opportunity for creativity and personal expression. From cosy reading nooks to vibrant home offices, each area provides a chance to craft a space that inspires and uplifts.
Having looked at how we can use products and accessories to cater for Beyond the Kitchen in our previous blog, in this blog we will primarily focus on how we can utilise other areas in our homes outside of our kitchens and bedrooms.
Home Office
Whether it’s the spare room, the garden room or even the loft, in recent years it’s not just ourselves that have taken on the roles of multi-tasking between work and life balance, so have our homes!
Home offices have become increasingly popular, allowing us to have a dedicated space that promotes productivity, creativity and other personal needs. Whether you work from home or simply need a dedicated area for managing household affairs, the design of your home office can have a significant impact on your work rate and overall well-being.
Strada Gloss – Light Grey
For those seeking a contemporary design that’s also practical, a fitted or freestanding desk with plenty of leg room and a selection of drawers for storage could be just the right choice for working remotely. Consider completing your design with overhead wall cabinets and open shelving to maximise storage and create a clean, sleek environment to get your creative juices flowing. Why not top it off with some elements that reflect your personal style and interest such as artwork, plants and comfortable seating.
Hallways and Freestanding Furniture
While hallways are typically seen as transitional areas that bridge the gaps between our rooms, they can often become undervalued when really, they seamlessly tie our spaces together. Linking our bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces, hallways are also a great space to add some creative flair and elevate the overall design of our homes, particularly entrance halls as this is the first area people see when coming into your home.
From narrow hall spaces with low ceilings or hallways which are too big and sparse, both pose their own challenges when considering how best to utilise the space. With a clever design approach and a comprehensive range of features, the good news is that your hallway can easily be transformed to maximise storage, keep your walkways clear and clutter free, as well as adding some personal touches to make it unique to you.
Adding a piece of freestanding furniture such as a sideboard or console table is a great place to start when crafting a beautiful and practical hallway. You could simply use this piece of furniture to create a centrepiece for the area and decorate it with your favourite books, framed photographs, plants or ceramics. Another option could be a blend of open shelving and drawer storage to keep your essentials such as car keys, wallet or phone chargers nearby.
Kensington – Cashmere | Wakefield – Marine | Harborne – Shell
At STORI, our complementary furniture pieces are available in a wide range of colour and finish options, making it easy to turn what was once a mundane hallway into a visually inspiring passage within your home. Our Kensington Cashmere range can create a beautiful sideboard that complements both contemporary and traditional spaces or our Wakefield range can work equally as well in a stunning painted Marine for some extra depth. Your options are endless!
Reading Nooks and Window Seats
From snug hideaways under the stairs to full size wall cabinetry with integrated bench seating, don’t underestimate the potential of a cosy and comfortable reading nook, a rising interior trend. Creating a space for relaxation and contemplation can add a sense of tranquillity to your home, from window seats to dedicated reading rooms, you can create your own escape to unwind after a long day. By incorporating comfortable seating, good lighting, and a selection of your favourite books, you can easily craft an inspiring living space that encourages relaxation.
Have you got an unused space or gap under your staircase? Why not consider adding a custom-built fitted bench such as our Dawson range in Graphite to perfectly blend into the space. Incorporate additional drawer storage underneath, allowing you to keep your magazines, books, reading glasses and maybe even a bottle of wine tucked away in an easy to locate space! We offer a staggering 25 door styles which will give you creative licence to customise your space exactly how you want it.
Dawson – Graphite
If you have the luxury of a little extra space, particularly in a sunroom area, you might want to opt for a stunning “L shaped” window seat as shown in our Georgia Deep Forest smooth matte painted range, which perfectly blends with the adjacent outdoors. Complete the look with a matching sideboard to allow for additional storage with a mix of open shelving and convenient drawer storage.
Georgia – Deep Forest
Media Rooms / Media Walls
Creating a media room in your home can be a fantastic way to provide a comfortable and entertaining space for your family and friends. Whether you enjoy movie nights, gaming sessions, or just relaxing by watching your favourite TV shows, designing a media room that delights is a great project to consider, space permitting!
Perhaps you’ve got quite a few media boxes there to house, from gaming consoles, streaming devices and broadband hubs to multiple remotes, our ranges allow for the creation of freestanding furniture solutions, ideal for keeping all of your kit in one organised location. In addition, a blend of cabinet storage and open shelving means that you can keep your cables, remotes and neatly boxsets tucked away, while devices like your broadband hub can remain out in the open to avoid any connectivity issues. To complete the look, you could wall mount your TV above the media unit for a clean, streamlined appearance.
For those of us who want to go all out, you could consider dedicating an entire wall space for your media needs. Media Walls have become increasingly popular as they allow us to organise our media collection on a larger scale thanks to the extra floor to ceiling storage that includes cabinetry, shelving and drawers. A full-size media wall is the ultimate luxury for those of us who love home entertainment. You might want to use the open shelving to display your favourite film memorabilia or show off your collection.
Boot Rooms
Having a dedicated space in our homes where we can hang up our wet coats, chewed dog leads and off course muddy boots after a walk in the outdoors, is something that most of us. Boot rooms keep clutter to a minimum and are a popular choice for those of us who have limited utility space or a separate wall space normally adjacent to our kitchen. Picture the convenience of being able to keep all your bulky and unsightly appliances tucked away, such as the washing machine and tumble dryer!
Offering much more in terms of modern living, boot rooms allow us the freedom to organise the space beyond our kitchen. Perhaps you’d like to upgrade a boring utility room to include some cabinetry that keeps your dishcloths, cleaning products and towels neatly stored away or opt for integrated bench seating to tie your boot laces before heading outdoors, a boot room can tick all the boxes if designed practically. Additional design features such as wall panelling can create a beautiful back drop for hooks to hang your coats.
Lawrenson – Cannon Black
For those of us who don’t have the luxury of a separate utility, you might want to consider adding a small boot room feature to your hall space, whether that’s at the front or back entrance to your home. This could be something simple like utilising an empty alcove with a fitted bench as shown below in our Kensington range, allowing you the space to get ready while also benefitting from the base unit storage for other everyday items. Complete the look with an eye-catching coat rack to create a focal point.
Kensington – Light Grey
When it comes to crafting unique living spaces, beyond the kitchen and bedroom, a world of opportunities are available to you for every corner of your home. Whether it’s a thoughtfully designed home office, a beautiful yet practical hallway, or a cosy reading nook, each space provides you with the chance to create a home that truly reflects your unique style and enhances your daily life.
Feeling inspired? We’d love to discuss your ideas with you in person! You can find us at one of our approved independent showrooms across the UK & Ireland.