No matter what your style or how bold you are with design, our Studio Partners offer a full range of options from ‘dipping your toe’ and making an accent, to ‘drenching your design’ in colour.

Whatever the size of your space, it’s always possible to make a design statement. The popularity of home improvement and interior design is continually rising; those who are renovating are looking to push the boundaries and ensure a wow-factor finish while remaining within budget. Whatever your purpose, it’s critical to find the right designer to help realise your vision and guide you through the design process. Transforming initial ideas can take your project from beautiful to remarkable, and often the key is exploring how far you can push the boundaries of your design.

Dipping a Toe

A great way to stay up to date with the latest trends whilst retaining a classic finish is to accentuate your space with accessories and accents. Subtle nods to a trend allow you to test out the look before investing in statement pieces, and also swap them out as the trends change. Spaces can be transformed just by introducing an accent colour. Instead of darkening or depressing a space, shades of black and grey can be used to define, frame and add depth. Updating handles, taps and small appliances is one of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to achieve an accent. It’s much easier to update handles than replace a complete door or change a tap rather than swap out the whole sink.

GROHE’s Essence Mixer Tap with Pull Out Spray is available in ten finishes, including a brass ‘sunrise’, copper ‘sunset’, and brushed ‘hard graphite’. The tap provides an eye-catching statement whilst also being extremely functional. With a minimalist design, it guarantees accurate temperature control and its pull out spray features a powerful jet. We’ve featured it here in the Brass ‘Cool Sunrise’ finish.

  Its eye-catching colour and detailed texture make the GRAF 2 bar handle the ideal way to revive your cabinets. The mesh surface texture gives the handle a wonderful, tactile feel when used to open doors or drawers and lends itself particularly well to the modern ‘industrial’ style.

Rangemaster’s Encore Deluxe Range Cooker in Stainless Steel is an enduringly popular choice amongst homeowners and is perfect for introducing a subtle metallic feature into your kitchen. The Rangemaster Encore Deluxe range is new this Autumn, providing an upgrade from the ceramic cooker featured in this image. It is available in stainless steel, ivory and black finishes.

Making a splash

If you’re feeling more confident, you can take your design to the next level by injecting personality with a statement piece. Hints of different materials, like a textured worktop or metallic doors, can provide a premium finish without the price tag. Set your design alight by introducing pendant lighting as an eye-catching feature, or introduce a statement appliance in a neutral setting.

  This Tambour Door System combines practicality with great aesthetics in one statement piece. The system provides a solution for breaking up a series of cabinets and can also be used where hinged doors aren’t possible. Shown here in Anthracite, the door is available in four finishes.

Minerva’s Solid Surface Worktop is scratch resistant, flexible and super stylish. There are 15 colours available with a variety of textures. Displayed here is the marble effect Carrara White, which looks fantastic when paired with an integrated white acrylic sink and coordinated upstand and splashback. Find out how to style the Ice Blue Minerva Worktop here.

Handles are a great way to shake up your design. This kitchen, featured on Grand Designs, used leather handles, but the new RAVIOLO bow handle featured here in Antique Bronze (also available in Pewter) would also work well. The distinctive curve and arch make this handle a great option for an industrial or vintage style kitchen. Read about the Handle Vs Handle-less trend here.

  Häfele’s new Double Belfast sink, shown here in an on- trend anthracite finish, offers a texture not dissimilar to concrete. This stylish sink provides the perfect statement for an industrial or textured style kitchen.

All too often treated as an after-thought, the right lighting can transform a room and make a real statement. The Eclipse LED Ceiling Pendant Light is spherical in shape, accompanied by crushed crystal diffusers which create a crackled glass texture. The light comes in a Chrome or Copper finish and is available as one single pendant or in a cluster of up to 20 lights.

Drench Your Design

Maybe you’re feeling even braver and want to create a memorable and impressive finished product by maximising your design. At Ideas For Living, we believe that contrasting and clashing colours can be great tools to maximise this trend and we’re dedicated to providing the products needed to enable this reality.

  Smeg’s Retro range is perfect for injecting a pop of colour into the kitchen. Demonstrated here, the freestanding fridge freezer is certainly a stand-out feature. Available in 10 colours and patterns, this fridge is sure to become a real talking point in your living space.

  To create the ultimate eye-catching finish, light up your design with the Loox LED Flexible strip lighting. Perfect for mounting under cabinets or shelves or used to highlight handle-less profiles, these atmospheric lights are ideal for any occasion.

Smeg’s Portofino Range is inspired by the small harbours that border the Mediterranean. The Smeg Range Cookers and Chimney Hoods are available in eight vibrant colours. Here, the orange finish creates an eye-grabbing focal point, while the combination of solid design and quality performance in the cooker itself provides the everyday functionality needed in the kitchen. The range cooker is available as either a dual fuel (gas) or electric (induction) hob.

 

Want to find out more about the latest trends? Get your free copy of What’s New: The Autumn Edit now.