As the old saying goes ‘a tidy house is a tidy mind’, which we all know is great in theory but hectic schedules, children, guests and general busyness can mean that our homes become filled with clutter, which isn’t ideal for presenting your beautiful French chateau inspired décor or making your home look just plain ‘shabby’ as opposed to ‘shabby chic’.  Clever storage is the simplest way to avoid having your home look like unkempt and unorganized and is also a fabulous way to introduce gorgeous new furniture items into your home.  We take a look at some of the best storage furniture to satisfy different rooms of your home which could use a little bit of an update and de-clutter.

Bedroom

Getting ready each day (particularly if you’re a woman!) involves using so many different tools and products that you’ll probably find are left lying around all week until you begin your regular weekend cleaning ritual.  Between that and the various jewellery pieces, notepads and other items dotted around the room, you’ll probably be in need of a serious update to restore your bedroom to its elegant, tasteful sanctuary and to hide away your things.  Beau Décor’s Elizabeth Stone Collection features some classy pieces which have a lightly worn look to create the perfect shabby chic look for your home.  A key piece for storage is Elizabeth Stone 7 Drawer Chest which has plenty of space for hiding away all of your various things as well as giving you a shelf for adding decoration and giving it a more personal touch.

Stylish dressing tables with multiple drawers are also fantastic for hiding away your beauty products and jewellery and can give your home a vintage look which is classic and timeless and will create a fantastic impression.

Living Room

Books, magazines, letters and remote controls for your home’s hundred gadgets soon begin to pile up in your living room and if you’re going for an elegant ambience then all this clutter will surely create the opposite effect.  Invest in storage which can double up as something else so that you use less space and display some creativity in furnishing your living room.  Coffee tables with under shelving or drawers are perfect as they allow you to hide away items but still keep them within easy reach for when you’re relaxing on the sofa.

Kitchen

Make the most of that precious worktop space by adding a couple of units to your kitchen that are great for storing items as well as displaying them.  Valuable cupboard space for example can be freed up by moving your best china and dinnerware to a stylish display unit so that you can store items that you’d rather keep hidden such as food supplies and kitchen utensils.  The Ferme Farmhouse Collection features many stunning items featuring a worn, country home look and are ideal for turning your kitchen into a warm and inviting space.

The Ferme Cream Wine Rack Buffet Unit in particular is a must have item, offering the perfect combination of  storage and style which won’t break the bank.

Beau Décor has a fantastic collection of elegant, attractive storage furniture for every room of the home.   With unique, on-trend pieces like these you can use them to add some stylish décor to your home whilst ensuring it retains its clean and tidy appearance and the perfect place to come home to after a long, hard day.  View our selection of popular storage items here.

Even today’s most beautiful stars can’t quite match the old Hollywood glamour of screen icons like Jean Harlow, Grace Kelly and Rita Hayworth.  On and off camera they oozed allure and femininity from their make-up and clothes right down to their homes.  Classic films are filled with shots of opulent bedrooms featuring luxury fabrics and furniture and this has provided us with inspiration for our own ‘Old Hollywood’ bedroom and re-creating the looks of years gone by.

Old Hollywood style bedrooms are influenced by a range of themes including French décor.  Think velvet and satin bedding, vintage wall paper with gold or silver designs and beautiful statement pieces that are timeless and chic.  A good modern example of this is the character of Blair Waldorf on TV’s Gossip Girl, herself inspired by the likes of Audrey Hepburn who uses soft metallics in pastel shades to create a room which is glamorous and fitting for an Upper East Side princess.

Beds should be large with detailed frames and headboards and look best in silver or gold for added luxury.  The Tiffany Silver Upholsted Bed encapsulates the look perfectly and is upholstered in soft grey chenille which is ideal for creating a film noir feel.  This is an opportunity to get creative with bedding by adding stacks of throws and cushions in velvet and silk fabrics to create an inviting and elegant focal point for your bedroom.

A vintage style table lamp such as this Crystal and Nickel Table Lamp looks retro and classy and is perfect for setting the mood teamed with soft candlelight.  The crystal bead design catches the light to create a stunning effect and looks striking next to your bed or dressing table.

Of course, no Old Hollywood bedroom would be complete without beautiful storage units for keeping clothes and jewellery and any other precious treasures.  We love the Venetian style of these Valance Mirrored Venetian Bedside Drawers which feature subtle but stylish details which give it a 1940s look perfect for the likes of Lauren Bacall.

A luxury armchair is an ideal accessory for recreating this beautiful theme.  Whether taking time out to read or watch the world go by à la Rear Window, the addition of a classically designed armchair can give the room an authentic look and feel.  Beau Décor’s Modern Glamour Ivory Stud Chair features elegant stud detailing and is versatile in that it is suitable for both modern and vintage themed décor.  It’s a distinguished piece which is a great investment and will look extremely glamorous in your new look bedroom.

Using ideas from classic Hollywood styles is a great way to show off your design tastes and will be sure to draw admiration from friends and family.  It’s a look which is suited to any home and is a simple and tasteful way to bring luxury into your life.

Explore further styles and ideas for creating ‘Old Hollywood’ in your home by viewing our furniture collections here.

Easter is the perfect time to give your kitchen a makeover.  As well as providing you with a much needed four day weekend, it’s the time of year where pastels and creamy shades are out in force and the imminent spring weather (we hope!) will inspire us to take to the kitchen to bake some delicious treats.  One of the key looks this spring is for a shabby chic kitchen, featuring décor and furniture inspired by the look of Parisian cafés of trendy London coffee shops.  It’s a look that is easy to replicate at home and gives your kitchen a warm and welcoming vibe.

Shabby chic kitchens are all about vintage wooden styles which feature slightly worn looks for a classic feel that adds character and warmth to a room.  Think wooden shelves and units which can then be used to showcase your best kitchenware for a look that is cute and quirky.

Think about putting items in your kitchen that you might not have thought of before.  For example, an old chest of drawers that you’ve been itching to get rid of can be painted and worn down and then used for storing all sorts of kitchen items, or of course, you can just buy a new chest which incorporates this look.

Look out for beautiful pastel shades of furniture for a sweet, cupcake boutique look that will be sure to provide you with some inspiration for cooking up a storm over the warmer months.

The great thing about the shabby chic look is that nothing has to be perfect.  The beauty of this décor style is that you can mix and match items of different colours and textures and it will pull together to form a style that is on-trend and creative, a more original alternative to interiors which look like they’ve come straight from a showroom.  You can add pieces that are already in your home and give them a new look by dressing them in different fabrics or adding a fresh coat of paint and then use smaller items to give it some extra sparkle.  We love this Large Pastel Wall Clock which features just the right amount of colour and detail, a great retro style clock.

Floral, polka dot and multicolour fabrics make the ideal companions to this look, so why not invest in table cloths, tea towels and other textiles which can really offset the look.  Pastel coloured dinnerware, mugs and cake stands are easily available in stores now and are an affordable way to add a finishing touch to your shabby chic kitchen.

Use this spring as the time to give your home an uplifting and fashionable makeover – there are so many things that you can do to give your kitchen that delightful shabby chic interior that will be a big hit with guests, and interior design lovers too.

Check out Beau Décor’s fantastic range of shabby chic items for the kitchen here.

There’s no denying the practicality of a bedside table, from providing a place to hide your valuables or merely as an area to place your lamp, mobile phone or TV remote – a bedside table is definitely a bedroom essential.  However their benefits go far beyond being a useful place to store things, by choosing the right decorative bedside table you can add some chic and elegant elements to your bedroom and give it a polished, coordinated look.

The range of bedside table styles available can be overwhelming – from bedside tables with drawers to those with cupboards or a lot of height, there are several things that you need to consider before making your decision.  If storage is essential, you’ll want to ensure your new bedside table has enough storage space to suit your needs.  Whether this is a single draw or several, take into consideration what you need the item for before looking to make a purchase.  If you are more flexible with your choices and storage is simply a bonus, rather than a necessity, you will have a lot more freedom with the choice of styles on offer.

Classic French Bedside Tables

A French style bedside table is the ultimate accessory for your bedroom.  Featuring classic detailing and rich, neutral colours, a French inspired bedside table is a fantastic item for adding a sophisticated touch to your room.  They work especially well with large, ornate beds with lots of accessories to recreate the French chateau look.

Shabby Chic Style Bedroom

Another great option for making a style statement in your bedroom is choosing an antique style dressing table that isn’t a perfect match for the rest of your décor. Even though we sell may matching pieces we find so many people love to mix and match our furniture.

The unique and striking pieces will give your room a shabby chic feel that is very on-trend at the moment and allows you to incorporate other unusual pieces into your home once you’ve introduced your first one.  Why not experiment with interesting lighting styles to turn your chic bedside table into a feature and make the most of any old items that may have been forgotten about that are just waiting to be used with your décor.

Simple, Contemporary Looks

Modern styled bedrooms can also benefit from smart bedside tables.  If you, like so many others like your home to look minimalist with little clutter and enjoy clean, simple shapes – block style bedside tables can give a room a really cool and coordinated look and whilst they may be lacking in storage space, you can still keep things on the table top (if you want to, that is!)

Classic styles like this Black Glass Cube Side Table is an essential for contemporary homes and can easily be used in another room if you wish.

Beau Décor specialises in selling stylish, elegant furniture that looks timeless and fits into any home and has dozens of beautiful bedside tables to choose from.  Take a look at the impressive collection here and  find your perfect match.

There was a time that white furniture was bought to be painted over with other colours according to people’s tasted and existing colour schemes – but today, white furniture is proving to be more popular than ever. Beau Décor’s Isabelle range features some fantastic affordable pieces to help transform your home, and give it a fresh look.

White goes well with most colour schemes and popular current trends include monochrome as well as white and pastel colours (think pink, green, blue and yellow) or can be teamed with metallic such as gold and silver to create luxury interiors.  Mix and match with other furniture colours for shabby chic or invest in matching items for a co-ordinated look.

In the bedroom, white furniture can look fantastic, and a white bed frame is a great place to start.  The Isabelle White Collection Bed is designed in a simple style with a decorative headboard and is easily matched with white or coloured bedding depending on your preferences.

There are also some great matching items available including the Isabelle White Bedside Cabinet and Isabelle White Single Wardrobe.

If you have a large bedroom, or perhaps a separate dressing room, there are some beautiful white pieces that can provide the perfect shabby chic style look for your home, creating a sleek look for your chosen room and also a mood lifting area that will make getting ready in the mornings a pleasure. We recommend the Isabelle White Dressing Table (which can be used as a desk) which features multiple drawers for storing all of your essentials, and the matching Isabelle White Dressing Table Stool  which can be adorned with colourful accessories for a cool contrasting look.

In the living room, white furniture can create the impression of space as well as giving rooms a clean, pure feeling.  If you have a black television, this Isabelle White Television Unit is a great way to make it stand out, and features ample storage space for CD’s, DVD’s and other items.

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to clean and maintain white furniture and as all the pieces are made from high quality wood, they’ll provide you with long lasting pieces that will remain in your home for many years.

View the entire Isabelle White Collection here and explore more options as well as further details for those mentioned in this article.

The 10^th of March marks Mother’s Day, unsure what to buy this year? Chocolate, flowers, large cuddly teddy bear…we’ve thought of some fantastic ideas for an alternate gift to show how much you care.  Give your mum’s home an update and turn it into a beautiful and elegant space filled with chic French décor and thoughtful touches.  She’ll be sure to appreciate the gesture and the thoughtfulness that has gone into putting together such a wonderful present.

Your budget may not allow for a complete re-decoration, but investing in one stylish item can create a lot of impact and add something extra to a room.  A beautiful white bookcase like our Chateau White Open Bookcase makes a fantastic impression and will add a classic French touch to a living room or bedroom. It will be perfect for holding her favourite ornaments and books and will give the room a fresh feel.

Matching Items for a Classic Touch

Sophisticated matching furniture is a fantastic gift choice for Mother’s Day.  Make sure your mother’s ‘me time’ is truly special with some comfortable soft furniture to put her up with.  We love the Chesterfield set which features matching sofas and armchairs in beautiful light grey flannel which are a great match for any home and will instantly add a relaxed and tranquil feel to the living room.

Practical Items with a Loving Touch

Sometimes the simplest items can make the most impact, and show that you’ve put a lot of thought into your Mother’s Day gift.  Items with a personal, handcrafted feel will not only look original but will demonstrate that some effort was put into choosing the present, rather than just picking it out of your local supermarket.  These Large Country Cottage Style Shelves will look great in the kitchen and have a vintage feel to them that mothers will love.

Perfect for keeping recipe books or baking essentials, it has delightful antique look and will be sure to impress.

Other ideas for fabulous gifts include this striking French Style Mantel Clock which has stunning elegant detail and is a beautiful decorative item.

Choosing furniture or home accessories as a Mother’s Day gift allows you to get creative and think of gifts that your mother will love.  They’ll add warmth and brighten up her home and will be a nice surprise that shows how much you love her.  Explore Beau Décor’s exquisite range of homeware and find something truly special for your mum this Mother’s Day.

Dressing tables are no longer a plain and practical piece of furniture.  If you take a look at style and interior design magazines you will see that dressing tables are becoming more and more of a prominent feature, whether in the bedroom or in a stand-alone dressing room.  They can be dressed up and matched to your other furniture or mismatched to create the perfect shabby chic look interior.  At Beau Décor we have a fantastic selection of French style dressing tables which are a great investment and a fun way to add some style to your home.

This Large Silver Dressing Table Mirror Set is a great item which will make an impression in your bedroom.  Made from wood with a distressed silver finish it is ideal for most colour schemes and has the benefit of coming with a matching mirror.  Match it to the rest of your décor by draping coordinating scarves over it and add some cool trinkets to personalise the space.  We also stock a matching Antiqued Silver Dressing Table Stool to complete the look.

For a more modern style, a mirrored dressing table is a fantastic alternative.  Not only will they catch the light and illuminate the space around it, but they will be easy to match with your existing furniture and colour scheme.  The Antiqued Silver Mirrored Dressing Table is a great choice and features multiple drawers for all of your getting ready essentials.

Simpler styles can make a great feature for your bedroom, complimenting  the rest of the furniture rather than standing out alone.  Our favourite is this Black Glass Console Dressing Table which can be bought together with the Noir Boudoir Collection Mirror to create a stylish dressing area.

Dressing tables are also a great way to experiment with lighting.   From spotlights to table lamps and floor lamps, there is room to be creative with lighting and ensure that you have a dressing area that is suited to your mood and tastes.  We have a great selection of lamps available in our Lighting section which has a fantastic range of options and ideas.

To view all the French inspired dressing tables click here to be taken to the relevant page.

Often the guest room is one that is neglected the most, particularly in a new home where the focus is to get the main rooms ready and wait until the announcement of a visit from friends or family to fly into a last minute panic to get the room ready for their arrival.  You can avoid all the stress and panic by taking a look at Beau Décor’s fantastic furniture range and we’ll show you how you can easily create the look of a luxury hotel guest room with just a few simple items.  Your guests will be grateful to you in the morning!

Our beds range from the simple but stylish to elegant and striking.  Depending on what you’re looking for you may want to consider the White Painted Cottage Style Bed which features classic white frames and is perfect for a smaller space or if you’re looking for something more detailed, the Revival Rococo Upholstered Sleigh Bed is a great alternative reminiscent of quaint country hotels and guest houses.  You won’t want to upstage your own bed by investing in anything too extravagant so these classic styles are perfect for your guest room.

Add an elegantly designed bedside table, like this Chateau White 2 Drawer Bedside Table and a co-ordinating lamp, and you’ve got the most crucial areas covered for when your guests are with you.

Depending on how long your guests will be staying, storage is essential.  We love the Georgian white 2 Door Wardrobe which has plenty of inner space, and a handy bottom drawer which is perfect for storing towels or spare sheets for you guests.

Finally, a mirror is a key item for any guest room and allows your visitors to get ready in peace rather than dashing in and out of your own room.  They can also be a fantastic way of opening up a room and creating the feeling of space if your guest room is on the smaller side.  A cheval mirror is perfect as it allows you to move the mirror around and put away when not needed, as well as looking elegant and tasteful.

This White Free Standing Mirror is versatile and easy to fit in with most interiors and is easy to move around.For more guest room inspiration and a look at our fantastic range – explore our dedicated Bedroom Furniture section featuring French inspired furniture for an elegant and luxury touch for your home.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and whilst most people are thinking about flowers and chocolate, we at Beau Décor are thinking of furniture.  From French inspired pieces and passionate styles, we’ve got everything you need to bring the romance into your home and give it a stylish and updated look.

Our favourite item in the collection is the beautiful Versailles Gold Heart Chair, which is a fabulous luxury piece inspired by the sophisticated styles of the Palace of Versailles and is made with a carved mahogany frame with a distressed gold gilt finish.  This is a versatile chair which would look perfect in the bedroom or dressing room and is especially suited to gold and cream furniture.

Place in front of a dressing table or full length mirror like the Full Length Free Standing Gold Rococo Mirror, it will provide a unique and interesting feature for your bedroom and a luxurious space for you to get ready every day.

It can be very simple to recreate the look of a French drawing room in your own home.  Just like Marie Antoinette, you too can have a grand and glamorous space to relax and entertain.  Add a few pieces like this Gold Versailles French 2 Seater Sofa and matching Versailles Gold Armchair and you’ll soon have a room that is as stylish as any room in Versailles.

This range is perfect for complimenting shabby chic interiors or incorporating French themes into your home.  If you’re looking to add a subtler touch, why not dress up your hallway with this stunning Gold & Marble Console Table and complete the look with this Gold and Cream Frill Lamp which will blend in with most styles of décor and create a beautiful feature for the entrance to your home.

The great thing about the Versailles range is that you can mix and match pieces with your existing furniture or build it up over time to create a running theme throughout your home.  Fans of romantic styles will fall in love with the delicate features and luxurious colours and be sure to impress visiting friends and family.  For these items and for more from Beau Décor’s fantastic Versailles Collection, click here. We hope your home is full of Love and Romance this Valentines Day!