Are you looking to buy a new rug or unsure how you should be making the most of the rug you have? Keep reading Part 1 of ‘Rug Rules’ to learn some useful tips that a lot of designers are using in living rooms.
This guide has pulled together a lot of clever ‘rug rules’ we have come across over the years that help give your living rooms that expensive and finished look. If you haven’t already bought a rug, these tips will help you decide on what size rug you need.
Living Room (Placement of Legs)
THE DO'S
- All on -
It generally looks very smart if all your furniture legs (sofas, chairs, side tables) are all on the rug. This is not only visually great, but it is also a practical option, as the furniture weighs the rug down, keeping it in place. This tip works the best in a particularly large room.
- Front on, back off -
For a smaller room, this tip may work better for you. By placing just the front legs of your furniture onto your rug, it will give the room a good sense of proportion. This option is also practical, the furniture will still keep the rug in place.
THE DON'TS
- None on -
This is a controversial point. It is rare that this one works well within a design, and is often where people go wrong with their rugs. Rugs without any furniture on it generally looks awkward, as if it is floating in the room, and also the rug is very likely to move as people walk on it.
Hopefully, you will have learnt something new about furniture positioning, if you are having any troubles with your furniture layouts and rugs, leave us a message in the comments, and we’ll see if we can help you!
In Part 2 we will be covering ‘Rug Rules’ in your Bedrooms and Dining Rooms.
So you’re looking to buy new flooring, but you’re already feeling limited because it has to be.. easy to clean because of the kids, or incredibly durable because of the every day use in your business.. sound familiar?
At Emily May Interiors we know how daunting buying flooring can seem, but I’m here to let you know that you are far from limited. With new technology, comes new materials!
I have narrowed it down to 3 different issues, in order to help you with what flooring will best suit you and your needs.
1. PETS
What are the issues?
The main issues for pet owners face is hoovering up fur and cleaning up dirty paws after your pet has been outside.
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What would we suggest?
For Pet Owners, I would suggest an LVT – Luxury Vinyl Tiles, which although it is a commercial product, you’ll soon find out the benefits.
LVT is thinner and more durable, which is perfect for stopping those sharp claws from ruining your floor. It’s also amazing for high traffic areas, as well as being very easy to clean. The best collections for residential properties, are “Camaro” and “Colonia” which come in both wood and stone designs.
2. CHILDREN
What are the issues?
Children are messy, you are likely to get food, crayons, drinks pretty much anything they get their hands on or feet in will also end up on your floor!
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What would we suggest?
For Parents, I would suggest either LVT (mentioned above) or a LVS – Luxury Vinyl Sheets.
For parents of toddlers in particular I would suggest Vinyl as it is the cheaper option. It is easy to clean and you can also get them cushioned, which – if they are learning to walk – is great for softening any falls! The other bonuses are that cushioned vinyl is warm under foot, and it reduces impact sound to help minimise noise.
But if you really wanted carpet, don’t worry, they’re not off the cards, did you know that a lot of them are even bleachable now? It’s just a matter of asking!
3. COMMERCIAL USE
What are the issues?
The main issues commercial properties such as offices or retail face, is the constant use. The flooring must be hard-wearing and durable to withstand every day use.
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What would we suggest?
For commercial properties, I would suggest using either carpet or LVT flooring.
Carpets are great because they can be cut to any shape, and come in many patterns and designs. Commercial carpets have short loom loops, such as “Tivoli Carpet Planks”. They are very hardwearing, and you can also mix and match different colours and patterns, making them not only a practical choice, but also a visually interesting one too!
LVT as you have probably guessed by now is a very practical choice of flooring. There are many different collections available, but are more suitable for a commercial environment as they have been designed for heavy duty areas, such as “Expona Commercial Wood PUR” and “Expona Commercial Stone Effect PUR”
For those of you who weren’t aware, Emily May Interiors has officially moved from Llanelli, and has now opened in Narberth! We now have an office space and also a new showroom to show you all the wonderful items we can supply. I wanted to show you all what I’ve been up to if you haven’t seen our Facebook updates, so here it is..
The showroom is located in the Workshops on Jesse Road, it was a blank canvas which was a dream to design! I managed to decorate it all (with the help of my wonderful handyman & partner, Phil) within 6 weeks, and we officially moved on May 1st 2017.
I am so pleased with the final result! I have always wanted a showroom, and now I get to work in a beautiful place and be inspired all the time. I can’t stress how important it is to invest into the spaces you spend a lot of time in!
THE OPENING NIGHT
We had the opening night on the 17th of May, and I can’t thank everyone enough for all the support we were shown! Here’s a couple of pictures from the evening!
NEXT GOAL: THE ONLINE SHOP
We have been working with our suppliers to get some great deals on products, and I cannot wait for it to go live!
Blinds are great because they are such a flexible window treatment, keep reading to learn more about having your own Blinds made.
1. CHOICE
The great thing with blinds, is that there is such a great choice. There are many different types of blinds, and all of them are customisable. These are the ones we currently supply:
Roman Blinds can be made in almost any fabric, making them a very customisable choice.
Vertical Blinds come in many different colours, making them suitable for a traditional or modern home.
Roller Blinds are made of a lighter fabric than romans, but again are very customisable, coming in voile fabric, black outs, plain fabrics, or even have your own design printed onto fabric!
Venetian Blinds are the closest choice to shutters, giving them a very slick, clean finish. Venetians come in a wide variety of colours, and can vary from aluminium to wood.
‘Perfect Fit’ blinds are either Roller or Venetian blinds that fit perfectly within the frame of your window or door.
Don’t forget that blinds can also be combined with curtains to achieve this gorgeous look!
2. QUALITY
It is important to buy your blinds through a trusted supplier. All the blinds we supply, other than our roman blinds, are ordered through our suppliers. We are very fortunate to work with great suppliers and fitters who will ensure that the jobs are carried out in great time and very professionally.
As I mentioned, we don’t use a supplier for our roman blinds, that;s because our roman blinds are handmade by my mum, Pauline who has over 25 years’ experience. Which means that not only can you can be assured that they will be of high quality but they will also be bespoke!
3. CHILD SAFETY
As the years have gone by, blinds have undergone many safety tests, it is now a legal requirement that blinds are made child friendly. It’s very important when you are buying blinds, that you get them from a trusted supplier that follows these regulations.
As a supplier ourselves, we must ensure that all the potential hazards regarding the cords and chains are eliminated.
Your home should be a place that you can leave your children explore, and know that they’re going to be completely safe.
We hope you enjoyed reading; “Beautiful Blinds”
If you would like to arrange a FREE Consultation, please contact us
We all love a break away in a hotel or B&B. Whether it is to escape our daily routines, lose ourselves somewhere new or to emerge ourselves in a bit of luxury, so why not invest and make it the best it can be!
Getting an interior designer help you improve your hotel or B&B – It will enable you to have that edge and the ability to stand out from the rest in a tasteful and appealing way. Whilst your potential guests that are flicking through options online will certainly be looking for the right location and have a budget in mind, their call to action to book will be heavily influenced by the visual appeal of the hotel. The photos of your hotel will tell a story of the potential experience and will encourage possible guests to get booking! So finding out what your particular guests want – is essential to exceeding their expectations.
Emily Black is the Founder and Owner of Emily May Interiors. Emily has worked as an interior designer for three years and is professional, friendly and approachable with experience in both residential and commercial fields of property. With a background in textiles and design, you can be assured that Emily has the knowledge and ideas, to inspire and make your ideas a reality. Emily works closely to given briefs, budgetary and style requirements yet can also give her clients design ideas and work with them to achieve the best outcome.
Emily takes on each client project with passion and enthusiasm and will dig deep to understand your hotel, it’s goals, your dreams and who your clients are and what makes them revisit. It’s important for your guests to feel welcome and relaxed when staying with you. Those that are regular guests come back to stay with you for a reason – so Emily will take the time to understand and look around your hotel and spend the time taking notes of inspiration that she has a knack for seeing in every project.
The beauty of taking on an Interior Designer to update your Hotel business means you will stay on budget, so you have full control of the expenditure. As you know, at times, it can be difficult to resist impulse buying!
Emily will have access to a range of fabulous trade suppliers meaning that she is able to source the perfect items for your hotel whether it’s a bulk order of chairs or a sourcing those one off pieces. You can be assured of the finest quality products, sometimes locally sourced, as we too like to support local businesses where we can, but without compromising the quality and design for our clients. With Emily being up to date with the latest hotel trends and fashion to ensure she creates the right professional, inspiring, welcoming look for you and your guests. Emily and her team will manage the project from start to finish with your hotel at the heart of the process.
If you are looking for a fresh new look whether it is just one room or your whole Hotel/B&B we would love the opportunity to arrange a freedesign meeting to understand your interior design requirements and meet you and your business.
Contact Emily and the team on 01554 754356 or leave Emily a direct message on [email protected]
It can be quite a challenge sometimes for hoteliers to decide on the best look for their hotel. Take a look at my top tips on the best colours and paint to use in your hotel to inspire you.
Firstly, I recommend selecting easy to maintain and washable paints for the interior of your hotel. As we all know how accidents happen and walls and paintwork take quite a beating from luggage!
I believe it’s important to have a fresh & clean look, as it will appeal to your discerning guests and also make them feel welcomed. Boutique hotels can either go for a dramatic, bold look or it can go the total opposite and go for a calming, softer look.. one with careful coordination.
Look to create a mood board with a few colours from a palette you are drawn to; colours that will reflect the sophisticated and elegant look you desire for your boutique hotel. For a 5* feel, mixing neutrals with luxury tones like pewter, lilacs, grey, charcoal and whites can create not only a sense of space but that optimum luxurious feeling your guests desire.
Whether you have a modern hotel in need of a splash of drama, or a historical B&B that you would like to restore to a certain time period, here are a few fabulous paint companies that I recommend for you;
Little Greene Paint Company
Little Greene are in partnership with English Heritage, they have combined research to discover the true historical colours used over several key periods in history. Little Greene also supply historical wallpapers that beautiful complement the company’s paint palettes. Each collection resurrects designs found in forgotten archives.
“We are particularly proud of our paints’ depth of colour – undertones that subtly change in different lights, providing real character and definition: the more complex the pigmentation the more interesting the colour.”
Fired Earth
Fired Earth has a collection of 120 paint colours, including elegant neutrals, bold accents and charming pastels. Each colour in their palette echoes the hues and authenticity of our natural and cultural heritage.
“All our paints provide exceptional coverage, are practical, hardwearing and virtually odourless. Our Exterior Masonry provides a hardwearing smooth finish and protects against extreme weather conditions.”
Farrow & Ball
With interior and exterior, modern and traditional finishes available in a large variety of colours, all which have been inspired by nature, the beautiful surroundings of Dorset or from historical homes.
Farrow & Ball have carefully crafted a palette of 132 colours, from the dusky ‘Stiffkey Blue’ all the way through to their vibrant ‘St Giles Blue’, they are sure to have a colour that will inspire you!
“There is true alchemy to our paints. It’s the high levels of pigment, rich resin binders, and the high refractory nature of our key ingredients that produces our signature immersive depth of colour”
If you would like any help with selecting the perfect colour palette for a ‘new look’ or total refurbishment, I would be delighted to arrange to visit you at your Hotel – Get in touch with us today.
We hope you enjoyed reading; “Picking Paint – Top tips on the best paint and colours to use in your Hotel”
Shutters are a simple addition to your windows which make a world of difference, keep reading to learn more about the benefits of having your own made to measure shutters.
1. PRACTICAL & BEAUTIFUL
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
I love that quote from William Morris, it’s a great place to begin when designing your home, and if one item can tick both boxes.. even better!
Their classic yet minimalistic design makes them a timeless addition to your home! Shutters are also useful all year round, they will keep the suns glare out in the summer, and they will keep the heat in during the winter months (and boy do we have a lot of those in Wales!).
On top of that their simple design also makes them very easy to clean, and that is always a bonus.
2. INSTANT LUXURY
Elegant, Bespoke and Timeless… and you don’t have to lift a finger!
Made to measure Shutters are tailored not only to fit your windows perfectly but also your personal style. They come in many different colours, styles, and materials. They can even be made to fit the most awkward windows!
Once you have decided on what style you like, our fitter will come and measure your window, the order will be put in, and once they’ve been made, our fitter will come back to install them, it really doesn’t get much easier than that!
3. ADDS VALUE TO YOUR HOME
Yes it just keeps getting better right!
As mentioned earlier, shutters help act as a layer of insulation in the winter months by keeping the heat in, and have been proven to reduce heating costs!
Shutters can last up to 20 years when cared for properly, and you’ll want to care for them when I tell you the next benefit… they add value to your property!
So, if you are looking to sell in a few years, not only will you be able to treat yourself by installing Shutters, but your property will have real curb appeal.
Shutters come with so many benefits, and though the price tag may be higher than blinds or curtains, they are an investment that you can enjoy for many more years to come!
We hope you enjoyed reading; “Showstopping Shutters”
If you would like to arrange a FREE Consultation, please contact us
Are you and your guests fed up of dark mornings and gloomy nights? I feel your pain, so it’s time for me to share my 3 top lighting tips for brightening those darker rooms you may have in your Hotel or B&B.
Lighting creates ambience in a room, as much as its practical uses too; it can be used as a feature or even to highlight a feature i.e. a piece of artwork.
Lighting affects our moods whether we realise it or not, it can make us feel welcomed into a room and make us feel comfortable, cosy and at home. It’s important when choosing lighting that you decide what type of lighting you need. If you would like some advice on this or are unsure, pleaseget in touch.
Here are our 3 top lighting tips for dark rooms….
Spotlights…
are essential for Hotels/B&Bs, as often you have fine art, statues or antiques, as part of your furnishings. Use a well-placed spotlight to emphasise a masterpiece or antique but make sure they are fitted with a dimmer switch or it may ruin the effect you are looking to achieve, as they can be very bright.
Downlighters…
can make a huge difference to the lighting in a room, particularly where there may be an element of good light, by way of French doors or large windows but still a feeling of dark corners, due to it being Autumn. They will give you a soft glow which creates warmth, ambience and a cosy feel.
Decorative lighting…
can be used to great effect with so many options available, these days. Try an over-sized decorative lamp, for example, for task lighting over a reading desk in a library.
If you are looking for more lighting ideas or would like some advice, please contact us and we would be delighted to help.
We hope you enjoyed reading; “3 Top Tips for Brightening your Guests’ Rooms”
There are many methods designers adopt to help clients achieve the most
out of their spaces, here’s a couple of our tricks..
1. PLAN, PLAN AND PLAN SOME MORE
Planning sounds boring and time consuming, but it’ll save a lot of hassle later on.
Spatial planning is so important to making the most out of the space you have, the easiest method in doing this in with a floor plan.
A floor plan is a bird’s eye view of your space; it’s very easy to do one of these, just pop out a tape measure and get drawing. It’s very important that floor plans are drawn to scale in order for it to be an accurate representation of your space.
Floor plans not only help us visualise the space better, but they are a great visual tool for us to communicate our ideas with our clients. Once the floor plans are drawn, we can then go ahead and source the furniture and arrange it within this space.
2. SMART SOURCING
Because we all know someone who bought furniture that didn’t fit through the door!
Having the wrong sized furniture will have a terrible visual impact on your room. You may have found the most beautiful sofa ever, and then when you come to put it in the space, it just overpowers the room, and then you’re either stuck with a beautiful but large sofa, or you have to deal with the hassle of returning it and go back to the drawing board.
When we find the furniture we’re going to source, we measure them up and draw them into our plan to ensure that it will all fit and that the layout will work for our clients’ needs.
The arrangement of your furniture also has an enormous impact on your space, it influences how people experience it and what path they with walk along. You may have realised that IKEA have masterfully planned their stores to make you walk the whole way around it so that you see everything. There is power in planning.
3. IT PAYS TO BE ORGANISED
Quite literally, it could save you money in future.
When you are in the first stages of your design, electrical points, such as the location of a plug socket need to be factored in, that way you can make sure they are concealed and won’t ruin your final design.
This is also a problem in the kitchen where appliances aren’t in a convenient location due to the plug sockets limiting our freedom. Or our phones won’t reach the bedside table because the cables are so far away. Factoring the location of electrical items in the early stages of planning and design really will make your life much easier.
Spatial planning impacts the way we live every day, and if it is done well, it can really enhance your life
and help make the most out of your existing spaces.
We hope you enjoyed reading; “How to make the most of your space”
If you would like to arrange a FREE Consultation, please contact us
There is always this debate between redesigning our homes ourselves or to hire a professional to do it for us. I’m here to give you a little insight into the benefits of hiring an interior designer.
1. Secret Services
No it’s not what you’re thinking, but it’s still pretty cool.
By using an Interior Designer, you are not only gaining access to their expertise, but also to all of their contacts. They have connections with many companies who supply to trade only and have furniture and furnishings you would never see otherwise, maybe even that exact fabric you’ve been searching everywhere for.
2. Saves Money
Believe it or not, in the long run it will.
Whenever ‘Interior Designer’ is mentioned, you will often hear people saying “Oh I wish I could afford to have one”.
There is often a misconception that Interior Designers are just out to steal your money, but that’s really not the case, we promise.
When we design for our own homes, we usually spread the design costs over a number of months or years, yet with an Interior Designer it seems like a lot, as it is usually paid all at once.
The difference is that when you design yourself, you don’t usually set a budget as such, and you will keep adding and altering your space which you may never be entirely happy with. Yet with an Interior Designer, they will work within a set budget, and will use their expertise to source the best items available within that budget. You’re not only paying the Interior Designer to design the space and source the items, but you pay for an entire scheme from concept to completion (that includes all the other trades people who may be involved).
3. Saves Time
Talking about tradespeople, they’ll save you a lot of time and hassle too.
As previously mentioned, when we design for ourselves, we see no hurry to get things done, or may not even have the time to get anything done.
Deadlines are so important; it ensures that things get done at a timely pace.
You can either set them for your Interior Designer, or they can set them if you are unsure about how the process works, but they can guarantee you a finished job.
Interior Designers are you designers and project managers. They use their knowledge within the industry to source all the fabric, furniture and anything else you will need. They will order all of your items and plan out the best layouts for your space. They will do all the chasing for you to ensure that everything arrives on time and within budget, and will be there to see the project through to completion.
We hope you enjoyed reading; “Designer vs DIY”
If you would like to arrange a FREE Consultation, please contact us
