Bianca Hall is an interiors fanatic, with a fresh, relaxed style that she showcases on her beautiful blog, French For Pineapple. We spoke to her about the pleasures of Simple Living and asked her to show us some of her favourite La Redoute pieces to give her home a summer refresh.
Simple living
You don’t have to completely start from scratch to give a room a great new look. Just changing or adding a few key pieces can really transform a space with minimum time and effort.
The Simple Living collection is the perfect curation of gorgeous pieces in calming colours, using natural materials that can be added to virtually any space to give it a fresh new feel.
Make a lasting impression
First impressions count, but hallways are often really tricky spaces. Many hallways (mine included) are too narrow to accommodate a piece of furniture.
Rather than crowding it with anything too big which can disrupt the physical and visual flow, consider a sculptural stool and a basket or two for shoes. This adds instant interest and personality, lifting the space, whilst remaining practical and uncluttered.
Show off your living space
Never underestimate the power of rugs! A new rug will give a room a completely new look, while anchoring the furniture and really pulling a space together.
Go as big as the area can take, whilst still allowing some air around the edges to see the floor. Ideally the front legs of your sofa will sit on top of the rug.
For a cohesive look, use the rug colours as inspiration to bring in some other accessories such as cushions, vases and decorative objects, and some simple wooden tones for some visual warmth and natural texture.
Et voila! You have a refreshed space to take you into the new season, or just into the new week! You know what they say - a change is as good as a holiday…
Stick to the basics in your bedroom
Beautiful linen bedding can make a huge difference, in looks and comfort and is a great way to refresh a bedroom without breaking the bank. I’ve mixed a few neutrals to keep it calm and inviting.
A bench at the end of the bed is a super practical addition, giving you somewhere to keep decorative bed cushions at the end of the day and of course clothes, when you just don’t have the energy to put them away at night. Add a cosy rug and keep everything else really pared back for a truly restful space.
So many of these pieces are multifunctional and can work in various ways in other rooms. A stool can double as a side table in a bedroom, living room or even in the bathroom, as the perfect spot for a magazine so it’s in reach when you’re taking a long soak.
Baskets are infinitely useful in every single room, from towels to keepsakes, DIY paraphernalia to important paperwork or toys, they’re not only useful for corralling items, but mean they’re easily moved about too. On top of the fridge, in a cupboard, on a shelf, next to a desk or just on the floor, they stop things from looking chaotic and are always chic.
Benches are such a hard-working item acting as extra seating for dinner party guests, or in place of a console or sideboard when space is tight. They look great styled up with stacks of magazines, a lamp, or leaning art. And of course if you’re lucky enough to have a wide hallway, then they are perfect for storing shoes and also provide a place to perch whilst putting your shoes on.
Remember that natural materials soften and add organic warmth and texture to any room, so if a room is feeling cold and uninviting try bringing some wood and earthy colours in and it will warm it right up.
Enjoyed Bianca’s edit? We’ve got an extensive range of interior design ideas over on our inspiration hub.
A trend we are keen to follow this season is pastels in the home as they can be subtly incorporated into your space to make all the difference to the room. Head over to the Interior Hub to discover how to use pastels in the home with Poppy from dustsheets_and_decor.
