How To Turn Your Living Room Mexican

Today, January 25th, is reported to be the most depressing day of the British year, so what better time to bring a little sunshine and good cheer into your home? With this handy guide, you'll soon be able to transform your living room into a delightful, Mexican inspired space that is filled with warmth, character, colour and style.

The basis for Mexican style is found in a colour palette comprising of cactus-like greens, adobe red and desert-toned neutral hues, with accents provided by bursts of bright yellow, dusty orange and deep turqoise or teal.

Check out how the colour of the walls
brings out the warmth of the wood

One of the best ways to get that spicy Mexican feel is through the use of distressed wood. If you have any exposed wooden features, such as beams or panelling, in your living room, then strip them back and gently abrade the surfaces until they are rough, and then rub in some dark pigment wax to bring the unusual shapes of the wood into relief. Wipe off excess wax with a dry cloth. You can also use a little sandpaper to abrade the highest points to provide highlights.

The distressed theme should be continued to the furniture - you can buy beautiful hand distressed wooden furniture, or, for more ecological brownie points, furniture that has been made from reclaimed timber, to give your room that glorious lived-in feel.

Leather chairs and sofas, especially elegantly worn ones, really help to bring the relaxed, organic feel of a Mexican room to life. It looks especially good if it has an exposed wooden frame, which can match the rest of your furniture, bringing your sofa into close style proximity with your coffee table.

Mexican style rooms can take colour
combinations that would clash elsewhere

The Mexican look is all in the details - hang striped fabrics from the walls, and find Mexican or South American designed vases and ornaments. There are many little projects you can do to help with your Mexican theme - if you have a fireplace and a bit of spare time, why not check out hgtv.com's guide to creating a Mexican-style fireplace screen, perfect for bringing your new look together.

These antique Mexican vases
make great accent pieces

If you've been bitten by the Mexican style bug, why not check out Donna McMenamin's book on traditional Mexican design, available through Amazon.

So take a fresh look at your living room, and decide whether it might benefit from a bit of spicing up!

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How to Use Ceilings to Enhance Your Furniture

Despite being the single largest surface in almost any room, we seldom think of our ceilings, and often miss out on exciting ways to bring a new style to our homes. This handy guide offers hints and tips on making the most of your ceiling, with decorating tips and examples for you to draw on.

If your ceiling has sloping sections, these can be painted to match the walls, breaking up the line between wall and ceiling and giving your room a unique look. Alternatively, sloping sections can be painted in a contrasting tone for a bold expression of your style. For example, in a room with a royal blue wall and white ceiling a sloping section can be painted red, or if this is too much, slate grey. This is perfect for creating an environment to show off contemporary furniture, as the emphasis on lines and shapes will fit the clean aesthetic of modern furniture. Try installing recessed halogen spotlights to really nail that up-to-the-minute look.

The Sistine Chapel ceiling,
painted by Michaelangelo

If you're going for a traditional look, then why not consider a ceiling rose? Plaster roses (sometimes called ceiling medallions) can be bought from DIY superstores, although it's recommended that you have a professional do the installation. Once installed, you have a choice of paint options. The traditional choice is white, the same as the rest of the ceiling, but you can get a refined, relaxed-yet sophisticated look by painting it in a patina of bronze, copper or even gold. Ceiling roses really set off a traditional room, and you can create a great effect by accessorising traditional wooden sideboards, console tables and bookshelves with matching bronze, copper or gold ornaments.

The exposed beams in this room really
contribute to its relaxed style

If you are lucky enough to have exposed wooden beams in your ceiling, it's worth taking the time to make sure they look their best. You can go for the old-fashioned, Tudor-style option of painting them black or deep umbre, and pairing this with a white or cream ceiling. If you want a more modern look, strip your beams back and give them a coat of Danish oil for a light and airy feel. This look is perfect for setting off chunky oak furniture, and can really bring out the grain in pieces with large surfaces, such as coffee tables.

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How To Protect Your Pine Furniture

Pine is a soft wood which continuously 'respires' when there are changes in the temperature and the environment. Pine will always feature some small irregularities, such as slight shrinkage and minor defects like small cracks in the wood's surface and knots, although many of these apparent imperfections actually enhance the look of the wood, making furniture unique.

The first thing to remember when caring for your pine furniture is that sunlight can have a dramatic effect on both the colour and surface of the timber. It's a good idea to keep untreated pine out of direct sunlight, although lacquered or waxed pine has much better resistance to cracking and discolouration.

In order to prevent the wood from bowing or cracking, it's a good idea to make sure that it is in an area with a constant temperature, as rapid changes can cause the wood to dry out, expand, and crack. It's also advisable to avoid placing hot or cold items directly onto the wood.

Rubber protectors can prevent moisture
damage, as well as damage to floors

As well as temperature, pine is susceptible to damage from moisture. If you are planning to place your furniture in a room with a tiled or laminate floor, make sure you use rubber protectors placed under the feet to stop the wood from soaking up any accidental spills or condensation, as moisture can cause splitting and discolouration.

Always be gentle when cleaning your pine furniture

When cleaning your pine furniture, it's important not to use soap or detergent, or any polish that contains silicone, as this can affect the appearance of the grain, and may in some cases cause staining. For general cleaning, use a damp duster and gently buff the wood to a shine. If you need to give your furniture a deeper clean, then try looking in your local hardware shop for lemon oil or another soft polishing oil treatment.

If you are using an oil based polish, it's worth testing it out on an out of sight area in order to make sure that it doesn't alter the natural colouring of the wood. If you need a bit more in depth advice on finding the right products for your furniture, check out Ronseal's website, which features some really handy how-to-guides that will help you get the most out of your pine furniture.

Properly cared for, pine can be a beautiful presence

One of the most effective ways to keep your pine furniture looking its best is to use a furniture wax. Much pine furniture will come ready-waxed, although it's worth reapplying the finish every year or two to ensure that the wood remains fully protected, especially if it is a feature piece such as a coffee table or dresser.

Of course, with all the preparation in the world, it's impossible to avoid accidents, so here's a handy tip to deal with minor dents, especially useful for dining tables - boil a kettle, and pour a very small amount of hot water onto the affected area then mop up excess water with a cloth. The moisture should cause the dent to plump out. If the wood swells too much, place a heavy, flat object on top of the bump, and give it a day to dry out.

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Welcome to our new blog!

We are pleased to have finally got our blog up and running to go alongside our new PineSolutions website.

Keep an eye here for all the lastest furniture and interior design trends as well as all the lastest news from PineSolutions HQ.

If you haven't seen our new website - check it out www.pinesolutions.co.uk . There's a few things still to change but let us know what you think. We have a great selection of affordable solid oak, pine and painted furniture so you can give your home a new look for spring.

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