While white has reined supreme in the world of interiors for quite some time, that trend is on the wane; instead the newest wave of interior designers and lifestyle bloggers are opting for a look that’s altogether more, well, cosy.

The trend-setting Soho house members’ club has recently opened a brand new venture in the Oxfordshire countryside offering log cabins and rooms, all of which are decorated in a rustic, homely, cosy style – and as a brand that’s famed for its forward thinking, there’s no doubt that this is the trendiest look in interior design right now.

Ready your canvas

While the average family home has neither the budget not the setting of the Soho Farmhouse and its ilk, creating a rustic but homely look with your interior decor is totally achievable, whatever your property and whatever your budget.

Unlike the prevalent minimalist look which denotes a palette of neutral colours, for this look you can choose from a much more varied colour scheme. While you don’t want to make a room feel small with dark walls, one or two feature walls in an exposed brick or panelling really enhances the rustic feel.

Expose your floorboards and stain them in a rich, dark colour if you can; while most family homes don’t have wooden walls or beams to expose, floorboards can be a great way to bring some wood into your living space.

Add some flair

Of course, one of the best ways to make your home feel cosy is with your soft furnishings; choose sofas and chairs in darker, richer colours and materials – chesterfields work beautifully with this look. You can also add heavy curtains and sumptuous rugs to make sure any guests feel instantly at ease in your homely home.

Woodburning stoves can add a really authentic touch and a log cabin feel, creating warmth in the room, a focal point that isn’t a TV and a delightful soundtrack of crackling and popping as your logs burn. Store logs in a rustic basket next to the stove to keep it looking great even when it isn’t in use.

Finish off your interior theme with some beautiful cushions and throws – for use and not just for show! Thick tartan blankets look fantastic draped over chairs and sofas or stored in a blanket basket, but they’re also great for wrapping up in on the long winter nights. Soften up your sofa with an eclectic selection of cushions, and your cosy look is ready to go.

If you’re looking for a woodburning stove to finish off a homely living room, take a look at the options that we have available – as good looking as they are efficient and warming!

There are many benefits to wood burning stoves, and you want yours to remain efficient and safe for many years to come. If you invest in a good quality stove, this should be easily done; however, there are some things you should do in order to ensure your stove is safe and working at optimum efficiency.

Keep Your Wood Burning Stove Clean

Keeping your stove clean is the first step towards ensuring an efficient, long-lived stove. Be sure to keep the ash pan clean by clearing the grate regularly. There are benefits to leaving a thin layer of ash in the grate. This prevents the grate and ash pan from burning, and will enable you to get a fire started more efficiently. You should also keep the glass clean, a task which is considerably easier on stoves with Airwash, as the vent helps to prevent the build-up of tar on your glass. When you are cleaning, check for distortions, cracks, rust, holes, and breaks in the seals. Always attend to such issues as soon as possible, to maintain peak efficiency, and be sure to check your manufacturer’s warranty to see if they are covered.

Keeping your chimney clear of tar and soot is essential and you should have it swept regularly, at the start and end of every winter. Tar and soot are very harmful and can not only damage your stove and chimney when the stove is not in use, but could also cause carbon monoxide to build up if the chimney becomes blocked. If your wood burning stove was installed after 2010, or is in a rented property, it is a legal requirement to have a carbon monoxide detector in the room with the stove. Regardless of legalities, this is a good idea generally. Carbon monoxide is lethal, and the cost of sweeping your chimney should not be more than £40 – £50. This is a small price to pay to ensure your wood burning stove remains efficient and safe!

In addition to the carbon monoxide detector, you should have a smoke detector fitted in the room, and check it regularly. It is also worth fitting a bird guard when your stove in installed, to keep any birds from nesting in your chimney – nothing ruins the efficacy of a stove more than a nest clogging up the chimney, or stray birds finding their way down into your fire.

To reduce the frequency your chimney needs sweeping as much as possible, be sure to use seasoned and dry logs, which will leave less soot
in your chimney. Kiln-dried wood is particularly good, both for reducing the build-up of soot, and ensuring peak efficiency.

Pellet stoves are slightly different, as they have electrical elements that need servicing on an annual basis. Just as servicing your car regularly ensures it runs at peak efficiency, so too do regular services of your pellet stove ensure it’s in tip top condition.

Follow these simple steps and you will be enjoying your stove for many years to come.