The Home Barn Guide to Sustainable Interiors

The Home Barn Guide to Sustainable Interiors

The Home Barn Guide to Sustainable Interiors

Sustainability. It’s the word of the moment, and rightly so. From making more conscious decisions about the clothes we wear and the food we eat, to eschewing plastic and swapping the car for a bike, we all know that we need to make better choices for the sake of the environment. The same goes for the things we buy for our homes.

When it comes to furniture, choosing antique or vintage pieces is about the most sustainable choice you can make. Here at Home Barn, we have always celebrated homewares which have had a life before they found their way to our Buckinghamshire shop. The brilliant thing about buying antique furniture is that nothing needs to be produced – a sure-fire way of reducing your carbon footprint.

Then there’s the fact that you’ll also be buying something truly unique, rather than mass-produced in a far-away factory. Really, who wants to have another generic item which can be seen in houses up and down the land? Antique or vintage pieces will add to the charm of your home, making it feel lived-in and loved, and they’re bound to be more of a conversation starter than something from the high street.

How to style your coffee table

Our dining tables are all made from reclaimed timbers, which give them a wonderfully rustic look and means that you never have to be precious about the inevitable spills and knocks which will come over the years. Much of our glassware is made from recycled glass, and for special meals our vintage linen table runners add a relaxed sense of occasion.

Textiles add a lovely element of texture and warmth to any room and, old or new, our selection of cushions and vintage kilim rugs are always made from natural materials, which are not only better for the environment but also look and feel wonderful too.

When it comes to decoration, think beyond contemporary prints and posters. From vintage signs and ceramics to sea fans and sun-bleached shutters, adding decorative antiques to your home really adds interest, which can be especially helpful in modern or new-build homes. Even domestic items like vintage washboards and garden sieves look stylish when grouped in a considered way. It’s all about breathing new life into the old, so that it can continue to bring joy for years to come.

hope you have enjoyed reading our The Home Barn Guide to Sustainable Interiors blog post.

If you are looking for more daily inspiration follow our Instagram page

 

Sarah and Sally x


Vintage glass demijohn and other vessels containing warm yellow firefly lights - Christmas home styling ideas from Home Barn

How to style your home for Christmas – with vintage details

How to style your home for Christmas – with vintage details.

We don’t do Christmas by halves here at Home Barn; it’s a truly magical time of the year when our beautiful rustic barn in the Buckinghamshire countryside becomes a twinkling beacon of all things festive. It’s especially pretty under a dusting of snow.

Naturally, we love the timeless appeal of vintage Christmas decorations; from zinc garlands to glass baubles, artisan tree toppers, candelabra centrepieces, elegant festive wreaths and plenty more besides. So here, we share our tips for using vintage decorations to add a flourish of festive cheer to your home.

Handcrafted and sustainable

Vintage Christmas tree decorations abound here at Home Barn (you can never have too many!) and we like to keep the colour palette simple and the materials sustainable. So consider decorations in rustic metals like zinc, tin and aged brass, as well as glass – such as our glass baubles  and glass icicles which reflect light beautifully. With plastic-free Christmas decorations in mind, our handcrafted zinc mistletoe garland is a great alternative to tinsel, while our traditional handmade decorative felt gloves and ice skate decorations bring with them a comforting touch of nostalgia. They’re perfect for Christmas gift ideas, too.

How to style your home for Christmas – with vintage details

Festive feasting

One of our most treasured festive rituals is feasting around the dining table with friends and family and we love creating Christmas table settings brimming with natural materials and twinkling lights. Mixing textures adds interest, so cut glass tealight holders flicker alongside a vintage linen table runner and foraged foliage, moss and berries from the hedgerows. When creating your Christmas tablescapes, think about adding interest at different heights. Try filling a glass bell jar with a cluster of pillar candles to add drama to the table, or create a similar effect with our tall candelabra table centrepiece.

Piquing the senses

We like to consider all the senses when styling our home for Christmas, especially when creating a festive focal point in the main living area. Cire Trudon scented candles [add link when live], vintage silvered glass demijohns [http://homebarnshop.co.uk/shop/vintage-glass-home-accessories/vintage-silvered-carboydemijohn/] filled with foliage, warm yellow firefly lights and textural decorations work beautifully together on the mantelpiece above a crackling fire. Arranging sparkling items such as our glitter bird decorations with real feathers  and vintage Christmas lights in front of a large rustic mirror reflects and amplifies the twinkling light. Throw a soft knitted blanket or fluffy sheepskin rug over a fireside chair for extra Winter warmth.

So why not come vintage treasure hunting at Home Barn and for our lastest updates follow along on Instagram

Sally & Sarah

xx

 

You might also like ….

Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Home Barn, Marlow.

Rustic farm house table from Home Barn with bell jar filled with lots of candles and xmas decoration

Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow

Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow

Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow

 

Welcome to our Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow.

At this time of year, when the leaves have fallen and the air feels crisp, there are few things more comforting than a weekend in the country enjoying long pub lunches, roaring fires and winter walks.

Here, we are surrounded by some of the best country pubs and hotels in Buckinghamshire and beyond, so we’ve chosen our favourite local places to eat and stay to make a weekend of your trip to Home Barn. We hope you enjoy our blog post Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow.

Home Barn exterior a beautiful black barn

The cosy local pub

For great coffee, comforting home-cooked food and crackling log fires, you don’t need to venture far from Home Barn. Just a short stroll across the road, tucked away in the pretty village of Little Marlow is The Queens Head; a cosy 16th century country pub. Enjoy a stroll around the village with the dog before settling in by the fire for a hearty lunch and a warming drink.

Pound Lane, Little Marlow SL7 3SR; marlowslittlesecret.co.uk

Image credit: marlowslittlesecret.co.uk

Queens Head Pub exterior image
hand and flowers exterior

Tom Kerridge’s foodie triangle

Marlow is chef Tom Kerridge’s heartland with his three excellent, unpretentious foodie pubs in the town. Be sure to book in advance to dine at The Hand and Flowers, the UK’s only two Michelin-starred pub. They also have 11 rooms if you don’t fancy the journey home from Marlow on a full stomach. Alternatively, escape the cold at Tom’s cosy Michelin-starred pub The Coach , or his pub come butcher’s shop, The Butcher’s Tap.

126 West Street, Marlow SL7 2BP; thehandandflowers.co.uk

Image credit: www.dailymail.co.uk

The luxury country house 

With its rich history featuring tales of dukes, princes, celebrities and political scandal, the five-star Cliveden House hotel and spa is just a ten-minute drive from Home Barn. If your budget doesn’t stretch to a room, you can enjoy lunch or dinner in one of their two restaurants, book for afternoon tea, or charter one of their vintage boats. Alternatively, kids can let off steam on a wander through the pretty National Trust-owned grounds.

Cliveden Road, Taplow SL6 0JF; clivedenhouse.co.uk

Image credit:cliveenhouse.co.uk

cliveden exterior dusk
Cliveden luxuary lunch
bottle and glass.com

The rural Chiltern inn

With unfussy fine dining, The Bottle and Glass Inn in Binfield Heath – half an hour’s drive from Home Barn – is a great rural base from which to explore the pretty South Oxfordshire countryside around Henley-on-Thames. With glowing log burners and fantastic walks on the doorstep (they have maps at the bar), muddy boots, dogs and children are most welcome here.

Bones Lane, Binfield Heath RG9 4JT; bottleandglassinn.com

Image credits: bottle and glass.com

The romantic spa hotel

For a special occasion, combine a trip to Home Barn with a stay at nearby Danesfield House Hotel and Spa where you can enjoy fine dining, afternoon tea or a relaxing afternoon in the spa. Breathe in the beautiful views of the Thames and rolling Chiltern hills on a stroll around the grounds followed by a steaming cup of tea, or something stronger, in front of the fire in the grand wood-panelled drawing room.

Henley Road, Marlow SL7 2EY; danesfieldhouse.co.uk 

image credits: danesfieldhouse.co.uk

Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow
Danesfield interior with cream tea
bull and butcher exterior
autumn woodland walks

The picturesque walkers’ pub

With an inglenook fireplace, low beams, great real ales and pub food, the Bull and Butcher in the pretty village of Turville (a regular TV and film location) is the perfect place from which to explore Buckinghamshire’s Hambleden Valley on foot. Blow away the cobwebs with a winter pub walk starting at the Bull and Butcher, heading to The Chequers Inn in Fingest, on to The Frog at Skirmett, and stopping off at The Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden – all of which boast great food and roaring log fires.

Holloway Lane, Henley-on-Thames RG9 6QU; thebullandbutcher.com

iamge credits: tripadvisor.com

The charming village inn

Just a ten-minute drive from Home Barn is the pretty riverside village of Cookham, made famous by painter Stanley Spencer. Our favourite place to eat in Cookham is Bel and The Dragon, one of the oldest coaching inns in England, across the road from the Stanley Spencer Gallery. After a brisk walk along the Thames, hunker down next to the wood fire and expect fantastic food at this dog-friendly pub. They also have a handful of rooms, complete with complimentary sloe gin and scotch whisky.

High Street, Cookham SL6 9SQ; belandthedragon-cookham.co.uk

Image credits: myfavouritepubwalks.co.uk

if you have enjoyed reading our blog post: Our insider guide: The best places to eat and stay near Marlow, then you can find more interiors inspiration on our instagram page here

And to read all our blog posts, click here

country pub bel and dragon
dog front of firepalce

Home Barn’s rustic wooden dining table and bench with vintage ceramics in a neutral scheme

Decorating with Neutrals – the Home Barn Way

Home Barn’s rustic wooden dining table and bench with vintage ceramics in a neutral scheme

The leaves have turned golden and are crunching underfoot, there’s a chill in the air and the nights are drawing in. Autumn inevitably sees us retreating into our homes, and frankly we couldn’t be more delighted. What could be better than a relaxed and cosy evening in, surrounded by the comforts of home?

Home Barn’s rustic wooden dining table, bench and sideboard add texture to a neutral palette

Here at Home Barn, our countryside location means that we’re constantly inspired by the colours and textures of nature, and never more so than in the autumn. The quieter, less showy tones of umber, russet and taupe are a sophisticated palette cleanser after the brasher colours of summer, and provide some brilliant interiors inspiration.

Think of a rustic reclaimed wood dining table topped with a mismatched collection of ceramics, vintage linen and antique glassware in a soothing neutral palette. It’s an instantly calming and timeless look.

Antique French confit pot from Home Barn containing dried flowers
Sculptural antique terracotta pots from the Mediterranean sit on top of a traditional hand-woven kilim rug

The trick to decorating with neutrals is to add layers of interest. Start with reclaimed or vintage wooden furniture and use vintage decorative elements which tell their own story to add texture. Our antique pottery and ceramics make distinctive vases to top a cabinet or dining table and look striking filled with dried flowers or even a single branch – an emerging interiors trend.

An antique mirror is a thing of beauty in itself and will also bounce light around the room, while framed sea fans and botanicals also add interest and depth to walls.

Antique Venetian glass aged mirror from Home Barn reflects light in a neutral interior
Framed vintage sea fan artwork hangs above a rustic wooden bench and stool from Home Barn

Soften the look with tactile natural fibres like linen and wool in subtle colourways. Traditional kilim rugs will add warmth and cosiness to a wooden or stone floor, and our vintage linen grain sacks make wonderful cushion covers. Don’t worry about things looking perfect – embrace the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi, which sees the beauty in imperfection.

Decorating with neutrals doesn’t mean that colour can’t play a role, too. In fact, a pop of colour can really make the look hang together. A soft, mustard-yellow cushion amid a group of grey, taupe and ivory fabrics adds an unexpected element – rather like the sun coming out on an autumn day.

 

Sally and Sarah x

A mustard yellow natural washed linen cushion adds a pop of colour to neutral tones

You might also like...