A few well-placed throws can work wonders for adding a stylish touch to our homes. Whether draped beautifully across a sofa or for dressing a freshly-made bed, a throw can add decoration, texture and – most importantly – provide some extra warmth when you need it the most. Plus, throws are an easy way to switch up your home decor as the seasons change.
Related: Browse our best sofas guide for inspiration if you are redecorating your living room
Similar to cushions, throws are one of the easiest ways to instantly breathe new life into existing decor. What gives throws the edge over cushions is the added value, they can be as practical as they are pretty. Feeling chilly sat binge-watching boxsets? Simply pull a throw over yourself to instantly feel the benefits – whatever the season. Not to mention a new throw is one of the most inexpensive and versatile ways to keep up-to-date with new trends for decorating homes. Simply swapping the soft furnishings, in any room, can welcome an instant new look.
With new season autumn and winter collections hitting the stores, we’re seeing a flourish of fabulous new throws to choose from. From autumnal on-trend colours to decorative patterned throws, we’ve picked some super-stylish and budget-friendly throw blankets to add personality to our homes. Shop them all below…
If you want to make a room feel more uplifting, you simply cannot beat fresh flowers. Whether you pick up some super affordable Gypsophila from the supermarket, display a gorgeous bunch of eucalyptus in your most stylish vase or sign up to the best flower subscriptions, it’s an instant boost.
Flowers are perfect for anyone decorating on a budget, and there are all kinds of tried-and-tested ways to make our lovely blooms last as long as possible. But when we visited Bloom & Wild to check out their Christmas designs, floral stylist Harriet Parry shared one trick we hadn’t come across before.
Image credit: Bloom & Wild
Expert’s secret to help you keep flowers fresh
‘Fruit releases gases that cause the flowers to bloom and fade quicker than they should do,’ says Harriet. ‘So keep your arrangement away from your fruit bowl.’
Therefore, if you usually display your flowers in the kitchen, perhaps on the countertop or on a kitchen island, you may need to think again. Exposure to fruit such as bananas could shorten the life of your flowers – it makes a lot of sense given that placing a rogue, hard avocado near your bananas helps it to ripen.
Speaking of where to put them, it’s a good idea to keep your flowers out of direct sunlight and away from heat (like near a radiator), as they dehydrate the blooms. You could incorporate fresh flowers into your hallway ideas as a way to greet guests with something calming as they walk through the door.
Image credit: Bloom & Wild
Harriet also recommends cutting 3 to 5 cm off the bottom of the stem, at an angle, to create more surface area for the flower to drink from. One thing we find really helps is to cut off the lower leaves on the stems so there are no leaves resting on the surface of the water or submerged underneath.
Removing any leaves that may have fallen into the water will also help to keep things fresh.
Image credit: Bloom & Wild
Changing the water daily is a simple but effective way to keep blooms happy – so try not to forget this easy step as it will really help. Each time you do, Harriet recommends recutting stems by 1cm.
And give your vase just as much attention as your blooms by giving it a thorough clean before displaying your flowers. Most importantly, take time to enjoy their wonderful colour and fragrance.
When they were given the keys to their future home, a Victorian terrace house in North Dulwich, this happy duo felt especially lucky. With several other buyers vying for interest, the sale had gone down to sealed bids. ‘The house hadn’t been touched and you don’t find many properties like that in the area so there were lots of people competing. It was all a bit tense but we were thrilled when we found out that our offer had been accepted’, says the homeowner, who has just set up her own interior design firm (emmamastersinteriors.com).
The couple, who have a six-year-old son, were only in possession of the keys a few short hours before handing them straight over to the builders. ‘Because it was a probate sale there were several months before taking ownership and that gave me the time to plan, get quotes and create job lists,’ recalls the homeowner.
Despite the accumulation of many years’ worth of furniture and decay, the couple could see the potential. ‘Our motivations for moving were for more space and to get into a better catchment area for schools. We knew fairly quickly that we wanted to buy the house. The rooms had a really nice sense of proportion and character so we made an offer at the end of the viewing,’ she says.
After handing the house over to the builders in May and renting nearby, it wasn’t until December that the family finally moved in. After such an epic overhaul of their home, the family are keen now to slow down the pace and relax. ‘Thankfully we bit the bullet and re-landscaped the garden at the same time as the builders were here so now we’re just determined to enjoy the fruits of our labours.’
Hallway
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
Underneath several layers of carpet, the couple discovered the well preserved Victorian tiles which were later cleaned.
‘According to the neighbours, the house had always been owned by the same family. The builders found all sorts of relics from the past including a book of buttons from 1917 that had been stuffed up the chimney. We think the owner had put it up there to stop the draft. He’d also added layers and layers of carpets over the years under which were floorboards and tiles in fantastic condition,’ they note.
Sitting room
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
A wallpaper backdrop unites this scheme with moderating grey tones providing a sense of depth. Original floorboards have been repainted in a tonal grey to continue the sense of flow and calm.
‘I’m not one for a huge amount of colour so I opted for a tight, neutral base adding blue accents with accessories and artwork,’ says the homeowner of the grey living room idea. ‘Ebay was a brilliant resource for us. We bought lots of furniture which we then reupholstered. We also found lovely accessories, like a set of Georgian door handles that were in keeping with the house. The two wallpaper prints also bring a characterful cohesion.’
Snug
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
The low horizontal profile of this sofa pairs well with the picture shelf display of art.
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
Small scale mid-century style chairs ensure the doorway is unobstructed while the blue accent of the painting animates the scheme.
The low horizontal profile of this sofa pairs well with the picture shelf display of art.
Kitchen
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
The couple’s intense overhaul of the house involved a new full width kitchen-dining area built out 4.5 metres from the original house. The old galley kitchen was turned into a utility room design and downstairs cloakroom.
Pale hardwearing porcelain tiles bring a lighter feel to this north facing space. Industrial touches in the pendant lights and bar stools tie in with the steel framed windows.
Dining area
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
Industrial wall lights are mixed with a more traditional wall panelling idea for a fresh updated look. Chairs from an antique market were repainted to fit into the colour scheme.
Bathroom
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
Upstairs the family bathroom was enlarged and, above that, a loft conversion with two bedrooms and a bathroom were added. New windows, roof tiles and the renovation of the front door gave the property a curb side facelift.
The homeowners moved the wall slightly to allow space for both a tub and generous shower. The grey veins of the marble gently unite the scheme.
Main bedroom
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
Rather than hang art, the bedroom wallpaper idea lends drama to the scheme. The low headboard ensures it gets maximum impact. The warm woody tones of antique furniture punctuate this neutral scheme.
Boy’s bedroom
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
An accent wall with glow in the dark stickers brings a magical feel after dark for this kid’s room idea. The monochromatic scheme will work well as Alfie gets older. Wall stickers lend both colour and an educational element to the neutral walls.
Guest bedroom
Image credit: Future/ Brent Darby
A dark accent wall provides a sense of depth with a simple geometric print offering a focal point, bringing the same monochromatic sense of continuity as seen throughout the house. A dressing table-cum-workspace is a versatile addition.
The owners bought their house knowing that they could make a big difference to what was already there and create the sort of home they’d dreamed of.
‘When we moved in, the house had a bathroom you really wouldn’t want to spend much time in, and a tiny en-suite,’ they say. ‘We were keen to improve the property, so we decided to extend the master bedroom and en-suite. We had a good idea of what we wanted the new shower room to be like, but in order to make the most of the space, we employed an architect to help us draw up the plans.’
The pair already had a great local builder in mind to carry out the project. ‘We knew him before and had inspected his work, so we were confident it was up to scratch,’ they say. ‘He did such an amazing job.’
The new en suite is much bigger than it was and, as it’s only the couple that use it, they decided to treat themselves by recreating a hotel spa look, with plenty of natural stone and mirrors. A winning bathroom idea to make everyday routines feel more luxurious.
Supersized shower room makeover
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
‘We’ve always liked Villeroy & Boch bathrooms,’ say the owners. ‘And as we’re not planning to work on this room again for a long time, we splashed out on our sanitaryware. We also chose gorgeous tiles that are different sizes, but all made of luxurious grey stone.’
Rather than having blinds, the couple added opaque glass for privacy.
Shower with stylish glass screen
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
For a similarly fuss-free look, the shower fittings were kept very streamlined. ‘We looked hard to find a shower with as little chrome as possible,’ they say. ‘And we chose a glass shower enclosure because we wanted it to look almost transparent when you walk in.’
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
The one thing the couple had kept from the previous bathroom was a radiator. ‘Now it has a lot more space around it, so it’s more effective,’ they say. ‘And because everything else is neutral, we treated ourselves to bright hammam towels to add bursts of colour.’
Savvy bathroom storage shelf
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
The plumbing is hidden by a false wall, so the owners built in a handy shelf for shower essentials. A great solution in a small bathroom idea where less on show means the space appears bigger to the eye.
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
To complete the scheme, the couple added two mirrors to throw light around the room. ‘It’s a fairly cheap way of making the space seem larger,’ they say. ‘And it’s easy to get pieces of mirror glass cut to size at a local merchant.’ Just one of the many great ways to make your bathroom feel bigger.
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
This bathroom storage idea makes the space feel effortlessly tidy and organised. ‘It’s a luxury to have this much storage,’ the pair say. ‘We’ve got a drawer each, with the inside of one divided into sections for toiletries and make-up.’
Image credits: Future PLC/ Colin Poole
‘We love the shape of this basin mixer,’ say the owners, ‘and we’ve echoed it in the shower controls, so everything ties together.’
The couple are so happy with their newly supersized shower. ‘You can’t keep us out of here now!’ they say. Testament of a bathroom makeover well done.
This bathroom makeover originally appeared in Style at Home, July 2017.
