Decor Ideas For Your Dining Room Wall

Stylish dining room featuring a white dining table with chairs, textured walls with wooden slats, decorative art pieces, and a display cabinet with elegant decor items.

Exploring different dining room wall decor ideas can and should be fun!

After all, the dining room is often the beating heart of a home–where friends, family and guests gather to share meals, stories and memories. To create as much of a welcoming and visually appealing dining space as possible, the right decor is critical.

In addition to furniture and table settings, dining room wall art offers extensive opportunity to infuse personality, style and sophistication. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the significance of décor in dining rooms and present some creative ideas to inspire your approach to dining room walls.

Why Dining Wall Décor Matters

1. It Helps to Create Ambiance

Thoughtful dining room art and other decor can enhance and set the ambiance you’re looking to create. Whether you’re engaged in a casual weekday meal or hosting a festive gathering, the dining room wall art you choose will go a long way towards setting the tone you’re after.

2. It Helps to Create Visual Interest

Dining room walls are essentially blank canvases allowing you to showcase your personality through art, architectural elements or decorative accents. Apart from the appealing visual aesthetic of dining room decor, adding layers of visual interest and depth can transform an otherwise ordinary space into a captivating focal point to arouse interest in guests and family members alike.

3. It Helps to Express Personal Style

As a homeowner, you’ll likely want to infuse personal style into your dining room and incorporate decisions that reflect your preferences. That way, this central space of your home will feel uniquely yours and customised to suit your lifestyle. Whether you opt for family photos or cherished family heirlooms, there’s almost no limit in how you can use decor to infuse personality and warmth into the room.

Creative Ideas for Your Dining Room Wall Decor

Struggling for some ideas? We’ve got some inspiring and creative ideas to help get you started designing the dining room of your dreams!

Gallery Walls

Gallery walls offer boundless creative potential. Curated collections of artwork, collages of family photographs and even tastefully framed prints are all wonderful options for your dining room wall. There’s also an opportunity to mix and match different styles, sizes and frames to create a visually dynamic and engaging display.

Mirrors

Mirrors are simple and yet effective statement pieces for dining wall decor. Apart from the benefits it brings by expanding the sense of space and reflecting natural light, a decorative mirror with an ornate or minimalist frame can perfectly complement the rest of your interior design aesthetic. 

Wallpaper

Wallpaper accents allow you to introduce a pattern, colour scheme and even texture into your dining room. There are plenty of bold prints but there’s no reason why a subtly textured wallpaper or timeless, low-key design can’t add a huge amount of visual interest without risking overwhelming the dining space. 

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are stylish, fashionable and highly functional. Without taking up precious floor space, these shelving units provide plenty of surface area to display decorative objects–think vases, candles and pottery–and serve as a visual statement piece in and of themselves. How? By experimenting with asymmetrical arrangements or different height levels you can bring a complex aesthetic to an otherwise barren dining room wall.

Plants and Greenery

Botanical themed decor is a fantastic option for dining areas. By incorporating greenery into the room, you can help transform the room into a living, bright space. Not only does this add a touch of nature, but it can also improve air quality and ensure a calming atmosphere. Whether you’re keen on a ‘living wall’ or would prefer something more subtle like a hanging plant or two, botanical accents make for a wonderful dining wall decor.

Statement Lighting

Lighting in a dining room is highly functional, by necessity. But statement lighting doesn’t have to be. You can incorporate striking light fixtures on your dining room walls to help set a tone and create an ambience of sophistication, comfort and luxury. There’s plenty of lighting designs and styles available so you’re bound to find one that complements your overall decor style and preferences.

Wall Panels

Wall panels are an easy way to add a semi-architectural interest and depth to your dining room walls. Textured panels in particular come in a range of colours and patterns so you can use them to create effect in tying the room together stylistically. Of course, there’s no reason–and often plenty of reason not–to add wall panels from floor to ceiling and throughout the dining room. But a single feature wall can go a long way in elevating the space visually.

Metallic Accents

Metallic accents, such as gold or copper wall sconces, mirrors, frames and artwork, are a low-key and yet highly effective way to add warmth and sophistication to your space. Metallic finishes also work to reflect light and create a sense of overall luxury, both of which are welcome additions in just about any dining room.

Stone Cladding

Natural stone, such as granite or marble, isn’t just a highly functional and durable material. It’s a wonderful option for subtly enhancing your dining room wall art. Add a touch of timeless elegance with a natural stone veneer or incorporate visually interesting aesthetics with stone panels. The wide range of colours, patterns and styles means that you can achieve everything from a rustic look to glamorous sophistication with natural stone cladding

Want to Talk More Dining Wall Decor?

Incorporating creative dining area wall décor into your home can elevate the overall look, the general feel and the level of personalisation. With the right dining room art and decor, you can transform the space into an inviting, iconic and interesting gathering place for your loved ones. 

If you’d like to find out more about how to bring your dining room to life, why not reach out to the team at Euro Marble today? We’re passionate about all things home decor, especially how to infuse stunning natural stone into the mix.

Styling End Tables for Form and Function

An elegantly styled end table with tasteful decor amid comfortable seating and chic wall art in a well-lit, cozy room setting.

Decorating end tables is one of the more commonly overlooked areas of interior design. Yet, this small but significant element can be the missing key in elevating the look and feel of a space. 

End tables are versatile pieces of furniture offering both practical benefits and aesthetic purposes. The right elegant end table for a living room can help you strike the perfect balance between form and function.

In this blog, we’ll delve into what end tables are, how to effectively utilise them, where to place them, and why decorating them is paramount. 

What Are End Tables?

End tables, also referred to as side tables or accent tables, are small tables typically positioned beside sofas, armchairs, or beds. 

The main function and use of end tables is to provide a convenient and accessible surface for placing items within arm’s reach. To that end, they are commonly used for lamps, books, cups and beverages, or even TV remote controls. Aesthetic adornments, such as plants, vases, candles and sculptures, are also often placed on end tables.

End tables come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, ranging from wood and metal to glass and natural stone. Of course, they often feature a flat surface on top by necessity though some include shelving above and/or drawers below.

Where To Put End Tables

There’s really no right or wrong place for an end table. They are incredibly versatile and can be placed in various locations across various rooms of a home.

Most commonly, end tables flank couches and armchairs in a living room to offer a place for your family and friends to palace drinks and snacks.

In the context of a bedroom, they are often next to one’s bed to provide easy access to lamps, books, alarm clocks and glasses of water.

As decorative furniture, end tables can be used in dining rooms, hallways or entryways to display sculptures, indoor plants, lamps, ornaments or photographs. Many people also use end tables in high traffic areas of the home to collect mail, hold keys and provide storage for hats and sunglasses. 

Ultimately, your end table placement is up to you and your functional needs and stylistic preferences. 

Importance of Decorating End Tables

Decorating end tables is essential for adding personality and visual interest to a space. Even end tables which primarily offer functional, practical utility can and should be styled to enhance the overall ambiance and interior design of a room. 

When it comes to decorating end tables, it’s not just about curating the right items and accessories on top of it–but also the type, shape, style, material and size of the end table itself. 

Remember: End tables provide a fantastic opportunity to incorporate color, texture, and dimension into your decor scheme and can be used to great effect in tying together different elements within the room.

Ideas for Decorating End Tables

1. Minimalist Style

For a clean and contemporary look, opt for a sleek end table with minimalist design. By keeping the tabletop clutter-free or adorned with a single statement piece such as a sculptural vase or a minimalist lamp you’ll emphasis simplicity and ensure a balance between sophistication and spaciousness. 

2. Storage Solutions

For those of you with more accessories and items that need to be stored away, consider choosing end tables with built-in storage options such as drawers or shelves. These storage spaces maximise functionality and help to keep clutter at bay. You can still showcase design and styling with decorative elements on top without losing out on tidy and organised living.

3. Eclectic Accents

You can embrace eclecticism by mixing and matching different textures, patterns, and materials on your end tables. For example, consider pairing a metallic accent table with a woven basket for an intriguing contrast of elements. Use contrasting shades of natural stone to imbue a sense of colour and visual interest to the space. Even by layering different decorative objects of varying heights, sizes and shapes can create visual complexity and showcase your unique style personality without going overboard.

4. Nature-inspired Decor

End tables offer a wonderful opportunity to bring the outdoors inside by incorporating natural elements into your decor. You can display a small potted plant or a vase filled with fresh flowers and add a pop of greenery and breath of life into the space. In terms of the end tables themselves, natural stone or wood are great materials for further enhancing the organic aesthetic and creating a harmonious integration of natural elements.

5. Functional Lighting

Elegant end tables for living rooms can be fantastic spaces for incorporating additional functional lighting solutions. Table lamps with adjustable arms or different dimming settings can improve both usability of the space and ambiance within the room. Remember to position your end tables and the lighting on them in a way that best enhances the overall mood and atmosphere of the room while being accessible and functional. 

6. Decorative Material

As mentioned before, the actual material chosen for your end table can be a decorative element in and of itself. Natural stone, such as marble, in an end table can be a thing of beauty and a welcome design choice without any additional adornment. Stone comes in such a wide range of colours, patterns and shades that it’s easy to find the perfect aesthetic for your preference and your application. To explore some natural stone end table options today, click here.

Your Search for the Right End Table Ends Here

If you’re still wondering where to put end tables in your room or how to perfectly ensure placement of the right accessorizing on an existing table of yours, the Euro Marble team is here to help.

We know just how critical decorating end tables in the right way can be for the look and feel of your home. And we appreciate just how important balancing practical needs and aesthetic preferences is for ensuring usability and a style that reflects your unique personality and lifestyle. 

So, why not give us a call to discuss all things end tables or come into our showroom to see our gorgeous natural stone slabs?

Bedroom Furniture Essentials for Aesthetic and Comfort

Modern bedroom with a person reading on an armchair, featuring a large bed with decorative pillows, artistic wall decorations, and a practical workspace with a desk and lamp.

Finding the right bedroom essentials for your home is about balancing the need for comfort and the preference of aesthetics.

While there is certainly a wide range of furniture that can and is incorporated into a bedroom, in this article we’ll help you identify the bedroom must-haves so that you can have this most intimate of spaces working for you at every level.

The Bedroom Must Haves

1. The Bed

This one is so important it’s in the name. Investing in a sturdy, durable bed frame and an equally long-lasting and comfortable mattress is key. Beds come in a wide range of styles, sizes and even shapes, but choosing the right one for your bedroom is about two things most of all:

  1. What will best support high quality, comfortable sleeping; and
  2. What style suits you best.

Fortunately, in today’s marketplace, there’s plenty of options to choose from that manage to tick both boxes. Just because this piece of furniture is a bedroom essential doesn’t mean it can’t add an element of style and fashion to the space.

2. Blankets and Duvets

The blanket and/or duvet that you use on your bed should be catered to your specific preferences. Some people prefer a thin layer on top of them as they sleep, while others prefer thicker and more weightier layers.

Apart from the level of comfort that you prefer, your choice of blanket and duvet should also feature the right level of insulation for the climate in which you live. Keeping warm in the colder months and cool in the warmer months is critical for ensuring you sleep soundly and comfortably throughout the night.

3. Pillows

Finding the right pillows is not just a matter of aesthetic choice; the best pillows will bring the requisite level of comfort and support to your shoulders, neck and head to perfectly complement the rest of your bedroom furniture.

High quality pillows are worth the investment to ensure a good, restful night’s sleep. Whether you prefer memory foam or down pillows, there’s a size, style, thickness and material for every customer!

4. Sheets and Pillowcases

Last but not least, the bedsheets and pillowcases you choose are an essential addition to your bedroom furniture. There is a lot of room for personal preferences here from the type of material, such as cotton or linen, to the colour, pattern and textures.

The bedsheets and pillowcases you opt for present the greatest opportunity to create the interior style and bedroom decor that you’re after. Not to mention the practical elements to consider such as breathability, softness and durability of material. 

Secondary Bedroom Essentials

5. Wardrobes and Closets

While a bed and associated items remain most critical for a bedroom, the reality is that there is more to essential bedroom furniture than just what you sleep with and on at night. Having a sufficiently sized and thoughtfully organised wardrobe or closet is not just important for housing clothes, belongings and accessories. It’s critical for allowing you the space to keep the rest of the bedroom clean, tidy and free of clutter.  

Whether you purchase a flat-pack wardrobe, order a custom-made closet or purchase a factory-produced piece of furniture, as long as the design, the shape, the size and the functionality work for you and your space it will do the trick. 

6. Dresser

While some may not consider a dresser to be entirely necessary, the truth is it can be crucial in helping to store smaller pieces of clothing, such as underwear and socks, in a neat, easily accessible place. 

Of course, if space in your bedroom is limited, consider the right size and design that will best provide additional storage without taking up too much real estate. 

7. Bedside Table

A bedside table is a bedroom must have! Not only does this piece of furniture offer a highly practical surface for keeping essential items within reach at all times, but it offers a low-key but highly effective opportunity to enhance the overall aesthetic of the room. Bedside tables can even be used to offer extra storage and thus declutter your room even more so. 

There’s a wide range of bedside tables on the market to suit every bedroom and interior design style. You can even explore a range of stunning stone bedside tables online right here. 

More Bedroom Must Haves

While we’ve covered the bare essentials in bedroom furniture. You might want to consider some or all of the following items to bring your bedroom to life and make it even more functional, inviting and beautiful. 

  • Desk/Vanity – Having more surface room and space for you to work and prepare yourself is an important bedroom essential. 
  • Chair/Armchair – If your bedroom has the space, a comfortable place to sit can help you relax before you’re ready for bed.
  • Shelving – Additional shelves offer opportunities beyond mere storage. You can display books or other ornaments and accessories to bring your bedroom to life.
  • Rugs – A beautiful, tasteful rug can add more than just visual beauty to a space. It can make the entire bedroom more comfortable, warmer and even help absorb noise.
  • Curtains – Curtains are highly practical for controlling the level of privacy and light in a bedroom but they also provide a highly customisable aesthetic canvas to the space. 
  • Mirrors – Mirrors are another highly functional addition but can also be used aesthetically to make the space look larger and reflect light.
  • Lamps – Lamps and other lighting can be highly influential in the feelings of coziness and warmth in your bedroom, as well as offering practical benefits. 
  • Decor – From wallpaper to wall art and from accessories to photographs, there’s no limit to how creative you can be in decorating and styling your bedroom. This most intimate of spaces should reflect you and ensure you feel most at home and comfortable. Even plants can infuse a natural element to make the space feel more alive and welcoming. 
  • Throw Cushions – Not everyone loves throws and cushions but they can be highly effective additions for comfort and aesthetic purposes. 

Need a hand with the bedroom essentials? Contact Euro Marble today!

The team at Euro Marble may be specialists in all things natural stone, but we’re passionate and experienced in all things interior design as well.

So, whether you need help identifying the bedroom must-haves for your home, or just want to explore the wide range of stone slabs in our showroom, make sure to contact Euro Marble today. 

Types of Lighting in Interior Design

Cozy interior featuring an array of lighting types, including pendant lights, floor lamps, and hidden LED strips that create a warm, layered illumination.

There are a range of different types of lighting in interior design. Finding the right one for your space is important for a number of reasons, in addition to actually providing practical illumination to the room.

If you’re struggling to keep track of the different options in interior lighting design, we’ll summarise the options here for you, allowing you to make a more informed choice for your home. 

Tips for Finding the Best Interior Lighting

What To Do

When you’re comparing the different types of lighting, make sure to consider what you will be requiring your lighting to do. That might seem obvious but it isn’t always.

Are you hoping to incorporate a dimmer functionality? Are you going to rely on the lighting to set the ambiance of the room? Or do you simply need the strongest type of interior lighting available to facilitate family meal times?

Remember to consider all aspects of the lighting. There are aesthetic features and functional features, but there are additional considerations as well. From the thickness of shades to the location of the lighting in your ceiling or on your walls. The best interior lighting solution for you should work on every level to the greatest extent possible. 

Lastly, remember to ‘dress’ your interior lighting. Bare light bulbs and lamps should be concealed with diffusers or shades to ensure that it offers as complimentary and complementary an aesthetic to the room in which it is in. 

What Not To Do

If possible, the best interior lighting design utilises more than just one central light source. Using multiple lighting can help to avoid unflattering and unsightly shadows appearing around the space. 

To do this, you will need to ensure that your room has a sufficient number of powerpoint outlets allowing you to place your lamps and lighting in the optimal places. Remember, however, that you’ll want to conceal cords to the greatest extent possible because you won’t want to ruin your interior lighting design with ugly wires snaking all over the place. 

Exploring the Types of Lighting

In general, there are four main types of lighting in interior design. Each type can be customised to suit your particular home and the rest of your interior design aesthetic. But to get started, here’s an overview of the different lighting types.

General Lighting

Simple general lighting is pretty self-explanatory. It is designed to provide direct, adequate lighting to a space that can be used for the purposes required.

From a central pendant light or down lighting which is plain (in a good way) and understated to luxury chandeliers designed to function as both a practical feature and as an artistic expression, there is a wide range of general lighting types.

Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to tailor your general lighting according to your preference. Dimming, colours and other lighting effects are often even controllable from an app on your smartphone, making general, simple lighting far less simple and more useful than in days gone by.

If you’re trying to achieve something more with your interior design lighting–i.e., creating an ambiance–you’ll need more than just general lighting. 

Ambient Lighting or Mood Lighting

Ambient lighting doesn’t work on its own; It works in conjunction with general lighting. Not focused on providing functional illumination, ambient lighting is all about creating the right mood for your living room, dining space or even bedroom.

When you’re considering your interior lighting design, ambient lighting should reflect your intentional use of a space and enhance the type of experience you, your family and your guests will be having. 

Depending on the space, you might want to incorporate ambient lighting in wall sconces, or corners of the room, or even as a backlit feature to wall paneling. There’s a ton of flexibility in how ambient lighting can be used to enormously beneficial effect in your home. 

Task Lighting

Task lighting is pretty self-explanatory as well. It’s designed lighting to provide directed, adequate illumination in a particular area for a particular task. Some of the more common uses of task lighting include reading lamps in a book nook, staircase lighting or overhead lighting for a stove or kitchen counter.

In general, task lighting needs stronger wattage than ambient lighting but not harsh lighting that will undermine its ultimate purpose. When you’re putting together interior design lighting, consider how your task lighting can work in conjunction with the rest of your lighting features.

For example, under cabinet spotlights can help provide adequate illumination in darker spaces of the kitchen while ill-chosen lamps can over-saturate a relaxed reading nook and undermine the ambiance you’re trying to achieve. 

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting is a type of lighting in interior design that is used to highlight a particular feature in a room. For example, you might have a spotlight over a particular sculpture or a backlit lighting system behind a feature wall. 

Accent lighting can be used to great effect to complement the aesthetic impact of feature statements in your living room, dining room or hallways. 

It is important, as with task lighting, to consider the wattage needed for the particular accent lighting under consideration. You don’t want it to be too subtle that it fails to adequately highlight the decor or too harsh that it undermines the rest of the space or makes it difficult to look at. 

There are a range of lighting effects that can be used in accent lighting design:

  • Spotlighting
  • Downlighting
  • Uplighting
  • Pedestal lighting
  • Perimeter lighting
  • Wall lighting – washing or grazing effects

Find the Right Natural Stone to Match Your Lighting Design

At Euro Marble, we source the highest quality and most beautiful natural stone from around the world for use in your home.

No matter what type of interior design lighting you’re looking to install and no matter which room of your home you’re wanting to transform, make sure to reach out to the Euro Marble team today to find the perfect natural stone to reflect your choice of best interior lighting

Living Room Colour Trends

Chic living room with a teal sofa set, colorful rug, and modern decor.

There is a wide variety of living room colour schemes to suit all aesthetic tastes and interior design styles.

But as we move further into 2024, there are a number of popular living room colours that are becoming more and more trendy.

In this blog, we’ll introduce you to the latest living room trends and colour schemes to help inspire you in the creation of your very own living room oasis. 

Earthy Tones

Earthy-toned neutrals have been a popular living room colour trend for some time now and the momentum is not slowing down.

What makes this subtle colour scheme so effective is the inherent tranquil nature of earthy colours. From muted greens to soft greys, there’s still a ton of choice and customisability. 

However, very few living room colour schemes can infuse as strong a sense of softness and warmth to a living room.

Earthy tones are a great option for fabric furniture, wall art or even carpeting. Plus, you can always pair the tones with soft blues, whites, and even earthy reds.

Blue and White

It’s true that some colour schemes never truly go out of style, but blues and whites is one classic aesthetic that has become a hot trending living room colour choice. 

Timeless, beautiful and subtle, the combination of blue and white achieves a unique balance of colour and elegance.

Of course, you can choose the shade of blue that best suits the rest of your home and your own taste: Opt for something brighter to lighten the space or something slighter darker to set the right ambiance and mood. 

Plus, blues and whites can easily be used across a range of interior design styles, from traditional to contemporary. Whether it’s a navy sofa to a crisp white coffee table, there’s a ton of variety to make this very trendy living room aesthetic your own. 

Chocolate Browns and Velvety Blacks

Where the living room trend above was all about being bright and airy, this popular aesthetic brings an intentional moody aesthetic to the space.

Rich, dark browns and black can work wonders in achieving a comfortable darkness in a living room. Of course, there’s no need to go wall-to-wall bold. Strategically employed chocolate brown furniture or black accents can help to create visually stunning spaces that are highly inviting for you, your family and guests.

If you love the thought of a brown, black or even navy spot of colour, but are worried about making the room too dark, pair these colour schemes with some soft greys, gold or even brass. Not only will this make the darker colours pop but it will help to balance the space without sacrificing the intended aesthetic. 

Terracotta and Reds

There is something luxurious and yet down-to-earth about a deftly chosen terracotta colour scheme in a living room. Even more striking reds are trending in the world of living room colours at the moment as more and more homeowners are looking at ways to subtly yet unmistakably bring their living rooms to life. 

Terracotta and red colour schemes can be used for textured fabrics on furniture, to bring an accent chair to life or as part of a feature wall or wall art. How deep down this aesthetic’s rabbit hole you go is really down to you and your preference. 

If you want to soften the impact, try pairing it with a deep, mustard yellow, beige or even gold. 

Warm Metallics

Warm metallic finishes–such as brass, copper and gold–is another living room colour scheme that has been and remains in style.

Using metallic accents in your living room adds a touch of luxury and elegance to the space without risking the visual impact being over the top or too much.

Warm metallics are particularly effective when paired with some bold colours, such as the chocolate browns and velvety blacks outlined above, where the juxtaposition in the access and the rest of the decor is more readily apparent. 

Golden Tones

While not everyone wants the glitz and glamour of a gold colour scheme in their living room, it is certainly an effective way of adding more than a pinch of opulence and luxury to the space.

Gold is a very visually arresting colour and brings with it strong connotations, so balancing your use of gold with whites and creams is essential. Nevertheless, some gold furniture, accents, or even just a coffee table can be a truly majestic addition to your home and continues to be a trending living room scheme just for that reason alone. 

Natural Greens

In styles gone by, darker shades of green were not uncommon in living rooms. More recently, however, while green remains a popular colour choice, the trend has shifted more towards nature-inspired shades.

Like the earthy tone trend, greens in a living room brings with it a sense of tranquility and harmony which is more than conducive to the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere you’ll want your living room to create. 

Why Consider Natural Stone For Your Living Room?

While the classic off-white opulence of marble or the dark, graininess of granite are great options, there’s a much greater variety of colours available in natural stone than you might realise.

The reality is that stone comes in a wide range of perfect-for-living-room colours so there are more than enough options to suit the trending living room schemes of today. 

If you’re wondering which stone would best suit the living room colour scheme you’re most partial to, make sure to give the friendly team here at Euro Marble a call. Whether you’re thinking of incorporating stone wall cladding or a stone fireplace, we’re here to help find the right material in the right colour to bring your dream living room to life. 

Call us today on (02) 8585 2999 to find out more. 

Choosing the Right Dining Table for Your Space

Elegant dining room with a modern wooden dining table and comfortable chairs.

The dining table is one of the central pieces of a home. It’s where families share memories and meals and friends gather to share companionship and stories. But knowing how to choose a dining table for your space and your needs is not always as easy as it seems.

In this dining table guide, we’ll take you through the important considerations and options to help you learn how to pick a dining room table that’s right for you. 

Types of Dining Tables

A table is more than just a table when it comes to your dining rooms.

Size

Size does matter in the context of dining tables. You need to have enough room for not just the family and friends sitting at the table but also for accessing the table.

Consider the shape and size of your room, as well as the different pieces of furniture elsewhere in the space. Think about how many people you are likely to be entertaining and how often.

When you are considering the size table that you need, we recommend allowing roughly 60 centimetres of space per person. This allows for enough elbow room between seated individuals. 

Shape

The main dining room table shapes include rectangle, round, square and oval.

If you’re after a classic and simple dining table with a large amount of surface area and greater flexibility for accommodating more guests, the versatile rectangular shape is ideal. 

Square dining tables offer similar aesthetics to the rectangular one but are more amenable to compact, modern spaces.

While the round dining table creates a greater sense of intimacy and cohesion, especially if your dining room is relatively small. 

Lastly, the oval table is suitable for larger spaces and offers a unique blend of the benefits of a rectangular table with the style of a circular one.

Material

The reality is that there is no one best material for dining tables. Each type of material comes with its own stylistic and functional benefits, and a lot comes down to personal taste and intended use.

Wood, for example, comes in various shades and is both durable and versatile. A wood dining table is perfect for adding warmth to a space. 

Metal tables offer easy maintenance, a unique industrial aesthetic and can complement a contemporary interior design.

Similarly, glass is sleek and modern whilst offering an illusion of spaciousness and airiness by reflecting the light around it.

Natural stone, such as marble, brings an element of luxury and elegance for those seeking to elevate their dining rooms up a notch in terms of sophistication. 

Colour

There really is no limit to the different colours and shades available for your dining table. 

It’s all about choosing a colour that complements your decor and aesthetic preference. You might be after a neutral tone that is versatile and timeless–easy to match with the rest of a home. 

Or you may want to inject some personality into the space and use your dining table as a statement piece or feature of the room, in which case a bolder colour may be suitable. 

Style

Last but not least is style. In addition to shape, colour and material, there are a range of finishes and edging that can transform the humble dining table into something special. 

Ornate details in a wooden table or marble table can bring a sense of elegance and refinery to the dining room. On the other end of the spectrum, clean, strong lines in glass and metal tables can reflect a modern aesthetic and preference for minimalist styling. 

How to Pick a Dining Room Table

To best assist you in finding the right table option for your home, ask yourselves these questions:

What Sort of Lifestyle Do You Lead?

Everyone will use their dining room table slightly differently. If you love hosting dinner parties with lots of guests, a larger table with extension capabilities might be the best option. 

If you plan on mostly just having you close family around, a more practical, compact and easy-to-maintain option could be the better bet.

From shape to material, your choice of dining table should complement your lifestyle and the type and frequency of use you intend for it.

What Type of Table Can Your Space Accommodate?

This consideration is about practicality and functionality. Take measurements of your dining room or the area in which the table will sit. Consider the amount of space you will need for accessing doors and windows or even other furniture. 

By understanding what will and won’t work in your dining area you can strike out the table options that are just impractical and narrow your choices down to the ones that are feasible.

How Do You Want People to Sit?

For starters, similar to the first question, you need to consider how many people you typically expect to be seated around the table. 

Your choice of table will need to accommodate the number of people you intend to have sitting around it. But there’s an additional consideration as well as size: Shape.

If you’re planning on having a full table often, you may want to consider table shapes that offer maximum flexibility for that arrangement, such as square or rectangular tables. 

What Is the Decor of the Room?

Your dining room should complement the existing interior design of the dining room. Consider what your chosen decor is and what you are trying to achieve with the decor of the space.

Your dining room can be a stylish addition to the room in and of itself but the best and most suitable dining rooms for your home will be one that doesn’t just match the room around it but elevates it aesthetically.

For example, if you’re looking to achieve a rustic or farmhouse aesthetic, you won’t want to include a metal or glass table. If you’re looking for something more traditional and glamorous, you’ll want to opt for something like marble stone over timber. 

What Do You Find Comfortable?

Tables come in all different styles: Some are taller, some have a single pedestal leg in the centre, and some have intricate edges. 

Make sure you sit at any table you are considering to find what works with you. Is there enough legroom? Can you adequately reach into the table itself? Do you find the accompanying chairs comfortable?

You’re undoubtedly going to be using your dining table every day so comfort is more than a luxury here.

Does It Need to Suit Any Other Activities?

Dining tables can often double as furniture used for more than just dining. 

If you’re planning on using your dining table for crafting or sitting at work purposes, make sure you choose a style and material that suits your intended activity and can withstand the inevitable wear and tear of frequent use. 

What Is Your Budget?

Last but not least comes your budget. Different tables and materials come with a wide range of price tags. 

Factory-manufactured tables will cost significantly less than custom, hand-made tables. Make sure you set and bear in mind your budget so that you can focus on the realistic options within your price range and can then best maximise the durability and utility of your chosen dining table investment.

Interior Design Trends to Expect in 2024

A modern living room boasting a blend of biophilic design elements with lush greenery, a mix of cozy textiles, and a colorful geometric rug, paired with contemporary furniture in a vibrant, nature-inspired palette.

We are well and truly into the year 2024 now. If you’re designing your new home or renovating an existing living space, you’ll likely be wondering what the current trends in interior design are for the year.

While there might be some fashion developments that will surprise you, there are also long-lasting and timeless design motifs that you’ll be sure to recognise. Either way, we’ve put together a complete list of the top interior design trends for the new year just for you.

Furniture with Curves

Curvy furniture is back! These practical and aesthetically wonderful pieces of furniture have been steadily increasing in popularity over the last few years and are expected to remain trendy for years to come.

Curvy furniture brings depth and softness to a space whilst also being functional. Of course, the size and layout of your living room will influence the type of seating that best suits your particular application. 

Chrome Furniture

Direct from the mid-century modern interior design trend, using chrome in furniture is making the rounds. There are lots of ways in which you can incorporate this aesthetic in your interior design. 

Tables, chairs and even shelving units can all offer palettes for the effective use of chrome and can help you achieve a balanced yet engaging aesthetic. 

Vintage Lamps

Lighting is a highly practical component of interior design and one of the standout current trends in interior design is using your choice of lighting in a way that makes a strong fashion statement; Vintage lamps is one of those statements. 

For carefully considered and meticulously designed areas of the home, overhead lighting can feel too stark and intrusive. Lamps, particularly vintage lamps, bring more than just lighting: They infuse style, personality and old world glamour in just about any room of the house.

Artwork as a Statement Piece

This is surely an interior design trend we can all get behind. Getting involved in the world of art can be overwhelming for some, but there’s no reason why you have to break the bank purchasing the most expensive gallery offering.

Choose a piece of art that reflects your personality and injects a bit of the style and vibe you want guests and visitors to feel in your home. Being a statement piece, you can even go bigger and bolder without worrying about it being too much. Vibrant art and abstract pieces are particularly effective in offering opportunities to bring some colour to barren or monochrome coloured walls.

Subtle, Quiet Luxury

As far as 2024 interior design trends go, this one is among the more widely appealing. Ostentatious shows of luxury and opulence may be right for certain homes, but there is a growing trend for opting for quieter and more subtle luxury in aesthetics. Think more golden accents than golden sculptures.

Quiet luxury is also an aesthetic that evokes feelings of understated yet discernable appreciation for the nice things in life. It’s humble yet confident, and a perfect aesthetic for many homes in 2024.

Dark Accents and Wood

Dark wood tones, whether in your flooring or furniture, brings an ambiance to a space and a sense of cosiness and warmth. In recent decades, with the rise of minimalist and Scandinavian aesthetics, dark wood dropped a little in popularity.

But it’s roaring back in a big way. More and more trends are opting for darker over light wood as interior designers are embracing more personalised and bolder styles. 

Exposed Brick Walls

Exposed tiled brick walls are back in fashion and making a stir. Living rooms, kitchens, outdoor patios… This unique and iconic feature wall adds more than just an aesthetic statement to a space. 

The texture inherent in tiled brick brings an extra quality and dimension enhancing the overall design and style. 

Farmhouse Interior Design Style

Among the more interesting interior design trends that are emerging is the farmhouse chic design. Current trends include everything from top-to-toe farmhouse aesthetics to simply opting for exposed wooden beams or wooden furnishings.

There’s something down to Earth and tranquil about a farmhouse-inspired interior design and it’s great to see it become one of the trends for 2024.

Bold Colours

This might be another current trend in interior design that’s drawing a stark line between modern styling and the minimalist, modern preferences of the last few decades. Incorporating bold colours and patterns in your living spaces allows for a greater incorporation of personal style and preferences. Plus, different colours allow you to play with the brightness or moodiness of a particular room, as you prefer. 

Bold colours are particularly apparent as a bathroom interior design trend as well as more and more people are turning their bathrooms into personal spa retreats and the like. 

Similarly, colourful kitchens are becoming more and more popular too, especially as part of a complementary pairing with the trend of choosing intentionally kitsch kitchen wares.

Stylised Grouting

Grouting is not the first thing that comes to mind in interior design. But this practical component of your tiling and flooring offers an often overlooked opportunity. Bright and colourful grouting can help monochromatic tiling really pop off the wall or floors.

The interior design trends in bathrooms has included black and white tile-grouting combinations for a while, but as with the trend of bold colours elsewhere around the home, coloured and stylised grouting is taking this design choice to a whole new level. 

Unique Dining Rooms

From distinctive dining room chairs to unique, bespoke dining room tables, the family eating space has been promoted from practical to fashionable. 

Much of the interior design trends in dining rooms have focused on artwork and decor without much interest being placed on the furniture itself. Yet choosing some funky and quirky dining room furniture can help to turn what’s often a stock-standard corner of the home into a visual feast to complement the literal one going on within it. 

Euro Marble - the home of quality stone for quality interior design

The team here at Euro Marble love nothing more than helping our customers find the perfect slab of natural stone to help bring their home to life. 

Whether you’re opting for a current trend in interior design or have alternate preferences, make sure to give the team a call today or come into our showroom to see our range of marble, granite and more for yourself. 

How To Use Gold in Interior Design

Elegant living room with gold accents, including a gold-framed mirror, gold-legged tables, and decorative gold objects on a sideboard and coffee table, all complementing a neutral color palette

Using gold in interior design provides a lot of opportunity to incorporate a sense of luxury and opulence in your home. Gold, the metal and the colour, has been used for millennia to add sophistication and royalty to spaces and rooms.

However, finding the right balance between ambiance and grandeur can require a little more thought than you’d expect when it comes to golden room decor.

In this article, we’ll explore why, how and where to incorporate this elegant colour scheme in your living rooms and homes, and hopefully help spark your own creativity as well.

Why Gold Decorations For a Living Room is a Great Idea

As you would expect, gold exudes elegance and glamour. If you love the thought of a more lavish aesthetic in your home, thoughtfully incorporated gold can help you achieve that without going overboard. 

But there is a quality to gold that goes beyond the mere opulent. Bright and glowing, gold offers a warm tone to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere–perfect for use in a living room or family space.

Moreover, gold room decor is both versatile and timeless in its aesthetic. It can be used to complement a wide range of interior design styles without risking becoming a fashion faux pas in years to come as trends change.

Best Interior Design Styles for Gold Decor

The Styles That Work

The best interior design styles are the ones that inherently embrace glowing and glamorous colours, such as gold, and aim to create a sense of wonder and luxuriousness.We’re talking here about everything from traditional styles to contemporary glamour, and from art deco to Hollywood regency. 

The Styles That Don’t Work As Well

If you’re leaning towards minimalism or a Scandinavian-inspired interior design, extensive gold decor may not be the best fit. 

These aesthetics opt for simplicity and neutrality, so subtle touches of gold can be used sparingly in a very effective and complementary way but more ostentatious gold accents won’t work as well.

Tips for Using Gold in Interior Design

Balance is Key

Even if your aim is to create a sense of overwhelming luxury and glamour, you still need to incorporate gold decorations for your living room in a thoughtful and strategic way. 

Remember: Gold is bold. 

Too much of it can overwhelm a space, even a large living room. Aim for a more harmonious balance between the gold elements and the other chosen hues, materials and decor. 

Pair with Neutral Colours

Mixing gold in interior design with neutral colours, such as white, cream and grey, allows you to achieve two things simultaneously. Firstly, you don’t risk overpowering the room (see tip number one above). Secondly, you enhance the effectiveness of your chosen gold accents by allowing them to stand out against the neutral colours.

Using the juxtaposition of rich gold with softer neutrals allows you to achieve a balanced and sophisticated colour palette that will make your gold do more with less.

Use Textures

It’s not all about the colours. Experiment with the different textures in your interior design. Many gold decor ideas for living rooms work because they highlight gold accents and decorations against a different sort of texture such as velvet, silk or even metallic finishes.

A range of textures can add a sense of depth and an extra visual dimension to your design scheme. Like using neutral shades, it will also help your use of gold pop and really impress.

Make a Statement

Statement pieces are essential in good interior design. Gold offers you plenty of opportunity to use this magnificent colour/material to orient the focus of a space on the statement piece of your choosing.

For example, you might have an ornate chandelier or a mirror, or even a particularly bespoke piece of furniture. Utilise your gold to bring attention to the statement piece that you’re wanting to highlight in the room.

Gold Decor Ideas For Your Living Room

Gilded Accents

Gold makes for a wonderful choice with mirror trimmings, picture frames and other decorative objects. Subtle and balanced, it will add a tangible touch of luxury without being in your face or over the top.

Golden Fixtures

The smaller elements of the living room offer a lot of potential if used correctly. Golden faucets, handles and light fixtures are both an efficient and economical way of using gold throughout a space without it all being too much.

Textiles and Upholstery

A lot of gold in interior design, understandably, is focused on the metal and even gold-coloured stone. But the textiles and upholstery you choose for your living room can be used to introduce this luxurious style as well. Golden velvet and silk balances the colour and texture components we outlined above. From throw pillows to curtains, there is a lot of opportunity to infuse elegance in your seating areas.

Artwork

Gold-framed artwork is one thing, a golden sculpture or ornament is a whole other level. Golden artwork creates a natural and highly effective focal point for your family and guests alike. The right piece will draw the eye for all the right reasons and add real visual interest to the space.

Golden Details

Another subtle but immensely effective way of incorporating gold is through the detailing of your living room. Golden leaf detailing can be used on mouldings, ceilings, and other architectural features to create an elegant aesthetic throughout.

Golden Natural Stone

Natural stone comes in a wide variety of colours, including gold. Finding the right slab of marble and granite with rich and appealing golden veining can help you incorporate this wonderful colour scheme in your flooring, wall cladding, staircase and more!

Gold in Natural Stone: The Perfect Choice

If you’re looking to infuse gold in your home, natural stone is a fantastic option. It offers a perfect canvas for you to highlight your propensity for luxury and sophistication with a practical and durable design material. 

Golden stone is timeless, captivating and beautiful. With careful consideration of style, balance and strategic placement, the right stone can bring the glamour and warmth you’re after into your living space. 

To find out more about how to use gold in interior design, especially gold-veined natural stone, make sure to reach out to our friendly team here at Euro Marble today. 

Where to Place Your Coffee Table

Where to Place Your Coffee Table

There is a lot to consider when choosing coffee tables for the living room. The humble coffee table, after all, is more than just another piece of furniture in your home. It provides an opportunity to infuse style into the room and potential for offering immense practical functionality.

Apart from knowing how to choose a coffee table that suits your space and interior style, knowing where to place your coffee table is one of the more deceptively complicated choices you’ll have to make. You’ll want to impact both the overall design and the usability of your living room as positively as possible.

Fortunately, whether you have a round or rectangle coffee table, we’re here to help! But first, let’s briefly consider the different coffee table options.

Types of Coffee Tables

Rectangular Coffee Tables

Rectangular coffee tables are the most common type and are found in more traditional living rooms thanks to their versatility in matching various seating arrangements.

They are particularly ideal next to long sofas or sectional seating thanks to the balanced and proportional look they bring to the table, no pun intended.

Square Coffee Tables

The square table makes for an excellent choice in living rooms with modular sofas or smaller seating areas where space is at a premium.

Sleek, contemporary and balanced, you’ll often find square coffee tables in the centre of a room.

Round Coffee Tables

The round coffee table, thanks to the lack of sharp corners, is great for use in smaller living rooms where traffic flow can be limited or tight.

The circular design promotes a sense of unity and cohesion, and can be very functional for intimate gatherings of family and friends.

Oval Coffee Tables

The oval table design offers a unique and dynamic shape. It combines much of the practical benefits of a rectangular table but with the visual flair of a round table.

Use of an oval coffee table will depend largely on the size of your room and the seating arrangements available. 

The Art of Placing Coffee Tables for Living Rooms

Centre Stage

Placing your coffee table in the centre of your seating area is a bold but excellent option for a range of applications. If you want your coffee table to be the focal point of your design, the middle of the living room is the way to go. 

But it’s not just about fashion – there’s a functional element to this placement as well. It allows easy access from all sides and encourages use from guests, family and friends. One thing to consider, however, is the size of your coffee table and the distance between the seating and its surface. It should be within easy reach to ensure practical use without obstructing the flow of movements.

By the Sofa’s Side

Is space limited in your living room? Does the space have a rather unconventional layout?

Consider placing the coffee table adjacent to the sofa. Whether you have a round or rectangle coffee table, this allows for the maximisation of available space and avoids cluttering the room both physically and aesthetically. Just bear in mind that depending on how your sofas are arranged, it may limit accessibility from certain seats. 

The Floater

Knowing how to decide on a coffee table’s placement requires you to know how you intend on using the table itself. For larger rooms, for example, you may want to consider placing the coffee table away from the seating area. 

This creates a sense of openness and airiness and allows your chosen coffee table to stand proud and independently to showcase its own aesthetic. But, being a floating coffee table means that accessibility from your seating will be restricted. So consider how you intend on using your coffee table and what role it plays in your room.

The Nested Coffee Table

Nested coffee tables are tables designed to be arranged in a group of one or more other tables. In most instances they vary in size and are arranged in a layered formation to emphasis the different heights and/or shapes.

Using nesting tables offers great flexibility in placement. You can spread them out to ensure accessibility from various seating positions in the living room, or they can be clustered together for maximum aesthetic impact.

Dual Coffee Tables

Even if you choose to forgo the nesting style, larger living rooms with distinct seating areas can benefit from having dual coffee tables servicing each space. 

This layout promotes an intimacy in a  larger space and gives you a larger canvas on which to consider the different types and style of coffee tables in each area. Of course, when it comes down to placing the coffee tables, you can still opt for a floating, adjacent or centrally located coffee table depending on the specifics of your particular application. 

What To Consider When Placing Your Coffee Table

If you’re unsure how and where to place your coffee table in your living room, here is a brief checklist of considerations to ask yourself:

  • Does the placement of the coffee table impede the natural flow of movement in the room?
  • Is there sufficient space between the table and furniture?
  • Does the placement of the coffee table make it easier or harder to access it?
  • Is the coffee table the visual focal point of the room? Should it be?
  • Will you be primarily using the coffee table for decorative or functional purposes?
  • Does the coffee table match the rest of the room’s aesthetic or does it stand out?
  • Does the placement of the coffee table work for you?

Ultimately, this last question is the key. The best coffee tables for your living room are only as good as their utility and appeal to you and your family. Experiment with different arrangements to find the option that visually and practically makes the most of the table itself and the space around it. 

Need help? Contact Euro Marble Today!

Whether you need some assistance in finding the best coffee table for a sectional living room or would like to talk through how to choose a coffee table that suits your home, our team at Euro Marble would love to help. Contact us today or come in to see us in our showroom!

Natural Stone Finishes: The Complete Guide

Natural Stone Finishes: The Complete Guide

Using natural stone for interior and exterior applications in your home is a great idea. This fantastic material has been revered for its timeless beauty and appreciated for its hardy durability for centuries. One crucial aspect of using stone, however, is not just the type of material itself but the stone finish.

The right tile finishes can make or break your use of stone. Not only can it enhance the aesthetic appeal of the surface, but it also provides practical protection from exposure to moisture and susceptibility to staining.

In this guide, we’ll run through everything you need to know to get started with stone finishes and make the right choice for your particular application.

The Basics of Stone Finishes

The term “finish” refers to the treatment applied to the surface of the natural stone to either alter its appearance or enhance its performance, or both.

This step is crucial in the fabrication process of the stone tiles you’re looking to use and can influence not just the stone’s colour and texture, but its durability and longevity. The right stone finish can help shield the material you’ve invested in from wear and tear and damage by melements and moisture, keeping it functioning and looking as good as new.

Finding the Right Tile Finishes

Selecting the appropriate finish for your needs is quite important. A considered and well-informed choice of finish will ensure that your stone complements your overall design choices and ensures that it features the right level of resilience against the elements it may encounter once installed. 

Marble, granite, limestone and the array of other natural stone materials all bring with them unique qualities and aesthetic appeal. Matching the stone with the right finish for its particular application can contribute significantly to the visual appeal and the value of your home. 

How to Choose a Stone Finish

1. What type of stone are you using?

While all natural stone looks great and works like a charm in a range of applications, they do respond differently to various finishes. The specific characteristics of the stone, such as the porosity of marble or the hardiness of granite, can mean that certain finishes are more appropriate than others.

2. Where are you placing the stone?

Are your stone tiles going outside? Is the natural stone going to be featured inside? The location of your stone finish application will be a significant factor to consider. Exterior finishes need to be hardier to withstand exposure to weather conditions, while internal applications may be better suited to finishes that prioritise aesthetic and/or easiness to clean. 

3. What maintenance requirements are you looking for?

Different stone finishes require different types and intensity of maintenance routines. Consider your willingness and ability to maintain your stone when considering the different types of finishes available. 

4. What are your style preferences?

This one is up to you, for better or worse. Consider what sort of aesthetic you’re going for. A finish can be used to either intensify a stone’s natural colour, subdue it, or add a different element that can contrast or complement the rest of your interior design.

5. Do you have additional needs?

While we’ve spoken a lot about the aesthetic and hardy attributes of stone tile finishes, there is another beneficial function to them. Certain stone finishes offer features such as slip resistance, which can be crucial for applications such as patios or pool areas. These special finish options provide a safe surface in wet conditions and should be considered when weighing up your various options. 

Natural Stone Finishes: The most popular options

The Polished Finish

Perhaps the most famous of the options when it comes to stone finishes, a polished finish achieves a glossy, reflective surface and is popular for use on marble and granite. The polish works to enhance the natural colour of the stone and helps ensure its patterns and veining pop.

The Honed Finish

The honed finish, also sometimes referred to as a matte finish, is smooth to the touch like the polished finish but without the shine. Honed finishes are commonly used for areas exposed to higher levels of traffic where a polish wouldn’t last. It provides an equally appealing visual style but in a more casual and understated way.

The Flamed Finish

The flamed finish is most commonly used for materials such as granite and in applications where you want to achieve a textured surface reminiscent of a rustic aesthetic. The flamed finish, as its name suggests, is achieved through exposing the stone to high temperatures and makes for a highly suitable finish on stone being used in exterior applications.

The Brushed Finish

This unimaginatively named finish is achieved by brushing the surface of the natural stone with a stiff and abrasive brush. It creates a rather comforting and visually interesting textured look and unique aesthetic. It can be more difficult to keep clean and maintain however.

The Tumbled Finish

The tumbled finish involves tumbling the stone pieces with an abrasive material to create an intentionally worn appearance and evoke suggestions of an antique quality. Travertine and limestone tiles are common recipients of the tumbled finish as it complements their sedimentary make-up. 

The Split Face Finish

Achieved by splitting natural stone along its natural cleavage lines, this finish achieves a rough and yet artistically textured surface. It is particularly popular for use in accent walls and exterior cladding thanks to its visually arresting appearance.

The Sandblasted Finish

With the sandblasted finish, a high pressure stream of sand is applied to the surface of the natural stone achieving a matte appearance but with a subtly textured surface. Apart from the aesthetic appeal of this finish, it also offers a degree of slip resistance making it highly popular for use in outdoor settings. 

The Leathered Finish

Much like its name suggests, the leathered finish helps to create a leather-like surface to the natural stone. Textured yet smooth, it is gaining popularity for use in interior applications particularly granite and stone countertops where homeowners want both the contemporary style of stone but with the warmth of a leather-esque surface.

At Euro Marble, we’ll help you finish the job!

Finding the right stone finish for you is a crucial step in the design and construction of your home, in terms of both aesthetics and functionality.

Whether you know exactly what sort of finish you’re after or need a bit of assistance discussing the different options, make sure to reach out to our experts in stone finishes right here at Euro Marble.