By Mac+Wood

Express yourself with a contemporary coffee table

Express yourself with a contemporary coffee table

Amongst Mac+Wood’s wide range of luxury furniture lies the contemporary coffee table. The coffee table is one of the most central pieces of any home, representing the personality of the homeowner perhaps more than any other item. At its best, it is a perfectly functional showpiece, enabling social occasions whilst communicating the values of its owner.

Styling a coffee table is a famously important aspect of interior design. Here are some ways you can express yourself through your coffee table, if you’re looking for some inspiration.

Coffee Table Books

The one ingredient of coffee table perfection that most people are aware of, the coffee table book is the most articulate object you can place on your table, speaking volumes about your interests and passions. Choose large art books as the base of a pile of coffee table books to create a layered look on the table, either on the shelf underneath or the upper surface.

Alternatively, source a pair of beautiful bookends which match the room to enclose a few books on the top of the table.

Choose similar books to create a theme for your coffee table and indicate your commitment to your passion – perhaps you’re a photography snob, hording Ansel Adams hardcovers, or perhaps fashion is your bag and you’re stacking up volumes of Vogue.

Succulents and Terrariums

Greenery never goes amiss indoors. Bringing the outside in has long been a mark of sensitive, soothing design, and your coffee table need be no exception to this rule. House plants are a great idea for living rooms, but it might be wise to find plants which can survive in low light for your coffee table, to keep them low maintenance. In this instance, succulents and cacti are a wonderful option.

Choose cacti and desert plants for sandy, warm hues or a leafier, exotic shrub for green or blue toned rooms to give an impression of the tropical. If you want to go for a quintessentially British look with your interior, choose lavender.

Terrariums are a perfect tabletop ornament, bringing to the table both the greenery of nature and the luxurious sheen of glass.

Catchalls

Gathering together your tabletop items is a great way to preserve order on your table, keeping it tidy and making cleaning easy. You can find a wide variety of fashionable catchalls at homeware shops and department stores like John Lewis and Fenwick’s. Popular catchalls include baskets and trays. Try a wicker look with a basket or tray for a natural feel to go along with catci and bamboo blinds.

Glass and plastic trays look chic over a tablecloth – a little fabric can add a touch of texture and variety to a contemporary table.

Keep fresh flowers, stylish ornaments and something personal in your catchall – perhaps a gift from a friend or your favourite necklace or cufflinks.

By Mac+Wood

The right chairs for your Mac+Wood reclaimed wood table

The right chairs for your reclaimed wood table

Obviously if you are buying a table, you are going to need chairs. The choice of what you sit on is almost as important as the choice of the table. Today we will take you through the tips to choose the right chairs for your reclaimed wood table.

Scale

For comfort, the respective scales of your dining table and chairs must be compatible. If you measure from the top of the table to the floor, most dining tables range from 28 to 31 inches high; a 30 inch height is the most common. From the top of the seat to the floor, dining chairs frequently range from 17 to 20 inches high. That means the distance between the seat and table top could be anywhere from 8 to 14 inches. The average diner finds a distance of 10 to 12 inches the most comfortable, but it varies by the thickness of the table top, the height of the apron, and by the size of the diner.

Chair Height

Measure the whole table not just from table’s top to the seat. If the table doesn’t have an apron, measure from the bottom of the table top to the top edge of the chair seat. If the table has an apron, measure from the bottom of the apron to the top of the seat. When measuring chairs also be careful to take into consideration the padding or lack of it as it can make a difference.

Chair Width and Depth

Scale isn’t just about compatible heights. You also need chairs that actually fit under your reclaimed wood table. If they don’t, your diners will be uncomfortable and you could possibly damage the table or chairs. The chairs you place at each end of a rectangular or oval dining table should slide under the table without bumping into the table legs, or into the base of a pedestal or trestle table. If you plan to use two or more chairs on each long side of the table, make sure there’s room to slide them underneath with bumping each other or the table’s base or legs.

Chair backs

The final scale concern when choosing chairs for a mixing room table is the difference between the table height and the overall chair height. Make sure the backs of your chairs are taller than the top of the table. Taller is better, but a height difference of two inches is the absolute minimum. The chairs look squatty otherwise.

At Mac+Wood we also produce matching benches to accompany our reclaimed wood table. These benches are matching from frame to materials used for the tops. They can match the colour of the wood and we will use the same wood you ordered for your table. They also come in the styles of our tables. They are a great option if you want a set of furniture with no added hassle to find something that goes well. They are also perfect for those of you who love to host people and have dinner parties. We can make them in many different sizes ranging from a smaller 2-seater one to a 6+ size.

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By Mac+Wood

Increase office productivity

Increase office productivity with a pleasing, practical and perfect work space

Your work station says a lot about you, and where you work has an enormous impact on how you work.

Whether you’re starting your office design from scratch or refurbishing your current workplace, creating a professional and comfortable space will help to inspire creativity.

Warm up your office

Banish the idea that the office has to be a cold, clinical and boring area just because it’s where you do your work.

Yes, it needs to be functional. But functional starts with “fun” and if you’re going to spend the majority of your day in one room, then it should be an interesting and inviting hub.

You can easily mastermind a beautiful but practical work space with a few simple touches, such as your choice of lighting, layout and furniture. It’s all about creating atmosphere, which in turn lifts the mood and enhances productivity.

Wood works

Choosing furniture that offsets – or contrasts – with the rest of your décor can tastefully bring a bit of character to your office.

A reclaimed wood desk is one way of bringing in instant warmth and style. Pre-loved in another life, the wood adds a strong sense of charm and interest that will set your office apart from the norm.

At Mac+Wood, we combine the properties of reclaimed wood with cutting edge design to create unique furniture pieces that it can fit into even the most modern of offices. With three classic finishes to choose from – ‘Raw’, ‘Brown’ and ‘Dark’, there is something to suit varying office colour schemes.

The wood exudes luxury and comfort while beautifully highlighting natural materials to give you a connection with the past.

Fitting in

If you’ve ever sat down at a desk to work and found yourself stretching and fidgeting because you’re uncomfortable or struggling to focus, then you’ll know the importance of having a work space properly fitted to your personal specifications.

A sturdy, comfortable and functional desk is key to getting the most out of your work day. The Mac+Wood contemporary desk is designed perfectly to your bespoke requirements and fitted properly to maximise comfort.

Made with a solid, reclaimed wood surface and sturdy, brushed steel legs, our desks are expertly built to combine both functionality with character.

They are also designed to be practical and hard-wearing.

Making space

Maximising your space will open up the room and choosing furniture that fits the room will help you do this.

With our Mac+Wood desks, you aren’t bound by flat pack sizing restrictions and it doesn’t matter if yours is a small office at home or a large corporate space. This is because we can tailor the size and shape of the desk to your unique requirements.

Our desks also come with drawers, ideal for storing away important paperwork and office files, so that too much doesn’t spill over the surfaces.

Boardroom tables

Did you know that we also make boardroom tables? The boardroom is a key place where you may be sitting down to an important meeting or trying to win over a new client.

You may want a highly professional and polished feel for your office, or a more relaxed environment where staff feel part of the team. Whatever your requirements may be, we can build a beautiful table to suit your needs.

So whether it’s a bespoke desk or charming boardroom table, we hope that an item of Mac+Wood furniture will allow you many years of office productivity!

By Mac+Wood

Introducing the Mac + Wood bench

Introducing the Mac + Wood bench

What could go better with your reclaimed wood Mac + Wood table than a matching bench? In our opinion, very little!

Our benches make the ideal accompaniment to our tables. They come in in the same style, are made from similar materials and are created in a bespoke fashion.

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