Interior Design Trends 2022

Hip Hip Hooray!! It’s a new year and to welcome in 2022 we’re looking at the design trends forecast for the year ahead!

With every new year there is a promise of fresh starts with new opportunities and new to-do lists! But achieving a trendy new home decor should definitely be the first thing on your list!

Start with the biggest predicted trend of the year:

Natural Materials

Going against the grain and rebelling against non-sustainable material is one of the mot positive design trends for 2022! The world of interiors is championing long-lasting bespoke furniture that creates spaces that not only live longer. but with a generational appeal so they become investment pieces.

Long Barn Furniture division specializes in bespoke cabinet making using traditional techniques to bring your designs to life! Our handmade furniture for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, home offices, and commercial premises is custom designed to suit your lifestyle.

Natural Lighting

Last year we had the pleasure of undertaking this bespoke commission for a home office suite finished in Farrow and Ball Hague Blue for the CEO of a global company. The room was completely redesigned to take advantage of the floor-to-ceiling windows and the abundance of natural light - allowing the room to become a calm, uncluttered and comfortable working space.

Bespoke Bookshelves

Down to Earth

The trend for bringing the outdoors in was enhanced by the pandemic - it taught us the value of nature and how much we all need it as part of our overall well-being. Using natural wood in your home will bring a relaxing mood to your sanctuary away from the busy hustle and bustle of daily life. Wood has magnificent earthy hues which can be enhanced with stains and waxes to show off its natural grain. Wood also brings texture to your home - often our bespoke furniture is described as a ‘work of art’, which is always a great compliment to receive and our clients also admire how it enhances the personality of their home.

How to commission a piece of bespoke furniture in 3 simple steps:

1. Start gathering ideas from Pinterest and Google with interior design styles that appeal to you

2. Create a simple mood board with your images in Word saved as a PDF file and email it to us at hello@longbarnhome.co.uk

Please also include photos of your room and measurements.

3. Alternatively, provide us with a basic sketch and photos of room with measurements and we’ll work with you to bring you ideas to life! We’ll advise you on our recommended timber, wood finishes and ironmongery to compliment your design!

Its a wrap!

As we reach the end of another year we’ll be taking a few days out to celebrate Christmas and welcome in 2022!

It’s always a bit of a rush to get everything wrapped up in time for the Christmas holidays and this year was no exception - but we made a promise to have this lovely sash window installed in time for the family to enjoy their Christmas celebrations in the warm. The old window was over 6o years old and has been patched up and repaired quite a few times but it was uneconomical to keep doing more refurbishments so the decision was made to replace it and paint the shutters and the window seat.

We would like to wish all our customers - both old and new a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year! We look forward to working with you in 2022! If you're planning any projects - please do get in touch early so we can have an initial discusson - we’re a small but mighty team and we do get booked up very quickly!

Traditional Sash Windows in Wood

This week in the barn we are completing a beautiful traditional sash window made from hardwood for a Listed Building in Herefordshire.

These stylish windows are complex to make as they are made up of various components and this window is being handpainted as it has single glazing which is held in place with linseed putty to replicate the original window.

Traditional Sash Window for a Listed Building

Here we look at the individual components that make up a traditional sash window and how we make them more thermally efficient for modern-day living, as many people are wanting to make their homes much more energy efficient

A traditional sash window fitted with weights and cords are made up of the two glazed sashes – these are essentially timber frames that contain the glazing, either single, slimline or double glazed units with argon or krypton gas inserted between the panes. One of the sashes sits in front of the other and they can be fixed shut permanently or move up and down to allow ventilation and fire escapability.

Brass Pulleys and Sash Cord

Pulleys - decorative ironmongery with wheels and a groove where the sash cord is placed and allows the window to slide up and down if it is an opener.

Box Frame: this is the timber box that holds the sashes in place. Hidden inside the box are the weights which are attached to the cord.  

Sash cord - this is rope attached to the weights and fed through the pulleys.

The Sash Weights are usually in lead or steel and act as a counterbalance with the sash to allow the window to open. It must weigh the same as the glazed sash. To prevent the weights from clashing together, a small piece of timber fillet is inserted in between – this is known as a ‘mouse’ because it acts as a silencer!

 Staff Bead:

This is an internal wooden trim that holds the sashes in their position and contains a draught seal – these draught seals are worth their weight in gold and can be retrofitted into existing windows that are being refurbished to improve the energy efficiency of the window.

Draught Strip for Sash Windows