Creating a unique effect with lighting can take some creative thinking. Placing traditional lights so they cast shadows is a great way to give a room a completely different character once it has gone dark. This can be very tricky to get right however, since the shadow may cover an all-important area. If you’re wanting uniform light then the best option is to choose designer lights. At Pash Contemporary Living, we have some incredibly creative designs from floor standing varieties, to table lamps and even contemporary pendant lighting. Poul Henningsen was a Danish author and architect who primarily worked through the first half of the 20th century to create some fearsomely unique designs that are sought after today. Fortunately, we have two lights that are directly inspired by his design style, both of which utilise light exceptionally well in order to create an artwork of light. The Artichoke Lamp is one such artful creation that is unexpected and unpredictable in its design. The panelled latticework manages the light so that it reflects and warms the entire lamp until it exits. As you might imagine, when this is lit up it is unlike any lamp you have ever seen. Its design is timeless despite being created decades ago, and its use of light is magical.

The Snowball Light is similarly warm, despite its name. Lit up it casts light in every direction creating soft layers and gradients across the  room which can be very gratifying. These can be combined with modern floor lamps to ensure that specific areas can be lit independent of the ambient light source. The Arco Floor Lamp is stylish but entirely functional, with a long swanlike neck that bends to your will. It is perfect stood behind a chair and used as a reading lamp, or alternatively it can stand next to a desk to cast light on your work. Lighting like this can help to keep your eyes from feeling strained if you are working long into the night.

We also have a mushroom shaped table lamp that is entirely retro in its organic simplicity. The Nesso Table Lamp is inspired by Giancarlo Mattiolo and is designed to create a nice warm glow, rather than a sharper, harsh light source that many lamps can create. This ambient light gives a homely look to rooms that can make them seem more inviting.

Each of these examples of lighting go fantastically with our retro furniture. If you have an interest in 20th century design, then we are one of the best stores to come to, particularly since we have gone to lengths to recreate some of the best designs by some of the best designers. Furniture and lighting like this helps to give interior decor a culturally referential element which people can often instantly recognise as being from a particular period. Overall, it can create an effect that may be consigned to history as far as the general populace is concerned, but these timeless styles have enough creativity and vitality to still exist today.

Can true style ever be bought? It can, but depending on the environment this style is being placed into, it might not turn out the way you planned. At Pash Contemporary Living, we seek to provide you with the modern designs that can really make your office work, but only if you give proper consideration to the room you are trying to create. It is often not enough these days to simply kit out an office in the standard fare of office furniture, particularly not if you are a design agency looking to promote a sense of modern flexibility and creativity. This is where our surprisingly affordable designer office furniture comes in. Much of it will be made to order, so you can be confident that the products you buy are of a high build quality and have a level of individuality and uniqueness to them that can really carry your brand.

Office chairs inspired by Eames make up our collection simply because they have such a distinctive look and sense of style. The EA117 Mesh Office Chair with low back is a beautifully realised reproduction, sporting a polish aluminium base with a height adjustable bar. The seat also has a tilt motion and solid castors which make it great for skirting across the office or rapidly moving the chair out of the way. Built for comfort as well as encouraging a positive posture, the Eames ticks all the boxes when it comes to impressions. All you have to do is imagine yourself in the seat. Chairs like this are equally well deployed in modern office facilities and traditional or heritage office buildings, where perhaps there is open brickwork or paved floors.

If you are looking for some funky office furniture that also has an innate sense of style, then the Coconut Chair inspired by George Nelson is a great choice. Chairs like this are perfect for breakout and relaxation areas, as well as meeting areas and receptions. It has a classic 1950s look (it was designed in 1955) and can add class to any office space, literally inviting all to sit in it. Because of its look, it is perhaps best deployed in more urban settings simply because of what it communicates, but we’re sure it will sit happily in any area. The Coconut Chair is minimalism used to its fullest, with this stark look that is seated on an fibreglass-reinforced white exterior shell which itself sits on a chrome steel base. The chair feels remarkably solid, yet light, and is available in a wide variety of colours that complement the fine Italian leather.

For the executives looking for stylish contemporary office furniture, we have the Executive Office Chair inspired by Eames. The ES104 makes use of gloriously padded leather upholstery that simply communicates quality. The fine leather is complemented by the aluminium metal work that will give a counterpoint to whichever colour you choose, from stark red to classic black, distinguished ivory, smooth cream or mature tan brown.

Creativity doesn’t have to stop just because you are decorating your home office, on the contrary, it can be a fantastic opportunity to invest in some highly unique items. At Pash Contemporary Living, we have beautifully designed modern floor lamps that will add a new twist to an office, as well as being completely functional. Our Arco Floor Lamp was heavily inspired by Achille Castiglioni who was a renowned Italian industrial designer. He made use of everyday materials to create minimalistic forms that were stark in appearance and naturally drew your eyes towards them. Artistic designs like this can make a home office a more inviting place to work in, though obviously you can use a lamp like this just about anywhere you wish. The neck of the lamp is made from brushed chrome and is extendable so it can be articulated over your work space. The directional light will also protect your eyes, reducing the amount of fatigue that you might feel when working late. Steadying the lamp is a marble base which is available in black or white. Lamps like this are a testament to both form and function and they can sit very comfortably into any office environment, though its artful design may make you wish everything else in the room was as classy.

Modern table lamps are that can be placed anywhere should have their environment at the heart of their design too. Our Nesso Table Lamp inspired by Giancarlo Mattioli is designed in such a way that it increases the ambient lighting very naturally and warmly. This is not an easy feat, given that many lights do not diffuse light particularly well and tend to over-amplify one area of a room. Giancarlo Mattioli created many of his most recognisable designs in the 60s, but unlike much of what was created in that era, his designs have stood the test of time and are now collectors items. They can bring art to the very lighting that you use to light your room, and while the design isn’t as garish as some 60s offerings, the Nesso lamp is unmistakably from that era. Having cultural references like this is a great way to introduce style that many will be able to understand to a place in your home or office. These lamps, along with the Arco Floor Lamp above, are a great combination when you are buying accessories to go with your designer office furniture. With directional light from the floor lamp and ambient light from this, you have all of the light necessary for a very habitable working environment.

Our final lamp is the Snowball Light inspired by Poul Henningsen. He is a Danish author, architect and critic who had an amazing flair for the unique. This can be seen in this light which can only be appreciated when it is fully lit. It handles light beautifully around its geometric designs and makes the light a work of art in itself. It is a smaller version of that found in the Adventist Church in Skodsborg.

Furnishing a bedroom can be a lot of stress, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way. A certain joy should come from decorating and creating environments in which you can live – it really is a license to let your creativity do the talking. This doesn’t mean that you have to buy things on a whim, nor have any overarching aesthetic plan, in fact, it would really help if you can imagine what the finished article will be like and how it would feel to live and spend time there. Contemporary furniture offers you the greatest level of creativity, aside from actually building the furniture yourself and at Pash Contemporary Living we have beautifully designed options that can give you an entirely different perspective on what it is to create a bedroom living space.

Our Barcelona Day Bed is inspired by Mies Van Der Rohe who created an entire collection for the German Pavilion. Its design is clearly retro, yet reassuringly modern in its appearance. It’s future-retro look is a nod to culture and will fit in any modern apartment where simplicity of design fits alongside aesthetic beauty. Contemporary bedroom furniture like this is incredibly adaptable and can be utilised in any way you want. The bed can be easily moved, items can be stored beneath it and it can be used however you wish. Its fine Italian Leather gives it a charm that is hard to match, and despite its original design aim, it will remind you of a 1960s office in New York, since it is reminiscent of so many Chaise Longues. The bed is available in black and white and is mounted on a solid beech wood frame. Modern bed frames like this offer comfort but durability and add to the overall picture that this bed creates.

If you are looking for items to couple it with, we have Barcelona Ottoman which is also inspired by Mies Van Der Rohe and has the same leather surface design and chrome frame. Chairs like this are design at its very height, with adaptability at the heart of it. It you want to use it as a chair it is a comfortable and easy to move about, or, if you would like to store clothes on it at night, it can be a very convenient place for them, which is great for those who always seem to be in a rush.

A bedside table is a great addition to any room, but purely functional isn’t all you should hope for. At Pash Living we have an Eileen Gray inspired side table which is stylish and, once again, hints at the retro-modern genre. Its tempered glass top is easy to clean and will be a great display table for a clock or various cosmetics. The table itself makes intriguing use of angles and circles to create a pleasing look that is never yearning for your attention. With items such as this, the line begins to blur between what is considered art and what is considered a piece of furniture.

Why do some of the world’s biggest online businesses have the funkiest offices? Facebook’s 150,000 square foot Palo Alto headquarters were redesigned almost as a funky warehouse a few years ago by contemporary interior designers Studio O+A, while the Googleplex (no prizes for guessing which company that office belongs to!) in Mountain View (also California) also has some pretty quirky design ideas going on, including Rubix Cubes, a spiral slide, and a boat!

So why do these online companies bother with all this designer office furniture and interior design when customers don’t see those offices? Surely the money would be better spent on redesigning the website? Well, it would be fair to say that neither Google nor Facebook’s websites suffer too much on the design front, and why? Because their employees stay pretty motivated thanks to their fabulous surroundings.

Yes, funky office furniture isn’t just there to impress customers, but can be a real motivator for employees too. A company’s two most important assets are its customers and also its staff, and without the latter it’s highly unlikely you’ll achieve the former. Keeping staff happy is one of the best ways of increasing business, and one way of keeping them happy is to enhance their surroundings.

It’s not just about contemporary office furniture either; the whole interior design and the building itself can also have an effect. Low ceilings and the constant hum of air conditioning can create high stress levels, while individual colours can also affect performance. Psychologists have discovered that those surrounded by red tend to perform better on tasks requiring accuracy and attention to detail, while blue helps to stimulate creativity and imagination.

The theory behind Facebook’s office design came directly from the staff, who wanted more interaction and opportunities to communicate. Likewise, many of Google’s office design ideas came from the staff that work there. Therefore, gone are the standard issue office cubicles in favour of a more open plan design, and certainly lots of variety. Taking advice from your staff when coming up with a redesign is actually a good idea, as they are perhaps best placed to know what they want or need. However, do make sure that the overall effect of your design concept reflects what you want your business to promote. The design should tie in with your company’s objectives, goals and vision, and this should then be projected onto your employees. For example, Google pride themselves on having an unconventional approach to business, and therefore want their office to reflect that.

Another consideration is to make sure that your design idea doesn’t overtake the purpose of the office. Don’t go for über contemporary desks and chairs which are then uncomfortable, as this certainly won’t help to increase productivity! Likewise, don’t encourage the minimalist look or an open plan space if this means staff can’t then do their job properly or get distracted.

Having decided on your design, look no further for your funky office furniture – come to us here at Pash contemporary living for all your quality, stylish furniture needs.

How you decorate your room can affect your mood, but just as important is the lighting you choose. Dark and gloomy rooms can dampen the spirits and leave you feeling as black as the dimly-lit corners. What’s more, if you’ve decorated your room with a wonderful colour scheme and some fabulous contemporary furniture but no one can see it, this could depress you even further.

If you’re not fortunate enough to have plenty of natural light sources, then you’ll need to add some lamps and other lighting choices to your room to keep it light and bright. Lighting is particularly important in a living room, as this is often a room which is frequently used, and especially in the evening. If you do use your living room frequently throughout the day too, then you might need different kinds of lighting in addition to what you require for after night has fallen.

The next thing to think about is what atmosphere you want to create, which in turn will directly affect your mood. Think about when you visit a restaurant or bar and the atmosphere that the dimmed lighting creates. To give yourself the most choices to create different moods and atmospheres, install plenty of contemporary floor lamps and table lamps, and even dimmer switches. These will help you to create soft lighting for a romantic, intimate or relaxing feel, plus they can also give you that touch extra light when it’s a gloomy day. This is especially important if you use your living room for work or to carry out activities where your eyes need to focus clearly, such as knitting or needlecraft.

The style of lighting you choose should very much depend on the room itself. If you have a small living room, you don’t want to overpower it by filling it with tons of lamps. Getting the balance right is just as important as the actual light emitted. If you have a low ceiling, then you won’t want to hang a great big chandelier from it – especially if you’re tall and likely to bump your head! Yet this could look perfect in a larger room with a high ceiling. Make sure no particular areas of the room are ‘overlit’ while others remain dark – it’s all about getting the right balance. That said, you can also use your lamps to highlight certain features of the room, such as artwork, so this could be a conscious decision that you make.

You should also make sure your choice of lamps and pendant lights reflects the décor in your room. There’s no point buying some beautiful contemporary lighting if you’re going to decorate your living room in a country house or vintage style as it will look out of place and mismatched. If you’re looking to really brighten up a dark room, then pale-coloured walls will reflect the light given off and you can afford to go with darker colour lampshades. However, against dark walls, these might not stand out very much and could lose their effect.

Modern office furniture can be so much more than the standard fair of functional items that don’t really inspire. The thing is, furniture is in the best place to help identify a company, carry the message of a brand as well as the values of those working within it. For instance, it hardly seems fitting that an interior designer should sit on a standard, even bland office chair that reflects nothing about what they are doing. Designer office furniture from Pash Contemporary Living therefore has a very important role to play when it comes to creating an atmosphere that can communicate many things, most notably a level of creativity.

Indeed, atmosphere is one of the most important aspects of some organisations not just for the employees themselves but also for the visitors, delegates and guests who come to visit. The furniture can work in tandem with other design elements such as paintings, decor and even the building itself to help build up a consistent theme and image that can inspire confidence and admiration in the people who come to visit. For instance, our Coconut Chair inspired by George Nelson is a great chair for a waiting area or even informal discussion zone where people can exchange ideas in a more relaxed setting. The designer furniture actually helps encourage this without people actively realising this is its entire purpose on any explicit level (unless of course, they consider these things themselves). As well as being highly stylish it is also constructed from a fibreglass-reinforced plastic shell that sits on a chrome steel base.

Alternatively, our ES104 Executive Office Chair inspired by Eames communicates a level of authority as well as comfort which can encourage approachability while also maintaining the structure of the operation. Designer options like this have to be of the maximum comfort and design and should have height adjustable options as well as tilt motions and arm rests. This roller option can also encourage the idea of an executive that is able to move around the office on the chair taking part in other discussions and retrieving documents without the need to get up. Again this encourages the informal yet structured ideal.

Chairs for general office use could be the EA117 Mesh Office Chair inspired by Eames. This option gives manoeuvrability and functionality that has a sleek style built into it. It can give many hours of comfort with its mesh upholstered seat and adjustable options.

Chairs like this for the office can make up part of an overall theme that contains many repeated elements. Other piece of furniture can then be chosen to complement the theme and ideas that you are trying to build up and eventually, this can result in a functional and stylish environment that encourages creativity and even employee loyalty. Stepping into an environment that is aesthetically pleasing can make it a very desirable place to work that not only increases productivity but can also result in more people wanting to work for you.

If you’re decking out your new house or apartment and want to keep it contemporary but classy, your first step should be to look at history: and then check out the modern twists on it when it comes to furniture.  Contemporary living room furniture is a large market and you’ll have many places and styles to choose from, to suit every budget. Our particular specialism is exactly what you might be looking for – that tricky combination where modern furniture is designed with a nod to the past, and here are two examples:

The Eames chair

A sought-after 50’s classic, the Eames chair continues to be an iconic design. It was created with comfort in mind as well as looking like a designer item and succeeded on both fronts, hence its popularity. The original was designed to look like a well-worn glove with a flexible backrest and headrest, so it will look inviting to sit or lounge on, no matter what the style of your room. It’s also a great conversational piece and something not found in an average furniture shop.

The original chairs are sought after collectible items and are restricted to those who can afford them, but the modern versions are extremely similar and offer no difference in style and funk factor – except when it comes to the price. In keeping with the tradition of the Eames chair using new materials and incorporating them into the design, you can get them in a variety of colours and with differentiations in the materials to suit the rest of your home décor easily. You can also check out other designs that have been based on or inspired by similar designers.

The Chaise Longue

Sometimes pronounced “Chaise Lounge”, this is a chair that is made longer to also enable you to get your feet up too, and who wouldn’t enjoy that? Historically enjoyed by the French but going back to ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, it’s the stylish and coolest way to literally lounge around. Whenever a Chaise Longue is in the room, you’ll be fighting everyone else to sit (or lie) on it.

Although chaise longues are often found in antique shops (with a price tag to match), there are modern, contemporary versions being made and we stock several of them. Built for the modern-thinking but classically minded home décor lover, you can now have the glamour of ancient Rome or Greece updated to fit your own style. Of course, you get to lie on it too – it’s no wonder that the alternative name for them is ‘day bed’.

These are just two brief examples of contemporary updates of historic pieces of furniture. Of course, if you’re into retro, we stock that too, as well as up-to-the-minute modern designer items to really show off that part of your personality when it comes to furnishing your home. If you can’t make up your mind or need advice on matching sets or colour ideas, then contact us and we’ll be happy to help you make your home part of your own mini history.

Like many other people, you may well love having family and friends over for dinner parties. After all such occasions enable you to showcase your cooking talents as well as show off your consummate hospitality skills. However, all of your cooking and hosting efforts will be in vain if you do have suitably stylish dining room furniture that is able to wow your guests. Therefore, if you want to make sure your dinner parties are a hit in every way, you need to have fantastic designer furniture.

Thankfully, we here at Pash have a superb range of contemporary furniture pieces that can help you to achieve the perfect ambience in your dining room. Indeed, our extensive collection of dining chairs and tables is inspired by iconic furniture designers who are renowned for their fascinating creations.

So, regardless of whether you’re on the lookout for sleek-looking dining chairs or a tulip-style dining table, you can be sure that our website will have the perfect furniture options for you. In addition, our comprehensive catalogue also includes a wide range of stylish side chairs, chic armchairs and classy bar stools in a wide selection of colours that can all help to make your home feel like a designer dream.

So, if you’re looking for contemporary dining room furniture pieces which will make an impact on your guests without making a dent in your wallet, make sure you come to us here at Pash.

If you’re keen to revamp the appearance of your home, you might be seeking new items of furniture. Changing your chairs, tables and other such items can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of your property and these days there are plenty of different products for you to take your pick from.

Among the pieces you might want to consider are those based on retro designs. According to one expert, these creations are still very much in favour among consumers.

Creating the perfect look

According to property expert, author and journalist Martin Roberts, retro furniture are still in vogue. He stated: “Retro or mid-century furniture remain popular.”

He also suggested that minimalistic objects that are typically characterised by simple and sleek designs are an option. These generally come in one solid colour so they can work well with most room schemes, the specialist claimed.

Mr Roberts went on to state: “With living spaces generally reducing in size, furniture needs to be in harmony with the room and ideally, be multifunctional – seats that double as storage… storage that doubles as beds, and so on.”

Making an impact with colour

When you’re choosing your contemporary living room furniture and so on, it’s important that you consider colour. Commenting on this issue, the writer suggested that if you’re not confident about using colour, it’s a good idea to paint walls in neutral shades such as cream, beige, mocha and caramel and then to “splash out” on a bright accent colour for one wall.

This colour can be matched with various accessories, including cushions, lampshades, rugs and so on.

Sourcing the perfect products

Of course, if you’re to realise your design dreams, it’s necessary to access the perfect products. Here at Pash, we make it our goal to offer superb items that really have that wow factor. Whether you’re on the lookout for contemporary bedroom furniture or anything else, you can rely on us.

Also, because we succeed in keeping our overheads low, omitting expensive showrooms and salesmen, we’re able to ensure our items are great value for money. This means you needn’t break the bank in order to get your hands on our fabulous offerings.

The Ball Chair

One retro item that might capture your imagination is the iconic Eero Aarnio Ball Chair. Designed in 1963, this is one of the most well-known of all mid-century modern classics and it makes a real statement when you position it in a room.

Meanwhile, you shouldn’t struggle to fit it into your colour scheme. All shell and interior colour combinations are possible, so you can let your imagination run wild. If you cannot see your preferred option on our website, you can simply contact us to make your request.

Of course, we also offer a variety of other excellent products. So, to see whether we could help you ensure your home is presented in the best way, just take a look around our website or get in touch with our friendly and professional team by phone or email.