Top showroom styling tips to try at home

As we gear up to re-open our showroom on April 12, we thought we'd share a sneak preview of what we've been doing to prepare... and entice you!

Heavenly sofa and Petit Royale pale blue velvet ottoman in La Residence Interiors' showroom

It’s been quiet… oh, so quiet in our showroom.

For weeks, since the January imposition of Lockdown III – the third (and we hope, final) instalment – the door to our barn-style premises has been kept pretty much shut.

Online business has been buoyant but some of our team have been furloughed or working remotely, while co-founders Sarah and Dan have split shifts in between home schooling. Customers have been supporting us wonderfully and consistently online but have been unable to visit us in person and see our furniture and home accessories in situ.

Now, with the prospect of re-opening on April 12, there’s a real buzz about getting back to business at our barn in Alfold. Mirrors have been polished, an array of new cushions have been plumped and chopped and our dining tables prepped with stylish new crockery, glasses, napkins and accoutrements.

Belvedere weathered oak dining table and Hamilton velvet upholstered dining chairs in La Residence Interiors' showroom

Our dining tables are all laid and ready to entertain (and inspire) you!

Framed prints have filled spaces on our walls, candle holders and decorative items adorn side tables and beautiful gold embossed mirrored trays take pride of place on our ottomans. It’s all looking, dare we say it, rather inviting – all we need is an influx of visitors, albeit of the socially distanced variety.

Luckily, we’re now well versed in Covid-19 safety protocol and our showroom is thoroughly and consistently cleaned to keep everyone safe. We’ll still be asking you to wear face masks during your visit and to sanitise on entry and we’ll restrict the number of customers allowed inside at one time to six people to ensure distancing is followed.

“We’re so looking forward to chatting to customers again and finding out about what they want in their homes and how we can help them achieve that – it’s one of the aspects of being here in the showroom that we love, and we miss the sociable side of meeting and greeting people,” said Sarah.

Sue, Sara and Zena – our dedicated showroom team – will be back to provide a warm welcome, expert advice on our furniture and accessories, and a mean cappucino or latte if you’ve travelled from afar.

While the majority of our sales are online, maintaining a physical showroom that customers can visit in person is very important to us, as it’s here that we can show our weathered oak dining tables, upholstered dining chairs, sideboards, consoles, side tables, ottomans and home accessories in a lifestyle setting designed to inspire and inform you when making a purchase.

Over the past couple of weeks or so, Sue has been in charge of styling and arranging the showroom so that it looks its best for reopening… so we thought we’d ask her for her top tips on making a table, sideboard or corner look its best.
If you need a few useful pointers to help you style your own home – read on!

We’ve taken some new pictures of the showroom to guide you (also handy if you are a customer of the United Kingdom Far-Far Away… from Surrey that is!). Of course, if it’s possible, we’d love you to come and see us and be inspired in person. (Click here for map/directions).

Sue’s showroom styling highlights

Green and serene

Newport contemporary weathered oak dining table with tropical palm prints in background

The Newport weathered oak dining table in our ‘green corner’.

“I wanted a green theme in this corner to make the most of our luxe pine-green velvet cushions, which look so good against the light weathered oak. It’s like having a sense of a green pine forest indoors! The palm tree prints, faux succulents in a wicker bowl and echeveria napkin rings add a tropical or desert feel – desert-inspired interiors are the thing right now – but overall, the green theme gives a sense of calm and going back to nature.”

Table manners

Beautifully laid Belvedere weathered oak dining table at La Residence Interiors showroom

A simple table arrangement but one that looks very effective as you enter our showroom.

“This is our weathered oak Belvedere table, which is in front of you as you walk into the showroom. The table arrangement is simple but effective, with a couple of small faux grass stone pots either side of a wooden tray with an off-white glazed artichoke candlestick holder and a small leaf-decorated vase/candle holder which I filled with pretty white lisianthus.

“The wine glasses are new in and are ideal for outdoor as well as indoor dining as they’re not overly formal, while the Capri plates and bowls are all handcrafted in a lovely misty-grey colour with decorative beading. The placemats and charcoal monogrammed napkins add a final elegant flourish.”

Sideboard symmetry

Large weathered oak Belmont sideboard with a beautifully symmetrical display

Sue's beautifully arranged sideboard sits at the far end of our showroom.

“We love a bit of symmetry in the showroom… and our large Belmont weathered oak sideboard – at 6ft wide – is the perfect size for even pairings on both sides! I positioned the hydrangea heads in the tall vase centrally and the table lamps either side, to give the display height, then the tall grey finials and the collection of leaf-decorated vases in between, with three central little pots of faux greenery at the front to bring it all together.”

Stone and gold

Luxury dining in style at La Residence Interiors

Aged stone and shiny gold accessories provide the perfect contrast on our 6-seater Belvedere

“There’s something about the combination of weathered stone and shiny precious metal – they’re such opposites that they bring out the best in each other! I love this stone-effect vase with its faux eucalyptus, and it’s perfectly complemented by our aged-effect candlesticks. The gold ribbed candle holders add warmth to the table, which is nicely lit by the lamps and arched window mirror behind it – another welcoming corner of our showroom!”

Creature comforts

Casper the fox terrier asleep on our Heavenly sofa surrounded by cushions

Casper steals the most comfortable spot in the showroom for an afternoon nap!

“My ultimate (and most effective!) styling tip…? A pooch poseur! An adorable canine can be just the thing to give a room a cosy vibe – just check out Instagram. Casper the ever-cooperative fox terrier has been a reliable mascot since La Residence Interiors was born and has won many fans among showroom visitors over the years. Of course, I had just styled the sofa with our new blue geometric and leopard print cushions and Kampala throw before he decided it was just the spot for his afternoon snooze!”

Interiors shopping

All the home accessories in our showroom are for sale, and all are priced, so you can see exactly how much you’re spending before you reach the checkout.
There are also a few items in store that are not available online because they are too large or fragile to safely send by courier, so by visiting in person you might find the occasional one-off decorative beauty to take away! (There’s ample parking space outside the showroom).

Oh, and one final little nugget of advice if you’re planning on shopping for a few accessories. We are currently extremely well-stocked with a bevy of rather gorgeous, plump, feather-filled cushions. In our past experience, these can often prove quite irresistible, so if you’re travelling by car – make sure you’ve got some wiggle room in the boot!

Here are some of our favourite cushion combos to tempt you...