WINTER ILLUMINATIONS

This winter, a quick-and-easy lighting update can illuminate your home with style.

 

 

 

Black never goes out of fashion. It’s not just a colour of the season – it’s an always colour! Amalfi’s Abby Floor Lamp embraces this look with a black base and shade - and its streamlined form gives it a sought-after Scandinavian edge. Abby is perfect in the living room, hallway or even in the bedroom – particularly if space is tight and you’d only like to have a bedside table on one side. A floor lamp injects light and balance without taking up too much space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re after a warm colour that doesn’t dominate or compete with your existing décor, the taupe-shaded Kit Table Lamp is a smart choice. At 70cm tall, we think Kit works best as a statement piece - place it in your hallway to create a great first impression when people step inside your home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the home office, the ideal lamp should have an adjustable shade – so that kids won’t strain their eyes whilst doing homework and grownups will be able to direct the light source to their needs. The Amalfi Clifton Desk lamp is a very attractive choice – and pairs alluring navy blue with copper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge trend across interior decorating this winter is concrete. It doesn’t matter where you live – homewares that feature concrete bring a contemporary, edgy and chic vibe to any setting. Think: urban warehouse conversion in an interior decorating magazine. What’s more, concrete's understated grey tones aren’t going to clash with what you already have going on! Bring this look to your home with Amalfi’s Calder Floor and Table Lamps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feel like making a change or bringing a little somethin’ somethin' to your décor without going all out?  Then go for some new pendant lighting. This type of mini room makeover is like wearing a winning new shade of lipstick - people love what they are seeing but aren’t quite sure what’s making you look so fabulous! Amalfi’s spherical Oriel Pendant - with copper wire mesh - brings an on-trend metallic edge to a room. The Hackett pendant - with its clear glass shade - lights up the room with a more classical type of elegance.

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting does more than just the obvious. Some carefully-chosen pieces build atmosphere, tie together your décor and fine-tune your home so that it truly expresses your unique style. All featured lighting is currently available in store.

 

 

 

INAUGURAL GARAGE SALE @ THE MINERS COUCH

If you're looking for something to do on the upcoming long weekend in Moonta, look no further than The Miners Couch inaugural Garage Sale! That's right folks, to make way for new stock, The Miners Couch is having it's first ever Garage Sale out the back of the shop, this Sunday 12 June from 10am until 4pm, with all Garage Sale stock being sold at an incredible 50% off! Entry is via the main shop entrance on George Street. Just wander though the shop proper and out the back door, and you'll find the sale in our back yard!

As for what will be available at our Garage Sale, it's all going to be something of a surprise on the day, but we have been very busy rummaging though the shop proper, and two shipping containers, to find a huge selection of items which will all be selling at 50% off on the day. Items for sale cover that full range of Miners Couch stock, including furniture, wall art, décor items and gifts, so if it's bargains your after, it's bargains you'll find!

Of course, you'll also have the opportunity to check out our fantastic winter range in store, and we still have new stock arriving every week, so along with tried and true labels including Yankee Candles, Madras Link, LilyCo and DWBH Homewares, you can check out some of our newer acquisitions from the likes of Boho, Noosa Living, Sarah Anne, Casa Uno and Guzzini.

Don't forget, if you can't make it to the shop itself, you can shop online at our website. You can also catch stock updates as they happen via our Facebook page, and see some wonderful images of our in store design and stock items via Instagram. Simply follow any of the links below.

The Miners Couch
Instagram
Facebook Page

                     MADRAS LINK's Winter Style 2016!

For our latest blog, we are excited to have some insights on the 2016 winter range of cushions and throws from the amazing Madras Link team! Shop their styles at http://www.theminerscouch.com.au/#!cushions-and-throws/ctxk

 

Welcome to Madras Link's Winter 2016 collections. This season we immerse ourselves wholeheartedly in rich colour, an abundance of texture and sophisticated layering with our range of textiles, furniture and accessories designed to complement traditional and modern living.

With visions of the future blended with past references we bring you our Modern Masters range of lush colour and pattern that reference the traditions of the old Flemish masters with new interpretations of the iconic and the traditional. Rich tactile fabrics such as velvet are made modern with a contemporary take on prints and tone on tone layering of jewel colours such as teal, brown, and deep green. Meanwhile combinations of black and gold and brushed brass accessories create that perfect layering of metallic accents, moody colour and texture.

 
 

 

For those who love unique and distressed touches our Artisan range includes a collection of textiles featuring block prints in intricate patterns, patched and combined with fabrics in textured weaves and finished with knotted trims. This range celebrates the handmade with imperfect, weathered and mottled characteristics in blended colours of indigo, stone, pewter, chalky grey and white.

Evoke a feeling of calmness and contemplation with the new season Serenity range. Fabrics are soft and tactile with abstract prints and geometric designs in frosted, foggy and milky tones of pastels and shades of grey overlaid with hints of metallic.

Our licensed range for Country Style continues into Winter 16 with the addition of a range of bedding in up scaled traditional floral prints in gentle faded colours, inviting one to snuggle up against an approaching Winter. Add to this by filling your surrounds with textiles in loved hand painted designs, block prints and accessories that capture the Country Style aesthetic in new wood and leather combinations alongside metal baskets.

It's been a true joy designing this collection. As always we look forward to braving the wet and cold Winter months with you as we snuggle up in style. 

 

 

Check out our Facebook www.facebook.com/theminerscouch and Instagram www.instagram.com/minerscouch pages for more shots of how to style your new cushions and throws!

 

And remember... Shop all these gorgeous goodies at http://www.theminerscouch.com.au/#!cushions-and-throws/ctxk

My Decorating Tips for the Perfect Wedding!

Having recently had the privilege of being not only a bridesmaid, but also chief decorator, for my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding, I thought I would blog a few tips for how we achieved their amazing day!

1.       The All Important Venue:

What style do you want for your wedding? Rustic, vintage, modern, simplistic.... make a decision and hunt for a venue that will suit your style.

We were going with rustic, warm and welcoming and picked the amazing Glen Ewin Estate http://glenewinestate.com.au/.  They decided to hold their ceremony in the gorgeous gardens, which immediately gave us a ‘natural’ theme to follow as well.

 

 

 

2.       Colours & Textures:

Decide on bridesmaid colours early and then make sure all other aspects compliment these colours. Also keep in mind the fabric and textures of your dress and the girls’.

Chelsea chose navy blue for her girls and all the dresses (including her own gorgeous gown) included lace, so our story was forming.... we had rustic, vintage, lace and a natural garden setting.

 

3.       Flowers:

Whether you’re wanting fresh or artificial flowers, find a fabulous florist, pick the colours & types of flowers you want in your floral decorations to compliment your venue style and bridesmaids dresses. Don’t mix your styles!

Chelsea and Cain chose to have fresh whites, including lilies, gypsophila, roses and dahlias, plus gorgeous greens to soften their look. This combination fit perfectly with their vintage, timeless style, plus added softness to the rustic Barn their reception was to be held in. The added touch of navy blue organza around the bridesmaid’s posies tied everything in perfectly, and the huge table centrepieces were nothing short of spectacular!

 

 

4.       All the little extras:

And I’m talking about everything from the chair sashes, to the menus, the bonbonniere, table numbers, place settings....everything!! It’s all about the extras! The time you spend on these things will be what takes your wedding from good to GREAT! And we all want great! But please, don’t just combine every single thing that takes your fancy – STICK TO THE THEME! It has to MATCH, otherwise it’s going to look messy and overbearing. And think outside the square! We’ve all been to so many weddings over the years and while everyone loves a wedding, it’s always refreshing to see NEW IDEAS! We don’t want the guests to know what to expect around every corner!

 

So we spent a lot of time Pinteresting, googling and finding items we liked and brainstorming how to fit them into our theme. We drew up lists, we set up tables with our goodies so we could see how it would look, and then we researched some more (if this is not your thing, but you want everything to look great, enlist the help of someone who can do this for you!).

In this way, we were able to create a wedding that was warm & comfortable for the guests, but also unique, romantic and stunning all in one! So you know those ideas you ponder over in the middle of the night?....don’t just dismiss them in the morning as too hard -  it’s YOUR DAY - the best day of your life so far, so don’t just dream about it, get out there and do it! You deserve it! And have an absolute ball!

March Supplier Profile - Madras Link! By Paul Turner

We're kicking off with the first of our supplier profiles today, and what better place to start than with Madras Link, our first stop for all things on trend in the world of cushions and throws... and for good reason.

Madras Link has been in business since 1990, and are at the top of their game quite simply because this Australian owned family business is built on a foundation of design excellence. Whether it's our favourite cushions and throws, or items from Madras Link's broader homewares range - which includes rugs, lines and gifts - everything is designed with the Australian home-maker in mind, with inspirations gathered from all over the world.






Best of all, Madras Link's range blends quality, affordability and style, evidenced here at the Miners Couch by the fact that every shipment (and there are many), simply walks out the door.

There's no better time than now to check out Madras link at The Miners Couch (www.theminerscouch.com.au), with a huge new shipment showcasing the very latest in trends and colours, just unpacked, and already selling fast!

 

 

See our full range at www.facebook.com/theminerscouch!

Best Ways to Spruce Up Your Place for Summer!

So in my last blog I jumped up on my soapbox, ranting about how to declutter your home in this year’s Spring clean! You’ve had a few weeks to get that done now, you’ve sold your goodies online, and you are now cashed up for some redecorating! But.... what will make the biggest impression for the smallest amount of cash, you ask...well, here’s my favs:

Oh, but firstly, my theory hinges on the fact that you’ve got smart and painted your house in fresh,

light neutrals (please tell me you have!), which means every time the whim takes you, you can swap

all sorts of accessories to introduce a totally new colour! But for those of you that decided to go

bold with your colours and now find that nothing this season matches them, your first task is to

spend a couple hundred bucks on paint and get to work!!

So with that small issue cleared up, back to my favs...

1.       CUSHIONS!
Cushions are generally a fav of mine at the best of times, and this is no exception... this season the most popular colours are blue (any sort of blue you can find basically!), with yellows coming in second. Remember to mix and match your patterns and also add some great textures as well. Voilah! Totally new look for your lounge room!

Madras Link are our absolute fav cushions at
The Miners Couch!

You can check out all our new season cushions at www.facebook.com/theminerscouch

 

2.       TABLE RUNNER

A super simple and cheap upgrade is definitely the table runner...you’ve done the cushions, so now, match your dining space in with the new lounge look, by finding a table runner to suit your colour choice for this season.

 

 

 

 

3.       QUILT!
While this may be a slightly bigger expense, the impact is definitely worth it! Your new choice will change the whole look of your bedroom! But if the purse strings won’t stretch quite that far, look into changing the cushions and adding a matching runner along the bottom of the bed too!

We LOVE an Angads (www.angads.com.au) quilt!

 

                                              4.       WALL DECOR....
So you’ve got that dowdy piece of artwork that you just haven’t been bothered to change, and let’s face it, wasn’t it a hand me down from Great Aunty Sue (that’s if you can see it for the film of dust)?? ITS GOT TO GO! And replace it with a mirror, canvas, multi picture frame, or gorgeous clock....100 times better!! Just keep the picture in the closet incase Great Aunty Sue decides to visit.

 

5.       TEA TOWELS (I'm serious!)

See how cheerful they look??

Tea towels you say? Well, I had my faded and stained ones hanging on the oven for all to see...and when I swapped them over to something bright and funky in the new season colours, I could almost feel the whole kitchen breathe a sigh of relief! Remember to match them in with your new table runner!

 

 

So, crank out that cash you’ve been hoarding from the spring clean and let loose your inner decorator! Have fun!

Get Motivated for Some ‘Clutter Management’!

Right....so for all you sun lovers (or lizards, as I like to refer to myself), we have made it through winter and the sun has popped out for us again! And there’s no better time of year to do some ruthless spring cleaning then NOW! So if you’re a hoarder, or the absolute opposite (like me), and you know you’ve still managed to accumulate more goodies (or baddies) over winter, it’s time to get motivated for clutter management!

So you know that drawer? That cupboard? That spot under the bed? Your wardrobe (cringe)? All those convenient places that are so easy to throw things in when you don’t have time to think about it further? Well, make some time this weekend (it’s an extra long one here, so even better!) to tidy these up. Even if you knock off one of them, you’ll feel so much better and it will get you on a role for doing the next ones!

My golden rule...if it hasn’t been used in over a year, you’re not going to use it again!! So throw it out, or better still, SELL IT! There’s some great sites – Ebay & Gumtree - but my fav are the Facebook Buy, Swap & Sell pages. You can usually find at least a couple in your area. Just take a happy snap on your Smartphone, load it straight up to the FB page with a description, realistic price (remember you want to get rid of it! Any cash is a bonus!), and your location for pickup (just your town name is enough) and away you go!! Often by the time I have listed my item on all four pages in our area, it has already sold on the first one! Love a quick sale! And we have a win-win situation, you’ve got rid of your unwanted clutter, have some cash in your hot little hand, and the buyer will have found just what they were looking for!

Now, as for the other items...everything that actually has a proper home in another area of your house....cooking item? Put it in the kitchen! Cleaning item? Straight to the laundry! Spare pillow? Into the linen closet....I can see you’re getting this! Comfy 5yr old trackies (seriously, how many do you need)....Take them, and anything else in good nick, to your local charity! Another win-win – you’ve finished cleaning up and you’ve also helped someone in need!

 

So now you’ve successfully de-cluttered, you’ve got a bit of unexpected cash burning a hole in your pocket AND you’re feeling AWESOME about yourself to boot.... it’s time for some redecorating! Stay tuned for my next blog, where you can read about my hot tips to jazz up your home for the Summer season!