Heritage Styling

Established for over 150 years, Parker Knoll is well renowned for designing and developing the best of British sofas and chairs to the highest possible quality. Renowned for blending comfort and style in each of our luxurious furniture collections, our core values still stand today. However, we believe you can always learn from the past, and with trends falling in and out of style so quickly, why not take inspiration from times gone by? Today, we have compiled our favourite heritage styling tips from our past looks and photoshoots.

Floral Fabrics

In times gone by, florals were a feature of rooms in millions of homes across Britain. Nowadays, florals rarely get given the spotlight, but we think that’s a big mistake. Classically beautiful and delicately stylish, florals are the perfect pattern to make a sophisticated statement. Why not browse our collection of floral fabrics if you’re looking to incorporate some vintage flair into your living room?

Wing Back Chairs

Wing-back chairs were a mid-century staple. Sophisticated, grandious and sharp, these chairs were not only a great added comfort, but also a stylish statement. Distinctive high-backs and winged sides instantly register to our eyes as class. Plus, the encompassing shape helps keep you cosy, especially important during this cold winter. We still love to see these chairs in modern homes; their style hasn’t faltered all these years later, which is why we offer a full range that you can browse here.

Intricate floors

Oftentimes, when we think of being creative in our homes, we look to the walls. In our looks of the 70s and 80s, we considered a different surface to have some fun with… The floor! Whether it was fun tiles, colourful carpeting or a motif rug, oftentimes homes would be adorned with intricate floors. In the image above, you can see a rug that features the earlier-mentioned florals, along with a geometric square motif. This is not only fun, but also makes the room feel cosier.

Brass Accents

In our looks of times gone by, metal accents were commonplace in living rooms, oftentimes brass. Whether it was brass accessories around the fireplace, like the above photo, or ornate picture frames positioned on the mantel piece, brass elements were plentiful. Subtle metal accents can be a great way to add a hint of luxury in your home, and are a casual display of great taste. One of our favourite ways for this vintage trend to be incorporated into homes nowadays is through castors on sofa legs available on sofas like our Henley 25.

Interesting Textures

The final heritage styling tip that we love is the layering of interesting textures. The past wasn’t only more colourful, but there was also more of a sense of maximalism in our styling through textures and surfaces. We would often layer woods, metals, velvets and furs all into one room’s styling. Whilst this can feel a bit daunting for fear of a messy overall look, decorating with what you love is sure to end in a living room that is coherent. Why not experiment with upholstery materials? You can browse our fabric and leather range here.