Category: Furniture

As well as being exceptionally sturdy and durable, mahogany has one of the most distinctive and striking appearances of any wood. Different finishes can highlight different aspects of the red-brown tones and the natural grain, or it can be painted to better suit a certain design or colour palette of a room.

We’ve put together a guide to the different mahogany finishes we provide here at AKD Furniture, and where each would be best suited.

Light

A light mahogany finish can emphasise the natural wood grain whilst still providing that distinctive mahogany look. Light mahogany has caramel and flame colours that contrast nicely with darker fixings. 

As light mahogany finishes get older, they may darken and become more like tan over time. Light finishes like this work best in rustic environments, where the natural grain of the wood is complemented by other natural materials.

Tan

Tan mahogany finishes are rich, with more of the red tones we typically associate with mahogany. Tan finishes highlight the flame colours of mahogany that give the wood a warm feeling. Tan mahogany furniture looks great in rustic-style homes, as well as in slightly more traditional installations.

Mid brown

Mid brown mahogany finishes are what we typically picture when we think of mahogany. This traditional finish is a rich brown colour with hints of caramel and flame and is found in many stately homes in the UK.

This is a good choice if you want a traditional look in your home, particularly in rooms like a study, where the bold mahogany colours will match well with other natural woods and darker furnishings.

Coffee

Mahogany furniture with a coffee finish is darker than the traditional mid brown. This finish is warm and rich but is light enough that the natural grain of the wood is still visible in all but dim lighting conditions. Coffee finishes, like mid-brown, would be good in a study or office space but will be better paired with lighter furnishings so the dark tones don’t overpower the space.

Dark

Dark mahogany is, as the name suggests, the darkest mahogany finish without painting. Dark finishes are a more intense version of the coffee finish, with a deep brown colour that still has a hint of flame under bright light, but the natural wood grain is much less visible than with the other finishes. Dark mahogany contrasts well in lighter rooms and with lighter woods.

French white

French white mahogany is a great choice if you want to brighten up a room. The pure white paint has a satin finish that helps to emphasise the brightening effect by reflecting light. If a bright white finish is too bold, a slightly off-white antique finish is also available, which uses an antiquing paste on top of the paint to darken recesses and carvings.

French cream

This painted mid cream colour has a satin finish and is a good choice for people who want a bright finish but also want something warmer and less bold than white mahogany. This is a very versatile finish that could suit many different styles of home, especially in rooms that need some added warmth and brightness without using natural wood finishes.

Black painted

Black painted mahogany is a dramatic satin finish that is perfect for monochrome themed rooms. Paired with whites, greys and lighter natural woods, a statement piece of black painted mahogany furniture can be a great focal point in any room.

 

Each type of mahogany finish highlights different qualities of the wood and really can be made to suit any space. Each finish has certain settings where it will be more obviously suited but, as with all interior design choices, personal preference is the deciding factor.

If you’d like to see some examples of the mahogany finishes we provide, you can take a look at our range.

Decorating should be an enjoyable experience where you transform your home into a place of comfort and style. Decorating small spaces, however, can be a headache as you will likely have to make compromises on what you initially had in mind in order to keep enough space for navigation and keep the space bright to avoid it seeming even smaller.

This is especially true with narrow hallways, a heavy traffic area where room must be retained, but you still want to make use of the space. With that in mind, we’ve put together some tips on how to decorate a narrow hallway. 

Make use of mirrors

One tip we always give when it comes to decorating a narrow hallway is to make use of mirrors. Mirrors on the walls will make the space appear larger by reflecting light and, in the case of larger mirrors, can create the illusion that the hallway is twice as big. 

A mirror will also give you somewhere to check your appearance before you go out the door. You may choose a long mirror hung lengthways down the hallway or smaller mirrors staggered down one or both sides.

Use purpose-built furniture

Furniture created specifically to fit in a hallway tends to be narrower, whilst still giving you the functionality you need, such as our hall stands and tables. These pieces can provide you with storage and surfaces on which to put pictures, plants, and ornaments, or even just a place for your keys. 

Some storage units also double up as a seat and can be a good place to put your shoes on or just take a moment after coming in.

Clear the clutter

Before you decorate your narrow hallway, you need to make sure it is clear. One sure way to make any room seem small is to fill it with clutter, and this effect is further exaggerated in a small space, such as a hallway. 

Keep clutter to a minimum with easy storage solutions such as wall mounted shelves or cubby holes or, if you have an alcove or an area under the stairs that isn’t being used, invest in a custom-fitted storage unit to make use of the space. This can be as simple as some shelving, or even something more elaborate like tiered sliding drawers.

Opt for wall mounting

Hallways are often used to hang up our coats and jackets when we come in from the cold, maybe in a cupboard or on a coat stand, but in a narrow hallway, this often isn’t viable. 

What you can do instead is make use of wall-mounted hooks and coat racks to keep your belongings tidy without taking up any floor space. Just make sure these don’t block any natural light coming through windows around the doorway.

Go bright with the walls

Bright walls make rooms seem bigger and, conversely, dark colours make rooms seem smaller. You can’t get any brighter than white so we would recommend it for decorating the walls in your narrow hallway. 

If you don’t want white, you could consider an off-white or buy some tester pots of light pastel shades. Just stay away from very dark, rich colours as these will close the space in, even if contrasted with lighter trim and furnishings.

 

It can be extremely challenging to decorate a narrow hallway, but by using these tips you can create something that is practical, stylish and makes the same seem much bigger than it is. 

If you’re looking for some furniture for your hallway, you can take a look at our range.

Mahogany has a timeless and impressive aesthetic, and investing in a statement piece of furniture makes a great addition to your home, but it is not always easy to match the rest of the room with this distinctive hardwood. 

Mahogany wood can be available in a range of tones and finishes but, for the purpose of this blog, we will discuss the colour of mahogany that springs to mind for most – a deep reddish-brown. Here are some suggestions of different colours that pair well with mahogany furniture and will bring the whole room together.

Green

Red and green are opposites on the colour wheel, and one of the reasons that greens work with mahogany is that they balance the reddish tones in the wood.

Too much dark green with dark wood could make a room seem small, but grey-green, olive tones and even mint green are all good colours to pair with mahogany and provide a great tonal contrast.

Red

When thinking about what colour goes with mahogany furniture, red may not immediately come to mind because people tend to want contrasting colours. However, different shades of red can enhance the reddish tones in the wood, especially when used in conjunction with some neutral tones like an off-white or grey, or even some lighter wood.

Too much red paired with mahogany will probably be overwhelming, but some choice placement of red furnishings or dressings can really enhance the features that give mahogany such a striking character.

Blue

Blue is a colour that goes with mahogany furniture beautifully. Blue-grey, green-blue and light blue are all shades that can work well with the mahogany because the reddish-orange hues of mahogany bring warmth to a room, and blue tones offer calming and relaxing qualities. When used together, these colours can create a very cosy feel in a room.

If the room is quite light, a bolder, darker blue could also be used for dressings or accents around the room.

White

If you’re looking for a classic, timeless look to go with your mahogany furniture, you can’t go wrong with white. White provides high contrast with the dark, reddish-brown of mahogany and, depending on the fittings and other furniture you have in the room can offer either a contemporary, minimalist look or something more traditional.

White also provides a blank canvas on which you can use your cushions, throws or curtains to add splashes of colour that don’t need to match the mahogany to the same degree that the walls and other furnishings do.

Light-coloured wood

It isn’t just the walls and the soft furnishings that you need to consider when thinking about what colour goes with mahogany furniture. Contrasting mahogany with lighter wood prevents the aesthetic from being overwhelming, especially when using woods such as pine or golden oak for flooring or other furniture around the room.

You will probably still want to use a little colour in the form of dressings or accents around the room if you do decide to match your mahogany furniture with light woods. Or, if you want to keep the room quite neutral, some darker tones like black or dark brown can be used to add some more contrast to the room whilst complementing the mahogany.

 

Mahogany may have a striking and distinctive aesthetic, but there are still plenty of colours that pair well with it, and these are not just neutral tones!

If you’re looking to add some luxury mahogany furniture to your home, you can view our collection.

More material choices than ever are available for consumers looking to buy furniture or renovate their home. Even with all this choice, it’s hard to find a material that is right for your needs whilst also being unique and sustainable.

Reclaimed wood is one of the select few materials that can tick all of the boxes, so here’s a little more about what reclaimed wood is and the benefits of it.

Continue reading What is Reclaimed Wood?: A Guide

With the current climate, most of us are adapting to working from home for the first time, and with social distancing measures set to be in place for a while yet, working from home is becoming the new norm and this may continue, even post-pandemic. Here are a few of the reasons why working from home can be so beneficial.

Continue reading Working from Home

Dark woods such as mahogany are a great option for adding a timeless and classic feel to a living room. However, people are often unsure of what to pair it with for the best interior design. In this blog, we take a look at 6 living room decorating ideas when you’re working with dark wood furniture like mahogany. 

Continue reading How to Incorporate Dark Wood Furniture into Your Living Room: 6 Decorating Ideas

Mahogany is a timeless and beautiful wood that is used time and time again for creating all manner of furnishings. But have you ever stopped to wonder why mahogany is so good for furniture? Or, are you in the process of choosing furniture and deciding whether to use mahogany or not? Here we take a look at some of the best things about the brilliant material that is mahogany. Continue reading Why is Mahogany Good for Furniture?

Our mahogany pedestal desks are not only a fabulous looking pieces of furniture which would grace even the most luxurious home offices but is also surprisingly versatile!

The standard desk has bags of storage in the two pedestals and then if you add storage to the back of the desk as in the partners desk then you are talking even more storage!

Continue reading Our Very Versatile Pedestal Desk (Mahogany)