So what are their secrets? How can you make your own home look like the ones on display?

It’s simpler than you might think.

One of the most basic rules is that spaces must never seem crowded.

In show homes you’ll always find that dining room tables have plenty of space around them, sofas are slightly pulled away from the walls, and furniture isn’t placed in a place that makes it difficult to open doors or walk around.

Don't crowd furniture in: the Luxy leather sofa from Danetti

This is something that most of us don’t stick to in real life. If our dining room is too small we simply push the table up against the wall and expect guests to squeeze themselves into their chairs! It’s not a good look.

A second trick that interior designers employ is planning out rooms using harmonious colours.

Of course, they don’t simply make all the rooms look the same, rather they use a limited palette of colours that all work well together and style the whole house or apartment using these colours.

For example, you may have a living room that’s grey, lime green and cream, and the bedroom may be silver, grey and a lighter shade of green. What it means is that as you move around the property you get a sense of harmony, and the space merges into one.

Perhaps the oldest trick in the interior design book is to use mirrors to make rooms look bigger. It’s not just a case of hanging mirrors everywhere though. Position them in places where they’ll reflect something attractive – perhaps a window or a plant. A mirror reflecting your kitchen bin, for instance, isn’t going to give you the show home effect!

If you look carefully at show homes then you’ll find that appliances are often just for affect – they’re not usually plugged in. This is because tangles of cables look messy. Although you have to have your appliances plugged in at home, try concealing the cables by running them down the back of storage units, or putting them in a cable tidy.

Last but not least, show home designers will always set the scene – they don’t leave spaces looking bare and minimalist, but will have strategically placed objects showing how somebody can live in the property – crockery on the table, notebooks on the desk and customised art-work on the walls. You can make the same policy work for you by making sure that you have accessories that you can leave out, even when you’ve cleared away the more functional items you use every day.

Set the scene: the galaxy extending table from Danetti

Do you have any other bright ideas that you’ve spotted in show homes? We’d love to hear them.

We keep these in mind when buying our furniture, always making sure that we can offer you both cutting edge options and simple contemporary classics.

If you need a little inspiration, then these are the top furniture trends which we see coming through strongly during 2010.

Soho modular chair

1. Sectional and modular sofas

Once upon a time modular, configurable seating was the preserve of commercial premises. But this year it’s proving popular as a great flexible option for cost-conscious home-owners too. Modular sofas are great for people who like to move their furniture around a lot because these items can be easily reconfigured to give a new look. The other advantage of modular seating is that often it can be assembled on a curve or a tight angle, to make the most of your available space.

2. Bright sofas

While neutral sofas will always be popular, we’re seeing the growing popularity of zingy, brightly-coloured sofas, teamed with neutral cushions – a reverse of the old look. It’s certainly a modern look and can look really striking with plain white or even clashing colour walls.

3. Leather upholstery

Still as smart and classy a choice as ever, leather furniture is a purchase that just doesn’t disappoint and keeps its appeal even when it gets old. In particular we’re seeing a rise in the popularity of coloured leather on bar stools, dining chairs and sofas.

4. Grey as the key neutral

Most colour schemes need a neutral shade to tie them down, ground them a bit. This year it seems to be grey that’s the perfect antidote to the bright colours. Chose your shade to complement the tone of your colour scheme – from elephant grey to pewter, there’s one that will look great.

4. Suede or microsuede

In these harsh economic times, we all want a bit of luxury and comfort. That’s what you get from suede or the faux alternative, microsuede. It’s soft, comfortable and sophisticated at the same time. As with leather, bright colours will be dominant.

2. Winged chairs

… or armchairs to you and I. This year, this classic style is hotter than ever. We approve – winged chairs are comfortable and cozy and look elegant at the same time.

5. Media centers

Perhaps because television design is changing, the furniture we use to house our TVs and other media is changing too. The trend is for chic, modern furniture to tidy everything away.

Harris arm chair - a return to the traditional

6. Traditional furniture design

Maybe it’s the economy that’s causing this trend – we’re hankering after a little security and buying into traditional, classic design What’s happening is a reinterpretation of the past – traditional with a twist if you like – manufacturers are taking old styles and using modern fabrics and quirky features to bring them up to date.

7. The chaise

We’re seeing a new interpretation of the traditional chaise longue with clean lines and modern fabrics such as leather taking the place of more ornate, fabric-covered versions. They’re great for a home setting – every living room should have one, but they also work well in a commercial space, perhaps in a shop or hotel lounge.

8. Round ended tables

A move away from the hard edges of the traditional table, towards a curvier, more interesting table shape. Materials include glass, wood and laminated plywood.

9. Green fabrics

Maybe to reflect the trend towards eco furnishings, it seems that the colour green has become trendy too. From bold block colours to fun leaf patterns, there’s plenty to choose from.

10. Stools

Perhaps because we’re living more casual lives these days, with informal seating areas in kitchens and kitchen-diners becoming the norm, the popularity of bar stools is on the rise. Opt for quirky, brightly-coloured stools to make this a modern look.

Full Grain Leather

Full grain leather is made from premium raw material, top skin that has not been touched up to cover imperfections. Also called Aniline or Semi-aniline if it has been dyed this leather is full of natural characteristics it is a popular upholstery choice. Carrying a distinctive smell, the soft yet strong texture is hard wearing and will age well to look more attractive over time, making it an ideal choice for home furnishings.

Full grain leather is often available with an aniline or semi-aniline finish. The aniline finish is created when the leather is submerged in a transparent dye, this colours the leather all the way through without loosing the natural grain. The semi-aniline finish is similar to the aniline except for a thin layer of protective coating that helps prevent stains.

A very popular choice for upholstery, although it comes with a much higher price tag than any other leather type. It is an attractive finish for products such as bar stools, chairs, sofas etc.

Pros

• Real leather
• Often treated to help prevent stains
• Leather smell
• Hard Wearing
• Becomes more attractive over time
• Contains natural characteristics

Cons

• Most expensive leather option

Split Leather

This refers to a piece of leather that has been split from the skin of the hide. Depending on the thickness of the hide it can often be split down further. This type of leather can be more fragile than the full grain leather, but is often treated to make it more hard wearing.

Split leathers can often have a pattern embossed or be buffed to create a suede.

Pros

• Real leather
• Often treated to be more hard wearing
• Cheaper than genuine leather

Cons

• Thinner than full grain leather
• Surface more fragile than full grain leather
• Can be damaged by liquid if not treated

Suede also known as Nubuck or Buffed Leather

This is created by either removing the grain, or by means of a splitting operation between the hide and skin, where the grain and drop split are separated. This leather is normally buffed and brushed to create a soft fuzzy surface.

Suede can be cheaper than full grain leather, as several pieces of suede can be divided down from one drop split, whereas there is only one top grain per skin.

This leather can be hard to protect and will damage easily when it comes in contact with liquid.

This is not a popular choice for contract or domestic products to be upholstered in, due to it’s fragile nature.

Pros

• Real leather
• Soft surface
• Cheaper than full grain leather

Cons

• Hard to protect
• Damages easily by liquid
• Surface is more fragile than split leather
• Wears easily

Regenerated Leather

Unlike real untreated leather, regenerated leather has a completely smooth texture. This finish is produced when the leather goes through a manufacturing process that compresses the fibres. Another popular choice for contract markets, particularly commercial seating for bars and restaurants.

Pros

• Hard wearing
• Strong
• Smooth matt finish
• Cheaper than genuine leather

Cons

• Not classed as real leather
• Smooth matt finish

Bicast leather also known as coated leather

This leather uses a low grade or regenerated leather, which then has a thick layer of polyurethane applied to it. This coating makes the material strong and highly durable, perfect for constant use, particularly for commercial bar stools, chairs and other products that may be upholstered.

Pros

• Has a thin layer of leather
• Protected against liquid spills
• Strong
• Hard wearing
• Cheaper than genuine leather

Cons

• Leather has a smooth plastic finish due to coating
• Not classed as real leather

Please Note : Do not use normal leather creams on the top surface as it has a high polyurethane finish.

Faux Leather

It can be hard to tell the difference between real leather and a man-made leather imitation as they have similar textures and qualities. However, because it is made from synthetic materials, faux leather is more durable making it ideally suited for bar stools and dining chairs etc, used in the commercial market.

Pros

• Hard wearing
• Similar look and feel to genuine leather
• Not damaged by liquid
• Generally the cheapest type of leather

Cons

• Not genuine leather

Leather Bar stools for sale

We at Danetti have put a lot of time and effort into selecting a wide range of leather furniture and stools that we offer for sale at a great price. If you are looking to buy any leather bar stools, please take a look at our selection of leather bar stools.