Since finding out about the discount I get from working at Plumbs, my mother is suddenly interested in buying some loose chair and sofa covers. She does love to count her pennies!

When trying to find our more about loose covers she asked me, what’s the best type of fabric to choose when buying furniture covers? Unfortunately I didn’t know off hand so I had to do some investigating and found that it is quite a common question, so I thought I’d share what I found.

The cheapest fabrics generally used to make furniture covers are nylon stretch fabrics. The flexibility you get with this type of material give a really close and snug fit around any piece of furniture, now just because they’re the cheapest doesn’t mean they are not good. These fabrics are great value for money, so why would you choose these fabrics:

• They are very easy to care for and can be washed at 40 degrees
• Because of their flexibility they can cover over 98% of furniture styles
• They don’t crease and very easy to remove and replace
• They are extremely hard wearing so last for years

The more costly fabrics are generally made of natural materials such as cotton and linen but there are also chenille and velvet fabrics that are either made in natural materials or man-made with a mix acrylic and polyester. Some of the best fabrics use a combination of both natural materials for a soft feel and man-made for improved practicality, such as preventing shrinkage in the wash and creasing. These fabrics are more rigid so give a more contemporary loose cover look but can be unsuitable for complicated styles of furniture. So why would you choose these over the more flexible fabrics:

• Give a more relaxed and contemporary look to your furniture
• Greater choice of fabric materials
• Heavy-weighted for a great finish
• The texture and feel is superb

It’s great to read blog posts about other peoples experiences of ways to save money, especially considering the current climate. Have a read of some of Lizzie’s cost cutting “Re-use, revamp and re-cycle” ideas.

Read the Blog Post here…

I’ve always thought of a rug to be something that is placed on the floor to add a touch of warmth and comfort to a room along with an accent of colour, sometimes even being more practical rather than decorative.

However there is a growing trend of using rugs as purely decorative features to revitalise a home by hanging them on walls, these are known as decorative rugs / wall hanging / tapestry. Generally having little or no practical value, these rugs are mostly exhibited on walls in the living room or bedroom but can also been used on beds and as table, chair and sofa covers. Although I would always have to recommend made to measure sofa covers if you wanted to restore and old sofa.

If searching online you’ll most likely come across many Persian or Oriental styled rugs from Asia and other countries such as Turkey, Iran & Egypt with a few modern and contemporary designs here and there. I would definitely recommend buying a rug made from natural materials such as silk and cotton not only for quality reasons but also they have less environmental impact. You could also find a number of companies producing bespoke rugs, which are great if you are looking for a specific design, colour or size.

Decorative Rugs can be a stunning addition to your home bringing dramatic effects to every room, you can even change them with seasonal fashions and take them with you when you move.

In the current climate of soaring energy bills, constant talk of recession and impending environmental disaster. How refreshing would it be to hear you can save money and the environment in one go. Well this could soon be a reality!

Sheila Kennedy a U.S. expert in solar cell technology working at MIT, is pioneering technology coined “Soft Power” that uses textiles and other flexible materials as solar panels to capture sunlight and convert to energy to use within our homes.

“The soft power approach says there are some incredibly sensual, compelling, beautiful spaces and products that we can be producing using these emerging energy-harvesting materials,” Kennedy said.

The materials themselves look and move like cloth but do the same job as a solar panel, the thin-film photovoltaic material can either be prepared in a chemistry lab or can be found in nature. Kennedy and her team have calculated solar curtains could provide as much as 70 percent of the average electricity used by a typical household each day.

This technology is still in development with no one yet manufacturing the material on a commercial level. However once this technology takes off it could really revolutionise the way we obtain our energy.

Resource: CNN International

Vibrant colours often extend from nature and objects surrounding us from lush grassy green fields with radiant flowers to pillar box red post boxes and jet black skies with glaring white stars. Colour is something that surrounds us on a daily basis and does influence our lives and moods, I hope I can explain how you can bring certain colours into to your home to compliment your own personality and lifestyle.

Lets take the 9 popular colour groups:

Red - this is the colour we pay most attention to and is associated with several emotions such as love, desire & passion. When using red colours in the decor of a home they should be used as accents or dramatically in rooms that are seldom lived in. If you are a passionate person then the bedroom would be ideal!!

Yellow - most of the emotions evoked by yellow can be classed as positive such as joy, happiness, optimism & hope. Because yellow is a warm colour it often gives the sense of cosiness and hospitality to a room, which is great for casual interiors such as a day room or conservatory.

Orange - being a combination of yellow and red, orange is a warm colour but not as vibrant as red and as calming as yellow. Orange is good for expressing energy and can emote enthusiasm and flamboyancy, by also stimulating conversation orange is a great colour for any living room.

White - often white is seen as a representation of purity, cleanliness and peace but when used in the home it can enhance, energise and beautifully contrast with any other colour. White is the most versatile of all colours being a combination of them all, because of it’s reflective nature it gives a room a fresh, clean and airy feeling.

Pink - like red, pink is associated with love and desire but loses the raw passion red can induce. Romance is never far from this colour and always delivers feel good emotions.

Purple - as purple dye was initially made from the mucous gland of a snail it was only available to the very rich, hence representing royalty and notability. Nowadays, purple is still an exotic and mysterious colour sometimes being thought of as gloomy. Make sure if using purple to keep the tones rich and vibrant.

Green - often being referred to as the most favoured colour, green brings a calming influence to a room with some people giving it healing powers. Being a colour which represents the environment, green it is very much a colour of the moment.

Blue - you can’t get much cooler than blue, which represents peace, tranquillity & calm. Cool colours are seen as dignified and conservative so are more suitable for formal rooms. Blue is also considered a business colour as it reflects reliability.

Black - along with red, black is a very powerful colour bringing out strong emotions such as power, sexuality, sophistication, elegance and wealth. Again like red black should not be used in a dramatic sense but just to accent other colours.

Just remember, paint is only the first step to deciding colour of a room. The next steps are layers of colour with accessories such as upholstery, fabrics, rugs, curtains, loose sofa covers, lighting and plants etc…

We have a hotel event planned for Tuesday 1st July. The Hotel event is designed to be an enjoyable trip out to look at the latest in soft furnishings and interiors. We will even treat you to refreshments and a special bag of free goodies to take home!

Come and see for yourself Plumbs extensive range of soft furnishing fabrics including our new range of Made-to-Measure Furniture Covers, Reupholstery and Curtain designs as well as some of our most popular best sellers!

Tuesday 1st July Holiday Inn Ipswich , Suffolk - map
Holiday Inn, London Road, Suffolk IP2 0UA Tel: 0870 400 9045

What’s included:

• FREE entry and refreshments
• The chance to find out more about the latest Furniture Covers, Reupholstery and Curtains ranges from Plumbs
• A friendly relaxed chat with a Plumbs design Consultant
• Take away free fabric samples
• Take away free goody bag!

We hope we see you there…

If things are starting to look worn and weary, the cushions are saggy and the fabric is wearing a bit thin… You are faced with a choice.

Throw it away and buy new?

• 50,000 items of lounge furniture a year goes into landfill. This is like burying 23 London buses.
• When you buy new furniture, your money goes towards a massive amount of raw materials from across the globe including tropical hardwoods, production energy and transport costs.
• The good news is…
  They don’t make it like they used to. Chances are the suite you’ve already got is better made than a new one. Low prices of new lounge suites means, well as the saying goes, You get what you pay for.
• So if you decided to reupholster or cover the furniture you already have in a fabulous new fabric you can get the latest look in your lounge, save money, cause less impact on the environment and still have your favourite comfortable place to relax, switch off and enjoy yourself.

Recover:

• If the sofa is looking tired, and it’s time for an update, then loose covers are the least expensive option. Probably about a quarter of the cost of a new suite.
• From an environmental point of view, loose covers are also a great choice as you are effectively recycling your sofa or suite.
• Washability is also a big plus point. Being able to remove wash and refit loose covers is perfect for any household where stains pose a threat.
• Massive choice of fabrics. You can probably choose from hundreds of options.

Reupholster:

• Price wise a reupholstered suite will be around half the cost of buying new but this is a more expensive choice than loose covers.
• Another good choice for the environment - you are keeping your furniture out of landfill.
• Comfort and sentimental attachment are not affected. You are making the furniture you already have quite literally look like new.
• Fit and attention to details are better than for covers.
• Again a vast choice of fabric.
• Finally reupholstery is a traditional craft. By choosing this option you are helping to support traditional British workmanship by genuine local craftsmen and women.
• Usually come with replacement seat cushions.
• Service is a big plus as with this type of craftsman product the service is typically excellent.

I’ve recently been looking to buy some Wicker or Rattan Furniture and it seems most people including myself up until a few weeks ago thought that they were both the same, which is a common misconception. I have also found that there is no simple explanation and when buying this type of furniture you could be buying both, so I thought I’d try and explain what I’ve discovered so that it may help you in the future.

Wicker is a process (not a specific material) of weaving any number of materials such as reeds, bamboo, rush, straw and willow into a finished piece of furniture. The confusion comes about because this weaving generally takes place over a Rattan Core frame.

Rattan itself as an actual vine, which grows in tropical forest regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Rattan grows in a solid pole shape hundreds of feet in length making it durable and harder to break than bamboo, which is hollow. The outer skin of the vines (the Peel) are stripped and used as a rattan weaving material to wrap furniture joints. The Core is then left to use within the frame.

Some manufacturers will even use the phrase “cane furniture” in place of either rattan or wicker to try and avoid this confusion.

To try and make this simple, if you buy Rattan Furniture it will probably have a Wicker Weave on top and if you buy Wicker furniture it will probably have a Rattan Core.

The best tip I can give is, “always ask before you buy”.

Here’s great post that I just had to share, it shows some of the most extreme, fun but elegant styles of bedroom furniture I’ve ever seen. Can you see yourself rocking to sleep in this bed after a hard days work:

Just as long as you don’t get sea sick! Obviously outlandish designs such as these are not for everyone, but it seems when looking for a new bed most of the styles are very orthadox. This one really stands out to me as one which still in-keeps with convention but really gives a room a refreshing feel:

Have a look at more of the great designs here:

What’s your favourite?

When considering a new suite or reupholstery what is the most important question to ask?

For many people the top questions asked are…………

1. Why should I consider covers or reupholstery instead of buying new?
2. Can you cover my style of furniture?
3. Where can I see the finished product before I buy?
4. What is the difference between covers and reupholstery?

1. Why should I consider covers or reupholstery instead of buying new?
The idea of buying covers or reupholstery for your existing furniture is something that many people do not even consider. There is a real need for education here as many people see covers as a cheap stretchy product. In fact the the modern fitted cover in contemporary cotton and linen fabrics is a handcrafted masterpiece made to the exact shape of a piece of furniture.

This is not just cheaper than buying new but is also environmentally responsible.

Many people love their existing furniture but don’t want it to be drab or shabby. Loose covers are the perfect solution.

Reupholstery gives an even more fitted result as the fabric is actually attached to the furniture, cushions and springs are replaced and so on. The end result looks and feels quite literally like a brand new piece of furniture.

So much new furniture these days is of very poor quality. For many people, to consider keeping the furniture they already have and giving it a new lease of life really is worth considering.

2. Can you cover my style of furniture?

This is an easy one to answer. Plumbs can cover or reupholster anything, and probably have in their 45 year history

3. Where can I see the finished product before I buy?

There are thousands of Plumbs customers all over the country. For anyone who is interested we can arrange contact so you can get the full story from someone who has already bought.

There is also a full showroom in Preston plus various mini showrooms around the country.

Finally for those attending the BBC good homes show, please come and say hello - we’ll be there 11-15 June.

4. What is the difference between finest covers and reupholstery?

Finest covers cost a little more and are made from high quality natural, and man-made fabrics, have the look and feel of reupholstery and can be removed if necessary. The original furniture is unaffected.

Reupholstery is more invasive but arguably gives a better finished result. The process involves stripping away all the old fabric, checking the frame and springs, replacing old foams and then attaching the new choice of fabric to the frame.