In a previous post I hopefully helped you understand how colour can affect your mood and bring out your personality. If you haven’t read it, please click on the link below:

Colour can effect your mood in all sorts of ways

You should have a vague idea of what colours you are wanting to use in your home. The tricky part now is, how do you put them together to give a cohesive and flowing feel throughout your home?

Often people assume paint is the main factor when decorating a room, in fact it is as much about the colour of accessories, furniture and soft furnishings. You should always consider the contrast between them all. When painting a room, remember that paint looks a different colour in the shop than it is in your home, so always take a test sample home with you to try out before buying in quantity! Whatever you do though don’t worry about choosing the wrong colour, walls can easily be painted over.

When using bold and spicy colours, also known as ‘Active’ colours, keep them simple and in small doses so they are not competing. ‘Active’ colours such as yellow, orange and red will stand out in a room and dominate most other colours so should ideally be used against a neutral backdrop.

Using bold colours to achieve a visual effect can also be done by combining neutral colours with different textures, which can be just as visually stimulating. Also lighter, less saturated, natural colours will make a room seem larger than it is, whereas the deeper and more intense range of the spectrum will pull the walls in around you and give a cosier felling.

When mixing and matching colours, natural shades of greens and browns are by far the easiest to use, as you tend to find them in nature. If decorating with a brown colour scheme, adding plants and greenery will lighten up the feeling and bring life to your room.

A flowing feel of colour throughout your home creates a greater impact but can sometimes be quite difficult to achieve. However, simple touches such as using the same colour in the skirting boards and door surrounds can go a long way to pull it all together.

When you have large areas or objects to colour like floors and sofas that generally have a higher price associated. Keeping them neutral will help when tastes and fashions inevitably change. Painting over a few walls is always going to be more cost effective than changing a carpet or sofa. If you don’t have the time or energy to start painting again, the alternative option for your sofa would be loose covers, which are far cheaper than buying new and have the same effect.

People generally forget about ceilings so most often than not are just left white. If you do want to be different then using a lighter shade of the wall colour will usually work quite well, unless the ceiling is over 8 feet then use a darker shade.

Just remember getting used to a new room colour might take a few days. Once you start filling a room with other elements you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised to see that your new colours harmonise

Learn more tips here about how to choose a colour scheme here.

Out of all your memories you have about your home, I would put money on most of them being while sitting on your sofa or chair. Just think about all those memories you’ve shared with that special someone, what has always been there? Yes, your Sofa!

Now the question is, has your sofa fared the test of time as well as you? Most sofa’s that have shared many fond memories will have seen better days, it’s springs are no longer springy, the fabric is looking worn and cushions that couldn’t cushion a feather.

So, maybe you need to ask yourself, is it time to move on?

Most people in this situation do not know they have other options than just throwing the old one away and buying a new sofa. There are many hassles to buying a new sofa, which you may not have thought of. Firstly, what to do with your old sofa? You can either send it to landfill (think of the environmental issues) or organise some sort of reclamation firm to come and pick it up, usually for a fee. Then there’s the hassle & cost of buying a new sofa that was of similar quality.

Sure you can go and buy a new sofa for under £250 or even a complete suite for under £500 but what sort of craftsmanship and materials do you think go into the production of this type of furniture? Once you start taking out production costs, marketing costs, VAT & delivery that £250 sofa is probably being manufactured for under £50. Now for only £199 you can get your already loved and quality sofa re-covered either in loose covers or by spending a little extra re-upholstered.

Loose Covers still have a pre-conceived bad reputation because in times gone by they all used to be made from a stretchy horrible material and were ill-fitting. This is no longer the case, there are now many different types of high quality fabrics that are bespoke and made to measure to fit any style of furniture.

It’s not just fabric sofas that can be saved from the scrap heap, old Leather furniture can now be revitalised using specially made non slip chenille loose covers to give a full or part leather part fabric high street fashion look.

Why not take a look at the new fabrics and designs you could give to your loved sofa that’s in need of a little TLC.

Take a look at our latest fabrics…

Read Part 1 here….

If you are thinking of buying a decorative rug either for your wall or floor, here are just a few things you might want to consider.

As colour takes on the most fundamental role in any decor, this should be your highest priority when choosing a rug for your home. If a room’s existing colour scheme is very bright and fussy the rug needs to be a controlling natural colour / design. On the other had, if you already have a natural scheme, a nice bright splash of colour and striking design will really make it the centre piece of any room. Sometimes a rug should enhance the existing decor and not stand out, using an already dominant or accent colouration will have this effect.

I’ve written a previous post about how using colour in a room affects you mood, which might be helpful in deciding your colours:

Colour can effect your mood in all sorts of ways

You might also want to consider how much wear and tear the rug will go through, if you have children or pets a darker and intricate patterned rug will fare far better over time. Just remember to make sure any patterns on the rug do not clash with those on the wall-paper or other soft-furnishings.

You might think that you can just go out and buy a rug without giving too much thought into the size and where exactly it fits into your room’s layout. This really depends on the purpose of the rug and which room it will belong. If you are planning on the rug covering the majority of the room then there should be the same amount of floor space on each side, even if the room is an irregular shape then it still needs to have some sort of symmetry.

There are some basic rules when adding rugs to certain rooms, take the lounge for example. If the rug is going to sit under a coffee table then the entire table should be on the run and all pieces of furniture set back from it at equal distances. You should always consider where a rug will be placed in a room in relation to everything else, as long as there symmetry generally you will be ok. If you find it hard visualising where the rug will site, use some masking tape to define the space and play around until you are comfortable with the position.

Just remember that there are a huge variety of styles, and sizes to fit any decor or budget. So make sure you find the right one before buying.

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 along with an touch of colour to a room, even sometimes 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 an 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.

Use decorative rugs to spruce up your home - part 2

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.