Feb 27 2008
Another reason to re-cover your sofa than to buy new!
What else could it be? Yes, you guessed it, ’the environment’. It seems right now everything is looked at from an environmental impact perspective, so why is buying a new sofa any different?
50,000 items of lounge furniture a year goes into landfill. This is like burying 1000 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.
So don’t just think by popping down to your nearest “Sofa Warehouse” the only carbon footprint you’ll be making is the emmisions from your car. There is massive amounts of energy used to mass produce this type of cheap furniture, not too mention all the noxtious materials found in some furniture that can take 100’s of years to breakdown.
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.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I had a quote from yourselves to re-cover a sofa bought from Marks and Spencer. It was cheaper to buy the same sofa in their sale and give the original to a friend than to have it recovered. It was a 2 seater and you quoted in the region of £800. Too expensive!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Pat
Thanks for your comment.
The cost of covers for a two seater sofa from Plumbs ranges from under £100 up to the price you state which would be for full reupholstery or traditional loose covers in the highest quality branded fabric.
Equally you can buy a brand new sofa for just £199, or you can spend £3000.
There is always going to be a range of prices whichever product you buy.
I would also add that there are other factors to consider. There is comfort of the furniture you have and the fact it is already in your house.
The biggest factor however is probably environmental impact. Many estimates show that we deposit 50,000 furniture items a year into landfill – the equivalent of 1000 double decker buses.
Then there is the huge amount of raw material, production, energy and transport costs to deliver a new sofa to your home.
Covers tend to be far cheaper than new furniture but also have a much reduced impact on the environment.
I appreciate your feedback and opening the debate. I would say that the decision is not purely one of price, but if price is the only factor, then made-to-measure covers for any sofa from Plumbs start at just £99.
January 18th, 2010 at 3:58 am
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October 17th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I think having your old sofa covered is a fab idea, you can choose your own fabrics to suit your say ‘new’ decor and I think the price really is not an issue, at the end of the day you are paying for that persons time and experience to give you something you want! It really does just depend on what your looking for and what options suit you best and anyway we are always saving up for things we want and if this was something I really wanted then I would happily save for it!
I make my own curtains, cushions and other things around the house because it is fun and I can make everything to my own taste and style but I’m not quite ready to tackle my sofa that job I am definately leaving to the professionals!
November 7th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Hi – Well done for all the DIY sewing! As for your sofa, why not arrange a FREE Home Consultation with us by clicking here. There’s absolutely no-obligation or sales pressure and you can simply browse our fabric range and get a FREE quote if you do decide to give your sofa a new look.
Kind Regards
Hannah
September 11th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Hi I bought two 2 seater M and S sofas from ebay and would like some covers for them the model is Chletham/fix would you be able to do this
Kind regards
Ann-Marie
September 12th, 2012 at 11:59 am
Hi Ann Marie,
Many thanks for your message. There should be no problem doing this for you. We can send a Home Consultant out to you free of charge so you can discuss your needs further and view our beautiufl range of fabrics. The visit is completely free and there’s no obligation to buy. To arrange your visit please contact our call centre on 0800 019 0505, or if you would like to leave your details here we will arrange your visit for you.
Kind Regards
Hannah