Curtains can soften the frames of a window, and bring a homely touch to larger, brighter rooms.  Depending on the colour and fabric you choose, curtains can be used for a cosy living room or a more wistful look.  Heavy, black-out lined curtains are ideal for keeping the warm in and the cold out in winter…

…or you can create a soft, romantic look with curtains that drape and hang lightly.

A great benefit of blinds is that when pulled up they will allow more natural light to flood into your room, where draped back curtains could block some out.  This is particularly useful in smaller darker living rooms where every bit of light is crucial…

…Blinds would allow you to illuminate more of the room, and give an airy feel.

If you’re still undecided then who says you have to choose?  You can have the best of both worlds by combining curtains and blinds together.

Choosing co-ordinating fabrics can add depth to your window dressing, and with the many colour, pattern and texture combinations available, you can create all kinds of looks.  You could really go to town with bold colours and contrasting luxury fabrics for a display that would make a real feature of your windows.

Alternatively, you could tone things down with matching shades and designs, for subtle depth.

Click here to see the curtain fabric range that Plumbs have to offer.

For that wow factor you could be a little more daring and opt for a vibrant pink and soft yellow colour scheme.  We’ve used our very own Elana – Lipstick fabric to create these striking curtains.  Accessorise with exotic orchids and simple straight-lined furniture.  Adding a few Oriental design ornaments, such as the lantern featured will bring the whole mood together.

]]> http://www.plumbs.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/01/23/join-the-celebration-of-chinese-new-year-with-oriental-home-design/feed/ 0 http://www.plumbs.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/01/09/2012-colour-trends-by-dulux/ http://www.plumbs.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/01/09/2012-colour-trends-by-dulux/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:37:45 +0000 HannahJ http://www.plumbs.co.uk/blog/?p=892 Paint manufacturer Dulux have unveiled their colour trends for 2012/13.  Their six distinct palettes are set to take interior design by storm, so here at Plumbs we’ve been busily preparing ideas for how you can stay on trend this year!

The great thing about colour trends is that you can pick and just choose exactly which hues you want. You could utilise the entire palette or choose the shades that will be right for you and your home.

Appropriately named Carnivale, this pretty selection of pink and lilac will give an ultra feminine feel to your room. For a more subtle approach, you could leave out the darker pink shades. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Sorrento Stripe and Summer, Soft Aubergine.

A more masculine palette can be found with Re-set, a contemporary monochrome set of blacks, whites and greys. Try patterned fabrics to break up blocks of solid colour when adopting this trend. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Chelsea Velvet – Steel with Jacobean Opulence – Black/White.

A warmer look can be created with Time-Honoured. Twinned with dark wood, these orange and red hues are sure to brighten any room. We’ve added a dash of green here to bring out an earthier feel. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Vista – Terracotta.

If the natural look is more for you, take inspiration for Dulux’s zesty Nurture trend. Mix vibrant greens with soft creams for a fresh, Spring look all year round. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Lily – Pistachio.

Raw is the slightly subtler version of this outdoor trend. Combining slate and grey/green tones gives a softer,  more neutral approach. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Fiore Check – Linen.

Finally, Immerse yourself in relaxing blues. No longer a colour scheme set aside for bathrooms, the calming tones of blue can bring tranquillity to your living space. Plumbs’ fabric choice: Floral Brocade – Turquoise.

With so much inspiration it’s time to  get the sample paint pots and the wallpaper clippings and browse Plumbs fabrics online by clicking here, or click here to arrange your Free Home Visit to see our whole range of fabrics in your own home!  We’ll be back soon with more decorating inspiration.

The struggle is often not heating your home, but keeping that heat in.  A huge proportion of heat can be lost through windows and under doors, as the image below shows.

So, to help you on your way, we’ve come up with 5 top tips to keeping your home warm, keeping your heating bills down and keeping your spirits high!

1) Don’t invite the cold in! Draught-proof your front door by adding a door brush; particularly useful in windy conditions.  Consider getting a door curtain – not only will this reduce the draughts coming in and the warm air getting out, a door curtain can add a real cosiness to your hallway.

2) Fill in the gaps! If your radiator is directly below your window, tuck the edges of your curtains onto the window sill.  This will prevent the hot air from the radiator escaping straight out behind your curtains.  Alternatively, you could invest in a radiator cover to ensure that heat is directed out, into the room.

3) Safeguard your windows! Opt for lined and interlined curtains to keep the draughts from coming in. Interlinings act as an extra insulation layer within the curtains. To be twice as prepared, add a blind behind your curtains.

4) Pick a pelmet! Not only do pelmets provide an excellent finishing touch to your window dressing, they can also reduce the amount of heat lost when hot air that has risen begins to cool and fall.

5) Bathrooms and kitchens! In rooms where you may not have curtains such as bathrooms or kitchens, consider installing blinds.  They may be less effective insulators than curtains, but they should certainly make some difference.  Avoid slatted blinds and opt for roman styles.

Plumbs offer made-to-measure curtains and blinds in a beautiful range of designs, so you can keep warm and you won’t have to compromise on style.

To view our range and find out more about about Plumbs’ Curtains and Blinds, click on the link below:

http://www.plumbscurtains.co.uk/

Thermal Imaging picture taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa/energy/heatrev3.shtml

If you’re stuck for ideas on how to revamp your living room, or give your bedroom a new lease of life, the experts from Plumbs are here to bring the warmth and colour of Summer into your home.

Windows are the focal point in most rooms; Modern, minimalist interiors shun heavy fabric treatments and instead favour the simple, straight lines of Roman or Roller blinds. Blinds offer a perfect mix of security, shade and style.

Plumbs Merchandise Director, Linda Hindle says: “if you prefer plain walls then bold, dramatic blinds using an eye-catching patterned fabric is very effective. You can really enhance the effect by adding a co-ordinating cushion or two.”

Linda continues: “Our home consultants always advise people to pick colours from their existing furnishings as a starting point. They will bring along samples and swatches so that people can match their new blinds to their carpets, upholstery and wall colours”.

Plumbs offer a free measuring and free quotation service by a fully trained home advisor. Plumbs can also provide curtains to co-ordinate with blinds – again a free estimate service is provided.

So we’ve decided to have a mass clear out and offer this fabric up for only £1 per metre.

Please be assured this is not just any old rubbish. This is high quality heavyweight curtain fabric.

Just see what people on MoneySavingExpert.com are saying about us here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2658447

If you want to get some yourself before it all goes, please visit out Curtain Shop website here:

http://www.plumbscurtainshop.co.uk/curtain-fabrics/index.html

Here is only a small selection:

• If a room consists of several windows at differing sizes, first take the measurements and dress the largest window. Then hang all the other curtains in the room at the same height making sure that all the hems are also at the same height off the floor.
• If you want to create the illusion of wider windows extend the curtains poles and width beyond the window frame.
• Alternatively, if you want to make the window look shorter, use a longer pelmet when dressing the window.

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

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 traditionally catered for the Made to Measure Curtain market but with the launch of the new site have begun offering Ready-made curtains at great prices. We now offer curtain fabric priced per metre for budding upholstery enthusiasts to produce your own unique curtains or to use on many other soft furnishing projects. Sensationally, prices start at just £1 a metre for fabric offering hundreds of fabric options.

Ready made curtains are always popular because they offer great value, with prices starting from just £35 a pair. From Deep red velvet to Cool cotton naturals or just something cheap to deflect the sun’s rays, plumbscurtainshop can answer all needs.

All our products are guaranteed for 12 months from the date of purchase. As with all our products the guarantee covers any fault occurring as a result of fair wear and tear or quality of materials and / or workmanship. If any product purchased under the terms of our guarantee fails to give you complete satisfaction we will offer you a full replacement. Even better is that plumbscurtainshop offer a no risk 30 day money back promise on everything.

Sarah Plumb, from the Plumb family said, “After 45 years we have become known for being a U.K. manufacturer with a reliable record for quality and good service. Cheap imports from across the globe mean low prices are available to anyone. However here at Plumbs we not only offer low prices but we can also offer quality as we make everything ourselves here at our factory in Lancashire. Plus you have the added advantage of a full money back guarantee”

The last couple of years has seen a great increase in curtain popularity not only for decorative and security reasons but increasingly as an energy saving measure. Curtains can really make a difference to insulating the home and preventing heat loss. Curtains work well in the Summer time too by helping to deflect the sun’s rays and keep the home cool.

So if you are looking for great value curtains and fabrics, take a look at www.plumbscurtainshop.co.uk today.