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?

The latest horror stories surrounding cheap leather furniture are a wake up call. Cheap furniture bought on credit deals that seem too good to be true, is cheap for a reason.

It has been reported* today that at least 1,000 people have been burned or suffered severe skin complaints by lying on toxic sofas. The toxic substances are sprayed on leather sofas to stop them going mouldy while in storage, they were made by the Linkwise Furniture factory in southern China and sold by High Street stores such as Argos and Land of Leather.

Both chains stopped selling the toxic sofas in October when these reactions emerged but law-firms are still being flooded with enquires. It has also been claimed that many more people could be experiencing these skin conditions because of the toxins but not know the cause.

Not only has it been reported that many different types products made China are of poorer quality, but a series of health issues have now been raised.

But apart from the cheap manufacture of some new suites there is also a profound environmental story that is not being told.

Everyone has heard of food miles but perhaps we should be talking about sofa miles. Cheap furniture travelling across the globe is heavy, bulky and energy expensive. This is compounded by the fact that many people buying cheap new suites are chucking their own furniture onto landfill.

There is a real alternative to be had through reupholstery or loose covers. No matter how tired it looks it is almost certainly better quality than the brand new cheap imports.

*Referrences:
Telegraph.co.uk
Daily Mail

The ever increasing chatter about the “credit crunch” and looming recession (if we are not already in one) doesn’t see to be dissipating and everyone is beginning to tighten their belts.

Due to the rising cost of living, a recent poll has revealed for the first time the public are changing their spending habits to accommodate this economic slowdown. The top 5 biggest cut-back are; Main Holiday, DIY, Savings, Clothing & Motoring.

Home furnishing comes in at number 6 with New sofas, chairs, tables, beds, curtains and blinds being put on hold, about nine per cent of people have scrapped plans to buy one of these items.

A full article on this can be see here on the Independents website, please click here!

The problem is many of us want to keep updating our homes when items get too old or scruffy or when spillages and pets ruin our soft furnishings. Plus keeping up with seasonal fashions is still high on peoples lists as it makes us feel more comfortable and happy in our surroundings.

Well there are alternatives, you don’t have to replace your suites, dining sets or beds you can give them a new lease of life by updating them with loose covers. You can give your sofa a brand new look with made-to-measure covers, or you dining set with dining chair covers and a new table cloth. Even your bedroom can spring into life with a set of bed covers. If you put these together with a relatively cheap tin of paint and a few accessories you can keep up with the fashions all year long.

Even though we’re heading into a recession, it’s all about spending what money we have wisely from looking round for a better deal on your holiday or going somewhere closer to home. Reusing what we already have is not only cheaper but if you think about also more friendly to the environment.

What can be better than saving money with clear conscious!

I recently found this great story about a very worth while charitable organisation being commended for their efforts, not only to help people in need but to help protect the environment by recycling furniture.

“The Furniture Recycling Project” in Gloucester won the “Reuse Project of the Year” award by the Furniture Re-use Network (http://www.frn.org.uk/), particularly impressing the judging panel with it’s work during and after the 2007 floods that blighted many parts of the South West. The project was able to supply more than 5,000 households with essential second-hand furniture.

The award is intended to highlight how furniture projects continually support their local communities through improving the places where people live. This is about highlighting complimentary goals of providing a furniture reuse service for the unemployed people who also gain from volunteering and training at projects.

Richard Featherstone, who founded the Furniture Recycling Network (FRN) 18 years ago and initiated the awards, said: “These awards are to celebrate reuse tackling poverty and unemployment while preventing good furniture going to landfill. There is a link between social benefits and waste management which have not yet been fully explored but I predict this will be visible on the Government’s agenda before very long.”

Plumbs firmly believe that furniture should never go to waste by being dumped in landfill, everyone has the option of either re-using their furniture by covering / reupholstering or by donating it to charity so that someone possibly less fortunate than yourself can feel the benefit of something that would otherwise go to landfill.

According to a new study by Petplan on of the UK’s leading pet insurance companies, found a large percentage of dog and cat owners based their purchasing decisions on the suitability for their pets. The obvious one is holidays where 68% of dog owners and 47% of cat owners said that this was the most important area in which to take their pet into consideration, however many also include home furnishings such as sofas.

Pet hair can be real pain when is comes to your soft furnishings but as we explained in this recent post Threats to your Sofa, there are ways to protect your sofa from your pets hair, claws and any other dirty or smelly messes we all know pets can make.

Most people have fond childhood memories of a piece of furniture a relative once owned, just by seeing and feeling that furniture can bring back emotions. From your Great-Aunties artfully carved dining room chairs perhaps to your Grandmothers antique sofa, even the smell of a piece can evoke a memory.

When the unfortunate time comes you inherit that piece of furniture you are suddenly left with the feeling it will never fit in with the rest of your decor and in this sense inherited pieces of furniture can be a blessing or a burden. Before deciding what to do you first need to consider the following:

• Is it comfortable?
• Is it of good quality?
• Is there a place for it in your home?

If your answer is ‘no’ to these considerations then you shouldn’t burden yourself with sentimental value as you will get no real enjoyment from the piece, which is not what your relative intended. If it isn’t of good quality then it may not be a good idea spending money on something that could fall apart.

With a little bit of work however, most furniture can be revitalised with fresh fabrics and custom details to be more comfortable and fit in with your decor.

With exception, all good quality furniture is worth restoring, even if a sofa or chair is decades old. If it has a quality frame it is worth keeping. The quality of a sofa or chair is found within the carcass, this should be made of a hardwood such as Oak or Alder, have good lines and have been kiln dried so that the wood doesn’t warp or crack during changes of temperature and humidity. Most people won’t be able to know this just by looking at a sofa but there are many experts (Upholsterers) that can give you free advice such as Plumbs.

Re-upholstering can literally transform an old sofa to new, from the springs, filling and foam being replaced to the frame being reinforced if necessary. The shape of the furniture cannot be changed but the piece can be slightly re-styled or made more comfortable using certain techniques. Choosing the right fabric will really make difference to how the piece will look and fit in you home, fabric can deliver a more traditional or contemporary style. These custom details will make your furniture a one off.

You don’t necessarily need to go as far as reupholstery, Loose Covers can be equally as impressive at transforming your sofa. If the quality, comfort and style or your inherited furniture is pleasing enough then just by changing the fabric, colour and texture can give you the look you desire.

Dining chair covers can now update most sets to fit in with contemporary or traditional trends, not only can you just re-cover (or reupholster) the seat, loose covers can now fit completely over the chair with skirts that cover right to the floor.

So, if you inherit a piece of furniture remember there are many ways in which you can make it a unique heirloom to cherish for many years.

The first, called Mydeco (http://mydeco.com), was created by the founders of Lastminute.com Martha Lane Fox and Brent Hoberman.  Mydeco is currently in beta format but you can still go on and create some great room concepts, once you’ve created your inspired design you can then purchase all the elements that make up the room, from Curtains to Carpet.

There are currently around 500 retailers such John Lewis and Argos collectively offering over a one million products.  You will be able to build 3D models of your own Living Room and add your preferred decor as well as 3D models of 20,000 items of real furniture to buy.  You can then save your room design then by adding it to your online profile will allow others to comment and give advice. This will form the basis of a social community which will eventually be shareable to other Social networks like Facebook & MySpace.

Hoberman hopes to, “help users make the right decisions about their home’s decor, and get validation from others regarding their taste, in order to avoid room style disasters”.

The second tool, Design My Room (http://www.designmyroom.com/), is a very similar US based version but equally as fun and useful.

Have fun playing with the different designs, hopefully you may see our products appearing in the near future.

Millions of people every year will make a new year resolution and millions of people will not keep to them, I know, I am one of them.  This is mainly because they are not realistic, too many are made or they’re not thought through enough.  However if home improvement has been one of them we have some good tips to help keep you on the road to resolution.

To manage any sort of project there are three main requirements:

• Decide what needs to be done
• Prioritise what need to be done
• Set yourself goals to achieve what needs to be done

In deciding what needs to be done you should try and take a subjective look at your home, a good way to do this is to take a walk around in the mindset of a prospective buyer, you will probably be shocked to see what is in need of improvement.  Get a piece of paper and a pencil and walk through your home room by room.

Starting from the entrance to your home, be it a porch or hallway.  Is it bright and welcoming, or dark and uninviting?  Using softer and lighter shades of colour on the walls can make a dramatic improvement to how people first perceive your home.  This can also be achieved of letting in more natural light, which is not always possible but can be remedied by adding more or brighter lighting fixtures.

The next logical step would be your Living Room, this is where you most need to feel relaxed and restful.  So it is important that all the walls, furnishings, curtains and flooring be coordinated and harmonise with each other.  Neutral tones on the walls are often used as a safe colour to achieve this effect and are easier to contrast with your other features.  If you find your suite is looking tired and worn, fitting made to measure furniture covers are a cheaper alternative to buying a new sofa.

Dinging Rooms are going to a big design essential for 2008 and visual indigestion will definitely not improve your family’s appetite. Ever wondered why red is such a popular colour for restaurants and dining rooms? It’s because it stimulates the appetite. It’s also an energising colour and therefore a good backdrop for social situations. However, choose the shade carefully - you want to create warmth rather than an oppressive, angry atmosphere.

Now to your Kitchen, the most important factor of this room is hygiene.  If there are any dirty marks damage to work surfaces or cupboards then the impression may not be very tasteful.  The main idea of improvement to this room is make it as functional and pleasant to be in.

You may not think it but it can be quite simple and relatively cheap to spruce up you Bathroom.  Just by replacing your taps, toilet seats, shower curtain/door etc. with new or modern fittings can make a real difference.  Look at the flooring, we are becoming more European in our tastes and they regard carpet as unhygienic. Changing to cork, bamboo or ceramic tiles will give your bathroom a fresh, clean and modern look. Coloured suites are also out of fashion. Look out for offers at the DIY stores or on the Internet and consider replacement with plain white.

And finally your Boudoir.  In the bedroom the obvious focal point should be your bed and dressed to command attention, this can be done in a number of fashions such as using bedspreads and scatter cushions.  Colours again are important in creating the right atmosphere and reflect the personality of whoever this room is intended.  You should take you time here to decide how you can create that ultimate feeling for yourself.

Good luck!

How do you decide?

On the one hand there are some tempting credit deals out there to replace your furniture.

On the other hand you might not want to throw a perfectly good suite away, and anyway how would you do it. Who is going to physically remove your sofa from your house?

If you just hate your sofa or it doesn’t fit in your home then the best option is probably to try and dispose of it in an environmentally responsible way and buy new.

If you already have a well made piece of furniture that is comfy and fits in your home then the best option is probably to cover or reupholster, as your sofa will look like new for half the cost of a new one. With landfill sites filling up fast this is also a good choice for the environment.

Recover:

Pros

• 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.

Cons

• Fit is bit of a pro and a con. Loose covers do move and are not fixed to the furniture.
• For many people they simply wouldn’t know it as traditionally made cotton loose covers fit so colsely to the furniture that is almost like reupholstery. There are however some of us who simply prefer the sofa covering to be fixed
• An extension of the fit argument is detail. Covers do not always respect every single detail of a piece of furniture no matter how well made. A good example is furniture with exposed show wood.

Reupholster:

Pros

• 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.

Cons

• The big downside is having to do with out your furniture for 2-3 weeks while the work is done.
• Not exactly a con but reputation is important. Whoever you choose to do the work has to be trustworthy. You need to be sure that you are getting a hight standard of workmanship.
• Not cheap although certainly less than buying a new suite
• You can’t see the finished article before you buy - i.e. your own suite reupholstered.

Replace:

Pros

• New furniture is untouched, unstained has never been sat on and it’s exciting to have brand new
• You can see and sit on lots of different styles before you buy
• There are some fabulous credit deals to be had

Cons

• The hassle of moving and disposing of your existing furniture.
• There is an environmental price to pay in throwing away your old furniture. Typically it will end up in landfill unless a charity shop or similar will take it. Occasionally for very good furniture you may be able to sell it.
• Interest free credit is not free, but is built into the price. Furniture is already the most expensive of the three and credit just makes it more expensive.
• Quality is a big issue as there is such a wide range. By buying quality recognised brands such as parker knoll multiyork, wesley barrell or bridgecraft you can be sure that you are investing in quality furniture. However there has to be concern over cheaper furniture which is imported. If you remove the VAT delivery cost, shipping cost from overseas and the sellers margin or cut then there often is little left. This raises a question mark over durability and quality

If you are tired of looking at the furniture in your front room or you just fancy a change then you can recover, reupholster, replace or do nothing. Think about price, comfort and the environment and the way forward should become clear.

Good luck