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!

New kitchens can cost an arm and a leg, and them some, which is great if you have a spare £10,000+ to spend. Most of us don’t especially with the current economic climate, so you’ll be surprised how a little bit of money and some elbow grease can go a long way. Here are a few tips on how you can give your kitchen a new lease of life without spending too much:

1. Paint - This must be the easiest and cheapest way to change the look of any room in your home and your kitchen is no exception. If you are fairly inexperienced at DIY like myself I would stick to just painting the walls, if like my kitchen you have limited wall space then changing the colour of the ceiling from that very popular white can make a dramatic difference.

However if you are more of a handy person around the house or have a little bit of money to pay a professional, you could go that extra step and have your cabinet fonts refinished in a different colour. Cabinets in colours can be very exciting in the kitchen: in postal blue, light pastels, whisper grey and sunny yellow can all create surprising results. Decorating magazines often show cabinets in spruce green, Navy blue and weathered or faux finishes.

One of the latest trends is to combine painting and staining in different areas of the same kitchen cabinets, or stain in two different colours. You are only limited by your imagination! If you are not sure which colour to select, your paint professional may offer colour consultations, or you may want to get advice from an interior designer.

2. Cabinet Refacing - To go another step from refinishing your cabinets, you could have them refaced. This will obviously cost more but is still less than a new kitchen.

3. Door knobs and Handles - Even if you aren’t changing the look of your cabinets you can still make a little difference by updating the styles of handles to a more contemporary look.

4. Worktops - This is another item that can make a huge difference but if you aren’t that handy at DIY can cost a lot to get a professional. Also the type of material will also make a huge difference to the cost, from natural stones like granite to tile and concrete.

5. Curtains - Apart from open-plan living room and kitchens it is very rare to find a kitchen without a window, kitchen curtains can be very affordable and easy to fit, even for us DIY novices. Curtains can be a good place to start when deciding on colour schemes from the walls to cabinets and accessories.

6. Accessories - There a wide variety of kitchen accessories you can use to make a nice kitchen into a great kitchen with pictures, plants, contrasting towels, rugs even a bowl of fruit. If you have glass panelled display cupboards, place decorative coloured objects to present a desired effect.

7. Dining Accessories - If you have a dining table in you kitchen or an open-plan dining room / kitchen, make use of accessories available such as table cloths and place mats. Dining chair covers are relatively in-expensive compared to buying new and can transform this area in a matter of minutes.

9. Flooring - One area that people tend to miss the most is floor and can be very easy to change depending on what you already have in place. You don’t have stick with the lino anymore, there are many other choices from Glass, Ceramic Rubber & Cork Tiles to Palmwood & Bamboo.

You don’t even need to follow all these ideas, just a few can achive that effect you are after.

As it’s now been 7 days since the start of spring and with the natural world bouncing back to life, now is the time to use some of this special energy to influence the decor of your home. Many of you will be aware of the influences seasons have on cat walk fashion but many of us don’t, for many reasons, reflect them in our home.

The main reason for this can be cost, however just as there are small changes you can do to give your appearance a touch of sparkle, like a new handbag or the new must have shoes without having to update you whole wardrobe. There are some DIY tricks you can use to pull off the same effect in your home.

Change that Colour

As the gloomy shades of winter melt into balmier, sunlit tones, a palette of soft greens, pinks and purples will reflect the hues of nature, while the brighter days mean you can go for coolers shades of blue and white.

Use those Accessories

Linda Hindle, a Director here at Plumbs and Granddaughter of the founder Thomas Plumbs, says “To really lift a room, try using sunny yellows and golds as they are really good for boosting your sprits. And remember you don’t have to re-paint the whole room to inject some colour, instead go for bold accessories such as curtains, cushions and throws, to get the look”

Make use of the natural sunlight

Make the most of the lengthening days by putting away heavy fabric curtains and opting instead for light draped gauzes in soft, shimmery colours.

Bring the natural world into your home

Spring is all about the re-emergence of nature, so why not let it show in your decor. Floral cushions and accessories are perfect for this time of year and are a great way to add that spring-time freshness. Look for bold geometric patters in stricking two-tone shades for a modern twist on a traditional look. Not only is this trend great for your home, it’s everywhere on the catwalk this season.

Old and New can work

In the name of spring, give some poor piece of well made furniture a new lease of life, if you look in most second hand shops or online and offline auctions there are many pretty pieces of furniture that could use a bit of TLC. You’d be surprised at what a bit of paint, varnish and some new fabric can do. Our craftsmen at here at Plumbs can repair, restore and re-upholster these pieces to their former vintage glory and and the same time bring them up to date using fresh new fabrics.

Brighten up your living room

Don’t put up with tired looking furniture in dark, winter fabrics but switch instead to bright cottons and linens for a much more airy feel. And by using made to measure loose covers on you sofas, chair or suites you can instantly transform your room.

Get rid of the clutter

Unnecessary junk is really draining on your energy and not very feng shui, so either get rid of it or store it somewhere out of sight. Linda, says: “I find that a pretty floor length table cloth is a useful way of hiding stuff underneath, it makes a feature out of necessity and you can change the cloth to create different effects.

So sweep out you fireplace, get rid of the winter ashes or candle displays and fill the spaces instead with big bright spring flower arrangements for that sweet smelling and finishing spring touch.

Grand Designs Live London is being held over NINE days at ExCel from 3 - 11 May 2008.

Grand Designs Live is the UK’s no. 1 consumer show for design and innovation. Based on the hugely successful Channel 4 TV series – presented by design guru Kevin McCloud – Grand Designs Live will inspire you with the latest design ideas for your home. Packed full of new show features, more celebrity experts and great advice. Shop from over 450 exhibitors and get access to six shows 

Open Daily between 10am and 6pm from the 3rd to the 11th May 2008, including Bank Holiday Monday.

We are not too sure how long you will be able to claim this FREE ticket for so be quick!

You can claim the FREE weekday ticket buy clicking here - then quoting the refererrence code “FREECOSTA”

Hurry while it lasts…

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.

It seems the whole world is on a cost cutting exercise right now. It’s official - the consumer bubble has finally burst and everyone is tightening their belts. That’s easier for some than others after the Christmas binge.

2008 feels like its going to be a year for economising which is no bad thing. In our world of home furnishing that means glamming up your home without going for a total re-furbishment.

You can liven up your dining room just by changing the curtains or transform your living room with new tailored loose covers on your suite. Even wallpapering a feature wall in one of this season’s new large print styles can make an amazing difference.

It all helps with making your home feel fresh and interesting again without spending thousands on big items such as new sofas.

You can also achive the same effect in this roomset with our fabrics without the usual high costs.

Here are a few more money saving tips that can help give a fresh feel to your home in the New Year:

• New table linens can change the look of a room instantly. Check out your local thrift store for tablecloths at a fraction of the price of department store linens.
• Purchase old wooden furniture such as chairs, toy boxes, and shelves at rummage sales and thrift shops. Paint it in fun colors that match your kids’ rooms.
• Paint is cheaper than wallpaper. Use paint effects such as sponge painting, rag rolling, and stenciling to add pattern and interest to your walls. The stencils only cost a few pound. You can use acrylic craft paint instead of the oil based stencil paint because it is brighter and easier to clean. Stencil your designs on tables, bread boxes, shelves and other accessories to match your border.
• Use a medium to dark color palette to paint your room. As a general rule, the darker the color the more distinctive the room will be perceived by others. Marketing experts use this trick all the time - you can too!
• Use a wall to display family photos using frames purchased at thrift stores and garage sales. Paint the frames to match furniture, curtains, etc.
• Plants can make a room come alive… literally! Put them in interesting containers such as baskets and crocks. Don’t buy plants; take clippings and regenerate roots. Ask your friends and family if you can take clippings from their plants in exchange for clippings from yours.
• Spray paint willow branches white and secure them with floral foam in a weighted pot. Place Spanish moss over the foam, and drape the branches with small white lights.
• Instead of buying decorative soaps, either melt soap you already have or buy a block of soap (5.99) from a craft store. After the soap is melted, add to plastic cookie moldings for fun shapes and add things such as dried flowers, small toys, food coloring or fragrant soaps.