Plumbs are giving away 5 free pairs of tickets to the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair, these tickets can be used any day expect Saturday. Additionally each winner will receive 2 tickets to the Gala Evening on Wednesday 24th March.

Find out more about the fair – CLICK HERE!

How to Enter:

There are a two ways to take part in our competition. You can either:

1. Sign-up to our monthly newsletter. Anyone signing up between the 26th February 2010 – 16th March 2010, will be automatically entered – Sign-up here…

2. Become a fan of our Facebook page. Anyone joining between the 26th February 2010 – 16th March 2010, will be automatically entered – Become a fan here…

3. Follow us on Twitter and re-tweet this message:

RT @Plumbsltd: Win one of 5 pairs of tickets to the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair. For details http://tinyurl.com/ydgzdyf #plumbstand

Everyone can be a winner. For everyone signing up to our newsletter we will issue them a promo code that can be used both online and phone booking to get £1 off.

A Few Rules:
Each Re-Tweet will receive 1 entry into the competition
Each Newsletter Sign-up will receive 1 entry into the competition
Each Facebook Fan will receive 1 entry into the competition
The competition winner(s) will be contacted personally
Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred
There will be no cash alternatives
Open to UK residents aged 18 or over
We do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries
Competition closes @ 23:59 on 16th March 2010
The winner will be selected and announced on 17th March 2010

It is being report that Repair Shops & Re-upholsterers are seeing an uplift in profits even though the economy and other businesses are taking a battering. This is understandable with people wanting to repair items rather than buying new but with Re-upholstering furniture being possibly more expensive than buying new, it’s a little more confusing.

This is possibly down to people becoming more aware of the quality of cheap furniture and to make new what they already own is far more beneficial.

“Make do and mend” a saying making a comeback from the war era, is definitely more prevalent now than in previous years!

Read the full article here….

Plumbs’ customers are generally part of the ever increasing community of Silver Surfers, the over-50s generation of new online visitors. So with the current economic gloom and the constant media messages talking us all into a recession, we decided to ask our customers what their views were of the whole situation and why they bought from Plumbs.

• The vast majority with savings and pensions couldn’t see the point of keeping their money in the bank because they’re not getting anything from it due to the drop in interest rates. They’re taking the attitude, they’d rather see something for their money and enjoy it!
• Many that were in the process of selling their homes found there were too few buyers on the market so decided to take it off and instead make home improvements. They can then benefit from enjoying their home and have it looking great when the market eventually picks up.
• The more active of our customers are finding themselves going out less and staying in more, which is giving them time to sort out all those little annoyances such as worn sofa upholstery and out-of-date curtains. These items are far longer lasting than going out for meals and other leisurely pursuits.
• Decent furniture doesn’t come cheap, unlike a lot of poorly made imports that have flooded the market over the last few years. Customers who have paid several thousand pounds for quality furniture are finding it far cheaper to re-furbish than to buy brand new similar quality furniture.
• Often our customers are so attached to their loved pieces of furniture they don’t seem care it can cost more than to buy new, so will still pay for refurbishment.
• To keep up with the latest fashions most new pieces of furniture use low backs and can be quite big and bulky. These styles are often not loved or enjoyed by our customers.
• The environment still plays a big part in people buying decisions: guilt about throwing out something that there’s not really anything wrong with, it’s just the fabric is grubby and the cushions have gone saggy. Or they’ve tried giving it to charity, who’ve refused, because of fire safety issues! Not even the homeless can have it!

The biggest irritation expressed by our customers seems to be directed at the media for ‘talking people into recession’, however this comes with the belief it’s important to spend and keep the economy going.

The Silver Surfers seem more determined to spend and enjoy it!

In just the last couple of weeks two articles have been extolling the virtues of loose covers as a credit crunch busting way to imrpove the look of your home environment.

 The January 2009 Country Living runs a great article ‘Recycled Chic’ on page 27. The essence of the feature is about finding and restoring interesting furniture tracked down through charity shops or ebay.

You may not need to trawl through ebay looking for ‘elegant upholstered pieces simply in need of new covers’ as Country Living journalist Caroline Reeves suggests. Take a look at what’s already in the family. Now picture that interesting old couch transformed with a new fabric outer and looking just like new. How would it look in your living room. It’s worth considering.

 Good Housekeeping January 2009 edition number 1 tip on page 66 – “Expert updates on a credit crunch budget” is….yes you’ve guessed it….”Give your threadbare sofa a new incarnation by shielding the shabbiness with removable washable loose covers.”

Who am I to argue with Good Housekeeping journalist Samantha Trapp.

Best wishes one and all for a very Happy Christmas and remember, if it’s all starting to look a bit tired and worn in the new year, just follow the advice of the home magasine experts and consider loose covers or reupholstery to breathe new life into the look of your home.

Most people over the age of 50, which makes up the majority of the ‘Air Raid’ or ‘Baby Boom’ generations, will remember the mantra “make do and mend”. This term, meaning “manage with whatever is available”, was first coined on a World War II propaganda slogan to try and encourage people to conserve materials by restoring items rather than replacing them.

We are obviously not going through such hardships now but this message is still as relevant today as it was 60 years ago. With predicated falls in inflation, interest rates being cut and the budgeted 2.5% drop in VAT, money is still tight and we need to think carefully about our spending habits.

Plumbs understand this mantra more than most as it’s what our business was built on. Going back 45 years or even just 20 years, disposable cheap furniture was practically unheard of. If you wanted to give your old sofa a new look or repair any damage, the cheapest alternative to buying new was to either re-cover or re-upholster your suite.

There has been a number of campaigners trying to educate people into changing their habits and come away from the throw away generation we have found ourselves becoming. One such campaigner, Barbara Warmsley, Oxfam’s Green Granny has started using the internet to try and spread the “make do and mend” message by producing a series of videos of tips and ideas for saving money and living better.

Here is the first one:

Remember “make do and mend”, don’t just throw away and buy new!

Recently findings by the web usage company Hitwise has found a 53.1% decrease in people searching online for the term “houses for sale” and a 25% increase in the number of DIY related “How to?” search queries.

This is backed up by the number house sales being at their lowest in 50 years, according to the Telegraph. So instead of moving, there is a big shift in people improving what they have. And because of the ever talked about looming recession, being thrifty with your cash is more and more important.

Take a look at some of these money saving ideas to spruce up your home:

Money Saving Tips – give a fresh feel to your home in the New Year!
Give your home a brand new look for spring
Create a new kitchen without all the expense

We’ve been banging on about it for ages, “Keep and restore, don’t throw and destroy”!

This is becoming more and more prevalent in our society not only for environmental reasons but now it effects your wallet more than ever.

An article I’ve read on the site, thisisexeter.co.uk, is also saying the same message. However we have always come at this from a sofa or furniture point of view.

This article says something more, which is, why stop there? What if your electrical appliances break-down, go out and buy new? Not only are there masses of second-hand white goods that will save you money. But why not try and get it repaired? In most circumstances it will be cheaper.

Read the article here…

As a society we need to move on from our throw-away culture. Maybe the ever talked-about credit crisis will bring on the change that’s needed.

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.