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:

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…

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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:
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The winner will be selected and announced on 19th March 2010

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….

• 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and staying in more, which is giving them time to sort out all those little annoyances such as worn sofa upholstery and out-of-date curtains.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!

 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.

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!

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

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.

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!

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.