The US will be celebrating Earth day this weekend (22nd April): a day for pledging your efforts for a greener planet! But who says we should leave it all to our friends over the pond? We can all do our bit to help the environment, and here at Plumbs we’re keen to push the message of recycling and reusing old furniture! With landfill space in the UK expected to run out by 2018, now is a great time to think outside of the box and see how you can make your unwanted furniture useable again.

Our primary concern is, of course upholstery. 10 million items of furniture are thrown away in the UK every year. 3 million of these items could be easily re-used; more could be repaired. You’ll be pleasantly suprised to hear of the transformations that loose covers and re-upholstery can do to your old furniture. Bringing a fresh new look to saggy sofas or sprucing up your conservatory suite, recycling, or in many cases up-cycling your favourite furniture in this way is great for the environment and great for your home!

Here are some of our recent transformations…

Remember, it’s not just upholstery that can be kept and made new. Think about other household objects you could renew or repurpose, such as turning old cupboard doors into lap trays, or making a quirky shelf unit from unused drawers as seen on Decorology blog:

Re-purposing, re-cycling and re-upholstering is a win win for you and the environment! So, before considering buying a new suite, sofa or chair, why not arrange your free home consultation to see how Plumbs can help you save your sofa and the environment!

*Environmental statistics sourced from Bulky Waste Collection Services.

One of the hardest things when it comes to giving your home a new look is knowing where to start. You may have a rough idea of how you want your room to look, or you may be feeling completely overwhelmed by colour schemes, themes, feng shui and functionality.

In these situations, we could all do with a helping hand and some design intervention.  Some of the best resources are readily available at your fingertips with thousands of websites and blogs full of inspiring home design ideas!  So flick on the kettle, put your feet up and browse the possibilities…

Facebook - Hold on, I hear you say, Facebook is just for catching up with friends and laughing at unfortunately tagged photographs isn’t it?!  Well, not anymore.  With many companies embracing social media, you can find great inspiration if you follow the right people.  Home Interest Magazines are a good place to start, with the likes of Country Living and House Beautiful posting great content on their walls.

Even we at Plumbs have a facebook page on which we regularly post inspiring home images, discussions and helpful design tips.  Be sure to ‘like’ us to see our latest blog posts and home décor ideas.

Pinterest – Another great resource for anyone looking for inspiring home décor images and decorating ideas.  This online pinboard allows you to post images of the things you love, including all things interior!

Colorjive – A good interactive tool for helping you pick out your colourscheme!

Plumbs Blog – And don’t forget the Plumbs Blog!  We keep our eye on all the hottest and upcoming interior design blogs to bring you the latest trends and design ideas.

We post regularly so keep checking back for our latest design tips, or have a look in our archives!  If you still can’t find information on what you’re looking for, send us a comment and we will see what we can come up with for you

Until then, happy home planning!

At the beginning of the year Pantone announced their colour of choice for 2012 as Tangerine Tango and since then we’ve seen it cropping up everywhere!  A few months into the year and you can deck your whole house out with Tangerine Tango inspired products and designs.  And what better colour to bring some fun and vibrancy to your home.

With that in mind, we thought it would be fun to see what we could find on the high street and online.  It seems the heart of the home, the kitchen, has most fully embraced this year’s hottest colour trend with a wealth of appliances, utensils and culinary bric a brac all available in Tangerine Tango…

1. Colour Scheme inspired by Pantone Colour of the Year: Tangerine Tango (17-1463 TCX)

2. Orange Poppy in Glass Vase – Matalan

3. Made-to-Measure Blinds in ‘Katie – Autumn’ fabric – Plumbs

4. Rainbow Orange Cafetiere – La Cafetiere

5. Gmundner Ceramics Selection Orange – porzellantreff.de

6. Made-to-Measure Dining Chair Covers in ‘Turin-Honey’ fabric – Plumbs

7. Colourworks Accessories Reversible Chopping Board – Kitchen Craft

8. Smeg 28yo1 Orange Refrigerator – Comet

The home decorating market is saturated with people only too willing to help your vision become a reality in your home.  But amongst the design consultants, interior designers, decorators and architects, how do we know whom to turn to?

Architects are easy – they’re the building guys!  Effectively they can lay out the plans for the skeleton of your home, the structure.  Designers and decorators are a little harder to define, with many of us using the terms interchangeably.  In reality the two professions are markedly different…

Interior Designer

An interior Designer will take into account the space and intended function of a room.  Their primary concern is efficiency and functionality.  A good interior designer will also take into account acoustics and sound transmission.  They are responsible for creating a user-friendly layout primarily, and will go on to choose appropriate furnishings and lighting to maximise the functionality of a room or space.

Interior Decorator

Decorators are not concerned with structure or layout.  Their main focus is to choose furnishings, fixtures, and colour schemes that will best reflect the personality of the homeowner, including their likes and interests

If you are looking for help and advise for your loose covers or reupholstery needs, you could request a free visit from one of our Home Consultants.  They will visit you in your own home and show you a range of fabric options.  They are on hand to give help and advise where necessary.  Click here to arrange your free visit now.

Whichever professional you choose to consult during your home design, be sure that they understand what you want to get out of the final result.

Here at Plumbs we would like to wish all of our customers, employees and blog readers a very Happy Easter!  Don’t forget to check out our beautiful range of Spring inspired fabrics to make your home fresh this season.  We hope you’ve all enjoyed the bank holiday!!

Though the weather has taken a turn for the worst this week in the UK,  Spring is well and truly all around.  Cherry Blossoms are blossoming, Daffodils are dancing and we’re all gearing up for a lovely long bank holiday weekend!  So in spirit of all things Springy, we’ve compiled a collection of our favourite fabrics for Spring-time.  Inspired by the season’s beautiful blooms, fresh floral designs feature heavily with pastel pinks and greens across the range.  We’ve also picked out alternative colourways for the season, which will keep you home looking fresh in whole new ways!  Below are just a taster of our Spring-inspired fabrics…

To see more fabrics ideal for Spring click here, or view our other fabrics here.  To see all of the Plumbs fabric range in your very own home click here to arrange a FREE Home Visit.

So many of us neglect to decorate our homes in the spirit of Easter, yet we spend weeks preparing for Christmas!  Well this year I’m going to make a change.  Easter is just as special a time and you’re home is sure to see an increase in foot fall as you catch up with family and friends.  Wouldn’t it be great to give them a hearty seasonal welcome?

You needn’t go to great lengths, just a few simple touches can bring the freshness of Easter into your home.  Try a couple of these easy ideas…

Decorate a vase full of twigs and branches with colourful eggs.  Like baubles you can get crafty and paint some yourself or scour the high street stores for beautiful buys like these from Lakeland.

A perfect subtle touch, seasonal candles like these egg shells can add atmosphere and fun to you Easter table.  There are a wealth of novelty candles on the market so you should be able to find something appropriate from egg shaped candles to Easter bunny tea light holders somewhere near you!

A simple and fun idea that will brighten your home and keep the children busy.  Making your own bunting is a great way to adorn your home for the Easter weekend!  Plus, you can make it really unique with the shapes, colours and materials you use.  Pinks, greens and yellows are always a popular choice for Easter time.

Take advantage of Spring in your Easter celebrations with fresh, seasonal blooms.  There are some beautiful flowers around at this time of year.  Why not go all out and display in tiny egg cups to keep the theme going!

A third alternative to the popular struggle of  ‘buying new or making do’ when your furniture is concerned can be answered simply! Do both!  If you want a change from your sofa, chair or suite but have had enough of your current style, there’s still a choice besides having to buy brand new.  Why not consider  taking in unloved, second hand furniture and really putting your stamp on it with re-upholstery or loose covers in the fabric of your choice?!  Great compromise right?

So where do you find these furniture treasures I hear you ask?  My port of call is always online – there are a wealth of brilliant websites where you can really pick up a bargin.  Consider auction sites like ebay or private listings like Preloved.  You could even visit a recycling site where second hand goods are literally given away for better use in a new home!  Look at freecycle and recycle to find unloved furniture in your area that could really benefit from loose covers or re-upholstery.

Another great resource you could consider is your local newspaper.  You can find lots of unwanted suites or sofas in the classified ads section of your paper.  Some supermarkets may even have a notice board of similar posts.  And finally, never forget about the good old fashioned second-hand store!  There’s bound to be one near you that may just have what you’re looking for.

Wherever you decide to find your perfect sofa, remember the one golden rule:

Don’t be put off by even the ugliest of sofas.  With loose covers or re-upholstery you could completely transform it! Click here to find out more about how Plumbs loose covers and re-upholstery can make old, unloved furniture beautiful again!

When the weather is beautiful outside, the last thing you want to do is be stuck in a dull and dreary office. So now could be a great time to revamp your work space at home and be inspired throughout your day! Have a look at our top 5 designs for something that will suit you and your home…

The simplicity of Scandinavian design lends itself well to a home office for the easily distracted worker.  A collection of bare essentials and one or two nic-nacs mixed with a simple, yet bold colour scheme creates a simple space in which to concentrate on the job at hand!

For a feminine touch, opt for a pastel colour scheme and incorporate pretty patterns and co-ordinating textiles for a calming atmosphere.  Soften office essentials by making your own pin boards with nice fabric and choosing patterned storage boxes.

Utilise your loft space and make a quiet, cosy retreat.  Exposed wood and simple textiles will give a rustic feel.  The only downside – the kettle is likely to be 2 floors down so you may find you minimise your tea breaks!

Bring the outdoors in and be inspired by nature.  Surround yourself with plant life and position your desk with a good view of your garden.  Better yet, convert your garden shed for an office away from home, at home!

Don’t despair if you’ve limited space to work with.  There are so many office space solutions available to you, like a simple cupboard office.  The beauty of this look is that you can fit it into your living room and close the door on your work when you’re done!

With these in mind, we better get back to work!  Keep checking back for more great home design ideas!

A popular means of showing your home to its greatest potential, room or house staging is often used when trying to sell a home.  But there’s no reason that you couldn’t use the techniques to make the best use of your home space for yourself.

When thinking about your living room for example, the following room staging tips can appeal to potential buyers or help to create a calm, spacious environment to entertain friends and spend time with your family.

Tip 1. – Make it Social

Arranging furniture to face each other or creating social clusters will encourage conversation and make for great entertainment space.

Tip 2. Create Space

Even in the smallest of living rooms, you can create an illusion of space by simply arranging your furniture appropriately.  The key is to ensure there is a clear path around the room for you to easily manoeuvre around your furniture.

Tip 3.  Neutral doesn’t have to be boring

Another way of creating a spacious effect is to keep your palette light and neutral.  Particularly appealing to potential buyers, a neutral palette will allow them to see your home as a blank canvas for them to put their mark on.  For you however, neutral doesn’t have to be boring – choose a bold accent colour to suit your personality and use sparingly for maximum effect.

Tip 4.  Re-cover worn furniture

A quick and easy way to spruce up your furniture is to opt for loose covers.  A new fabric can instantly freshen your room.  Click here to find out more about Plumbs Loose Covers.

Tip 5. Focus on interesting architecture

Forget the TV as a focal point and make a feature out of interesting architecture or a fireplace.  Arrange your furniture around the feature to emphasise and create a talking point!